This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at a superteam from the Philippines – Sanduguan (Blood Oath), created by Gener Pedriña.
Before I examine the individual members of this team, here are some quick facts:
The team name Sanduguan dates to the era of Filipino resistance to the Spanish colonial forces. Rebels would take an oath of blood to the cause. Sanduguan, the term for the oath ritual, has also been translated as One Blood and Blood Pact.
Sanduguan first appeared in February of 1999. The emergency which caused the gathering of individual superheroes who would found the team was the freeing of Siginarugan – a vile entity from Philippine mythology. The heroes defeated the menace and formed their team.
SANDATA (Weapon)
Secret Identity: Jae Ener Pedriña
Debut Year: 1999
Origin: From a very young age, Jae’s grandfather educated him in Arnis, the Filipino martial arts discipline. As an adult he was declared so proficient that his grandfather gave him a pair of mystic bastons used in Arnis. After thwarting a robbery with the bastons Jae adopted the costumed identity of Sandata to fight crime.
Powers: This hero is the foremost master of Arnis techniques of fighting. His mystic bastons are virtually indestructible and occasionally manifest other aspects as needed. Sandata is the leader of Sanduguan. Continue reading
The TRINITY (TX) TIGERS will host the UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR CRUSADERS. 
The WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY PIRATES will host the POMONA-PITZER COLLEGE SAGEHENS. 
Balladeer’s Blog’s Forgotten Television feature provided background information on Reel Wild Cinema (1996-1997) and examined its first episode last time around. This time I’ll take a look at episodes two to four. 
CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN (1963) – The Mexican horror film about La Llorona that got U.S. distribution and half-assed dubbing via K. Gordon Murray himself. I’ve reviewed this film in detail previously so for a quick recap for newbies to this flick it’s the old ghost story about an undead woman who sheds tears from her empty eye sockets while making with withering cries. 
THE NAKED WITCH (1961) – For starters, this is the Larry Buchanan film, NOT the Andy Milligan Naked Witch movie from a different year. As usual for Buchanan this was filmed in Texas, and is yet another variation of the tale about a witch who gets put to death but returns a century or more later to slay all the descendants of her killers. 
The PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS will host the HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON. 
The GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS will host the UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS GREYHOUNDS. 
BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA (1969) – Japan’s Toshiro Mifune led the cast of this Japanese film about their successful naval clashes with Russia during the often-forgotten Russo-Japanese War (February 1904 – September 1905). U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan played the Russians.
On to the film itself. Battle of the Japan Sea employs the approach that moviegoers will recall from The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, Midway, even Inchon and others, by having an all-star cast (in the Far East) act out set pieces throughout the scattered fighting. 
The SOUTH-WESTERN COLLEGE MOUND-BUILDERS (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) will host the UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS COUGARS (Mid-States Football Association). 
The DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS (North Star Conference) will host the KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY COYOTES (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference).
REEL WILD CINEMA (1996-1997) – This program is still beloved by us fans of Psychotronic movies and the So Bad It’s Good subculture. Reel Wild Cinema helped feed America’s growing appetite for bizarrely awful cinema, an appetite most recently whetted back then by Joel Hodgson’s Mystery Science Theater 3000. 
Similar to Jonathan Ross’ Incredibly Strange Film Show, Reel Wild Cinema also aired interviews with many cult figures from fringe cinema as well as campy trailers for vintage Golden Turkeys. Also like the Jonathan Ross show, Reel Wild Cinema featured an animated opening accompanied by catchy theme music. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER TEN – In NCAA Division Two the BEMIDJI STATE BEAVERS welcomed the nation’s number 10 team – the AUGUSTANA (SD) VIKINGS. A scoreless 1st Quarter was followed by a 7-0 Beavers lead at Halftime. The Vikings went up 10-7 in the 3rd Quarter but the 4th saw Bemidji State come from behind to win the game 17-10. 
EIGHTY-SIX – The NAIA’s BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS traveled to face the WILLIAM WOODS UNIVERSITY OWLS in this game. The Ravens converted their 17-0 opening Quarter lead into a 58-0 advantage by the Half. After the break Benedictine College remained perfect on defense as they coasted to an EIGHTY-SIX to NOTHING triumph. 
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