December 19, 2015 · 8:38 pm

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984): STUMP THEATRE VERSION

PBSBalladeer’s Blog continues its annual orgy of versions of the Dickens classic as Christmas Carol-A-Thon 2015 resumes!  

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984) – Don’t be misled by the 1984 date, this is neither the George C Scott version NOR the French TV version which I first reviewed years ago. This is a taped stage performance that aired on Ohio Public Television station WNEO on December 22nd, 1984.  

Just to give you an idea of the psychotically obsessive lengths I sometimes go to to track down these obscure versions of the Carol: Years ago when I bought this it was one of the many productions not available on video. Nor was it to be found on E-bay or Amazon or any of the usual outlets.

By emailing various staff members at Kent State University (whose theatre department mounted this version) I eventually reached a kind individual. He stated that, though the university did not have copies of the production for sale he would ask around on the KSU faculty’s exclusive chat boards to see if anyone had a copy they may have taped off television back in 1984. Continue reading →

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December 19, 2015 · 5:27 pm

EDISON’S CONQUEST OF MARS (1898): PART FIVE

Comet 2Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of Garrett P Serviss’ odd sequel to Fighters From Mars, his blatant imitation of War of the Worlds.

PART FIVE

Next came a sort of cul-de-sac in the story as the entire Earth fleet of one hundred spaceships got trapped in the gravitational pull of a gigantic comet that was headed for a collision with the sun. The comet was full of unknown cosmic energies which were wreaking havoc on the operating systems of each of the space craft. Continue reading →

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December 18, 2015 · 8:24 pm

OBAMA: SUBMISSION ACCOMPLISHED

... And he certainly has, hasn't he?

… And he certainly has, hasn’t he?

Yes, the previous ass is famous for “Mission Accomplished,” the current ass is famous for “Submission Accomplished.” It’s part of Little Barry Obama’s distorted worldview in which he thinks the Muslim world is “morally superior” to the western democracies.

Because faux intellectuals like him think it’s like, so DEEP dude to reflexively submit to everyone who hates the west, even when those haters are homophobic, misogynistic and otherwise intolerant.  Continue reading →

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December 17, 2015 · 11:08 pm

EDISON’S CONQUEST OF MARS (1898): PART FOUR

Edison's Conquest of Mars 4Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of Garrett P Serviss’ odd sequel to Fighters From Mars, his blatant imitation of War of the Worlds.

PART FOUR

Garrett Serviss (our narrator), Thomas Edison and Earth’s space fleet of 100 ships descended to the moon. The plan was to effect repairs to the ship damaged by its collision with a meteor and bury the men killed in the accident.  

The fleet landed at Cape Heraclides because the expedition discovered the ruins of an ancient watchtower there. The size of each stone in the ruins was equal to an entire house back on Earth. The long-dead race on the moon were apparently gigantic. In a solemn ceremony the dead astronauts were buried in the lunar soil with that enormous monument also marking their resting place.  Continue reading →

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December 15, 2015 · 11:52 pm

CHRISTMAS TIME ADVICE FOR LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES

The symbol of the nonexistent Balladeer Political Party

The symbol of the nonexistent Balladeer Political Party

Welcome back to Balladeer’s Blog, the only site on the web that equally criticizes Liberals and Conservatives. 

ADVICE FOR LIBERALS – Pretend that these Conservatives you irrationally hate are really Muslim fanatics who treat women like slaves and want all gay people dead.

You cowardly hypocrites seem to have no problem refraining from EVER expressing one word of hostility about Muslim homophobes and misogynists, so go through December without saying anything about Christians and/or Conservatives that you would not say about Muslims and/or Islamists. And show their religion the same nauseating deference you gutless wonders show Islam. Continue reading →

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December 14, 2015 · 9:45 pm

CHRISTMAS CAROL OBSCURITIES

Ghost of Christmas PresentAren’t we all pretty fed up with the same versions of A Christmas Carol being rammed down our throats like Razzleberry Dressing every Christmas season while many of the clever but lesser known variations of the Dickens Yuletide classic languish in obscurity?

I’m one of those people who begin wallowing in the dozens of versions of this Industrial Age epic myth right after Thanksgiving and don’t let up until Christmas Day. With the obsessive and semi- psychotic zeal of a Trekkie or an X-Phile I purchase every offbeat variation and adaptation of A Christmas Carol that I can lay my hands on.

