Insane Sexuality and a Bizarre Quest for Power; "Nazi Overload."

 

An army captain and his unit during World War II are the world’s only hope to thwart a Nazi plan to send an army of genetically diseased bugs across the Earth.

Once infested with the bugs bite, the human body implodes, and these bugs are more menacing and numerous then locusts.  

A British scientist is forced to produce this mass formula to infect the insects for the Nazi regime in Romania, deep in enemy territory. An Army captain and his unit are sent by their commander, Tom Sizemore to penetrate enemy territory and bring the British scientist back to America.  

Depraved sexuality and violence added a sadistic twist to this 2018 movie. Tom Sizemore tells the Captain that biological warfare has its place, its not as bad as it sounds, and the captain says; I’ll take a gun over some lab experiment any day.

“Nazi Overload” was certainly not an over-load on my budget, because I purchased this DVD at the dollar store and the movie had an element of surprise. The twisted sexuality was toned down Hollywood style, and that was a great thing. Two and a half star rating for “Nazi Overload.”

Mark Izzy Schurr

Californians

 

The dead walk, they seldom talk and their often full of spite, but at least they don’t bite.

Mark Izzy Schurr  

Vintage Visions Sin in Soft Focus

The unsanitized laws of the Gods and people spiraled into the spheres of our imagination and spawned into the darken theaters across the globe in 1930. (Above picture is Claudette Colbert from 1934s "Cleopatra")

A barrage of human endeavors, including sexual liaisons, abuse of religious and political power permeated the big screen in the fiery face of Hollywood. Picturesque violence, excessive boozing and the abuse of hallucinogenic drugs weaved its way into fornication, adultery, prostitution and crime without punishment.   

Movies were much tamer in the early 1930s, yet some of these nearly 100-year-old films have managed to seize our senses, make us gasps and even laugh.

SALLY

He’s crazy about his wife

LIL

He’s a man ain’t he?

The above picture is from 1932s "Red-Headed Woman starring Jean Harlow as the gold-digging Lil Andrews seen here with her married boss Bill portrayed by Chester Morris.  

The Pre-Code Hollywood era of movies started in 1930 and ended in 1934. As an avid film buff, I understand the different time clock in many films made from 1930-1934, as opposed to movies made from 1935 to the mid 1960s. The best example of this is to watch "Gold Diggers of 1933," and then watch "Gold Diggers of 1935." The chorus girls in the 1933 version show off a lot more leg and expose cleavage that is not shown in the 1935 version. Even Betty Boop's garter belt was not shown in her cartoons starting in 1935. 

From 1930-1934, the rulers of censorship still prevailed in Hollywood, yet the four-year Pre-Code Hollywood films pushed the envelope of censorship and pioneered the way for today’s film makers. 

The above two pictures are from 1931s Night Nurse with Joan Blondell (right) and Barbara Stanwyck. 

"Night Nurse" tinges on forbidden sexuality, excessive boozing, child abuse and illegal gangster activity, and I acquired this movie from the Sonoma County Library. "Night Nurse" is one of five Pre-Code movies on volume 2 of "Forbidden Hollywood." My other favorite flick on volume two was "Three of a Match," also starring Joan Blondell. Nineteen-thirty-twos, "Three on a Match" depicts childhood delinquency and middle school aged boys and girls smoking, and girls showing off their bloomers to the boys and talking about their favorite colors of underwear.  

The above photo is from 1932s "Three on a Match," which is complete with wreckless youth, alchoholism, kidnapping, illegal gambling and fornication with adultery. 

The Sonoma County Library got me hooked on Joan Blondell movies. Her and James Cagney made seven films together, all in 1930-1934 Pre-Code era, and it's a mystery to myself why I still haven't seen all seven of the movies they made together, but the ones I have seen with these two have withstood the test of time, including 1931s "Blonde Crazy."

BLONDELL

Can't you see, I'm in the tub?

Blondell in 1931s "Blonde Crazy"

CAGNEY

Well, move over! 

Blondell paved the way for today's sexy women in films to show off skin and her wits and make movies which displayed the delicious deceits of sexuality and criminality. 

Joan Blondell from 1934s musical comedy "Dames" 

Ever since I heard Joan Blondell as Marie in 1931s "Other Men's Women" say she was APO to and

unwanted suiter, I was hooked on these ancient movies of sin in soft focus.

MARIE (Blondell)

That's right, I'm APO, Ain't Putn' Out! 

   

After 1934, the censors came down hard on Hollywood. Joan Blondell’s 1933 sex comedy, “Convention City,” was literally destroyed because of Christianity and Republican politics. The original print of “Convention City” was even destroyed, thus making it impossible to ever own a high-quality print of "Convention City." 

I’m still searching for a print of this movie, believe me. In the 1960s, Joan Blondell owned a 16 MM print of this movie, and showed it to family and friends on various occasions. Some say “Convention City” was soft core porn for its day.

For movie crazed souls who embrace the wit of the 1930s screenwriters and their daunting task of unwarranted Christian and political input, they still achieved the visions of sexuality and the many vices of addictions.

Mark Izzy Schurr    

Children's Books I Like

 

Our eyes see flies. Our eyes see ants. Sometimes they see pink underpants. (Dr. Seuss, 1968)

I had fun reading 1968s, “The Eye Book.” It was like a song to me. ‘Our eyes see rings, our eyes see strings, they see so many things! (Dr. Seuss)

I also enjoyed picking up facts that fascinate myself. As we all know from our reading, Cynisca, was the first woman to be a champion in the Olympics. In 396 B.C., women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics, but Cynisca, a trained Spartan athlete, won glory because the chariot team she trained won an Olympic event.   

