Pontypool
Balladeer’s Blog’s month-long celebration of Halloween continues! If you’re like me you’re bored with all of the zombie and pseudo-zombie films and tv shows that seem to come out every few months. Pontypool is at least a zombie film that defies the formula.
PONTYPOOL (2008) – Pontypool is based on the novel by Tony Burgess and is set in a small town in Ontario. The best way to describe this original and thought-provoking movie would be by saying “If PBS decided to do a zombie film I think it would go something like this …”
The movie stars Stephen McHattie who portrays Grant Mazzy, a former shock jock from America. He’s currently languishing on a small station in the backwoods of Canada after his provocative antics got him fired one too many times from radio stations in the States.
He tries to liven up his boring gig on local radio by suggesting some unorthodox public behavior to his listeners and is as surprised as his female producer Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) when people around the area begin taking him up on the suggestion. As reports continue to come into the tiny radio station it soon becomes apparent that the population isn’t just extremely receptive to suggestion, many of them have become living zombies with a desire to kill anyone not similarly stricken. Continue reading
In the style of Balladeer’s Blog’s separate examinations of Hawaiian and Samoan myths as a subset of Polynesian Mythology comes this look at the deities worshipped on the Polynesian outliers Bellona Island and Rennell Island. Despite its much smaller size Bellona had a larger population for much of their history.
MAHUIKE – The earthquake god of Bellona and Rennell Islands (henceforth Bel-Ren). Like his counterparts in Hawaii and Samoa, Mahuike lived far underground and caused earthquakes by pushing at the earth with both of his arms.
Whatever! I just wanted to weigh in on this since conspiracy kooks were going nuts over this b.s. These online conspiracy deals are fun up to a point, I guess, but at least this one (or these two) doesn’t (or don’t) feature Slenderman … yet. It’s interesting to wonder what Aleister Crowley might have done with internet memes. 
NUMBER TEN GETS KNOCKED OFF – The 24th ranked COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO BULLDOGS traveled to take on the number 10 team – the BUTTE COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS. A 7-7 tie in the 1st Quarter became a 14-7 lead for the Bulldogs by Halftime. Neither team scored in the 2nd Half so 14-7 was the final tally, too. The Roadrunners did not exactly get their Buttes kicked (Thank you! I’m here all week!) but they still lost at home. 
NUMBER TWELVE FALLS AT HOME – The crowd at Mashin-Roth Stadium was stunned on Saturday night as the unranked CHAFFEY COLLEGE PANTHERS came to visit the 12th ranked GROSSMONT COLLEGE GRIFFINS. At the midpoint the Panthers held just a 3-0 advantage and the 3rd Quarter ended in a 10-10 tie, but in the 4th Chaffey College managed a 17-10 upset of the Griffins. 
NUMBER SIX TAKES A FALL – The COPIAH-LINCOLN COLLEGE WOLFPACK played host to the 6th ranked JONES COUNTY COLLEGE BOBCATS and improved to 2-2 with the win. The Wolfpack trailed the Bobcats 7-0 in the 1st Quarter but had managed a 10-9 edge by Halftime. Jones County went back up 15-13 by the end of the 3rd Quarter but Copiah-Lincoln came back in the 4th to win it 27-22. 
AND NUMBER SEVEN COMES TUMBLING AFTER – Meanwhile the GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE BULLDOGS visited the number 7 team in the nation – the COLLEGE OF DUPAGE CHAPARRALS. By the end of the opening Quarter the Bulldogs led the Chaparrals 10-7, a score which was unchanged at the break. An action-packed 2nd Half saw Georgia Military College complete the upset by a final count of 24-12. 
Every Raiders fan that is determined to keep the team from moving to Las Vegas must now look to Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete because these retired National Football League Players just might have what it takes to subvert 
FLORIDA TECH CONQUERS DIVISION ONE – Division Two’s FLORIDA TECH PANTHERS took it on the road against Division ONE’s PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE BLUE HOSE. The Panthers sent a message, pushing the Blue Hose around the field on both sides of the ball. Florida Tech handily defeated Presbyterian College by a score of 28-7. 
NUMBER SIX TAKES A FALL – The 18th ranked EMPORIA STATE HORNETS visited the number 6 team in the country – the UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES. This was a Battle Royal in which 4 Quarters wasn’t enough … One Overtime period wasn’t enough either. In DOUBLE OVERTIME the Hornets emerged with a 37-31 triumph over the Mules. 
BOWDOIN COLLEGE POLAR BEARS 
