Since this is Easter Week the Silent Film geek in me figured I’d post this 44-minute work about Jesus from the cradle to the crucifixion.
As a 1903 production it is certainly crude but the novelty value is high. Plus, viewers can listen to their favorite spiritual/ inspirational music while watching it.
Filed under Uncategorized
ACCA (Association of Christian College Athletics)
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The ACCA includes teams from the U.S. and Canada. Their title tilt pitted the 3 seeds – the OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE AMBASSADORS – against the 4th seeded UNION COLLEGE (NE) WARRIORS.
On their way to the championship game the Ambassadors defeated the (6) Free Lutheran Bible College Conquerors and the (2) Providence (Manitoba) University College & Seminary Pilots in the previous rounds. Meanwhile, the Warriors downed the (5) Oak Hills Christian College Wolfpack and the (1) Trinity Bible College Lions. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
TALES FROM THE QUADEAD ZONE (1987) – The second and – to date – final movie written and directed by Chester Novell Turner. The man’s films became so renowned for being legendarily bad that in 2014 a documentary about their making was released under the title Return to the Quadead Zone.
Once again, it’s time for Balladeer’s Blog’s standard warning for readers who are not into the more remote, violent and tasteless corners of the cinematic universe. Don’t go past the “Continue reading” mark. Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies, Halloween Season
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
ELITE EIGHT: FIRST BERTH – The EVANGEL UNIVERSITY VALOR faced the LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS (should be Explorers).
This was a tale of two Halves as the Valor thoroughly dominated the opening, leading their opponents 43-26 at the break. From there Evangel University had to hold on by their fingertips against a furious Warriors rally for a 77-74 victory. Garrett Davault of the Valor led his team with 22 points. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the Marvel Comics run in which Hercules and Thor fought side by side against assorted menaces.
Previously I examined the first encounter between Thor and Hercules as well as Hercules’ first period as a member of the Avengers.
THOR Vol 1 #221 (March 1974)
Title: Hercules Enraged
Villains: Ares and Pluto/ Hades
Synopsis: In Asgard, the Valkyrie named Hildegarde tells Thor that via Odin’s magic implements she saw her missing sister Krista trapped in the Greek pantheon’s Netherworld being used as a slave by Pluto and Hercules.
The furious Thor travels to Mt. Olympus to demand answers. He encounters his former ally Hercules and when Herc says he doesn’t know anything about Krista, Thor attacks him in a berserker rage.
The lengthy battle between Hercules and Thor ends when Zeus abruptly appears. Zeus tells them that Pluto is indeed holding Krista captive in the Netherworld, but his ally was really Ares disguised as Hercules to incriminate the demigod in the eyes of Asgard. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Author John Dudley Ball, Jr. created the iconic African American detective Virgil Tibbs in his 1965 novel In the Heat of the Night. Sidney Poitier brought Virgil to life on the big screen in the classic film version in 1966. Poitier reprised the role in They Call Me Mister Tibbs (1970) and The Organization (1971).
Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the forgotten (or at least neglected) novels and short stories which John Dudley Ball wrote about his fictional detective. I am amazed that no one adapted the other Virgil Tibbs novels in the 70s, 80s or 90s. He is up there with other American detectives like Sam Spade, Nero Wolfe, Moses Wine and more.
THE COOL COTTONTAIL (1966) – After winning the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel for In the Heat of the Night, John Ball wrote this follow-up novel about Virgil Tibbs. If you’re only familiar with the big screen Tibbs let me point out that The Cool Cottontail is set in Pasadena, CA, where the literary Virgil Tibbs was a homicide detective. In movies Virgil worked in Philadelphia and San Francisco while the In the Heat of the Night tv series stranded him down south. Continue reading
Filed under opinion
USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association)
DIVISION ONE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The last two teams standing in this division’s tournament were the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) and the LYON COLLEGE SCOTS.
By Halftime the Builders were clinging to a tight 33-30 lead over their opponents. After the break the Apprentice School eked out just a bit more separation from the Scots to win the game by a final score of 73-68. Donovan Means led the Builders to the title with 19 points. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
THE DERELICT (1912) – This short story was originally published in Red Magazine in December of 1912. The author was William Hope Hodgson, whose other works have already been reviewed here at Balladeer’s Blog.
A ship traveling from Madagascar to China comes across a derelict vessel which seems to be from hundreds of years ago. An away team is sent to investigate the derelict.
The away team had to struggle through strange brown, clinging scum that surrounded the exterior of the ancient vessel. Once they managed to board the ship they found a bizarre white mold covering the decks, cabins and fittings. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
FOR MANY MORE VIETNAMESE GODS AND GODDESSES CLICK HERE.
THACH SANH – A son of the supreme deity Ngoc Hoang. His father forced him to incarnate as a human and in this demi-god form he fought monsters, rescued the son of the chief sea god Long Vuong, vanquished his evil foster-brother and married a beautiful princess.
He then went on to lead her father’s people in a war of conquest, uniting the legendary and traditional “original 18” villages (though some sources say 15 villages) that were the basis of the nation that eventually grew into ancient Vietnam. Continue reading
Filed under Mythology
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
WICHITA SITE – The 10 seeds – the MID-AMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EVANGELS – faced the 7th seeded HASTINGS COLLEGE BRONCOS.
The opening Half was a defensive epic and ended with the Evangels up 28-27. After the break each team added another 40 points to their tally, with Mid-America Christian University edging the Broncos 68-67. Seth Hurd and Mikel Henderson led the Evangels with 16 points each.
MARION SITE – This game pitted the 7th seeded TENNESSEE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY FIREHAWKS against the 10 seeds – the TOUGALOO COLLEGE BULLDOGS.
The Firehawks held a comfortable 45-28 lead at Halftime. The Bulldogs mounted a fierce rally from there, but still fell short as Tennessee Southern U. triumphed by a final score of 91-84. Eighteen points from Mark Vance led the Firehawks. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
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