The brains natural chemicals to ignite happiness and handle stress gracefully are known as neurotransmitters. Exercise, and hanging out with family and friends is often a positive enlightener of Norepinephrine, which is how the brain handles stress. Positive activities also ignite Serotonin and Dopamine, which show case happiness and knowledge of what’s pleasant.  

The 2020, Britannica “Kids Encyclopedia, What We Know & What We Don’t” is cool for any aged reader.

More detailed book reviews will be blogged about in the future, be forewarned.

Mark Izzy Schurr

Natures Kiss

 

Nature’s kiss, a blitzkrieg of bliss. Dreams awake, everything is possible. Sipping from the goblet of immortality, I embrace my limitless imagination.

Mark Izzy Schurr

Mark Madness, Take III

 

The NCAA women’s Final Four games on Friday lived up to its hype, especially the Stanford Cardinal match-up against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Both teams were ranked number one in their conferences going into Friday’s fiery, and a single point determined the winning team, which will play for the championship on Sunday.

Freshman forward Cameron Brink, lead all players with six blocked shots

All ball, no foul, Brink blocks!

South Carolina, JR guard, Destanni Henderson nails a three-pointer

Number 12, Lexie Hull's sweet assist to #22, Cameron Brink 

The two teams earned each basket they made, and with less than 45 seconds left, there were two lead changes. Stanford held on for a 66-65, nail biting victory.

The Gamecocks got a steal with less than 10 seconds remaining, and got off two shots, thanks to an outstanding offensive rebound. South Carolina’s, Aliyah Boston’s last shot gently rimmed the bucket, but failed go in for the buzzer beating Simi- Finals win.

Boston and Stanford’s, Cameron Brink combined for ten blocked shots. Boston also had a double-double in points and rebounds, along with her 4 stuffs.

Thrill of victory

Agony of defeat 

On Sunday afternoon, the Cardinal women will face their Pac-12 rival, the Arizona Wildcats for all the glory. 

The three seeded Wildcats upset the number one seed Connecticut Huskies, 69-59, to play Stanford for a third time this season.

Arizona Wildcats, senior guard, Aari McDonald and junior forward, Cate Reese basking in victory

For the first time in Arizona college history, the Wildcats are competing for the national championship. This will be Stanford’s 5^th trip to the title, which the team won in 1990, and 1992, and lost in 2008, and 2010. Regardless, neither team has a player who’s competed for a zenith victory. Sunday afternoon’s, NCAA Division I Basketball Championship will be great TV for myself.

Mark Izzy Schurr    

Mark Madness, take II

 The Elite Eight is over, it’s now down to the Final Four in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball playoffs.

More than 350 Division I college teams in both men’s and women’s leagues, play in the United States. Sixty-eight of those teams reach March Madness, and the team that wins six games in a row becomes champions.  

The teams that won and lost in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight have experienced the equitized ecstasy of victory or the gnawing pain of defeat.

Stanford forward, Cameron Brink reveal's in joy

Stanford Guard, Kiana Williams buries a bucket 

The highlight of Wednesday night’s match-up between the UCLA Bruins and the Michigan Wolverines was UCLA’s Johnny Juzang, pictured on top. Juzang literally carried his team in the first ten to fifteen minutes of the game. Juzang scored 14 of the Bruins first 16 points and finished with 28. No other player on the Bruins scored more the 14 points.

UCLA Guard, Johnny Juzang wards off tough defense to score.

The 11^th seeded Bruins upset the number one seeded Wolverines, 49-51, and now the Bruins face the mighty Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday. The Spokane, Washington Bulldogs are the odds-on favorite to win this year’s title. The 30-0 Bulldogs have pulverized their opponents this year. The Zags are riding a 27-game winning streak with double digit wins and have not been behind in a game since before the Sweet 16.

The Bruins are the only Final Four team in the men’s bracket that has won a championship, when the team won the title in 1995.

I’m looking forward to watching Johnny Juzang play on Saturday and would love to see him go the Golden State Warriors.

I also watched the Stanford Cardinal women against the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville dominated the first half of Wednesday nights game, and then, Stanford conquered the Cardinals in the second half, doing exactly what some ESPN commentators said would happen. The 29-2, Stanford team buried three throws, took the ball to the paint and played tenacious defense in the second half, to win the game, 78-63. Stanford trailed Louisville at halftime, 38-26.

Senior Dana Evans weeps in defeat, which ends her college basketball career. 

Watching Stanford come back in the second half was impressive basketball, but also disappointing for myself. I was pulling for the underdog Louisville Cardinals and Dana Evans, the highlight of the women’s tournament for me. Evans did her part in scoring 24 points, but the well-rounded number one seeded Stanford team displayed why their ranked number one this year.

Louisville guard, Dana Evans answers questions after her teams first half dominance

Evans spews her basketball wisdom to her teammates 

Evans buries a basket

Stanford teammates feeling their power on the court 

Stanford enjoying the ecstasy of victory 

On Friday, the Stanford women play South Carolina, and the Arizona women face Connecticut. On Saturday, in the men’s Final Four, UCLA matches up against the Zags, and Houston goes against Baylor.

Mark Izzy Schurr