Christmas Carol-A-Thon 2017 rolls along with another look at an individual song from one of my favorite versions of A Christmas Carol. It’s An Old Fashioned Christmas, sung by Nephew Fred (Johnny Desmond).
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I AM SCROOGE – A ZOMBIE STORY FOR CHRISTMAS (2009)
Balladeer’s Blog’s Eighth Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues! Since we’re not even into December yet this is the ideal time to look at this dark-humored version of A Christmas Carol that was done in the style of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
I AM SCROOGE – A ZOMBIE STORY FOR CHRISTMAS (2009) – Written by Adam Roberts. This book was a gift from a friend a few years ago and it’s pretty entertaining. Think of The Dead Next Door set at Christmas.
Roberts plays with various aspects of the narrative, even joking about superogatory “o’s” in Marley’s moan of “Scrooooge.” He peppers in a lot of similar jokes all the way through the book. The schtick is exactly what you would expect – the title is a joking reference to I Am Legend followed by Dickens’ qualification of A Christmas Carol as “A Ghost Story For Christmas.” Continue reading
Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL
A VOYAGE TO THE WORLD IN THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH (1755): ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION
A VOYAGE TO THE WORLD IN THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH (1755) – This intriguing work was published in London anonymously and no author has yet been decisively identified. The novel’s narrator – who remains as anonymous as the book’s author – parties away his inheritance and then ships out for Italy.
Exploring on Mount Vesuvius our hero accidentally falls into what we readers are eventually told is just one of many holes that lead to the interior of the Earth, where another world awaits. A miraculous landing on a haystack saves the narrator’s life but he finds himself unable to move because of the greater gravity of this interior world.
A friendly inhabitant of the inner Earth applies a chemical salve to our protagonist’s body, a salve which allows him to stand up and move about in the higher gravity. A second salve massaged into the narrator’s body renders him capable of understanding and conversing in the language of Inner Earth.
The inhabitants of this interior world dress in silk robes and live to be 200 years old or older. They possess limited telepathy. Precious gems litter the ground but those jewels are meaningless to the Inner Earthers. Their society is partially socialist but with families held sacrosanct and with paternal authority sovereign in each household until the children reach adulthood.
Periodically a King is elected for a lifetime term. Common-sense morality prevails, and ingratitude is especially frowned upon. All of the inhabitants are strict vegetarians, as are the animals so the humans and the beasts interact peacefully.
In addition to the usual above-ground animals, Inner Earth also boasts gigantic birds who are trained to provide air travel throughout the subterranean land. Our hero gets to meet the reigning King in the world capital called Oudentominos.
The King makes him welcome but stresses that visitors are usually encouraged to leave after a year. That custom was set in place when a still-extant colony of British men and women discovered Inner Earth nearly a hundred years earlier and have been causing frequent problems.
During our protagonist’s stay the cantankerous Brits once again come close to mutinying so the Inner Earthers attack them and subdue them. The men are castrated and both sexes of the Anglos are scattered around Inner Earth to prevent any more rebellions from fermenting.
As for life on other planets in our solar system: Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: INUIT CARTOON VERSION FROM 1988
Balladeer’s Blog continues its annual look at various versions of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol! Carol-A-Thon 2017 resumes!
TAKUGINAI (December 1988) – As always I enjoy reviewing some of the most obscure and/ or neglected versions of the Carol that I can find.
Takuginai was (and is) broadcast by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The half-hour program is a clever and energetic children’s show.
In December of 1988 Takuginai‘s usual blend of puppetry and live-action squeezed in a cartoon version of A Christmas Carol as well. The animation is very VERY limited: think Clutch Cargo then strip away all the dazzling technical prowess. (Yes, it’s THAT limited.) Continue reading
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: LIVING BREATH FOUNDATION BOWL RESULTS
LIVING BREATH FOUNDATION BOWL – This annual Bowl game is played for charity and is one of the highlights of the CCCAA post-season. The game features a team from the Pacific 7 Conference – this year the LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE MUSTANGS – and a team from the Golden Coast Conference – this year the MERCED COLLEGE BLUE DEVILS.
The Mustangs went on top 7-0 in the 1st Quarter and remained in the lead 14-7 at Halftime. Los Medanos College expanded their lead to 21-7 in the 3rd Quarter, but the Blue Devils refused to say die and forced Overtime with a 21-21 tie to end Regulation. Continue reading
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BEL-REN DEITIES NGUATUPU’A AND HER HUSBAND TEPOUTU’UINGANGI
NGUATUPU’A AND TEPOUTU’UINGANGI – The parents of many of the major gods and goddesses in Bel-Ren myths, like Izanagi and Izanami in Shinto beliefs. Nguatupu’a and Tepoutu’uingangi were revered AND feared by ALL of the clans of the two islands. They were represented by two large black stones in the region of Bellona Island called Ngabenga.
