#Ron Rubin

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

[birthbynightmare]

Donkey Kong Country fan animation starring the original voices from the TV series

Starring:

Ben Campbell as King K. Rool

Richard Yearwood as Donkey Kong

Adrian Truss as General Klump

Ron Rubin as Kaptain Skurvy

Special mentions to Len Carlson (Krusha), Aron Tager (Cranky Kong) and Erika Strobel (writer)

[kenpiercemedia]

Now Streaming: Marvel Animation "X-Men '97" on Disney+ (3/20/2024)

You’ve waited a very, very, very long time for the return of the X-Men on television and now my friends I can say to hold on tight as the continuation from the original “X-Men: The Animated Series” continues along with Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97”. Needless to say we are super excited about this and especially looking forward to the day when the live-action X-Men will be keeping us on the edge…

[gbhbl]

Horror Movie Review: Screamers (1995)

A military commander stationed off planet during an interplanetary war travels through the devastated landscape to negotiate a peace treaty, but discovers that the primitive robots they built to kill enemy combatants have gained sentience.

Screamers is a 1995 science fiction horror film, directed by Christian Duguay. Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1953 short story “Second Variety”. In the year 2078, the planet Sirius 6B, once a thriving mining hub, has been reduced to a toxic wasteland by a war between the mining company (N.E.B.), and “The Alliance”, a group of former mining and science personnel. After miners discovered that their…

[tomorrowusa]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was supposed to save the Republican Party from twice-indicted former president Donald Trump. He was going to be Trumpy enough without being nutty, a successful culture warrior and a pugilist who could convince the permanently angry MAGA base that he would fight for it. Instead, as some of us who have witnessed him in action predicted, DeSantis turned out to be an inept, unlikable and mockable candidate devoid of basic interpersonal skills.

The longer DeSantis stays in the race, the worse his poll numbers get. And rather than stanch his serial gaffes, he adds to them. His recent homophobic ad drew condemnation, even within the GOP.

If Republicans were betting on him (or on special counsel Jack Smith) to rid them of Trump — an unfit, unhinged candidate who could well drag the entire party under in 2024 — they should come up with a Plan B.

– Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post.

The words "unlikable and mockable" are all anybody needs to know about DeSantis as a candidate. When every other word you utter is woke, you sound like a self-parody.

It is to Ron DeSantis's advantage that late night comedy is currently on hiatus because of the WGA strike. DeSaster is basically an SNL sketch that writes itself. And we can imagine Jordan Klepper of The Daily Show visiting a DeSantis campaign event and asking attendees, "Do you personally like Ron DeSantis?"

To use an old cliché, DeSantis is not the sort of person you'd want to have a beer with. He's more like the obnoxious fan at a sports event that you'd want to pour your beer on.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

SEP 22, 2023

The Senate has confirmed three top defense leaders. Last night it confirmed Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jr. to replace Army General Mark A. Milley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he retires at the end of the month. Today, it confirmed General Randy A. George as Army chief of staff and General Eric M. Smith as Marine Corps commandant.

The Senate filled the positions at the top of our military by working around the hold extremist senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has put on more than 300 military promotions, allegedly because he objects to the government’s policy of providing leave and travel allowance for service members who have to travel to obtain abortions. 

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post focused on the House Republicans today, though, when she wrote: “The GOP completely gone off its rocker—incapable of passing House spending, ranting and raving at AG, cooking up ludicrous and baseless impeachment, unable to greet Zelensky with joint session. This is not normal. This is egregious. You'd think the reporting would reflect it.”

Indeed, the House Republicans remain unable even to agree to talk about funding the government, let alone actually passing the appropriations bills Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) agreed to four months ago. Today, right-wing extremists in the House blocked a procedural vote over a Pentagon funding bill, keeping what is normally an easily passed bipartisan bill from even reaching the floor for debate. McCarthy acknowledged to reporters that he is frustrated. “This is a whole new concept of individuals who just want to burn the whole place down. It doesn’t work.”

The extremists do indeed appear unconcerned about the effects of their refusal to fund the government, and since they have the five or six votes they need to sink the measures McCarthy wants to pass with only Republican votes, this handful of representatives are the ones deciding whether the government will shut down. 

McCarthy could pass clean funding bills through the House whenever he wishes, but he refuses. To do so would mean working with Democrats, and that would spark a vote to throw him out of the speakership. And so, rather than keep the members in Washington, D.C., to work on the appropriations bills over the weekend, McCarthy recognized he did not have the votes he needs and sent them home.

The extremists are bolstered by former president Donald Trump, who posted on his social media platform today that the Republicans in Congress “can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government…. This is also the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots. They failed on the debt limit, but they must not fail now. Use the power of the purse and defend the Country!” 

Experts say shutting down the government would not, in fact, end the former president’s legal troubles, but he is actually doing more than that here: he is trying to assert dominance over the country. As Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) said: “Let’s be clear about what the former president is saying here. House Republicans should shut down the government unless the prosecutions against him are shut down. He would deny paychecks to millions of working families & devastate the US economy, all in the service of himself.”

Extremist leader Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) responded to Trump’s statement with his own: “Trump Opposes the Continuing Resolution” to fund the government,” he wrote. “Hold the line.” Ron Filipkowski of MeidasTouch noted: “House Republicans refuse to fund the government to protect Donald Trump.” 

Trump’s accusation that President Biden is weaponizing the Justice Department against him and others who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election is the opposite of what has really happened. Not only has Biden stayed scrupulously out of the Justice Department’s business—leaving in place the Trump-appointed leader of the investigation into Biden’s son Hunter, for example—but also we received more proof yesterday that it was Trump, not Biden, who weaponized the Justice Department against his enemies. 

Nora Dennehy, who abruptly resigned from former special counsel John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, explained in her confirmation hearing to Connecticut’s state supreme court yesterday that she quit because Trump’s Department of Justice was tainted by politics. Before joining the probe, she said, “I had been taught and spent my entire career at [the] Department of Justice conducting any investigation in an objective and apolitical manner.” 

But Trump and his loyalists expected Durham’s investigation to prove that there was a “deep state” conspiracy against him, and then–attorney general William Barr seemed to be working to support that fantasy, even though there was no evidence of it (as shown by the fact the investigation ultimately fizzled). Barr was, she thought, violating DOJ guidelines in his public comments about the investigation and in his consideration of releasing an interim report before the 2020 election.

“I simply couldn’t be part of it,” Dannehy said. “So I resigned.”

The resistance of the extremists to McCarthy’s leadership is spilling over into foreign affairs as well. Today, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky was in Washington, D.C., where he met with President Biden at the White House and with leaders at the Pentagon, and spoke to a closed-door session for the Senate. But he did not speak to the House of Representatives. While McCarthy met with him privately, the speaker maintained that “we just didn’t have time” for him to address the House. 

As part of their demands, House extremists want to cut funding for Ukraine’s defense. This would, of course, work to strengthen Russian president Vladimir Putin’s hand in his war against Ukraine. Earlier this month, former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan told MSNBC that it is “absolutely essential” to Putin that Trump win back the White House in 2024. “I think it is Putin's main lifeline in order to find some way to salvage what has been a debacle in Ukraine for him," Brennan said. "If Trump is able to return to the White House...Putin could have a like-minded individual that he can work with, detrimental to U.S. interests certainly and detrimental to Western interests overall.” The intelligence community assesses that Putin worked to help Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections, and is pushing pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine propaganda now.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III assured Zelensky that the U.S. will continue to support Ukraine and work with allies and partners to make sure it has the weapons it needs. Lara Seligman of Politico reported today that the Pentagon will continue to fund Ukraine operations even if there is a government shutdown. Military activities deemed crucial to national security can be exempted from being shuttered during a government shutdown.

And finally, 92-year-old Rupert Murdoch announced today that he will be stepping down as chair of his media empire, including both Fox Corporation, which includes the Fox News Channel (FNC), and News Corporation, which owns the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, among other newspapers. In 1996 the Australian-born mogul launched the Fox News Channel with media specialist Roger Ailes, who had packaged Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon in 1968 by presenting him to audiences in highly scripted television appearances. 

The Fox News Channel initially presented news from a conservative viewpoint, but over time its opinion shows, delivered as if they were news, came to dominate the channel. Those shows presented a simple narrative in which Americans—overwhelmingly white and rural—wanted the government to leave them alone but “socialists” who wanted social welfare programs demanded their tax dollars. Isolated in the fantasy world of FNC, its viewers became such fanatic adherents to right-wing politics that FNC wholeheartedly trumpeted Trump’s Big Lie after he lost the 2020 presidential election because viewers turned away from FNC when some of its personalities acknowledged that Biden had won..

Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, said today that “Murdoch created a uniquely destructive force in American democracy and public life, one that ushered in an era of division where racist and post-truth politics thrive.”  Margaret Sullivan, formerly the Washington Post’s media critic, wrote in The Guardian that FNC was “a shameless propaganda outfit, reaping massive profits even as it attacked core democratic values such as tolerance, truth and fair elections.” Murdoch, she wrote, wreaked “untold havoc on American democracy.”

Murdoch sees it differently. In his resignation letter, he attacked “bureaucracies” who wanted to “silence those who would question their provenance and purpose” and “elites” who “have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class.” “Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth,” he wrote. 

Forbes estimates that their media empire has enabled Murdoch and his family to amass a fortune of more than $17 billion.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[themattress]

So, I think the Viz dub of Sailor Moon is unquestionably the definitive English dub, no question about it. It blows DiC and Cloverway out of the water, and while I miss some of DiC's musical scores and songs, it is still clearly superior. With that said, these are the voices from those old dubs that I feel are just as good - and rarely, even better - than Viz's ones.

Usagi - Tracey Moore (DiC). To this day, Tracey Moore might be the most believable voice Usagi has ever had. Kotono Mitsuishi and Stephanie Sheh may be more definitive, but both are clearly putting on a high-pitched voice, whereas Moore's high-pitched voice sounded natural, like a real teenage girl's. More importantly, she nailed Usagi's character. Beyond Terri Hawkes being completely failed by her incompetent fanboy of a voice director who lacked all objectivity when it came to her and Linda Ballantyne being miscast, neither of them got Usagi's character right, voicing her as if she's a regular teenage girl which Usagi is not: she's a 14 year old who starts out with the maturity of a 7 year old. Moore had that childish quality down perfectly, as well as the heroic quality as Sailor Moon. That she ended up voicing the character the least out of anyone due to DiC rushing production is absolutely criminal.

