MERRY CHRISTMAS! Balladeer’s Blog’s 14th Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon wraps up with this production from Quicksilver Radio Theater.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL – A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS (1995) – Remember Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater? Switch it to another name for that deity and you get Quicksilver Radio Theater. QRT went to great pains to treat listeners to as authentic a simulation of old-time radio dramas as possible.
This production was first broadcast on Christmas Eve of 1995, then was rerun the next day. For years afterward it was syndicated to assorted NPR stations.
Craig Wichman stars as Ebenezer Scrooge under the direction of Jay Stern. Anthony Cinelli serves as the Narrator, while Tony Scheinman does double duty as Marley’s Ghost and the Ghost of Christmas Present. Nephew Fred and Fezziwig are portrayed by Joseph Franchini. Continue reading
BUGS BUNNY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1979) – When is an adaptation of A Christmas Carol NOT an adaptation of A Christmas Carol? When it features Warner Brothers cartoon characters. Nearly thirty years later WB would inflict on the world another version of the Carol that was just as soulless and joyless as this 1979 effort. 
This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at some of the early stories during the time when Daredevil and the Black Widow were a team, like 
DAREDEVIL & THE BLACK WIDOW Vol 1 #92 (October 1972) 
THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976) – My review of this hilariously bad disaster movie starring Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Martin Sheen and O.J. Simpson. Passengers on a train are exposed to a deadly virus because of terrorists. Click 
GRIPS: ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL SUPERHEROES EVER – From 1986-1992 Grips, a combination of Wolverine and the Punisher, had ultra-violent and otherwise adult adventures in Kris Silver’s independent publications. Only Faust exceeded Grips in the 80s and 90s, and artist Tim Vigil worked on both series. Must be read to be believed. Click 
A VERY MISSING PERSON (1972) – Eve Arden starred as amateur sleuth Hildegarde Withers from a series of mystery novels. Hildegarde solves a murder involving high-level figures in New York City. Also includes my review of the 1930s movies about the character. Click 
MOMMA THE DETECTIVE (1981) – A Mother’s Day look at this made for tv movie about Esther Rolle as an amateur detective who solves a high society murder. Think of shows like McMillan and Wife, The Snoop Sisters, etc. Click 
A VHS CHRISTMAS CAROL LIVE – I was going to save my review of this 45-minute StarKid musical adaptation of the Dickens classic for Christmas Day itself, but I changed my mind. 
The cast members perform their roles in costumes which make each of them pastiches AND composites of recognizable 1980s pop singers. They don’t stoop to doing impressions of those singers, they stay in character and stay true to the musical vibe of the score. But you can’t help but smile at the 80s pop culture mainstays they put you in mind of. 
These are the legends about Charlemagne and his Paladins, not the actual history, so there will be dragons, monsters and magic. 
Ruggiero (at left) was hoping that Logestilla would use her own magic to cure the Paladin Astolpho of the spell that Alcina had cast – a spell that had trapped Astolpho in the form of a tree. The hippogriff – the large, winged horse/ eagle hybrid which had flown Ruggiero to the island last time around – refused to accompany the warrior any further, so our hero walked on alone. 
GOLEM (1980) – My review of this Polish science fiction film that is sort of a blend of Eraserhead and Patrick McGoohan’s series The Prisoner. An authoritarian dictatorship has risen in the aftermath of a global nuclear war. Click 
CANADIAN-MADE SUPERHEROES 1941-1950 – From well-known names like the superheroine Nelvana of the Northern Lights (at left) and the superhero Thunderfist to less celebrated figures like Freelance, Nitro, the Blue Raven and Commander Steel. Plus superheroines like the Wing, Ghost Woman and many more. Thirty-eight characters in all. Click 
PATHFINDERS IN SPACE (1960) – The neglected British sci-fi television series. Includes my review of its sequels, Pathfinders to Mars and Pathfinders to Venus. Click 
JUSTICE SOCIETY/ JUSTICE LEAGUE TEAM-UPS – 1975-1979 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS did battle with the defending champs – the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS yesterday for the NAIA title. The Seahawks converted their 7-0 1st Quarter lead into a 17-7 advantage by Halftime. 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1973-1987) – Don Imus as Scrooge? Wolfman Jack as the Ghost of Christmas Present? Barbara Walters as Mrs. Cratchit? Murray the K as Bob Cratchit? Yes, believe it or not. 
THE NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPION-SHIP GAME BETWEEN THE NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS AND THE KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS WILL BE PLAYED ON MONDAY THE 18th.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The battle for the D2 crown pitted the HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON against the COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES OREDIGGERS. The 1st Quarter ended in a 7-7 tie, but by Halftime the Bison were on top 21-7. Harding University shut out the Orediggers from there while continuing to score on the way to a 38-7 rout. * THE BISON ARE NCAA DIVISION TWO CHAMPIONS * 
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