Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #266

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Sylvester the cat in A Mouse Divided (1953). Though best known for his cartoons with Tweety and Speedy Gonzales, the cat has shown many times that he is more than capable of making a great cartoon without any famous co-stars. This is one of those. The story of Sylvester wanting to eat a small animal until it considers him its parent and then protecting it would be repeated much later in Father of the Bird (1997). A Mouse Divided was directed by Friz Freleng, who directed the Tweety and Sylvester cartoons. 

Next comes Tweety in Birdy and the Beast (1944). This is the second Tweety cartoon. The first three Tweety cartoons were directed by Bob Clampett and feature the bird with other cat antagonists than Sylvester. After Friz Freleng directed the award winning short Tweetie Pie (1947), which first paired Tweety and Slyvester, Tweety would only appear in theatrical cartoons with Slyvester. 

Next comes the first Mickey Mouse cartoon made, Plane Crazy (1928). This was back in the days when Mickey was still a simple country mouse who went around barefoot and didn't wear gloves. These early Mickey cartoons have a genuine rural feel to them (partly because Walt always considered himself a farm boy at heart) that I personally find irresistible and definitely prefer over the later and bland suburban settings featured in his later cartoons. In this film Mickey dreams of being a pilot and makes himself a homemade plane that would make the Our Gang kids jealous. This is because aviation was a popular topic around this time due to the fame of Charles Lindbergh (briefly caricatured here) after his New York to Paris flight of 1927. Walt had already had his earlier star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in an aviation themed cartoon with The Ocean Hop (1927). This cartoon began production in March 1928. The production of this cartoon was done in secret due to the fact that Walt was still under contract to make Oswald cartoons for Universal. Animator Ub Iwerks (who animated the film by himself) was separated from the artists working on the Oswald shorts so that he could not be seen by them. Hugh Harman later described this saying, "They curtained off part of the studio with a great black drop, black skim of some kind, so that I and a few others who were leaving couldn't see the great secret that was going on." Ub Iwerks was one of the fastest animators of the time and finished this cartoon in only a matter of weeks. It has been said that he made as many as 700 drawings in one day. This cartoon was originally made as a silent film, yet you will notice the opening title card says, "Sound Cartoon." The reason for this is that after the success of Steamboat Willie (1928) with sound, a soundtrack was added to this cartoon. 

Now for the silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, Snapping the Whip (1929). 



  

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes the New Three Stooges cartoon, A Flycycle Built for Two (1965). The Stooges voice themselves in this made for TV cartoon. In this cartoon, the Stooges try to create a flying bicycle. The live action wrap around segment here is reminiscent of the classic Stooge short, The Ghost Talks (1949). 

Now for the Mighty Mouse cartoon, Hero for a Day (1953). 

If you asked me to pick a cartoon that perfectly shows what the style of the Fleischer Studio was, I would pick, Bimbo's Initiation (1931). This cartoon has everything that makes the Fleischer Studio one of the most unique animation studios of all time. The film has a lot of surreal humor, a very detailed look, a dark and dangerous atmosphere, and was definitely intended more for adults than kids. One thing the Fleischers strived for was to put a gag in every moment of the film and this cartoon has that in abundance. Bimbo was a star character at this time, but his star was soon to be eclipsed by another character in this film, Betty Boop. Betty had made her debut a year earlier with Dizzy Dishes (1930). It wouldn't be long until Bimbo would be playing supporting roles in Betty Boop cartoons. Eventually Betty's films would drop Bimbo. Betty would also later own a dog making her one of the few cartoon characters to both own and date a dog (and even be a dog in her earliest appearances). This cartoon was placed at 37 in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.



 

Now let us close with a song. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

The 50 Greatest Cartoons by Jerry Beck

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: Shelter

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

A very familiar but well-made movie.

 This movie follows the exact formula as most Jason Statham films. He is a loner with a violent past, who befriends someone and must fight to help protect her. We have all seen this story before and this film doesn't add anything new here. Because of this it is hard for the movie to stand out and from being truly memorable.

Despite this the movie tells this story quite well. As you may expect the action scenes are often excellent. They are well paced, staged and quite exciting. The movie never once drags and by the time it is over it is hard to believe that over 100 minutes have passed. However the real heart of the film is in the relationship between our two main characters, the hero and the young girl he befriends. This relationship is quite touching actually and keeps you emotionally invested in the story. Child actress Bodhi Rae Breathnach (who had previously appeared in Hamnet (2025)) is a very talented young actress, who has great chemistry with Jason Statham. 

