It’s been awhile since Balladeer’s Blog has posted a shoutout to a neglected college sports team with a cool name. Here’s the first in a long time.
College: SOUTH CAROLINA FAITH A&M
Team Name: RAGIN’ BULLS
Location: Summerville, SC Continue reading
Filed under Cool names and cool logos
BIG ZAPPER (1973) – Linda Marlowe stars as Harriet Zapper, a two-fisted private investigator, in this first of two Zapper movies directed by Balladeer’s Blog’s old friend Lindsay Shonteff. If they ever build a Museum of Britsploitation Films, Shonteff will have an entire wing dedicated to him.
In the past I’ve covered Lindsay’s various pale imitations of the James Bond movies – Number One of the Secret Service, The Man From S.E.X., Number One Gun, The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World and others.
Often forgotten were the man’s pair of films about a virtual “Dirty Harriet” with sexy Linda Marlowe as the lead. I’ve read some reviews that bash Marlowe’s performance as Harriet Zapper but all I can say is those critics must never have seen Lindsay Shonteff’s other film projects. NO actor can come off looking talented under Shonteff’s direction.
Big Zapper finds millionaire Jeremiah Horn (Jack May) hiring Harriet Zapper to find his missing son and daughter. Harriet dives into the investigation and learns that both of the teens were murdered by the criminal organization of a psychotic gangster called Kono (perennial Shonteff villain Gary Hope). Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies
For Part One of this series click HERE.
CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON Vol 1 #165 (September 1973)
Title: The Yellow Claw Strikes
Villain: The Yellow Claw (later called the Golden Claw)
Synopsis: We pick up right where we left off last time around, on top of the walls around Grimrock Prison in Maryland, where Captain America and the Falcon defeated the supervillainess Nightshade.
Nick Fury, who arrived recently with several armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in helicopters, is still explaining to Cap and Falc that Nightshade was being financed by the Yellow Claw. Fury and his agents arrived hoping to capture the Claw but that villain had already escaped.
Things are still a bit tense between Cap and Nick because this is only their second face to face meeting since Contessa Valentina went back to Nick after making him think she was leaving him for Cap. (She did that to get back at Nick for the way he temporarily dumped HER for Laura Brown. What a Soap Opera.)
Fury, in a ridiculously irrational dispay of anger, tries accusing Steve and Sam (Cap & Falc) of screwing up S.H.I.E.L.D.’s attempt to arrest the Yellow Claw, even though our two heroes were lured to Grimrock Prison by Nightshade as part of her plan.
Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
THE HAMPDEN-SHIRE WONDER (1911) – Written by J.D. Beresford. The story centers around Victor Stott, the remarkable son of Cricket star Ginger Stott. A news reporter who is on friendly terms with Ginger Stott meets his one year old child Victor during a train trip.
The reporter is disturbed by Victor’s obvious intelligence and menacing, piercing stare, though the prodigy’s father has forbidden the child to speak in order to avoid confirming suspicions regarding his paranormal intellect.
When Victor is five years old the anthropologist Squire Challis, another friend of the family, lets the obviously brilliant child loose in his extensive library. Victor manages to complete every book in Challis’ library in a matter of days. He then proceeds to debate and demolish all of Challis’ deeply-held views in a variety of scholarly subjects. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
Readers reminded me that I did not post an easy-reference post containing the links to each chapter of my reviews of 1970s Spider-Man classics, so here it is, belatedly!
ONE: While searching for the missing Aunt May, Spider-Man gets caught up in the ongoing gang war between Dr Octopus and Hammerhead to see who will succeed the arrested Kingpin as crime boss of New York. Click HERE.
TWO: Spider-Man investigates what Dr Octopus is keeping from Aunt May, battles the Hulk in Canada and fails to save Gwen Stacy from the returned Green Goblin. Click HERE.
THREE: J Jonah Jameson hires Luke Cage, Power Man, to bring in Spider-Man for Norman Osborn’s death. Meanwhile, Jameson’s astronaut son John is transformed into a were-creature by a rock he brought back from the moon. Click HERE. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) – 1. TALLADEGA COLLEGE TORNADOES ### 2. WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN ### 3. OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES ### 4. LOYOLA (LA) WOLFPACK ### 5. ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM ### Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the stories of pulp heroine Jirel of Joiry, the Medieval French woman-warrior created by female author C.L. Moore in 1934. For the first story click HERE.
BLACK GOD’S SHADOW (1934) – This was Moore’s sequel to Jirel’s debut story Black God’s Kiss. We pick up an unknown amount of time after the conclusion of the previous tale. Jirel has been having recurring nightmares and visions ever since she killed Guillaume the Conqueror, the man she belatedly realized that she loved.
Of late the nightmares and visions have been intensifying to the point where our heroine is becoming convinced that Guillaume’s soul must be trapped in the hellish netherworld where she herself acquired the weapon she used to kill him. Castle Joiry was immediately evacuated by Guillaume’s troops in their panicked, superstitious reaction to the supernatural death of their leader.
Order had since been restored in the castle but Jirel’s sleep has not been the same. As she lies tossing and turning, she ponders the various lovers she had taken over the years, none of whom took the hold over her heart and thoughts that Guillaume did.
Determined, she armors up, takes a sword and knife with her and sets out to somehow free Guillaume’s soul by daring to reenter the hellish domain that lies far beneath Castle Joiry. Continue reading
Filed under Pulp Heroes
BRUM (1991-2002) – This live-action British children’s series is one of those kiddie programs that is fairly enjoyable for adults, too. Brum, the title character, is a living, sentient 1920s Austin 7 vintage automobile with a childlike mind.
Brum is forever curious and adventurous, sneaking out of the garage housing his owner’s vintage auto collection at the start of each episode. The plucky little car explores Big Town (really Birmingham) and has family-friendly escapades, often involving slapstick “baddies” whose evil activities are thwarted by Brum and his latest acquaintances. Continue reading
Filed under Forgotten Television
THIS IS AN ALL-CENTURY CLUB EDITION, MEANING GAMES IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE OF THE TEAMS SCORED 100 POINTS WITHIN REGULATION. NO OVERTIME GAMES.
GAME ONE – The INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST GRENADIERS played host to the MIAMI UNIVERSITY AT MIDDLETOWN THUNDERHAWKS.
By Halftime the Grenadiers had pulled out to a 53-37 advantage, then outdid themselves after the break. In the end IUS clobbered the Thunderhawks 107-78. Ahmad Price led the Grenadiers with 25 points, while his teammate Glenn Hill, Jr notched a Double Double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
The singer Meat Loaf has passed away at age 74. While most sites are going with the expected musical salutes, Balladeer’s Blog is instead selecting the rock star’s iconic moment as “Eddie” in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul.
Filed under Bad and weird movies
