Here is another college team staying far away from the overused names like Eagles, Tigers, Bulldogs and Wildcats.
QUINCY COLLEGE Continue reading
Tag Archives: blogging
MYRA BRECKINRIDGE (1970) – LEGENDARILY BAD
MYRA BRECKINRIDGE (1970) – This film is based on the novel by Gore Vidal, who once called director John Waters “the pope of trash.” Well, Gore, Waters never had anything to do with Myra Breckinridge in any of its forms, so you have no room to talk.
This year in which there is no escaping online arguments over Barbie and cinematic depictions of masculinity, femininity, transexuals, garish camp and so much more, it seemed the perfect time for me to review another of the all-time worst movies ever made: Myra Breckinridge.
First up, a summary of the plot – Myron Breckinridge, played by THE Rex Reed, the famed film critic, is fascinated with Hollywood and is conflicted about his sexuality AND about societal notions of masculinity. Myron believes that the film industry has distorted and perverted masculinity into what would today be called by certain people a “toxic” stew of rabid machismo.
Myron himself, who wants to be a woman, is more into the Hollywood musicals and romances of a bygone era and blames the film industry for providing what he sees as negative role models for young males. Myron has a sex change operation, going in as Rex Reed and coming out as Raquel Welch. No, I’m not kidding.
Next, as Myra Breckinridge instead of Myron, the character goes to Hollywood to work at the acting school run by her uncle – former cowboy star Buck Loner … played by JOHN FREAKING HUSTON! Myra’s plan is to change the way male thespians behave and how men are portrayed in film so that she can destroy the very concept of traditional macho movie heroes forever.
It says a lot that Gore Vidal originally conceived all this as satire, because here in 2023 there are big names in Hollywood who really do mouth such inane sentiments with 100% seriousness while they lecture the rest of us about “toxic masculinity”, etc. Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies
A PESTILENT VAPOR (1903) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION
A PESTILENT VAPOR (1903) – Written by Alice MacGowan, this neglected story introduced a figure who should have become as famous in his way as H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man.
The tale is set in “the far future” of 1950. The mad scientist Dr Sylvester assassinates the U.S. President for refusing to grant Sylvester the appointment he wanted to an overseas post where he could continue his bizarre experiments.
The not so good doctor is taken into custody and gets even more spiteful satisfaction out of the way the country is rife with rioting and protests. Dr Sylvester wants to further his plans by exploiting the spreading anarchy and disappears from his prison cell.
Sylvester has discovered a way of transforming his body into a gaseous state. When no one was watching him he turned into a vapor and drifted out of the prison, returning to his human form when he had reached safety. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
JUSTICE SOCIETY: 1948 STORIES
For this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist blog post about superheroes, Balladeer’s Blog goes back to the Justice Society of America, this country’s very first superteam.
Years ago, I covered the early years of the JSA, from their first appearance in December 1940 up to their December 1945 issue, which wrapped up their World War Two tales with a look at disabled veterans. Earlier this summer I covered their 1946 stories and their 1947 stories.
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #39 (February 1948)
Title: The Invasion From Fairyland
Justice Society Roster: Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Thunder, the 1st Wonder Woman, 1st Flash, 1st Green Lantern, 1st Atom, 1st Black Canary, and 1st Hawkman
Villainess: The Lorelei
Synopsis: Every thousand years, a portal appears connecting Fairyland to the real world for 24 hours. The Lorelei, evil ruler of Fairyland, wants to lead an army of evil figures from fairy tales to take over the Earth.
The JSA members enter Fairyland and try to stop the Lorelei, a basilisk, a griffin, a dragon, Gallifron the Ogre, tinderbox dogs and a giant from using the portal to invade Earth. Lorelei leads her army in destructive attacks around the globe. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
LONG HENRY: NEGLECTED GUNSLINGER. HAPPY FRONTIERADO 2023!
HAPPY FRONTIERADO! The first Friday of every August marks this holiday devoted to the myth of the old west rather than the grinding reality. For some of us the celebration kicks off Thursday night, for others they wait until the actual day of Frontierado to hold their festivities. Enjoy your buffalo steaks, rattlesnake fried rice, corn on the cob, tumbleweed pizza, cactus salad and more today and tonight, and enjoy the leftovers on Saturday and Sunday.
Kid Russell’s painting of Long Henry, seen at left
LONG HENRY – Henry Thompson aka Henry Pell was born in 1866 in the Texas Panhandle. His mother was Cherokee, and his father was a white soldier or, by some accounts, a freight driver. Long Henry referred to his mother having to use a bread board for his cradle because of how poor their family was.
Of his father, the gunslinger stated that the man fought Native Americans and outlaws, but no details have come down to us. In his teens, Long Henry joined up with the Henry Starr Gang, taking part in rustling and armed robberies of banks, trains, post offices, and general stores. Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
THE DENVER DOLL: DIME NOVEL HEROINE (1882-1883)
THE DENVER DOLL – The annual Frontierado Holiday will be tomorrow, Friday August 4th. Here is yet another seasonal post while there is still time.