Ami - Karen Bernstein (DiC). C'mon, how can you not like that odd Trans-Atlantic accent she gives Ami? Or the way she says "Mercury Bubbles - BLAST!" It sounds so appealing.

Rei - Katie Griffin (DiC/Cloverway). Now I love Cristina Vee, and kudos to Emily Barlow for temporarily filling in for Katie and giving a damn fine impression. But something about Katie's voice for Rei just sounds, much like Tracey Moore as Usagi, natural. I tend not to hear someone putting on a voice performance with Katie; I just hear Rei / Sailor Mars herself.

Makoto - Susan Roman (DiC/Cloverway). She did a great job. Not much else to say.

Minako - Emily Barlow (Cloverway). I will say that Stephanie Morgenstern did a far better job in the Pioneer-issued DiC movie dubs than she did in the show proper, but I still felt she failed when it came to conveying Minako's comedic side. Emily Barlow, fresh off of filling in for Katie Griffin as Mars, did a great job with that part of Minako's character. She was hilarious.

Mamoru - Vincent Corazza (DiC/Cloverway). Rino Romano was good as Mamoru but not as Tuxedo Mask, while Toby Proctor sucked as both. While he's no Robbie Daymond, Vincent Corazza is still the first to actually do the voices for Mamoru and his alter-ego well.

Artemis - Ron Rubin (DiC/Cloverway). Ron Rubin took a long time to get this voice down, voicing him too deeply in his first two episodes and then too high and scratchy for most of the DiC dub afterwards. But by the movies and Cloverway, he'd settled into an appropriate sounding voice for the character, nailing both his even-tempered and his comedic moments.

Shingo - Julie Lemieux (DiC/Cloverway). Here it is: a rare case of an old dub voice being much better than the Viz dub counterpart. I have no idea why Nicolas Roye was cast by Viz, but it didn't work. Julie Lemieux's voice actually sounds like a young boy's and is fitting to hear coming out of Shingo's mouth, rather than endlessly distracting like hearing Roye's is.

Naru - Mary Long (DiC/Cloverway). "It's Mawwwwwly!" Look, take the memeable accent out of the equation and Mary Long still put on a sweet and earnest performance as Usagi's best friend. And while I normally prefer Danielle Judovits, Mary's acting in Nephrite's death scene absolutely puts her to shame. It truly sounds like a girl screaming and crying as her love dies.

Chibiusa - Stephanie Beard (Cloverway). It's Suga BayBee, do I need to explain more?

Queen Beryl - Naz Edwards (DiC). The only issue I have with Naz Edwards is that she often wasn't directed to keep her voice down when she should in a scene, but that's not her fault. That aside, she was incredible as Queen Beryl, giving a theatrical performance that is both amusingly camp when it needed to be and maliciously terrifying when it needed to be. I honestly think Viz lucked out, as Cindy Robinson is perhaps the only voice actress I know of who is capable of matching Naz vocally. It is very difficult for me to choose between them.

Jadeite - Tony Daniels (DiC). Kevin Lund could've been great as Nephrite but he sucked due to crappy direction, Kirsten Bishop was great as Zoisite but the gender was all wrong, and Denis Akayama was wildly inconsistent as Kunzite. Tony Daniels as Jadeite is the only one who got it down perfectly, with a suitably smug, sadistic, raspy voice that could also disguise itself whenever the character was disguising himself. I prefer Todd Haberkorn, especially since he can do equally well as Crystal's Jadeite, but Tony Daniels was still great.

Ail - Vincent Corazza (DiC). Look, Brian Beacock is more accurate to the Japanese voice and has a better script, but I just love Vincent Corazza's dorkier take. It's just so lovable!

En - Sabrina Grdevich (DiC). Look, Dorothy Fahn is more accurate to the Japanese voice and has a better script, but I just love Sabrina Gredvich's dorkier take. It's just so lovable!

Grandpa Hino - John Stocker (Cloverway). Another time an old dub voice surpassed Viz! Michael Sorich does great and all, but John Stocker is a perfect match to the Japanese voice and even looks a lot like the character in real life! It was a casting match made in Heaven.

Rubeus - Robert Tinkler (DiC). For a third time, the old dub surpasses the new dub. Steve Staley worked better for Rubeus in Crystal, whereas Robert Tinkler did a far better job embodying the far more monstrous version in the 90s anime, with a deep voice prone to bouts of unhinged laughter. He really made Rubeus a character that you loved to despise.

Esmeraude - Kirsten Bishop (DiC). This was Bishop's best role, IMO. She had already displayed a great cackling laugh as Zoisite, so her then playing Esmeraude was perfect.

Saphir - Lyon Smith (DiC). Not much to say here. He did good.

Demande - Robert Bockstael (DiC). Sexy but creepy voice is fittingly sexy but creepy.

Wiseman - Tony Daniels (DiC). Tony did as good a job as Wiseman as he did with Jadeite, which is why it's so frustrating that he kept getting hampered by needless vocal effects.

Professor Tomoe - Jeff Lumby (Cloverway). Jeff Lumby did an excellent job being hammy, sinister, intelligent and hilarious sounding. He was clearly having a total blast in this role.

Diana - Loretta Jafelice (Cloverway). Her high, squeaky voice was annoying, but perfect.

Fisheye - Deborah Drakeford (Cloverway). What is fascinating about Deborah's performance is that even as the fact was being censored for TV, she still voiced the character like a trans woman. There are several occasions where you can hear a masculine quality seep through even though it's a female voice actress. She deserves mad props for that.

Hawk's Eye - Benji Plener (Cloverway). He sounds a lot like Michael Yurchak, just slightly more posh, and something about his pink hair and outfit makes a posh tone fit him well.

Pegasus - Rowan Tichenor (Cloverway). Now hear me out on this last one - I am saying he was good as Pegasus. A soft, deep and dignified voice makes sense for him, and makes him more mysterious. The mistake came when they didn't cast someone else to voice Helios, as that voice coming out of him is more jarring than Nicolas Roye's voice coming out of Shingo!

Honorable Mention: The Amazoness Quartet. Their old dub voices were fine, but I can't say they qualify for this list since their Viz dub voices outperform them to an extreme degree.

[brightlotusmoon]

In X-Men '97, J.P. Karliak provides the voice of Morph, taking over the role from Ron Rubin. Ahead of the show's release, it had been revealed by an official character description by Marvel that Morph is a non-binary character. This generated some criticism on social media, and as Karliak told CBR's Sam Stone in a new interview, this was not exactly shocking. However, Karliak said he was pleased by how much pushback there was from other fans over this criticism.

[projazznet]

Hank Crawford – Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing

Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing is a soul-jazz album by saxophonist Hank Crawford, released in 1975 on Kudu Records. Hank Crawford – alto sax Jerry Dodgion – flute, tenor sax Joe Farrell – flute, tenor sax Pepper Adams – baritone sax Romeo Penque – baritone sax Jon Faddis – trumpet, flugelhorn Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn Alan Rubin – trumpet, flugelhorn Hugh McCracken – guitar Richard Tee – keyboards Bob James – keyboards, arranger, conductor Ron Carter – bass Gary King – bass Bernard Purdie – drums Idris Muhammad – drums Ralph MacDonald – percussion

[rubychan228]

Oh, hey! I didn't notice before but Ron Rubin, the original VA for Morph, is doing President Kelly now! I had heard he was returning in a different role the way some of the other OG VA's were, but not what that role would be.

[vintage1981]

Vinegar Syndrome / Distribpix Press Release: A Home Video Merger of Epic Proportion

Bridgeport, Connecticut - Vinegar Syndrome is excited to announce an exclusive distribution partnership with legendary NYC-based exploitation and sexploitation producer and distributor, Distribpix Inc.

This partnership will bring Distribpix’s extensive catalog of close to 300 feature films to Home Video, including countless never on disc titles as well as classic exploitation films from genre masters such as Michael and Roberta Findlay, the Amero Brothers, Joe Sarno, Chuck Vincent, Radley Metzger, Ron Sullivan, and Shaun Costello, among dozens more. Additionally, Distribpix’s unprecedented archive of key 1960s and early 70s exploitation rarities, many of which have been completely unavailable since the VHS and early DVD era, will at last be making their return to disc, all newly restored and presented in the type of deluxe, collector-centric editions that both Distribpix and Vinegar Syndrome are known for creating.

Vinegar Syndrome co-founder Joe Rubin, in describing the collaboration said, “Vinegar Syndrome and Distribpix have worked together before Vinegar Syndrome existed. This venture has been a long time coming and I couldn’t be more excited to be working on preserving, restoring and releasing this collection. So many of the best and most significant sexploitation and early hardcore features were produced by Distribpix and it is an honor to finally be able to consider them part of the Vinegar Syndrome family.”

Head of Distribpix Inc, Steven Morowitz responded “The gang at Vinegar Syndrome is wonderful; they opened their doors and welcomed me into their family. I am honored and grateful for this opportunity and together we are going to produce some absolutely amazing packages. Vinegar Syndrome is the best at what they do, from the highest quality restorations, to top-notch physical releases, so this really is a perfect match and the best spot for Distribpix. Our companies not only thrive on excellent restorations and releasing, but there is a major emphasis on film preservation and archiving, which was equally attractive to me.”

While schedule specifics are still being worked out, Radley Metzger and Gerard Kikoine’s, The Tale of Tiffany Lust (1981), starring Veronica Hart, Vanessa Del Rio, Desiree Cousteau, Samantha Fox, George Payne, and Dominique St Clair, will be making its world 4K UHD and Blu-Ray debut late this summer, while Michael Findlay’s notorious Flesh Trilogy is being prepared for a Blu-Ray release this fall, in partnership with Something Weird Video. Additionally, the Command Cinema line which has been distributed by Distribpix for the last several years will also be joining the Distribpix/Vinegar Syndrome family and will see both Blu-Ray and 4K debuts of producer/director, Cecil Howard’s acclaimed erotica.