Drawing on the extensive, albeit geeky, expertise that I’ve gained in this subject over the years I’d like to spread the word about some of the versions of the story that can be found in the remote hinterlands of home video or audio.

This will be a look at variations of the actual Dickens story, set in London in the 1840’s. An entirely separate article could be written about adaptations of A Christmas Carol set in different time periods and locales, like Rod Serling’s anti-war parable Carol For Another Christmas, or the 1975 conservation short The Energy Carol or even the year 2000 Brazilian version depicting the Scrooge figure as a drug lord who repents. Just think of me as the Ghost of Christmas Carol Obscurities.

After reading this list you’ll hopefully conduct your own search for versions of the Carol beyond the limited world of Mr Magoo, Alastair Sim and George C Scott (“Dickens, you magnificent bastard! I read yer booooook!”) . 

The man all mimes aspire to be ... damn them.

The man all mimes aspire to be … damn them.

Marcel Marceau Presents a Christmas Carol (1973) – Marcel Marceau is possibly the only name that comes to mind if you try to think of famous mimes. In fact “Famous Mimes” would make for one easy  Jeopardy category because the response would always be “Who is Marcel Marceau?” Anyway, this BBC presentation featured Marceau acting out a pantomime of the Carol and playing every role.

This was accompanied by narration by another actor who once portrayed Scrooge, Michael Hordern. If you prefer versions of the Carol devoid of any and all speaking there are several silent movie Carols available out there.   Continue reading →

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December 13, 2015 · 3:55 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS

* CCCAA *

City College of San FranciscoCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The CITY COLLEGE OF SAN  FRANCISCO RAMS took on the SADDLEBACK COLLEGE GAUCHOS for the CCCAA title. The Rams notched a 6-0 lead in the 1st Quarter but neither team scored in the 2nd. The 2nd Half saw CCSF make it a 13-0 game headed into the 4th Quarter. The Gauchos outscored the Rams 14-13 in that Quarter, but CCSF won the game 26-14. * THE RAMS ARE CCCAA CHAMPIONS. *

* NCAA DIVISION TWO *

Northwest Missouri BearcatsFIRST SEMIFINAL – The storied NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS seized a 10-0 1st Quarter lead over the visiting UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA WOLVES. The Bearcats expanded that to a 24-6 advantage by Halftime. In the 3rd Quarter the Wolves pulled to within 24-20, but with the pressure on, Northwest Missouri State exploded in the 4th for 14 points to the 3 scored by West Georgia. The Bearcats advanced to the title game by a score of 38-23. Continue reading →

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December 12, 2015 · 6:12 pm

EDISON’S CONQUEST OF MARS (1898): PART THREE

Edison's Conquest of MarsBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of Garrett P Serviss’ odd sequel to Fighters From Mars, his blatant imitation of War of the Worlds.

PART THREE

Edison and Serviss, with help from scientists like Lord Rayleigh, Sylvanus P Thompson and Doctor Moissan, oversaw the construction of the Earth’s space fleet. Within six months one hundred space ships were ready for action, all of them equipped with Edison’s disintegrator rays. Those rays could be fired from within the ships by going straight through the windows without damaging them. Their frequency could be adjusted so as not to harm glass but still disintegrate metal.  

In the style of Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt each of the spacecraft would carry not just military forces but archaeologists, artists and scientists of all disciplines. There was a certain level of anticipation regarding the discoveries that might be made in the course of conductng the war on Mars.  Continue reading →

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December 11, 2015 · 10:39 pm

A CHRISTMAS CAROL OPERA (1978)

Christmas CarolChristmas Carol-A-Thon 2015 continues! 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1978) – From the year 1978 comes another televised Christmas Carol opera from the U.K.

This one was first aired on Wales’ Harlech Television on Christmas Day of that year. It features a libretto by John Morgan and the music is by Norman Kay. Continue reading →

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December 10, 2015 · 11:52 pm

JOY BRIGHTON’S GREAT NEW BOOK TAKING ON ISLAM

Joy Brighton bookJoy Brighton joined the ranks of courageous women taking on Islam and its barbaric treatment of women … and everyone else for that matter.

The book is titled Sharia-Ism Is Here: The Battle to Control Women and Everyone Else. Excellent book. As I’ve stated before the great Civil Rights struggle of the 21st Century will involve free societies fighting to retain their liberties in the face of oppression from Muslims allied with the increasingly totalitarian political left.

Buy it for the Politically Correct cowards in your life. Continue reading →

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