These two deities were sister and brother respectively as well as being spouses. Incest was forbidden to mortals but the gods engaged in it. In fact it was SO taboo among humans that sisters and brothers maintained a very strict and formal and – most importantly – limited – relationship with each other through adulthood.
The goddess Nguatupu’a was always mentioned first and was above her brother/husband Tepoutu’uingangi in prestige. The erosion of regard for the male deity began early on, in the Bel-Ren migration myth. Like other Polynesians the Bel-Ren people traveled by sea from other islands to reach their eventual home. The Bel-Renners claimed their island of origin was called Uvea or Ubea, depending on who’s spelling it.
Approximately 1400 A.D. the Bel-Renners arrived on the pair of islands and proceeded to slaughter the original inhabitants, called the Hiti. Again we see that such atrocities are a HUMAN failing and are not limited to a few particular groups. Continue reading
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CHRISTMAS CAROL-A-THON 2017 CONTINUES: DECEMBER THE 25th
More actual reviews are forthcoming as Balladeer’s Blog’s 8th Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon rolls along, but at this busy time of year today brings a look at an individual song from one of the many adaptations of the Carol. It’s December the 25th from Scrooge (1970).
Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 25th
*** NAIA ***
FIRST QUARTERFINAL – The SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS traveled to the Blue Grass State to play the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS for the right to advance to the Semifinals. The Raiders led 14-0 in the 1st Quarter and 21-10 by Halftime but then had to withstand a furious comeback attempt by the Blue Raiders. Ultimately Southern Oregon University prevailed by a tight 34-29.
SECOND QUARTERFINAL – In this game the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Rottweilers) hosted the GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. The Tigers led the Eagles 10-7 after 1 Quarter of play but Reinhardt University went on top 14-10 by the break. From there it was mostly a defensive struggle with the Eagles moving on by a score of 17-10. Continue reading
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THE NEW HUMANS (1909): ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION
THE NEW HUMANS (1909) – Written by B Vallance. No other name has come to light for the author of this thought-provoking work. Explorer Montgomery Merrick is roaming around the wilds of 1909 Uganda when he falls down a mountainside and into a concealed valley.
Merrick’s injuries are such that he does not expect to survive but he wakes up on an operating table in fine condition. Looking down at him are amoeboid humans who don barrel-shaped exo-skeletons whenever they need to keep their forms stable, as in during the surgery they were performing on Merrick.
One of the beings speaks English and introduces himself to the recovering patient as the Chief Adaptor, who takes credit for “repairing” our hero. Merrick gradually becomes aware that his ultimate fate is still being debated by his odd saviors. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
CHRISTMAS CAROL-A-THON 2017 BEGINS!
Every year the Friday after Thanksgiving kicks off Balladeer’s Blog’s Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon in which I post new reviews of various versions of A Christmas Carol along with some classics from Carol-A-Thons Past. Long past? No, YOUR past.
Aren’t we all pretty fed up with the same versions of A Christmas Carol being rammed down our throats like Razzleberry Dressing every Christmas season while many of the clever but lesser known variations of the Dickens Yuletide classic languish in obscurity?
I’m one of those people who begin wallowing in the dozens of versions of this Industrial Age epic myth right after Thanksgiving and don’t let up until Christmas Day. With the obsessive and semi- psychotic zeal of a Trekkie or an X-Phile I purchase every offbeat variation and adaptation of A Christmas Carol that I can lay my hands on.
Drawing on the extensive, albeit geeky, expertise that I’ve gained in this subject over the years I’d like to spread the word about some of the versions of the story that can be found in the remote hinterlands of home video or audio.
This will be a look at variations of the actual Dickens story, set in London in the 1840’s. An entirely separate article could be written about adaptations of A Christmas Carol set in different time periods and locales, like Rod Serling’s anti-war parable Carol For Another Christmas, or the 1975 conservation short The Energy Carol or even the year 2000 Brazilian version depicting the Scrooge figure as a drug lord who repents. Just think of me as the Ghost of Christmas Carol Obscurities.
After reading this list you’ll hopefully conduct your own search for versions of the Carol beyond the limited world of Mr Magoo, Alastair Sim and George C Scott (“Dickens, you magnificent bastard! I read yer booooook!”) .
- The man all mimes aspire to be … damn them.
Marcel Marceau Presents a Christmas Carol (1973) – Marcel Marceau is possibly the only name that comes to mind if you try to think of famous mimes. In fact “Famous Mimes” would make for one easy Jeopardy category because the response would always be “Who is Marcel Marceau?” Anyway, this BBC presentation featured Marceau acting out a pantomime of the Carol and playing every role.
This was accompanied by narration by another actor who once portrayed Scrooge, Michael Hordern. If you prefer versions of the Carol devoid of any and all speaking there are several silent movie Carols available out there. Continue reading
Filed under A CHRISTMAS CAROL