This monumental merger coincides with the launch of Mélusine, a new online marketplace for premium home video editions of sexploitation and hardcore cinema primarily produced during both genres’ golden ages: the early 1960s through the late 1980s. In addition to serving as the new retail home for Command Cinema, several other brandings will be launched:

Mélusine, which will serve as the flagship brand, will offer deluxe 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo pack editions of some of the landmark works in hardcore theatrical features, with an emphasis on works by the genre’s most acclaimed filmmakers.

Quality X, the name of which pays homage to what was one of the most esteemed early home video distributors of erotic entertainment, will offer single film Blu-ray editions of standout and hidden gem theatrical hardcore features from around the globe.

Distribpix itself will become home to all things sexploitation, pulling from both Vinegar Syndrome and Distribpix’s vast libraries and ranging from the earliest nudie cuties all the way through the tail end of theatrical softcore. Releases will be single, double and triple feature Blu-rays.  

Finally, Vinegar Syndrome’s acclaimed hardcore feature branding, Peekarama, will continue to offer double feature Blu-rays of hardcore films in all genres.

In keeping with Vinegar Syndrome and Distribpix’s focus on film preservation, releases under all branding will meet the highest standards in presentation quality and the most comprehensive available extras.

The union between the two companies will produce the widest and most diverse catalog of exploitation, sexploitation and classic hardcore features, available on disc anywhere in the world.

[pennsyltuckyheathen]

Yes that pretty much sums it up for Rhonda Santis...

[docrotten]

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987) – Episode 224 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“Welcome to prime time, bitch!” Not words I’d use in front of my mother, but they are iconic just the same. Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr, along with guest host Ralph Miller  – as they enter another Wes Craven nightmare, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Expect a lot of FX talk with Ralph in the house!

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 224 – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.

  [NOTE: Effects crew credits are listed as they appear in the film credits.]

Director: Chuck Russell

Writers: Wes Craven (story) (screenplay) (characters); Bruce Wagner (story) (screenplay); Frank Darabont (screenplay); Chuck Russell (screenplay)

Music: Angelo Badalamenti

Storyboard Artist / Visual Consultant: Peter von Sholly

Stop-Motion Skeleton and Marionette Effects: Doug Beswick Productions, Inc.

Stop-Motion Animation: Doug Beswick

Effects Photography Supervisor: Jim Aupperle

Stop-Motion Puppet Construction: Yancy Calzada

Marionette Construction: Mark Bryan Wilson (as Mark Wilson)

Miniatures: James Belohovek

Illustrator: Larry Nikolai

Makeup effects Sequences: Greg Cannom

Assistants to Greg Cannom: Larry Odien, Earl Ellis, John Vulich, Keith Edmier, Brent Baker

Krueger Makeup effects: Kevin Yagher

Assistants to Kevin Yagher: Jim Kagel, Mitch DeVane, Gino Crognale, Brian Penikas, David Kindlon, Steve James, Everett Burrell

Makeup Effects Sequences: Mark Shostrom

Assistants to Mr. Shostrum: Robert Kurtzman, Bryant Tausek, John Blake Dutro, James McLoughlin (as Jim McLoughlin), Cathy Carpenter

Additional Makeup Effects: Matthew W. Mungle (as Mathew Mungel)

Assistant to Mathew Mungel: Russell Seifert

Mechanical Effects: Image Engineering

Special Effects Coordinator: Peter Chesney

Lead Technician: Lenny Dalrymple

Mechanical Designers: Bruce D. Hayes (as Bruce Hayes), Joe Starr, Anton Tremblay (as Tony Tremblay)

Effects Technicians: Bernardo F. Munoz (as Bernard Munoz), Rod Schumacher, Bob Ahmanson

Effects Crew: Scott Nesselrode, Tom Chesney, Kelly Mann, Phillip Hartmann (as Phillip Hartman), Ralph Miller III (as Ralph Miller), Joel Fletcher, Brian Mcfadden, Sandra Stewart (as Sandy Stewart), Terry Mack (as Troy Mack), Blaine Converse, Ron MacInnes, Brendan C. Quigley

Selected Cast:

Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson

Craig Wasson as Dr. Neil Gordon

Patricia Arquette as Kristen Parker

Ken Sagoes as Roland Kincaid

Ira Heiden as Will Stanton

Rodney Eastman as Joey Crusel

Jennifer Rubin as Taryn White

Penelope Sudrow as Jennifer Caulfield

Bradley Gregg as Phillip Anderson

Laurence Fishburne as Max Daniels (credited as Larry Fishburne)

John Saxon as Donald Thompson

Priscilla Pointer as Dr. Elizabeth Simms

Clayton Landey as Lorenzo

Brooke Bundy as Elaine Parker

Nan Martin as Sister Mary Helena

Stacey Alden as Nurse Marcie

Dick Cavett as Himself

Zsa Zsa Gabor as Herself

Paul Kent as Dr. Carver

Guest host Ralph Miller III, who worked behind the scenes on Dream Warriors provides insights and many effects development photos that are shown in the YouTube version of the podcast. Post-recording, the crew wants to clarify that Kevin Yagher was responsible for the Freddy Snake, and Mark Shostrom was in charge of the Penelope Sudrow dummy that smashes into the Freddyvision TV.

With the success of A Nightmare on  Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), following the critical failure of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), New line Cinema firmly cemented Freddy Krueger and A Nightmare on Elm Street as one of the most iconic horror franchises of its time. Not only does Dream Warriors feature Robert Englund continuing to breathe both humor and fear into Freddy Krueger but also the return of both Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon from the original. The film also features Craig Wasson (Ghost Story) as the male lead and early film roles for Patricia Arquette and Larry Fishburne. Frank Darabont (The Mist) and Bruce Wagner join Wes Craven on scripting chores and Chuck Russell (The Blob, The Mask) directs while Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet) provides the score – a winning combination of talent. Surely a Grue-Crew highly recommended selection with special effects by Greg Cannom, Doug Beswick, Mark Shostrom, Kevin Yagher, and more!

Be sure to check out the first time the 80s Grue-Crew took a dive into this film in February 2017, featuring Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Thomas Mariani as the Grue-Crew. You can find it here: A NIGHTMARE ON ELMS STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987) — Episode 102

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Jeff, will be The Changeling (1980), starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, . . . and a bouncing, red, rubber ball.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans – so leave them a message or comment on the gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the website, or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.

Check out this episode!

[pcwpolwrestling]

11/16-PCW Extreme Election Night 2024-Part Two

Last Week on PCW Extreme Political TV -PCW Owner Dawn McGill comes out and tells everyone to get ready for a hell of a ride tonight. -REPLAY: Donald Trump (American Patriots) defeated Joe Biden (Progressive Alliance) in a match that took place back in June -FEMA Commercial -SENATE MATCH: The American Patriots defeated The Progressive Alliance -Celebrities for Kamala Harris 2024 -REPLAY: Donald Trump (American Patriots) vs. Kamala Harris (Progressive Alliance)-in a match that took place in September. -Donald Trump video by Nicole Shanahan -REPLAY: J.D. Vance (American Patriots) defeated Tim Walz (Progressive Alliance) in a match that took place in October -Extreme Election Night 2024- Part Two preview -Backstage interviews with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump -MAIN EVENT-PCW CEO MATCH: Donald Trump (American Patriots) defeated Kamala Harris (Progressive Alliance) -New York Governor Kathy Hochul gets attacked by Peanut the Squirrel and Fred the Raccoon. -Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post gets into a confrontation with Dawn McGill. -Keith Olbermann gets run over by Ron Paul’s New Libertarian Army.

Political Championship Wrestling Extreme Political TV Taped at the DC Armory on Tuesday November 5th New York City, NY Saturday November 16th, 2024

Announcers: ‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave AGE: 50 / HT: 5’ 11” WT: 195 HOME: Philadelphia, PA HAIR: Brown / STYLE: Like Ronnie Dunn / FACE: Goatee DRESS: Brown suit without tie

Colleen Crowder ‘Low-Level New York Times Reporter Trying to Make a Name for Herself’ AGE: 38 / HT: 5’ 5” WT: 142 HOME: New York City, NY HAIR: Black / STYLE: Curly / FACE: Narrow face with rounded jaw, turned-up nose, faint freckles, and thin lips. Bulging blue eyes, thin eyebrows. DRESS: Black pants suit

PCW Champion: Charlie Blackwell (American Heartland) Since 2/10/2024 Contenders: ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels (Progressive Alliance) Kirk Walstreit (American Patriots) Mike the Mechanic (Main Street USA)

PCW Women’s Champion: Catherine Cline (Independent) Since 9/21/2024 Contenders: Kathryn Randall Collins (Progressive Alliance) Laura Brobert (American Patriots) ‘American Girl’ Sarah Mae Smith (Main Street USA)

PCW Tag Team Champions: Starz N. Stripes and ‘The One-Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism (American Patriots) Since 3/3/2024 Contenders: The Deplorables: Ray McAvay/’Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan (American Heartland Coalition) The Green World Order: GreenPete/’Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee (Progressive Alliance) The Sports Entertainment Corporation: Gator Bates/The Alabama Kid (SEC) Bi-Partisan Dream Team: Blue Dog D/RINO Main Street USA: Ken Worth-American Trucker/Farmer John Deer

Opening: “Main street U.S.A boarded up and dry Knowing what once was here just makes me want to cry Used to be the favorite place Now what remains are memories even time cannot erase

Old man Johnson’s store, where we grew up too fast All that remains today are echoes from the past Used to be a booming town Now all that’s left is either broken up or broken down…”

The Amy Grant song fades into the loud chant coming from the crowd inside the DC Armory…

PCW!… PCW!… PCW!… PCW!… PCW!… PCW!…

Johnny Suave, resplendent in his tailored suit, leans into the microphone, his voice cutting through the chaos like a knife. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Extreme Election Night 2024… night two!” His eyes gleam with barely contained excitement.

Johnny Suave: I’m Johnny Suave, and joining me tonight is the incomparable Colleen Crowder.

Colleen nods, her green eyes sharp behind her glasses, but there’s a hint of unease in her posture. Johnny doesn’t seem to notice as he barrels on.

Johnny Suave: Tonight’s main event… PCW Champion Charlie Blackwell of the American Heartland Coalition puts his title on the line against ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels from the Progressive Alliance!