While overly familiar this is a well-made movie. 

Bugs Bunny is TCM's Star of the Month for February

 

As a massive fan of both Looney Tunes and TCM, I have long been hoping that these two would cross paths more often. After all cartoons are an important part of film history as there was a time when cinema goers couldn't image a trip to the movies without a cartoon. Recently I found some amazing news that I am very excited about. Starting February TCM will now host the classic Looney Tunes shorts. This is being kicked off by making Bugs Bunny, February's star of the month. From February 2nd to the 9th, the channel will be showing 45 selected Bugs Bunny shorts, that include many long-time favorites of Looney tunes fans.  In the spirit of a classic night at the movies these shorts will be grouped by themes and will be followed by a live action feature of the same theme. For instance, Rabbit of Seville (1950) and What’s Opera Doc (1957) will play before the Marx Brothers classic, A Night at the Opera (1935). And this is only the beginning doc; classic Looney Tunes cartoons will become a staple of the channel for the foreseeable future. 

So, Overture, curtain, lights. This is it tonight of nights. No more rehearsing and nursing a part. We know every part by heart. Overture, curtain, lights. This is it; we'll hit the heights and oh what heights we'll hit. On with the show this is it. Tonight, what heights we'll hit. On with the show, this is it.

Video Link: Black Cat Becomes a HERO?! Sorta... - Causally Comics

Video Link: The Disney Voice You Never Knew You Knew - West of Neverland

Movie Review: Mercy

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A surprisingly good sci-fi thriller. 

In this movie a man (Chris Pratt) finds himself in an AI court having to prove that he is innocent of killing his wife. To prove himself innocent he has all of technology (which is being monitored by the government) at his disposal. 

This movie is heavily inspired by such films as Searching (2018) and Missing (2023) with how for much of the runtime every shot is either of the screen for the AI court or our main character. It does little to deviate from the formula firmly set in place, even down to the main story being a mystery. It does however break away from this with some shots neither of the screen or our main character towards the end (though there is a reason for this narratively). 

Though this movie may lack originality, it works quite well as a murder mystery. The mystery itself is very well-written, and it kept me guessing all the way through. The film is full of twists and turns, most of which are very effective. The movie even makes us doubt the main character's innocence at many points or if he knows more than he is telling. The main character himself is quite engaging with how he is a very flawed person but one who truly does care about his wife and daughter. At the end when the mystery is all wrapped up, it feels quite satisfying. 

The movie also benefits from very strong performances from Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. Chris Pratt delivers what might be his best non-Guardians performance as he is very believable and deeply human in this role. This show that when called upon to the man really can act. Rebecca Ferguson is fantastic as the AI judge. This is true to the extent that we forget at times we are watching an actress not a real AI. 

I do wish this movie would have delved more into its commentary on AI and capital punishment as well as its implications of how much access the government is given into our technological lives in this film. The movie will touch on these subjects and then quickly move on to the more conventional murder plot. 

Though this movie often plays it too safe, it is still a well-constructed sci-fi murder mystery.   

  

Movie Trailer: The Strangers: Chapter 3

Movie Review: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

Gore Verbinski's new dark sci-fi comedy is a real mixed bag. 

The plot of this movie involves a man from the future who travels back in time and assembles a team to help him stop the future from being overtaken by AI. 

This is a rare modern-day film in which you never know where the story is going. Nearly every twist and turn caught me by complete surprise. I found myself constantly second guessing everything I thought about the plot. This kept me glued to the screen even when many elements didn't work. 

Sam Rockwell is another reason to see this movie. He is simply fantastic and brings a quirky charisma that is perfect for this type of film. As over the top as he gets though, he also does a great job in the more serious scenes.  

Verbinski and writer Matthew Robinson simply have too many ideas and rely too much on being quirky. Though the main story revolves around this group of characters trying to stop AI from taking over the world, there are many side plots and other messages this film is trying to convey. We get various flashbacks throughout that show us what had been happening in various characters' lives up to this point. These flashbacks disrupt the flow of the film completely and some feel like they belong in a different film.

