THE NEST OF THE CUCKOO BIRDS (1965) – Halloween Month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with a review of this low-budget, black & white bomb which played a few theaters in 1965 then was considered lost until 2017. Florida’s Bert Williams produced, wrote, directed and starred in this very strange film which strives for “Psycho Meets Tennessee Williams” levels but falls more into territory occupied by the likes of Spider Baby and Manos, The Hands of Fate.
Williams’ wife Peggy sang the title song, which inspired a later version by the Cramps, believe it or not. Peggy also sang the closing song Lisa.
Our auteur Bert Williams plays Johnson, a Liquor Control Department Agent aka “Revenuer” in the slang of deep south moonshiners. He is sent on an assignment into the Everglades to infiltrate and bring down a violent gang of moonshiners who make their own bootleg whiskey via their still on one of the scattered pieces of solid land found in the swamps of the Florida Everglades.
After an absurdly irrelevant recollection to his chief about a lost love of his from long ago, Agent Johnson departs on his mission.
Johnson’s cover is blown, and he flees into the swamplands to escape the bootleggers, who are led by their murderous boss called Doc. Half wading and half swimming, our exhausted protagonist arrives after dark at another isolated and uncharted little “island” amid the Everglades. He is nearly stabbed to death by a naked woman wearing a wig and a bizarre mask, a woman he at first mistakes for a statue.
The Revenue Agent manages to outfight and escape the woman in an utterly ridiculous fast-motion scene which could use the Benny Hill Theme as accompaniment. Johnson stumbles upon the tiny island’s lone structure – a dilapidated hotel called the Cuckoo Bird Inn, run by some of the strangest people this side of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Eaten Alive. Needless to say, the hilarity horror is just beginning. Continue reading
The recent Rasmussen Poll found that 56% believe the 2020 presidential election was tainted by cheating. (link below) Here at Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog I’ve never made any secret of the fact that the cheating and tampering seems to me to be as obvious – maybe even MORE obvious – than the cheating in the forever-tainted 1876 and year 2000 elections. 
THE COFFIN (2000) – Written by Phil Hester and drawn by Mike Huddleston, The Coffin was originally a four-part serial before being collected into graphic novel format. I’ll provide details below but right up front let me point out that the horrific but intriguing premise is that the Coffin is a dead scientist whose soul is trapped within a polymer techno-suit of his own creation. 
And so Heller Technologies recruited Dr Ahmad to devise strong, lightweight polymers for medical purposes. To that end Ashar has developed polymers that can be used to form an artificial membrane that is perfectly impermeable and incredibly durable. 
THE UNSEEN MAN’S STORY (1893) – A needlessly neglected mummy tale. At age twenty-eight, a Frenchman named Carigliano arrives in Egypt on assignment from the French government. He has studied Egyptology and is thrilled with his placement. 
Here at Independent Voter Site Balladeer’s Blog I make no bones about the fact that I’d be happy to see America’s rival gangs of white-collar criminals – the Democrat and Republican Parties – splinter into multiple smaller parties. I don’t support either political party so my opinions are not based on helping either of them. I repeat that every so often for the benefit of new readers.
Halloween Month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with this nostalgic look at the Big Five monster-themed cereals from General Mills. 
COUNT CHOCULA 
RANDOLPH-MACON CONQUERS DIVISION TWO – NCAA Division Three’s RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS borrowed a page from the NAIA by toppling a higher division team yesterday. The Yellow Jackets edged NCAA Division TWO’s EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE WASPS in a 34-31 thriller. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER SIX – Up in the NAIA the 14th ranked INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS hosted the number six team in the nation – the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS. The Wildcats put the Knights on Upset Alert from the beginning, with a 17-0 lead in the opening Quarter. They never looked back from there, ultimately winning a 41-7 blowout. 
NUMBER EIGHT TAKES A FALL – Staying in the NAIA for a moment, the BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS welcomed the 8th ranked GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie remained unchanged at Halftime before the Tigers went up 16-7 in the 3rd Quarter. In the explosive 4th Quarter the Wildcats came from behind for a 25-24 triumph. 
I love exploring the mythology behind the world’s various belief systems.
If anything history has shown that people – ESPECIALLY the self-congratulatory asses called Democrats – take great delight in loudly and repeatedly condemning people of the past for (GASP) having opinions that differ from their own. It takes no courage and little effort to put on an air of moral superiority toward long-dead human beings. 
The obsessive conformity, status-anxiety and insecurities of Democrats prevent them from questioning their faith and thereby realizing that their own condemnation of figures from long ago is every bit as much of a shallow, meaningless pose as the attitude that may be shown by Democrat Fundamentalists of the future. 
GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES Vol 1 #1 (June 1974) 
THE CANNED FILM FESTIVAL STARRING LARAINE NEWMAN (1986) – Halloween Month continues at Balladeer’s Blog with this look at a neglected Movie Host show, since Movie Hosts/ Horror Hosts are as associated with Halloween as are monsters and cosplay. 
THE SHOW: The Canned Film Festival Starring Laraine Newman. From June 21st to September 13th of 1986 this syndicated program sponsored largely by Dr Pepper aired on Saturday nights in various time slots around the United States. Elvira’s show Movie Macabre had run from 1981 to 1986 and was winding down. 
THE HOSTESS: Laraine Newman may be best known for Saturday Night Live and for her character actress work, but she had been a member of The Groundlings improvisational comedy troupe … As had Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira. Newman was also known as an aficionado of horror and fringe cinema. 
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