The crowd roars its approval, and Johnny’s grin widens. He’s in his element, feeling the pulse of the audience. This is what he lives for.

Johnny Suave: But that’s not all, folks! The PCW Tag Team Titles are up for grabs as ‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism and Starz N. Stripes defend against The Green World Order!

Colleen leans in, her voice steady despite her inner turmoil.

Colleen Crowder: And in a match that’s sure to set the political world ablaze, Catherine Cline defends the PCW Women’s title against the ‘Ultimate Political Operative’ Kathryn Randall Collins.

Johnny nods approvingly.

Johnny Suave: Don’t forget our extreme political cage match between the American Patriots and the Progressive Alliance!

He pauses, his expression sobering slightly as he turns to his co-host.

Johnny Suave: Colleen, I’ve got to ask… last week’s shocking turn of events, with Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris to become the new CEO of PCW… what are your thoughts?

Colleen’s eyes widen slightly, her professional demeanor slipping for just a moment. She takes a deep breath, struggling to find the right words.

Colleen Crowder: Well, Johnny, it’s certainly been… unexpected. The political landscape of PCW has shifted dramatically, and I think we’re all still processing the implications.

Johnny nods sympathetically, but there’s a glint in his eye. He knows controversy breeds ratings.

Johnny Suave: Indeed, Colleen. It’s been a week of surprises, and I have a feeling tonight’s going to bring even more!

***

Wellness Checks on the Hollywood Elite Johnny Suave leans forward, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Johnny Suave: Speaking of surprises, folks, remember all those Hollywood big shots who swore they’d flee the country if Trump won? Well, let’s check in on that mass exodus, shall we?

The screen behind him flickers to life, showing Woodward Bernstein standing in an eerily quiet airport.

Johnny Suave: Woodward, what’s the scene there?

Johnny barely contains his smirk.

Woodward, looking slightly bewildered, responds.

Woodward Bernstein: Johnny, it’s… well, it’s dead here. I’ve been camped out for hours, and I haven’t seen a single celebrity lugging their Louis Vuitton to the private jet terminal. It’s like they’ve all… vanished.

Johnny chuckles.

Johnny Suave: Vanished, huh? Or maybe they’re just hiding under their silk sheets? But wait, there’s more!

He snaps his fingers, and the screen changes to show a windswept Mindy Taylor standing on the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.

Johnny Suave: Mindy, any sign of Bono taking that drive he promised?

Mindy, hair whipping wildly in the wind, shouts over the gale.

Mindy Taylor: Not a peep, Johnny! No sign of any leather-clad Irish rockers plummeting to their doom. Though I did see a rather confused-looking sheep earlier…

Johnny’s grin widens.

Johnny Suave: Well, folks, it seems our celebrity friends are all talk and no action. And speaking of action, wasn’t Rob Reiner supposed to be going up in flames by now?

The screen switches to a panoramic view of Hollywood Boulevard. It’s business as usual – tourists, street performers, but notably devoid of any human bonfires.

Johnny shakes his head in mock disappointment.

Johnny Suave: Tsk, tsk. It appears Mr. Reiner’s fiery passion has… fizzled out.

Johnny Suave: But enough about no-shows,” Johnny continues, his tone shifting. “Let’s check in on some real drama. How are our friends at The View holding up after Trump’s win?

The screen behind him switches to a live feed from The View’s set. What greets the audience is pure chaos. Ana Navarro has Sunny Hostin in a headlock, while Sara Haines is trying to separate them. Alyssa Farah Griffin is cowering under the desk, occasionally peeking out only to duck back down. Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar sit calmly at opposite ends of the table, sipping coffee and watching the mayhem with exhausted expressions.

Johnny’s eyebrows shoot up.

Johnny Suave: Well, folks, it seems there’s a bit of… shall we say, ‘spirited discussion’ happening over at The View. Who knew daytime TV could be so… extreme?

Colleen Crowder: All right.  Let’s get on with it.

Johnny Suave: Stick around, folks – Extreme Election Night 2024, part two, is just getting started!

***

Pulp Fiction Videos: Kathryn Randall Collins and Catherine Cline The screen flickers to life, revealing a dimly lit back room. ‘The Ultimate Political Operative’ Kathryn Randall Collins leans into the camera, her piercing eyes gleaming with determination.

Kathryn Randall Collins: Catherine Cline, you may have the adoration of those little girls, but at Extreme Election Night, I’ll show them what real power looks like.

Kathryn’s lips curl into a smirk as she continues.

KRC: I’ve analyzed your every move, dissected your strategies. Your so-called championship reign is nothing but a carefully constructed facade.

She leans closer, her voice dropping to a menacing whisper.

KRC: I am the ultimate political operative, and I will dismantle you piece by piece. Your title, your legacy, your influence – it all ends at Extreme Election Night.

The scene abruptly shifts to a brightly lit gymnasium.

Catherine Cline… The Iowa Wunderkind… stands surrounded by cheering young girls, her PCW Women’s Championship belt gleaming on her shoulder. Catherine addresses the camera with a steely gaze.

Catherine Cline: Kathryn, you talk about power, but you’ve forgotten what real strength is.

She high-fives a beaming young fan, her voice rising with passion.

Catherine Cline: It’s not about manipulation or backroom deals. It’s about inspiring the next generation, showing them they can achieve anything.

Catherine’s eyes narrow as she delivers her final words.

Catherine Cline: At Extreme Election Night, I’ll remind you and everyone else why I’m the champion. You may be the ultimate political operative, but I’m the ultimate role model – and that’s a title you’ll never take from me.

The screen fades to black

Meanwhile, back in the broadcast booth, Johnny Suave’s voice drips with sarcasm as there’s breaking news.

***

Breaking News Johnny Suave: Breaking news, folks. Don Lemon, formerly of CNN, has announced he’s leaving ‘X’. I’m sure we’re all devastated.

Suave rolls his eyes.

Johnny Suave: Another day, another drama queen making empty threats.

The screen behind him flickers to life, showing Jimmy Kimmel sobbing into his hands the night after Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris.

Johnny Suave: And here’s Jimmy Kimmel, crying again. What else is new?

Suave deadpans, his face a mask of indifference as Kimmel’s wails echo through the arena.

Johnny Suave: Let’s go to the ring.

***

MATCH #1-PCW WOMEN’S TITLE: Catherine Cline (IND) © vs. ‘The Ultimate Political Operative’ Kathryn Randall Collins (Progressive Alliance) The arena erupts as Kimber Marshall’s voice booms through the speakers.

Kimber Marshall: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our first match! It will be one fall for the PCW Women’s Title! Introducing first, the challenger…

A pulsing beat drops, and Kathryn Randall Collins emerges from behind the curtain, her imposing figure silhouetted against flashing blue lights.

Kimber Marshall: She is the ‘Ultimate Political Operative!  KATHRYN RANDALL COLLINS!

She raises her fists triumphantly, drinking in the thunderous cheers from the blue-clad section of the crowd.

As KRC stalks down the ramp, Johnny Suave’s voice cuts through the din.

Johnny Suave: Well, Colleen, here comes your girl. Think she’s got what it takes to dethrone the champ?

Colleen scoffs.

Colleen Crowder: Please, Johnny. KRC’s got more political savvy in her pinky than Cline has in her entire corn-fed body.

KRC slides into the ring, her eyes locked on the entrance ramp. The music cuts, and a hush falls over the arena.

Kimber Marshall: And her opponent…

Suddenly, a guitar riff explodes through the speakers, and the crowd erupts as Catherine Cline bursts onto the stage, title belt held high.

Kimber Marshall: She is the reigning PCW WOMEN’S CHAMPION… CATHERINE CLINE!

Cline beams at the sea of adoring faces, her youthful energy radiating through the arena.

Johnny Suave: Now that’s a champion!

Colleen scoffs as Cline high-fives fans as she makes her way to the ring, pausing to snap selfies with young girls wearing “Wunderkind” t-shirts. She slides under the bottom rope, locking eyes with KRC.

Colleen Crowder: Look at that disrespect.  Cline should know better than to keep a seasoned operative waiting.

MATCH INFO: On September 21st, Catherine Cline defeated Kathryn Randall Collins (Progressive Alliance), ‘American Girl’ Sarah Mae Smith (Main Street USA), and ‘Alaskan Rogue’ Sierra Whalen (American Patriots) to become the PCW Women’s Champion.  KRC complained that Cline disrespected her because she didn’t defer to her ‘senority’ and should have ‘waited her turn’ before winning the title.

Cline is ‘The Wunderkind from Iowa’ who’s taken PCW by storm.  A huge fan favorite.

KEY MOMENT/MATCH FINISH: KRC lunges forward, but Cline ducks under her arm, using her speed to evade the larger woman.

Johnny Suave: Cline’s been playing it smart. She uses that Iowa quickness to stay out of KRC’s grasp.

Minutes tick by as the two trade holds and counters. Suddenly, KRC catches Cline with a vicious clothesline, sending the champion crashing to the mat.

Colleen Crowder: That’s it, KRC! Show her what real political power looks like!

KRC pounces, wrapping her legs around Cline’s head and locking in the gogoplata. Cline’s eyes widen in panic as she struggles to breathe.

KRC screams at the referee, tightening her hold.

Kathryn Randall Collins: Ask her!

Cline’s face contorts in agony, but she shakes her head defiantly. With a burst of strength, she begins inching towards the ropes.

Johnny Suave: Catherine Cline’s in big trouble.  Can she get to the ropes?

Cline’s fingers stretch out, barely grazing the bottom rope. The referee calls for a break.

Johnny Suave: She does!

Colleen Crowder: I don’t think so. I didn’t see her touch the rope.

The referee starts the count, but KRC refuses to break the hold.

Johnny Suave: Obviously, the referee does.  If KRC doesn’t break the hold, she should be disqualified.

Colleen Crowder: That’s not the narrative we’re pursuing, Johnny.  Cline didn’t get the ropes and Collins is going to choke her-

Suddenly, a blur of red, white, and blue streaks down the ramp.

Johnny Suave: WAIT A MINUTE!  THAT’S ‘AMERICAN GIRL’ SARAH MAE SMITH!

Sarah Mae Smith slides into the ring, forcibly prying KRC off the gasping champion.