One flashback having to do with a mom losing her son in a school shooting, especially feels out of place with the rest of the movie (though admittedly it does play a role in the story later on). It turns the dark satire on to a different subject, in a way that can feel derivative. It also introduces characters that are simply elaborate caricatures that react in an exaggerated way that no real person would. This goes against the rest of the film, where as over the top as things might get characters react in a way most people would. Taken on its own this section might be the most effective part of the movie. It doesn't focus on an easy subject for satire like AI or cellphones and never plays it safe (the rest of the movie plays it too safe in comparison). It even has the strongest humor in the movie, while providing us with a terrifying message of how prevalent violence is in our culture and the effect that this has on our perception of tragedies. This type of bleak reflection being matched with actually funny dark humor works quite well. If this was its own short film, I would have loved it. However, as a part of a larger movie, it simply feels at odds with everything around it. Comparing the rest of the movie to this makes the flaws of the rest of the movie all the more apparent, especially how the rest of the movie takes on too easy of a target and gives us a simplistic message we have all heard a million times. 

The constant quirky humor doesn't quite work here. It feels like it is trying too hard to be Everything Everywhere All at Once, without ever capturing the comedic highs of that film. Many of the comedic ideas here simply seem to be quirky for the sake of being quirky. For a movie that is so critical of technology, it falls into the same trap as most internet humor. Being random or quirky in and of itself is not funny. There are a few funny moments here but the majority of them fall flat. 

There are some great things about this movie, and it does keep your attention all the way through. However, there are also many times when it takes a swing and completely misses. 

Cowboy Church #253

 Hello, my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.

 Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing In the Sweet By and By. This song came about because of a friendship between composer, Joseph Webster and poet, Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett. One day Webster was depressed and Dr. Bennett recognized this. Dr. Bennett asked his friend what was wrong. Webster replied, "Oh nothing. Everything will be alright by and by." These words brought up an idea in Bennett and he wrote down three verses and a chorus to this song as soon as he could. He handed it to his friend saying, “Here is your prescription, Joe.” Webster loved the lyrics and wrote music for them in practically no time at all. Dr. Bennett later said, “It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.” The hymn was first published in 1868 and went on to great fame since. This version of the song comes from Roy and Dale's 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By.

This is followed by Red Sovine with The Church Around the Corner. If you have been wandering from God, there is still time to come back to him, and he will welcome you with open arms. 

Afterwards is Blind Willie Johnson with his 1927 recording of If Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down. This song would most famously be recorded by the Grateful Dead on their 1977 album, Terrapin Station. This song would also be recorded by Bob Dylan and surprisingly Tom Jones. 

Next comes The Sons of The Pioneers with their 1937 recording of One More River to Cross. Our good friend Leonard Slye (aka Roy Rogers) takes the lead vocal here, but like many of the best Sons of the Pioneers recordings, the highlight is the group's great harmonies. The incredible Hawaiian steel guitar player, Sam Koki joins the boys on this recording and does a fine job.

Then comes Jerry Lee Lewis with I'm Longing for Home. This comes from The Killer's 1971 album, In Loving Memories: The Jerry Lee Lewis Gospel Album. 

Now comes Johnny Cash singing Let the Lower Lights Be Burning. In the notes for the box set Unearthed, John wrote, "This is a very special song for me, and I'll tell you what it means to me now. When my father was dying, he was in a coma, and all my brothers and sisters and I were gathered around the bed, and we felt like telling him goodbye. But my oldest sister Louise said, 'Let's sing to him.' So we started singing 'Let the Lower Lights be Burning.' At some point I looked at him and, though he had been sound asleep in a coma for days, his lips started moving and he started singing that song along with us. The more we would sing it the more he sang. And he opened his eyes, and he looked around at us as we were singing. Ad of course everybody had a good cry as watched him and listened to him as he sang 'Let the Lower Lights be Burning' with us."

Today's musical selection ends with Roy Clark with 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus was another hymn born out of personal tragedy.  Louisa M. R. Stead was happily married and one day her, her husband and their four year old daughter had a day at the beach, when they heard a scream. They went to see where the scream was coming from and saw a little boy drowning in the sea. Her husband tried to pull the boy out of the water but the boy pulled the husband down with him. Louisa and her daughter Lilly watched helplessly as the two died before their eyes. It is unknown when the song was actually written, but it is known that it was inspired by this tragedy and how God helped pull her through it as she soon went back on the mission field. The song was first published in 1882 a collection of hymns entitled Songs of Triumph. 

Today's movie is Sing Cowboy Sing (1937) starring Tex Ritter. 

Now for a message from the Reverand Martin Luther King Jr. 