The Denver Doll was one of the many Dime Novel heroines created by author Edward L. Wheeler. Previously, Balladeer’s Blog examined his very first gun-toting Wild West woman, Hurricane Nell. Next, I reviewed Wheeler’s books that featured Baltimore Bess and Cinnamon Chip, two other western heroines who fought the forces of evil in the old west.
This time around my subject is the Denver Doll, whose adventures were published in 1882 and 1883. Her four Dime Novels were:
DENVER DOLL, THE DETECTIVE QUEEN; or YANKEE EISLER’S BIG SURROUND (November 14th, 1882) – In this debut appearance, the Denver Doll’s two fisted, gunslinging, card playing, crimefighting nature is established, along with her mysterious past. The heroine’s secrets aren’t revealed until her fourth and final tale.
To start off Denver Doll’s saga, she takes on Road Agents in Colorado and the evil Mademoiselle Zoe. Alongside the Doll are her sidekicks Yakie Strauss the Dutchman, a “warm-hearted and brave” African American named Fitzwalter August “Walt” Christie and a hard-drinking, roguish Chinese man called Chug. Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
LUNA COLLEGE: COOL NAMED SPORTS TEAM
Things are going well today on the surgery front, so thank you all for your well wishes!
SCHOOL: LUNA COLLEGE Continue reading
Filed under Cool names and cool logos
JIM LEAVY: NEGLECTED GUNSLINGER
I was out most of the day today with a loved one in for surgery. Anyway, here is another seasonal post for the Frontierado Holiday, coming up this Friday, August 4th.
JIM LEAVY/ LEVY – This gunslinger’s last name shows up under both spellings at times. He was definitely from Ireland. Some accounts claim he was Jewish, but those sources may have jumped to conclusions if they were going by the Levy spelling.
Jim was born in 1842 and when he was 8 years old his family moved to America, arriving in New York Harbor on board the Huguenot on May 14th, 1850. By 1860 Jim was living in Sacramento, CA as either a miner or bartender.
In early 1868, a Silver Rush began to eastern Nevada and our subject moved there with hopes of striking it rich. Trying his luck here and there, Jim was eventually prospecting at Pioche, NV, one of the most underrated of the deadly boom towns of the old west.
Legend has it that Leavy fell in with fellow Irishman Morgan Courtney and his handful of gunslingers who were hired by the Ely-Raymond Mining Concern to take back their Washington & Creole Mine from hired gunmen who had seized it for the Newland Brothers. Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
RIVERBOAT (1959-1961) FOR FRONTIERADO
RIVERBOAT (1959-1961) – We are less than a week away from Frontierado 2023, observed on Friday August 4th this year. For a combination Frontierado and Forgotten Television post Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at some of the best episodes of the old western series Riverboat.
This series starred Darren McGavin himself as high-stakes gambler Grey Holden, who won the riverboat Enterprise (yes, really) in a poker game. Holden settled down and tried to make a living with the vessel, taking it from New Orleans all up and down the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
Grey Holden captained the Enterprise, but the more experienced Chief Pilot was Ben Frazer, played by the one and only Burt Reynolds. Riverboat was, for a television western, atypically set during the 1830s and 1840s. Some of my favorite episodes are historical fiction, featuring our heroes aiding Texas rebels during the Texas Revolution, clashing with river pirates, or encountering young Abraham Lincoln and a few other historical figures here and there. Continue reading
Filed under Forgotten Television, FRONTIERADO
MARVEL: JANUARY 1974
This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will take a look at the Marvel publications from January of 1974, excluding reprints.
THE AVENGERS Vol 1 #119 (January 1974)
Title: Night of the Collector
Avengers’ Roster: THOR (Donald Blake, MD), IRON MAN (Tony Stark), CAPTAIN AMERICA (Steve Rogers), THE SCARLET WITCH (Wanda), THE BLACK PANTHER (King T’Challa), THE VISION (Not applicable), THE SWORDSMAN (Jacques Duquesne) and MANTIS (Full name unknown at the time).
Villain: The Collector
Synopsis: The Avengers arrive back in New York after the previous issue’s final chapter of the Avengers-Defenders crossover story in which Dormammu and Loki teamed up to threaten the entire universe via the Evil Eye of Avalon. The eight Avengers – accompanied by Loki, who has been rendered helpless and insane from what happened in the Dark Dimension – return to Avengers Mansion.
NOTE: I previously covered the entire multi-part Avengers vs the Defenders war instigated by Loki and Dormammu HERE and HERE if you’re curious about what happened to Loki.
The crazed, uncomprehending Loki is kept in custody at Avengers Mansion because this is set during a period when Odin had forbidden him to return to Asgard under any circumstances. Time passes, and at one point the Black Panther pursues with Mantis his wish to learn some of her other-worldly martial arts. T’Challa first got the idea when he saw how well Mantis fought Dr. Strange during the Avengers/ Defenders War. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Balladeer's Blog 