Colleen shrieks.

Colleen Crowder: What the hell? “That’s blatant interference!”

KRC whirls on Smith, fury etched on her face. In that moment of distraction, Cline springs to her feet. She grabs KRC’s shoulder, spinning her around.

Johnny Suave: CLINE CUTTER!

The champion drives KRC’s face into the mat.

Colleen Crowder: NOOOOOOO!

Cline hooks the leg, and the referee’s hand slaps the mat. “One! Two! Three!”

Johnny Suave: SHE DID IT!

Kimber Marshall: Your winner and STILL PCW WOMEN’S CHAMPION… CATHERINE CLINE!

The arena explodes as Cline collapses in relief, clutching her retained title.

Johnny Suave: CATHERINE CLINE DEFEATS KRC AND SHE REMAINS THE PCW WOMEN’S CHAMPION!

KRC rolls out of the ring, seething with rage as she stumbles up the ramp.

Johnny Suave: An incredible victory for the Wunderkind!

Colleen’s voice drips with disdain.

Colleen Crowder: A tainted win, you mean. If it weren’t for that flag-waving interloper…

Johnny Suave: And KRC tried to cheat by not breaking the hold as directed by the referee.

Colleen Crowder: That’s not our narrative.

Johnny Suave: Whatever.

Cline climbs the turnbuckle, raising her title high.

***

‘The View’s’ Whoopi Goldberg Goes to the Concession Stand The camera pans to the concession stand where Whoopi Goldberg stands, tapping her foot impatiently. Her eyes narrow as the harried worker behind the counter fidgets nervously.

Whoopi Goldberg: What do you mean you can’t make my vegan, gluten-free, locally-sourced kale chips?

Whoopi’s voice rose.

Whoopi Goldberg: Is it because I’m a liberal? Because I speak my mind on The View?

The worker, a pimply-faced teen, gulps.

Pimply-Faced Teen: No, ma’am. It’s just… the oven’s broken. We can’t cook anything right now.

Whoopi leans in, her eyes flashing.

Whoopi Goldberg: Oh, I see how it is. Trump wins and suddenly the ovens stop working for people like me. Convenient, isn’t it?

The teen’s eyes widen in panic.

Pimply-Faced Teen: Really, Ms. Goldberg, it’s just a mechanical-

Whoopi Goldberg: Save it.

Whoopi snaps, spinning on her heel. As she storms off, she mutters.

Whoopi Goldberg: First they come for our snacks, then our rights.

***

Pulp Fiction Videos: The Green World Order and Starz N. Stripes/Stone Chism The screen fades to black, then bursts back to life with an explosion of green.

The Green World Order stands before a backdrop of lush forest, their faces set in determination.

‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee steps forward, his lean frame taut with energy.

Brock Cole Lee: Starz N. Stripes, Stone Chism, you claim to be patriots, but what about the planet you’re supposed to protect?

GreenPete chimes in, his muscular arms crossed.

GreenPete: Your so-called American dream is a nightmare for Mother Earth!

PeaceNick raises his hands in a placating gesture.

PeaceNick: We come not to fight, but to educate and enlighten.

Peta, their valet, holds up a sign reading “Save the Earth, Save Yourselves!”

Brock’s voice rises to a crescendo.

Brock Cole Lee: At Extreme Election Night, WE’RE CHANGING EVERYTHING!

Cut to:

The scene shifts again, this time to a star-spangled locker room.

Starz N. Stripes and Stone Chism stand tall, their tag team belts glinting under the lights.

Starz sneers at the camera.

Starz N. Stripes: Change everything? The only thing changing will be the welts on your backs after we’re done with you!

Stone nods grimly.

Stone Chism: You want to save the planet? How about we save it from your misguided eco-terrorism?

They hold their belts high, voices united in a battle cry.

Starz/Stone: At Extreme Election Night, we’ll show you what real American power looks like. And that’s not just a promise – that’s a star-spangled guarantee!

***

Back at The View Back at The View’s set, the rest of the cast stop fighting as Whoopi bursts in, her face a thundercloud.

Sunny Hostin: What is it, Whoopi?  What did Donald Trump do now?

Whoopi Goldberg: Can you believe this? They refused to serve me at concessions! Said the oven was broken, but we know what that really means.

Joy Behar gasps dramatically.

Joy Behar: Those fascists! We should boycott!

***

More Breaking News The giant screen above the ring suddenly flashes to life, revealing Don Lemon’s face, larger than life and looking more serious than ever.

Don Lemon: Attention, PCW Universe,

Lemon’s voice echoes through the arena.

Don Lemon: I just want to remind everyone that I am, in fact, leaving ‘X’. This is not a drill. I repeat: I am leaving ‘X’.

Johnny Suave rolls his eyes so hard they might fall out of his head.

Johnny Suave: Let’s go to the ring.

***

MATCH #2-PCW TAG TEAM TITLE: Starz N. Stripes and ‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism (American Patriots) © vs. The Green World Order (GreenPete and Brock Cole Lee with Peta from PETA and PeaceNick) The roar of the crowd was deafening as Kimber Marshall stood tall in the center of the ring, basking in the energy and excitement emanating from every seat in the arena.

Johnny Suave: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our next match!

Colleen Crowder rolls her eyes beside him.

Colleen Crowder: Let’s just hope it’s not another scripted disaster like the last match.

As the announcers bantered back and forth, Kimber raises her microphone to address the packed audience.

Kimber Marshall: Our next match will be one fall and it will be for the PCW TAG TEAM TITLE!

The air was charged with electricity as she spoke, the fans on their feet and cheering at full volume.

Kimber Marshall: Introducing the challengers… representing the Progressive Alliance. GreenPete… ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee… they are THE GREEN WORLD ORDER!

But suddenly, chaos erupted on the entrance ramp as the Green World Order burst onto the scene. The eco-warriors marched towards the ring, chanting and waving their banners high above their heads. Peta, their fierce and passionate representative, immediately spotted a fan eating a burger and launched into a tirade.

Peta from PETA: “How dare you consume the flesh of innocent animals!

She points an accusatory finger at the man who simply flips her off and takes an extra-large bite, causing cheers to erupt from nearby fans who were clearly not on board with the GWO’s message.

Meanwhile, PeaceNick, the calming force of the group, chants “Om mani padme hum” as he made his way towards the ring with a serene smile on his face. Behind him, GreenPete and ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee strut confidently, basking in the adoration from their die-hard supporters in the blue seats.

Johnny Suave: The challengers look ready to take on the world, Colleen!

Colleen Crowder: As they should be. It’s about time we had some real change around here.

Kimber Marshall: And their opponents, they are the PCW Tag Team Champions, representing the American Patriots… Starz N. Stripes and ‘The One Man Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism!

Just then, Starz N. Stripes and Stone Chism emerge from backstage, waving to their supporters in the stands. The arena erupts in cheers for these true American heroes, their stars and stripes gear shining under the bright lights.

Johnny Suave: Now those are what I call true American heroes!

Colleen scoffs beside him.

Colleen Crowder: Please, they’re nothing but overrated muscle-heads.

Johnny Suave: Here we go.

MATCH INFO: The champions won the title March 3rd in a four-way tag match against The GWO, The Deplorables, and the Sports Entertainment Corporation.  However, the GWO defeated Starz and Chism on September 21st and PCW Owner Dawn McGill booked this match for Extreme Election Night 2024.

KEY MOMENT/MATCH FINISH: The audience is on the edge of their seats, fully invested in the intense back-and-forth action.

But suddenly, there is a stir at ringside that steals everyone’s attention.

Johnny Suave: Oh great.

It is Professor McCarthy, wielding his ‘Good Book’ like a weapon, hoisting his ‘good book’ high above his head, its pages rife with dogmatic doctrine and things you should say, think, and believe.  He’s followed by his devoted followers Ultimate Social Justice Warrior, Codee Pink, and Emily S. List ready to cause chaos.

Professor McCarthy: If you are not with us, you are against us.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Professor McCarthy: Shout down the American Patriots and anyone who does not conform to the ‘good book’!

McCarthy’s voice is filled with righteous anger. He begins urging his Flock to attack but then, the crowd roars.

Johnny Suave: IT’S THE DEPLORABLES!

Colleen Crowder: What are they doing here?

The Deplorables race from the back and charge down the ramp into the fray.  ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay and the ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan move like bulldozers, plowing through McCarthy’s followers with ease.

Johnny Suave: They are shutting down the shouting down, Colleen.  That’s what.

In all the chaos, Stone Chism sees his opportunity and seizes it. He lifts GreenPete high into the air before bringing him crashing down with a devastating Hollywood Blockbuster.

Johnny Suave: HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER!

Colleen Crowder: This evening just gets worse and worse.

At the same time, Starz pounces on GreenPete, locking in both the American Stars and Fujiwara Arm Bar submissions. GreenPete writhes in pain as he desperately tapped out.

The bell rings, signaling the end of the match. Suave jumps to his feet in excitement.

Johnny Suave: They’ve done it! The American Patriots have retained their titles once again!

Kimber Marshall: Your winner and still… PCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS… STARZ N. STRIPES AND ‘THE ONE MAN HOLLYWOOD A-LIST’ STONE CHISM!

Johnny Suave: With help from the American Heartland Coalition, the American Patriots hold the tag belts.

Meanwhile, Colleen slumps in her chair, muttering under her breath as the victorious team celebrated in the ring.

Colleen Crowder: Typical. Brute force always wins.

***

Yet, More Breaking News Johnny Suave: All right, now-

Before Suave can finish his thought, a harried-looking intern rushes up to the announcer’s table, thrusting a piece of paper into Suave and Colleen’s hands.

Colleen Crowder: What’s this?

Suave skims it and lets out a bark of laughter.

Johnny Suave: Well, folks, in case you missed it the first dozen times…

Colleen adjusts her glasses as she scans the document.

Johnny Suave: It’s a press release from Don Lemon, confirming that he’s leaving ‘X’. Because apparently, the other two announcements weren’t enough.

Colleen’s brow furrows.

Colleen Crowder: Well, Johnny, in today’s fast-paced media landscape, it’s crucial to ensure your message reaches all demographics through multiple channels.

