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Monday, August 27, 2012

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Flag in Teenage Mutant Ninja Tutles 1990

US Flag in opening shot*
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie 1990

notice president Bush I on the cover of a magazine next to US flags






During the late 1980s aTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mania swept the imagination of American children. The US flag is shown in the opening shot when a NYC reporter - April O'Neil - talks about a recent and mysterious crime wave. These icons of the transitional 80-90s pop era were elegantly put on the big screen with the magical help of Jim Henson and are the most life like puppets to enter imagination land in the 1990s.

A flag of the Foot Clan
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990


In the background is a flag for the Foot Clan and mysterious gang of criminal teenagers under the influence of an evil man - Shredder. On the right is Shredder's top lieutenant and on the left is young member of the Foot Clan.




Icon of the Footclan on headbands
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990


When all members of the Foot Clan are given a headband to wear a Chinese-Japanese symbol of the leader. It is written in black on red with white highlights. It symbolizes monster or demon.









*this is a spliced shot from the original film that does not appear as one whole

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Christmas in August, anyone?

It's the 25th again - the 25th of August. And it's time for some holiday cheer, without the shopping frenzy and rizzile-razzle. The flags featured in this post come from 1994 in the Holiday Christmas Classic starring Tim Allen - The Santa Clause.

Santa at a Soccer Game
The Santa Clause 1994


The kids intuitively know that Santa is at the game but the adults have trouble believing. In the background behind mom is a red soccer boundary flag.





Lakeside Police Arms
The Santa Clause 1994


The police are seem to have trouble believing in Santa but after seeing they start believing.











E.L.F.S.
The Santa Clause 1994


The E.L.F.S. are an elite squad of elfs with rocket backpacks.  They are called into service whenever Santa gets in trouble. Here they have come to Lakeside, USA to rescue Santa with a jail brake.

The E.L.F.S. badge features a golden sleigh facing dexter on red with three golden stars above it.




Santa's Workshop
The Santa Clause 1994


Like most ships, bars, and some restaurants naval signal flags are present. The letters M, H, N, T, and 7 are visible.











US flag in the Santa Clause 1994

The US flag appears in the Santa Clause when the police are called on to look for Charlie Calvin.

Finally, as it was once said to strangers in the 20th, 19th, 18th, and 17th centuries in America - "Merry Christmas!"

I know it's August but hey it's the 25th and that's the perfect excuse to spread some Christmas Cheer.




Friday, August 24, 2012

Flags and Emblems in Starman 1984

Flags at the UN on the Voyager Probe
Starman 1984


Starman was cosmic romance between an Earthling woman and a 'male' alien who took the corporal form of her dead husband. Very strange indeed, but in the tradition of Star Trek this film is very much a social commentary on the human condition and human heart.


Wide Load Flag
Starman 1984


The orange automotive wide load flag is often overlooked as flag. But it is an important communicative flag. Not a red flag to symbolize social revolution, but a reddish flag of warning.





Orange Wideload Flag
Starman 1984


The wide load flag appearing behind the 'Starman' played by Jeff Bridges. The show would touch many hearts in America and even spawn off a short lived television series. The Starman TV show apparently took place in a parallel dimension relative to the original movie.





North Carolina Tar Heels School Pennant
Starman 1984


Here our heroes spend some time at a Holiday Inn in Nebraska. Apparently the Tar Heels from North Carolina have just stuck it to Nebraska.





Native American Flags
Starman 1984


Notice the Native American vexilloid at the Arizona gift shop near the famous Barringer crater near Winslow, Arizona. It was 50,000 years ago that this cosmic landmark was made upon the Earth. But in 1984 it became a temporary home for Hollywood movie makers.





Arizona Police Badge
Starman 1984


The police badge of the Arizona troopers is reflective of the state flag.













US Flag
painted on a bus


The US flag appears on the side of a bus during the Starman's encounter with some Arrogant American Bozos.









76ers Emblem
Starman 1984


The emblem of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team makes a quick cameo in Starman 1984. The Sixers are dodging the bullet rather effectively. Eleven years later the Washington, Bullets would change their name to the Washington, Wizards in 1995 due to the association of bullets with gun violence.






Nebraska Flag in Starman 1984

Nebraska Flag
blurred in the background of the Truck Stop


Starman 1984 was science-fiction romance akin to a mature version of E.T. This film starred Jeff Bridges as the 'starman' who comes to earth at human request for greater understanding yet is treated with fear, paranoia, and as a prize by government officials.

The only state flag to make an appearance in Starman is Nebraska at BOWDARKS BUS STOP. Although its cameo is short and very blurry. Without a doubt it is one flag well known to Nebraska officials.

Mansfield Nebraska Police Badge

notice Nebraska state emblem

Nebraska is something of a junction in American Consciousness. Most people were passing through to get to the West Coast - likewise in Starman the visitor from beyond Earth passes through Nebraska on a west bound destination.

But little do most people know, that many of the yummies that fills their tummies come from Nebraska. If Kansas is the Heart of America, then Nebraska is the All American Tummy. If you can make Nebraskans happy you're basically 'rubbing the tummy' America. And if you do it well, the USA will roll over and waggle its legs.

Scene at Bowdarks
just the lower corner of Nebraska's flag is visible

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Original American Fun Zone - Willow Grove Park, PA

Willow Grove Park Pennant

One of the original leisure parks of America stems from Willow Grove Park, Pennsylvania. Willow Grove is about 15 minutes away from Philadelphia in Montgomery County.

But Montgomery County's maiden name is Philadelphia. What I mean is, before Montgomery County was given its own independent name it was originally a part of Philadelphia County - until the beginning of the American Revolution.



Some time after the Civil War - John Phillip Sousa adopted it as his stage for patriotic band music. After a brief stint in the circus - Sousa became the military penultimate music man in the Marines.

Willow Grove during its Victorian Heyday was like something of the 'chalk park' in Marry Poppins, dotted with a few rides and stages for performances.









It was about the time when out of control spoiled teens took over America, that amusement parks went less than friendly. But that only partly explains why Willow Grove was converted into a Shopping Mall. Unfortunately hordes of spoiled teens - usually caused by poor parenting or exhausted parents who work too much - often make venues like Willow Grove less than family friendly, as spoiled teens have a tendency for cursing, necking, smoking and obnoxious shouting.



Also back in the day when things were black and white - pennants were the it flag of fun and showmanship. If you were male and grew up before colour TV - chances are your room was decorated with these triangular vexilloids.