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KONG ISLAND (1968) BAD MOVIE REVIEW

kong islandKONG ISLAND (1968) has also been released under the titles King of Kong Island and Eva, the Savage Venus. Every one of those titles could let viewers build a strong case for false advertising. There’s no island, no king OR King Kong and though the third title listed above may hint at something lurid, the wild jungle woman of that title has very little screen time.

Under any name, this movie appeals to most of us fans of So Bad They’re Good films. We get a regulation Mad Scientist, his army of robot/ bionic apes which AREN’T really robotic or bionic, a sultry young woman raised in the jungle by the animals and plenty of action scenes.  

This Italian film was produced by Brad Harris, who also starred as the beefcake hero who shows off his bodybuilder frame in shirtless scenes. Ladies got to ogle Burt while men got to ogle Eva, who is known to the Kenyan natives as … the Sacred Monkey. (?) Years later the Hong Kong movie Goliathon would combine a jungle queen and a gorilla that really was as big as King Kong. 

The Characters:

brad harrisBURT DAWSON (Brad Harris) is the muscular soldier of fortune who hires on for any job, legal or illegal. Kong Island opens with Burt and a few accomplices on the run after robbing a payroll. They stop in the wilderness to split the loot only to be double-crossed by their colleague Turk (Paul Carter), who shoots down the other survivors of the raid.

Burt, too, catches a bullet from behind, but apparently the large sweat stain on his back stopped the bullet or something because he shows up later, with a gunshot wound on his shoulder despite being shot in the back. Go figure. Burt recovers and turns up in Nairobi, Kenya looking to hire on for any shady or dangerous job available. Continue reading

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THE CAPTIVITY OF THE PROFESSOR (1901) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

captivity prof picTHE CAPTIVITY OF THE PROFESSOR (1901) – Written by A. Lincoln Green, a presumed pen name, this story was first published in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine in the February 1901 isssue.

Years before H.G. Wells’ short story The Empire of the Ants came this tale for which that might have been a more appropriate title. The Captivity of the Professor is set in the jungles of Brazil. Our narrator is an entomologist from Scotland who is so intent on studying rare ant species that he ignores warnings of an indigenous tribe and travels into a forbidden region of the vast rainforest.

Before long the professor discovers an unusual ant of unknown species, possessing an oversized head and huge mandibles. The rest of the ant’s fellows fall upon our narrator and, proving to be incredibly intelligent, manage to herd him to their colony using painful bites to spur him along. Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AND BOWL MATCHUPS

Here are this weekend’s playoff and Bowl matchups in the divisions of college football covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.

NCCAA

olivet nazarene tigers pawsouthwestern assemblies of god helmetVICTORY BOWL – The 2022 edition of this showcase game in the NCCAA will pit the defending Victory Bowl champions – the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS – against the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS.

Kickoff is set for 7:00PM Eastern Time this Friday, November 18th.

USCAA vs NCAA DIVISION THREE

Bridgewater College Eagles helmetNNAS_VANEPTUNE BOWL – Out of the USCAA the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (think Shipbuilders) will face D3’s BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE EAGLES.

Kickoff is set for 2:00PM Eastern Time this Saturday, November 19th.

NAIA PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Saturday, November 19th – Kickoffs set for 1:00PM local time.

Morningside MustangsArizona Christian Univ helmet GOODThe MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS – the defending National Champions – will play the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. Continue reading

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FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: LET’S TALK AT HOME/ A PLATICAR A SU CASA

a platicar a su casaLET’S TALK AT HOME (2001-2003) – This cult program is often called “Mexico’s MST3K.” Its Spanish language title is A Platicar a su Casa, which has been translated into English as Let’s Talk at Home, Do Your Talking at Home and similar titles.

The premise of this Mexican Movie Host show borrows from Joel Hodgson’s 1988 creation Mystery Science Theater 3000, which took movie hosting to the logical next level by having the hosts make jokes about the bad film being shown even while it was playing, rather than limiting comments about the flick to before and after commercial breaks.

mexican movie hosts andres and trinoBalladeer’s Blog has written a great deal about earlier Movie Host shows, from 1950s efforts like Vampira, Mad Marvin and others on up through Moona Lisa and Ghoulardi in the 60s and 70s to 1980s programs like Elvira’s Movie Macabre, Texas 27 Film Vault, Laraine Newman’s Canned Film Festival, etc,

A Platicar a su Casa was shown on Mexico’s channel Ponchivision in the early 2000s. It’s been off the air for several years due to Ponchivision’s obscurity and budget issues, but the program has a devoted following to this very day with episodes popping up around the internet.

trino camachoandres bustamenteThe wisecracking hosts were Andres Bustamente and Trino Camacho, two legends in Mexican comedy. The jokes were what you would expect – shots at the poor quality and/or low budget of the films, their odd storylines plus some social and political commentary about life in Mexico. Continue reading

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BALLADEER’S BLOG’S SUNDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPDATE

HEADLINES

IUP Crimson HawksTOPPLING NUMBER SIX – In NCAA Division 2 the 16th ranked INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS welcomed the number 6 team in the nation – the SHEPHERD UNIVERSITY RAMS. The Crimson Hawks led 7-0 in the 1st Quarter and 10-7 come Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with IUP on top 24-7, but they had to hold on in the 4th against a furious Rams rally for a 24-21 win.