Johnny Suave: Multiple channels? The only channel Lemon needs is the one that leads him out the door.

Colleen’s eyes narrow behind her stylish frames.

Colleen Crowder: That’s rather glib, don’t you think? Lemon’s departure signifies a shift in the media paradigm that-

Johnny Suave: Oh, spare me the Columbia School of Journalism lecture.

As they continue to bicker, a figure in a food service uniform marches purposefully towards the announcer’s table. Suave notices him first, relief washing over his face.

Johnny Suave: Ladies and gentlemen, now we have breaking news from the concession stand!

A frazzled concessions worker, his apron stained with various condiments, stumbles onto the scene, waving a greasy piece of paper. Johnny Suave’s eyebrows shoot up as the man approaches, interrupting the ongoing bickering between him and Colleen.

Frazzled Concessions Worker: Excuse me, Mr. Suave…

The worker pants, thrusting the paper towards Johnny.

Frazzled Concessions Worker: I have an urgent update about the Goldberg situation.

Johnny takes the paper, scanning it quickly. His lips curl into a smirk.

Johnny Suave: Well, well, well. It seems our esteemed colleague Whoopi Goldberg owes the hardworking folks at concessions an apology.

Colleen leans in, her curiosity piqued.

Colleen Crowder: What are you talking about, Johnny?

Johnny Suave: According to this report…

Johnny waves the paper dramatically.

Johnny Suave: …there was indeed a mechanical issue with the oven. Goldberg’s order couldn’t be filled due to faulty equipment, not political persecution.

Colleen’s eyes narrow behind her stylish glasses.

Colleen Crowder: Oh, come on, Johnny. You can’t possibly believe that’s the whole story. In this charged political climate-

Johnny interrupts, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Johnny Suave: Climate? The only climate affecting anything here is the one inside that broken oven. Face it, Colleen, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar… or in this case, a busted appliance is just a busted appliance.

Colleen’s cheeks flush with frustration.

Colleen Crowder: You’re oversimplifying the issue, as usual. There’s always more beneath the surface in these situations.

Johnny Suave: The only thing beneath the surface here is a faulty heating element.

Johnny’s grin widens.

Johnny Suave: But please, enlighten us with your Pulitzer-worthy investigative skills. I’m sure there’s a vast right-wing conspiracy hiding in the kitchen’s circuitry.

As they bicker, a large steel cage lowers from the ceiling.

Johnny Suave: As you can see, we are getting ready for our next match.  This match will determine who controls the House.

Colleen Crowder: Seeing as the results have sucked so far, is it too much to ask for the Progressive Alliance to win this?

Johnny Suave: Wait.  I thought you were a journalist… fair and impartial.

Colleen begins to respond but instead glares at Johnny.

***

Wellness Check on the Hollywood Elites A a smirk plays at the corners of Johnny Suave’s mouth.

Johnny Suave: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for another Hollywood exodus update!

The big screen flickers to life, showing Woodward Bernstein standing in an eerily empty airport terminal.

Woodward Bernstein: Johnny, I’ve been here for hours. I have to tell you, the only celebrity I’ve seen is the Kardashians’ long-lost cousin twice removed. It’s a ghost town here!

Suave chuckles.

Johnny Suave: Well, isn’t that something? I thought we’d see a mass migration rivaling the Great Wildebeest Crossing. Speaking of wildlife, let’s check in with Mindy at the Cliffs of Dover.

The scene shifts to Mindy Taylor, bundled up against the wind, peering over the edge of the famous white cliffs.

Mindy Taylor: No sign of Bono or his car, Johnny. I’ve been watching these cliffs so long, I’m starting to think I’m the edge U2 hasn’t found yet!

Suave’s eyebrows shoot up in mock surprise.

Johnny Suave:  And what about our friend Rob Reiner? Any spontaneous combustion on the streets of Tinseltown?

The camera pans across Hollywood Boulevard, showing nothing but the usual tourists and street performers.

Colleen Crowder makes a sour look.

Colleen Crowder: This is totally unnecessary.

Johnny Suave: Sure it is, we’ll check back again later.

Colleen Crowder: Wonderful.

Johnny Suave: Let’s go back to Kimber Marshall in the ring.

***

MATCH #3-EXTREME HOUSE CAGE MATCH: American Patriots (Jim Jordan (OH), Lauren Boebert (CO), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Chip Roy (TX), and Thomas Massie (KY) vs. Progressive Alliance (Hakeem Jeffries (NY), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Eric Swalwell (CA), Jamie Raskin (MD), and Dan Goldman (NY) As the cage finishes lowering, Kimber Marshall stands at its center, microphone in hand, her presence commanding attention even in this intimidating setting.

Kimber Marshall: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our Extreme House Cage Match!”

The crowd erupts, a sea of red and blue shirts undulating in waves of anticipation.

Kimber Marshall: First, representing the American Patriots…

Kimber pauses for dramatic effect.

Kimber Marshall: Jim Jordan of Ohio! Lauren Boebert of Colorado! Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia! Chip Roy of Texas! And Thomas Massie from Kentucky!

The red-clad section of the arena explodes into cheers as the five emerge on stage. Jim Jordan, ever the wrestler, flexes his biceps while Boebert mimes firing off a round from an imaginary rifle. Greene waves a miniature American flag, Roy pounds his chest, and Massie holds up a copy of the Constitution.

The American Patriots march towards the ring and climb into the cage, each striking a pose for their adoring fans.

Kimber clears her throat.

Kimber Marshall: And now, representing the Progressive Alliance…

The blue section tenses, ready to erupt.

Kimber Marshall: Hakeem Jeffries of New York! Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York! Eric Swalwell of California! Jamie Raskin of Maryland! And Dan Goldman from New York!”

The Progressive Alliance emerges to thunderous applause from their supporters. AOC leads the charge, fist raised high. Jeffries follows, looking determined. Swalwell blows kisses to the crowd, while Raskin and Goldman wave enthusiastically.

The Progressive Alliance enters the cage, squaring off against their opponents. The tension is palpable as both teams eye each other warily.

Over at the announcer’s table, Johnny Suave leans into his microphone.

Johnny Suave: Well, Colleen, looks like we’re in for one hell of a political slugfest. Any predictions?

Colleen adjusts her glasses, a brave smirk playing on her lips.

Colleen Crowder: Oh, Johnny, you know the Progressive Alliance has this in the bag. They’ve got the youth, the energy, and the righteousness of their cause on their side.

Johnny Suave: Don’t count out the American Patriots just yet. They’ve got grit, determination, and a whole lot of red-blooded American spirit.

As the two continue their banter, Kimber exits the cage, leaving the ten competitors to face off in what promises to be an epic battle of political ideologies and wrestling prowess.

The bell clangs and chaos erupts inside the steel cage. Jim Jordan immediately grabs a kendo stick, swinging it wildly at Hakeem Jeffries, who ducks and rolls away.

Johnny Suave: And we’re off! Jordan’s on the warpath already!

Lauren Boebert scales the cage, her boots clanging against the metal. She perches at the top, eyeing Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez below. With a primal scream, Boebert launches herself off, aiming to crash onto AOC.

Johnny Suave: Look out below!

Colleen Crowder: Get out of the way, AOC!

At the last second, Ocasio-Cortez sidesteps. Boebert crashes hard onto the canvas with a sickening thud.

Johnny Suave: Ooh, that’s gonna leave a mark.

Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene has Eric Swalwell cornered. She grabs a steel chair, raising it high.

Johnny Suave: Greene’s about to introduce Swalwell to some cold, hard steel!

Greene swings, but Swalwell ducks. The chair clangs against the cage, vibrating in Greene’s hands. Swalwell capitalizes, tackling her to the mat.

Colleen Crowder: Yes! Take her down!

“Quite the biased commentary there, Colleen,” Suave remarks dryly.

In another corner, Chip Roy and Jamie Raskin grapple, trading punches. Roy gains the upper hand, Irish whipping Raskin into the ropes. As Raskin bounces back, Roy catches him with a clothesline that flips Raskin head over heels.

Johnny Suave: Raskin just got turned inside out!

The melee continues, bodies flying everywhere. Dan Goldman climbs to the top turnbuckle, eyeing Thomas Massie below, laying on a table after being double-teamed by Swalwell and Jeffries.  With a deep breath, Goldman leaps, aiming for a flying elbow drop.

Johnny Suave: Goldman’s going high-risk!

Massie rolls away at the last second. Goldman crashes through a table, splintering wood flying everywhere.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP!

Colleen Crowder: Oh, the humanity!

Crowd: PCW!… PCW!… PCW!…

Johnny Suave: It’s absolute pandemonium in there, folks! This is what an Extreme House Cage Match is all about!

Lauren Boebert seizes a kendo stick, her eyes wild with adrenaline. She swings it at Jamie Raskin, catching him low. As he doubles over, she hooks his head and drives him face-first into the mat with a vicious DDT.

Johnny Suave: DDT BY BOEBERT!

Colleen Crowder: Oh come on, that was a cheap shot!

Colleen Crowder protesting voice is tinged with indignation.

Colleen Crowder: Raskin didn’t even see it coming!

Eric Swalwell, enraged by the attack on his ally, lunges at Boebert. His hands find her throat, and he begins to squeeze.

Colleen Crowder: Look at Swalwell go! He’s defending his teammate like a true Progressive!

Marjorie Taylor Greene spots the altercation and hefts a steel chair. With a primal scream, she brings it crashing down on Swalwell’s back. The impact echoes through the arena.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP!

Crowd: PCW!… PCW!… PCW!…

Swalwell drops to his knees.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez charges across the ring, shoving Greene hard.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: You keep your hands off him!

AOC’s face is flushed with anger.

Greene stumbles back, then regains her footing. She raises the chair…

Johnny Suave: Here we go!

Colleen Crowder: NOOOOOOO!

…brings down the chair on AOC in return, sending her sprawling into the ropes.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP!

Crowd: PCW!… PCW!… PCW!…

MTG lays the boots into AOC until Jim Jordan steps in between them.

Jim Jordan: We can settle this later. Right now, we need to-

His words are cut short as Hakeem Jeffries spins him around. In a flash, Jeffries’ foot connects with Jordan’s jaw in a devastating superkick.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP! SUPERKICK BY JEFFRIES AND JORDAN’S GOING DOWN!

Colleen Crowder: YES!  FINISH HIM!

As Jordan crumples, his unconscious form lands squarely on top of a prone Eric Swalwell.

Johnny Suave: JORDAN FALLS ON SWALWELL. THE REFEREE SLIDES IN.

Colleen Crowder: No, no, no! This can’t be happening!

Chip Roy seizes the opportunity, grabbing Jeffries and hurling him over the top rope and out of the ring. Thomas Massie, seeing Dan Goldman trying to intervene, trips him up, sending him face-first into the turnbuckle.

The referee’s hand slaps the mat. “One! Two! Three!”

Johnny Suave: THAT’S IT!

Colleen Crowder: SON OF A BITCH!

The bell rings again, signaling the end of the match.

Johnny Suave: I DON’T BELIEVE IT!  JIM JORDAN PINS ERIC SWALWELL AND THE AMERICAN PATRIOTS MAKE IT A CLEAN SWEEP!

Colleen sits in stunned silence, her mouth agape.

Kimber Marshall: The winners of the Extreme House Cage Match… THE AMERICAN PATRIOTS!

Colleen finally manages to sputter something.

Colleen Crowder: This… this is a travesty. “It’s got to be rigged!

As the American Patriots celebrate their victory, the Progressive Alliance members look on in disbelief, the cage looming over them all like a steel reminder of their defeat.

***

One Last Wellness Check on the Hollywood Elite Later, Suave leans forward, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Johnny Suave: Time for our final celebrity exodus check-in. Woodward, any last-minute departures?

Woodward appears again, this time lounging in an airport chair.

Woodward Bernstein: Well, Johnny, I did see Eva Longoria buying a one-way ticket to… Spain. Does she count as a Hollywood star?”

Suave snorts.

Johnny Suave: About as much as a participation trophy in the Olympics. Mindy, any cliff-diving action?

Mindy, now sporting a “I Waited for Bono and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt” top, shakes her head.

Mindy Taylor: Nothing, Johnny. The only thing going over this cliff is my patience.

Johnny Suave: And Rob Reiner?

The camera shows Hollywood again, this time focusing on a street vendor selling “I Survived Trump’s Re-election and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt” merchandise.

Johnny Suave: All right… let’s run down the earlier Extreme Election Night 2024 matches…

***

Extreme Election Night 2024 Full Review -Catherine Cline (Independent) retains the PCW Women’s Title over ‘The Ultimate Political Operative’ Kathryn Randall Collins (Progressive Alliance) -Starz N. Stripes and ‘The One-Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism (American Patriots) retain the PCW Tag Team Titles over The Green World Order (Progressive Alliance) -The American Patriots defeated The Progressive Alliance in an Extreme House Cage Match -The American Patriots defeated The Progressive Alliance in the Senate 10-person tag team match -Donald Trump w/J.D. Vance (American Patriots) defeated Kamala Harris w/Tim Walz (Progressive Alliance) to become the new CEO of PCW.

Johnny Suave: Okay.  It is time for our main event.  The PCW Title match. Kimber Marshall?

***

MAIN EVENT-PCW TITLE MATCH: Charlie Blackwell (American Heartland Coalition) © vs. “Mr. Hollywood” Kevin Daniels w/the Skanky Rich Bimbos- Paris and Nicole- and country… pop songstress Taylor Switt The arena erupts with a cacophony of cheers and boos as Kimber Marshall’s voice booms through the speakers.

Kimber Marshall: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your main event of the evening! One fall to a finish, and it is for THE PCW TITLE!

The opening riffs of “Hollywood Nights” blast through the arena as strobe lights flash. ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels emerges from behind the curtain, his perfectly coiffed hair gleaming under the spotlights. He’s flanked by the Skanky Rich Bimbos, Paris and Nicole, their designer dresses leaving little to the imagination, and Taylor Switt, who’s busy taking selfies with her bedazzled phone.

Kimber Marshall: Introducing first, the challenger.  Accompanied tonight by the Skanky Rich Bimbos Paris and Nicole and the Country… er… Pop Songstress Taylor Switt. Representing the Progressive Alliance tonight from Beverly Hills, California, weighing in at 220 pounds, ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels!”

Johnny Suave: And what an entrance, Colleen! The Progressive Alliance fans are going wild for their golden boy!

Colleen Crowder: Of course they are, Johnny. Daniels represents everything they aspire to be – rich, famous, and utterly disconnected from reality.

As Daniels struts down the ramp, he blows kisses to the blue-seated fans, who reach out desperately to touch him. He climbs the steps and poses on the turnbuckle, flexing his muscles as the Skanky Rich Bimbos fawn over him.

Suddenly, the opening chords of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Misérables fill the arena. The American Heartland Coalition section erupts in a thunderous chorus, their voices rising in unison.

Kimber’s voice cuts through the music.

Kimber Marshall: And his opponent, from Dallas, Texas USA, weighing in at 240 pounds, representing the American Heartland Coalition… he is the REIGNING PCW CHAMPION… CHARLIE BLACKWELL!

Charlie Blackwell emerges, the PCW Championship belt gleaming around his waist. He’s accompanied by ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay and the ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan. Blackwell’s face is set in grim determination as he marches towards the ring.

Johnny Suave: Here comes the PCW Champion Charlie Blackwell, Colleen.  No frills, no gimmicks, just pure grit and determination.

Colleen scoffs.

Colleen Crowder: Please, Johnny. Blackwell’s just another small-town nobody who got lucky. Daniels is the future of this business.

As Blackwell enters the ring, he locks eyes with Daniels. The tension is palpable, two ideologies clashing in the squared circle. Blackwell raises his championship belt high, a defiant gesture that sends the American Heartland Coalition into a frenzy.

The ref calls for the bell, and the crowd holds its breath, ready for this match to explode into action.

Kevin Daniels launches into action like a Hollywood stuntman, his perfectly manicured fists connecting with Charlie Blackwell’s rugged jaw. The champion’s eyes blaze with fury as he absorbs the blows, his blue-collar pride igniting into an inferno of rage.

Colleen Crowder: Look at Daniels go! He’s showing Blackwell what real star power looks like!

Johnny Suave: Blackwell’s taking those shots, but for how long?

With a roar that echoes through the arena, Blackwell grabs Daniels by his designer trunks and hurls him over the top rope. The self-proclaimed Mr. Hollywood crashes to the floor with a satisfying thud.

Outside the ring, Blackwell unleashes a barrage of fists and kicks, driving Daniels into the guardrail. The crowd’s chants of “PCW! PCW!” fuel his assault.

Colleen Crowder: Would they stop with that chant?

Meanwhile, Ray McAvay and William Daniels Bryan spring into action, unfolding a table at ringside. Blackwell notices and a grim smile crosses his face.

Colleen Crowder: What are those two up to?

Johnny Suave: Looks like they’re setting the stage for some extreme action.

Blackwell drags Daniels to his feet, hoisting him onto his shoulders. With a grunt of effort, he climbs onto the ring apron.

Johnny Suave: Here we go.

Colleen shrieks.

Colleen Crowder: No… no… don’t do it!

But it’s too late. Blackwell leaps, driving Daniels through the table with a thunderous powerbomb. The crash echoes through the arena as splinters fly.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP! Kevin Daniels just got put through that table like a washed-up actor through rehab!

Blackwell, breathing heavily, pulls Daniels’ limp form back into the ring.

Johnny Suave: This is what happens when Hollywood tries to step into Charlie Blackwell’s world.

Colleen Crowder: Why would Hollywood want to be in Charlie Blackwell’s world?

Johnny Suave: Low taxes, for one.

The champion unleashes a series of brutal moves, each impact drawing gasps from the crowd.

Johnny Suave: Charlie Blackwell’s on fire and Kevin Daniels looks utterly spent, his perfect hair now a disheveled mess.

Blackwell charges for his signature running stampede in the corner, but at the last second, Daniels stumbles aside. The champion crashes into the turnbuckle with a sickening thud.

Johnny Suave: NO!  DANIELS MOVED!

Colleen cheers.

Colleen Crowder: Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!

Seizing the moment, Daniels musters his strength and throws Blackwell into the opposite corner. He follows up with a Stinger Splash, then drops the champion with a picture-perfect DDT.

Johnny Suave: Kevin Daniels has turned it around!

Daniels covers Blackwell, his face a mask of desperation. The referee’s hand slaps the mat once… twice…

Johnny Suave: NO!

Blackwell kicks out at two, his resilience drawing both cheers and boos from the divided crowd.

Colleen Crowder: So close!  Daniels almost had him!

The crowd’s roar reaches a fever pitch as Taylor Switt, the “Country…er…Pop Songstress,” saunters to the edge of the ring. Her perfectly coiffed blonde hair and sparkly outfit are a stark contrast to the brutality unfolding before her.

Johnny Suave: Look who decided to join the party.

Switt locks eyes with Blackwell, her saccharine smile dripping with malice.

Taylor Switt: Hey, Charlie!

She calls out to Blackwell in a singsong voice.

Taylor Switt: How about a little music to go with your beating?

Blackwell’s eyes narrow. He thinks: I’ve got to keep my focus. This Hollywood entourage won’t distract me from my goal.

But as he turns to confront Switt, Daniels seizes the opportunity. With a burst of energy, he leaps forward, his foot connecting with Blackwell’s jaw in a devastating Superkick.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP!  SUPERKICK OUT OF NOWHERE!

Colleen can barely contain her glee.

Colleen Crowder: That’s how it’s done! Daniels just rocked Blackwell’s world!

Johnny Suave: Can Charlie Blackwell… shake it off?

Colleen Crowder: Ha ha.  So funny.

Switt does lean over the ropes and taunts Blackwell.

Taylor Switt: That’s right.  We are never, ever getting back together.

Johnny Suave: I don’t think she was ever together with Charlie Blackwell.

Colleen Crowder: You know what she means… HOW IS BLACKWELL STILL STANDING?

To everyone’s shock, Blackwell stumbles but remains standing. Daniels, his eyes wide with disbelief, unleashes another Superkick. The impact echoes through the arena.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP!  ANOTHER SUPERKICK!

Colleen Crowder: Blackwell’s got to be out!

Johnny Suave: BUT HE’S NOT!