Whitewater Warhawks helmet newCLOSE CALL FOR NUMBER TWO – Down in NCAA Division 3 the number 2 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT WHITEWATER WARHAWKS paid a visit to the BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY YELLOW JACKETS. This odd game saw the Warhawks out in front 17-0 at the Half. After a scoreless 3rd Quarter the Yellow Jackets rallied for 21 points in the 4th but fell short. UW-Whitewater won out 23-21.

Concord University

MARATHON GAME OF THE WEEK – Back in D2 the CONCORD UNIVERSITY MOUNTAIN LIONS found themselves on the road against the UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE BRAVES. The Mountain Lions held a 21-20 edge at the Half but Regulation ended in a 41-41 tie. It took FIVE OVERTIMES before Concord emerged with a 58-56 win. Continue reading

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PALADIN: NEGLECTED MARVEL SUPERHERO

paladin realizingThis weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero blog post deals with Marvel’s enigmatic mercenary Paladin, whose activities on behalf of his clients often put him on both sides of the law.

He has no connection to the Paladin character from the Have Gun Will Travel radio and television shows.

dd 150DAREDEVIL Vol 1 #150 (January 1978)

Title: Catastrophe

Villain: The Purple Man (Killgrave)

NOTE: This was the first appearance of Marvel’s Paladin. To this day they have not revealed his real name, but he sometimes uses the aliases Paul Dennis and Paul Denning. Paladin is as agile and acrobatic as Daredevil, wears resilient body armor that does not restrict his movements and wields a Stun Gun.

          That weapon’s ray-blasts stun and scramble the nervous system, so they are effective even against super foes but have no effect on unliving matter. Through some STILL unexplained biological mutation or scientific enhancement, Paladin is strong enough to lift an entire ton. Continue reading

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THE NEW NORTHLAND (1915) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

new northlandTHE NEW NORTHLAND (1915) – Written by Louis Pope Gratacap. The main character is explorer Alfred Erickson, who recruited a few associates of varied backgrounds to join him in a search to prove the existence of an isolated warm weather land mass in the far north.

They have a ship take them to Point Barrow, then proceed on a launch from there. Eventually they reach a northern polar sea and upon crossing it, find the geographical pocket they theorized about. Mountain ranges shield the area from arctic winds and they will soon discover a more important factor in warming the region – which they name Krocker Land.

Erickson and company clash with a wild boar and a huge animal that is part crocodile and part python. They survive the encounter but grow wary about what may lie ahead.

Proceeding further, the explorers come across coins and other signs of an intelligent civilization. Soon, they catch sight of a race of very short people part Inuit and part Semitic. The three feet tall people are traveling by floating through the air on lighter than air balloon devices worn on their shoulders. Continue reading

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FOOL KILLER PART 65: JUNE 1913

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT IN THE 1850s, CLICK HERE

fool killer timeless smaller versionPART 65 – Some of the Fool Killer’s targets in the June of 1913 edition of James Larkin Pearson’s version of the figure:

*** Professor George A. Hill of the Naval Observatory, for saying that the North Pole was constantly moving around.

*** The West Virginia mine owners who had been waging war on striking workers since April of 1912. In February 1913 the owners had used an armored railroad car to open machine-gun and rifle fire on the tents of sleeping miners and their family members. The war would end in July of 1913 from direct action by Governor Henry Hatfield. Continue reading

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BALLADEER’S BLOG’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: NOVEMBER 9th

Morningside MustangsNAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) 1. MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS   ###   2. NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS   ###   3. GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS   ###   4. BETHEL (TN) UNIVERSITY WILDCATS   ###   5. SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS   ###      Continue reading

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I GO POGO (1980) ELECTION DAY FLUFF

i go pogoI GO POGO (1980) – A possum for president? This stop-motion animation rendition of Walt Kelly’s iconic comic strip Pogo is, sad to say, even more aimless and unentertaining than the 1969 conventional animation show The Pogo Special Birthday Special. That IS the actual title, by the way. The approach to that half-hour cartoon special was, as the title indicates, so cloyingly cutesy that even Walt Kelly himself disliked it. 

Walt Kelly passed away in 1973 so at least he didn’t have to see this second travesty of his brilliant series. Pogo (1948-1975) featured cartoon animals who lived in the Okefenokee Swamp and were as cute and memorable as anything that Disney or Hanna-Barbera ever produced. Like the much later children’s franchise The Muppets, Pogo appealed to adults as well as children, and even sprinkled in a fair amount of political and social commentary.

pogoKelly was a master of making his political allegories blend so seamlessly into the tales of his cartoon animals that the deeper meaning would go over children’s heads as they enjoyed the antics of the Okefenokee Swamp’s denizens. For a comparison, think of how Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels was a very biting satire but the story outline is so perfect it survived as a children’s tale long after the political and social topics that Swift was writing about faded into history.

And though each side of the American political aisle tries to claim Walt Kelly as their own he was actually my kind of guy and took shots at BOTH SIDES. The political left could point to the way that Kelly’s 1950s cat character Simple J. Malarkey was an unflattering caricature of Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy, but the right could point to Walt’s cowbird characters who embodied pretentious, parasitic communist activists.   

pogo merchBlame the 1969 television special and this 1980 bomb for helping to consign these brilliant cartoon figures to oblivion, even though they once rivaled the Disney Empire in merchandising. Peanuts and Winnie the Pooh had nothing on Pogo and company. Continue reading

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