But once again, the champion refuses to fall. Daniels, now visibly frustrated, screams at him.

Kevin Daniels: Why won’t you stay down?!

With a primal roar, he delivers a third Superkick. The crowd holds its breath…

Johnny Suave: NO!  BLACKWELL IS STILL ON HIS FEET!

Colleen interjects, her voice tinged with awe and disappointment.

Colleen Crowder: How is this possible? No one could withstand that assault!

Desperate, Daniels grabs Blackwell and whips him towards the corner where Switt stands ready, her guitar raised high.

Johnny Suave: Oh oh.  Taylor’s Love Story with Charlie Blackwell is about to end.

But in a stunning reversal, Blackwell uses the momentum to grab Daniels and send him careening into the corner instead.

Colleen Crowder: Oh no.

Switt, unable to stop her swing in time, brings the loaded guitar down on Daniels’ head with a sickening crack.  White powder explodes out of the guitar and the crowd gasps as Daniels crumples to the mat.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP! TAYLOR SWITT JUST TOOK OUT HER OWN GUY!

Colleen lets out a loud sigh.

Colleen Crowder: Figures…

Blackwell, seizing the moment, dives to the mat.

Johnny Suave: KATAHAJIME!

Blackwell locks in the Katahajime. Daniels, dazed and weakened, has no defense against the devastating submission hold.

Johnny Suave: Blackwell’s got the Katahajime locked in tight!

Daniels’ struggles grow weaker until finally, his body goes limp. The referee checks his arm once, twice, three times before calling for the bell.

Johnny Suave: BLACKWELL RETAINS!

The arena erupts as Blackwell retains his title, leaving Daniels unconscious in the ring and Switt looking on in horror at the unintended consequences of her interference.

Kimber Marshall: Your winner and STILL… PCW CHAMPION… CHARLIE BLACKWELL!

A quick look at the blue seats… empty.

Johnny Suave: Charlie Blackwell caps off what’s been a dominating Extreme Election Night 2024 for the American Patriots and the American Heartland Coalition.

The camera cuts to Suave and Colleen.  Suave’s excited after a great show.  Colleen looks like she wants to show up.

Johnny Suave: Any last thoughts, Colleen?

Colleen shakes her head no.

Colleen Crowder: Other than tonight was a complete disaster for the Progressive Alliance and the mainstream, legacy media… no.

Johnny Suave: All right.  That’s going to do it for tonight.  For Colleen Crowder…

Colleen Crowder: Is there a bar nearby?

Johnny Suave: …I am Johnny Suave. Good night everyone!

RESULTS: PCW Extreme Election Night 2024-Night Two: -PCW WOMEN’S TITLE: Catherine Cline (IND) © defeated ‘The Ultimate Political Operative’ Kathryn Randall Collins (Progressive Alliance)

-PCW TAG TEAM TITLE: ‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism and Starz N. Stripes (American Patriots) © defeated The Green World Order (‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee and GreenPete w/PeaceNick and Peta from PETA) (Progressive Alliance)

-EXTREME HOUSE MATCH: American Patriots (Jim Jordan (OH), Lauren Boebert (CO), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Chip Roy (TX), and Thomas Massie (KY) defeated Progressive Alliance (Hakeem Jeffries (NY), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Eric Swalwell (CA), Jamie Raskin (MD), and Dan Goldman (NY)

-PCW TITLE: Charlie Blackwell (American Heartland Coalition) © defeated ‘Mr. Hollywood’ Kevin Daniels (Progressive Alliance)

The chorus of Amy Grant’s “Turn This World Around” plays as the show ends.

“Maybe one day We can turn and face our fears Maybe one day We can reach out through the tears After all it’s really not that far To where hope can be found Maybe one day We can turn this world around...”

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

ODEAN POPE, SUR LES TRACES DE COLTRANE

"Every time I pick that horn up there's always something that I discover I can do differently if I really seek. If you were on planet Earth for, like, 2 billion years, I feel as though there's always something new that you can find to do. There's no end."

- Odean Pope

Né le 24 octobre 1938 à Ninety Six, en Caroline du Sud, dans une famille musicale, Odean Pope s’est installé dans le nord de Philadelphie à l’âge de dix ans. Il avait aussi étudié à la Graniff School of Music et au Benjamin Franklin High School. En plus d’avoir été initié à la musique religieuse à la Southern Baptist Church que fréquentaient ses parents, Pope avait grandi aux côtés de grands noms du jazz de Philadelphie comme John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Benny Golson, McCoy Tyner, les frètres Jimmy, Albert et Percy Heath, Ray Bryant, Bill Barron, Kenny Barron, Archie Shepp, Jymie Merritt, Jimmy Garrison, Philly Joe Jones et Dizzy Gillespie.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÉRE

Lorsqu’il avait quitté le groupe de Jimmy Smith pour aller jouer à New York avec Miles Davis, Coltrane avait choisi Pope pour le remplacer à l’âge de seulement dix-sept ans. Lorsque Pope avait répondu qu’il était trop jeune et n’était pas encore sûr de ses aptitudes comme saxophoniste, Coltrane avait balayé ses objections du revers de la main en disant: "Never say that. Always say you CAN do something." Au début de sa carrière, Pope avait également joué avec des artistes de rhythm & blues comme James Brown, Marvin Gaye et Stevie Wonder. Au début des années 1960, Pope avait aussi fait partie du groupe de l’organiste  Jimmy McGriff.

Même si Pope était resté très proche de Coltrane et était demeuré un de ses grands admirateurs, Pope avait toujours cherché à bâtir son propre son. C’est cette recherche qui avait incité Pope à aller étudier avec Ron Rubin, le principal instrumentiste à vent du Philadelphia Orchestra. Par la suite, Pope avait étudié au Conservatoire de Paris avec le batteur Kenny Clarke.

Au terme de ses études, Pope avait décroché un certificat en orchestration, en harmonie moderne, en rythmes africains, en bebop et en arrangement. Pope avait également étudié avec le pianiste Ray Bryant et le contrebassiste  Jymie Merritt. Pope avait aussi été influencé par le pianiste d’avant-garde Hasaan Ibn Ali.

En 1977, Pope avait formé le groupe Catalyst, un collectif plutôt avant-gardiste de musiciens qui intégrait plusieurs influences dont la musique gospel, le jazz de Philadelphie, le R & B et la musique de chambre. Un coffret de deux CD documentant les performances du groupe a été publié en 1999 sous le titre de "Catalyst: The Funkiest Band You Never Heard."

En 1979, Pope s’était joint au quartet de Max Roach et était demeuré avec le groupe durant plus de deux décennies. Ce n’était pas la première collaboration de Pope avec Roach, puisqu’il avait participé à des tournées en Europe avec le batteur en 1967-68. Pope expliquait: "Then being able to study with Max (Roach) from '79 up until '02, was like going to one of the highest institutions in the whole world." Tout en continuant d’enregistrer avec Roach, Pope avait publié plusieurs albums comme leader.

C’est en jouant avec le groupe de Roach que Pope avait perfectionné les techniques de respiration circulaire et de multiphonie qui lui avaient permis de prolonger son phrasé sur des périodes exceptionnellement longues. Très acclamé en Australie et au Japon, Pope a notamment  remporté le prix du meilleur saxophoniste ténor dans le cadre du North Sea Jazz Festival de La Hague.

Pope se produit aussi régulièrement avec un trio composé du bassiste Lee Smith et du batteur Craig McIver, ainsi qu’avec un quartet et un ensemble de saxophones baptisé ‘’Saxophone Choir.’’ Comprenant neuf saxophonistes, le groupe avait été fondé en 1977 mais n’avait publié son premier album qu’en 1985 dans le cadre de l’album "The Saxophone Shop."

ÉVOLUTION RÉCENTE

Même s’il joue aussi de la clarinette, du hautbois, de la flûte et du piano, Pope a toujours préféré le saxophone ténor parce qu’il était plus près de la voix humaine. Au cours de sa carrière, Pope s’était produit avec de grands noms du jazz comme John Coltrane, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Benny Golson et McCoy Tyner. Pope a publlié plus de vingt albums avec différents groupes au cours de sa carrière. En plus d’avoir travaillé avec le batteur d’avant-garde Sunny Murray, Pope a également eu comme cllaborateurs réguliers le batteur allemand Klaus Kugel et le contrebassiste Hillard Greene.

Ayant grandi dans le nord de Philadelphie, Pope avait toujours été très impliqué dans sa communauté et travaille régulièrement avec les enfants de la ville. Même s’il avait surtout fait carrière à New York, Pope avait toujours conservé Philadelphie comme principale base de ses opérations. C’est d’ailleurs Pope qui avait fondé le programme d’études jazz de la Settlement Music School. Il continuait également de donner des classes de maître dans le district scolaire de Philadelphie, ainsi que sur la scène nationale et internationale. Pope est aussi directeur musical de Model Cities, un programme culturel particulièrement actif à Philadelphie.

Lauréat de nombreux prix, Pope a décroché des bourses de la Rockefeller Foundation (1992), du Pew Fellowship in the Arts for Music Composition (1992), du North Sea Jazz Festival, du Cleveland Community College et de l’Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. En 2017, la Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation a également décerné à Pope un Living Legacy Jazz Award. L’année suivante, le Pew Central Project avait commandé à Pope une longue suite évoquant l’environnement sonore du nord de Philadelphie et qui rendait hommage aux pionniers du  jazz de la ville. La Cité de Philadephie a aussi accordé à Pope trois citations pour souligner ses réalisations comme artiste de scène, compositeur, arrangeur et éducateur.

Atteint de désordre bipolaire depuis plus de trente ans, Pope n’avait jamais hésité à parler ouvertement de sa maladie. Pope, dont l’enthousiasme pour le jazz ne s’était jamais démenti, avait déclaré au sujet de son instrument: "Every time I pick that horn up there's always something that I discover I can do differently if I really seek. If you were on planet Earth for, like, 2 billion years, I feel as though there's always something new that you can find to do. There's no end."

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productionds de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

‘’Odean Pope.’’ Wikipedia, 2024.

‘’Odean Pope.’’ All About Jazz, 2024.

‘’Odean Pope.’’ Jazz World, 23 avril 2009.