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

    the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—

    he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—

    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #265

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Heckle and Jeckle in The Intruders (1947). The Heckle and Jeckle shorts are some of the best cartoons to come out of the Terry Toons studio and this cartoon shows why perfectly. It is fast paced, creative and a lot of fun. 

Up next comes probably the most popular and well known of Disney's Silly Symphonies, Three Little Pigs (1933). This cartoon is considered to be a breakthrough in personality animation. No less than Chuck Jones would say, "That was the first time that anybody ever brought characters to life. There were three characters, who looked alike and acted differently; the way the moved is what made them who they were. Before that in things like Steamboat Willie [1928], the villain was a big heavy guy, and the hero was a little guy; everybody moved the same. Even in the Fleischer's stuff, the basic difference between Popeye and Bluto was the size difference not the action difference." The animation of the three pigs is mostly handled by Fred Moore and Dick Lundy. Dick Lundy animated all of the dancing scenes. Jack King animated one excellent scene in which Practical Pig is playing the piano. Norm Ferguson animated the majority of the Big Bad Wolf. Art Babbitt animates only two scenes, one in which the wolf catches the pig's by their tails and one in which he falls into a boiling pot. These were some of the best Disney animators of the time and their work here perfectly shows why. This is not just a milestone for its time, but remains a hugely entertaining cartoon today, heavily because of the work of these animators. Walt Disney later remembered this film's premiere, "It caused no excitement at its Radio City premiere. In fact many critics preferred Father Noah's Ark [1933], which was released at the same time. I was told that some exhibitor's and even United Artists considered The Pigs a 'cheater' because it only had four characters in it. The picture bounced back to fame from the neighborhood theatres." Three Little Pigs would become not only a hit cartoon but a sensation with movie goers everywhere. The short also gave the Disney studio its first of many hit songs, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf (written by Frank Churchill), a song that is still instantly recognizable to Disney fans today. Time Magazine referred to the song as "the tune by which 1933 will be remembered." Despite all this Walt would later discuss the making of the cartoon stating, "It was just another story to us, and we were gaging it up just like any other picture." The following is from a 1933 issue of Modern Screen Magazine, "Here's some good news for you 'Three Little Pigs' fans: This Silly Symphony has met with such tremendous success that Walt Disney is going to feature them (plus the Big Bad Wolf) in several other Mother Goose rhymes. In other words, they're going to become regular stars like Mickey Mouse. Incidentally folks are seeing 'Three Little Pigs for the umptieth time and still enjoying it." There would only be three sequels (The Big Bad Wolf (1934), Three Little Wolves (1936) and The Practical Pig (1939)), none of which would be as successful as the first leading Walt to infamously say, "you can't top pigs with pigs." This cartoon reached the number 11 spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. Before the studio embarked on Snow White (1937), silent movie queen Mary Pickford approached Walt Disney about making an Alice in Wonderland feature film where she would play a live action Alice and would enter completely animated Wonderland. Mary Pickford had great admiration for Walt Disney's work, and she was the main force driving this planned film. In early 1933, an acquaintance of Mary's named Frank Reily suggested that Mary make an adaption of Alice in Wonderland with the aid of the Disney studio. Some of Mary's associates warned her against such an expensive venture during the midst of the great depression. Mary came to visit the studio when the project and overheard from story artist Ted Sears and composer Frank Churchill about a project in the works involving three little pigs and heard the song, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. As well pitching her idea to Walt, she also told Walt, "If you don't make this cartoon about the pigs, I'll never speak to you again." Even if the proposed feature never happened, Mary was right about this cartoon short. 

Now for The New Three Stooges cartoon, Gagster Dragster (1965). The Stooges voice themselves in this made for TV cartoon. The real Stooges also appear in the opening and closing live action segments. The live action segments would often be repeated even when the cartoon was new. Curly Joe DeRita felt that this hurt the show. He thought that people would see a live action segment they had seen before and assume the show was a rerun and change the channel not knowing the cartoon was new. 

Next comes the Screen Song cartoon, Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet (1929). The title song was written by Percy Wenrich in 1909. Percy Wenrich also wrote such songs as I'll Meet You When the Sun Goes Down, Moonlight Bay, When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose and Sail Along, Silv'ry Moon. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Next comes a wonderful Daffy Duck film, The Daffy Duckaroo (1942). This cartoon was directed by Norman McCabe, who I always feel was underrated as a Looney Tunes director. Some of his Looney Tunes shorts are truly excellent, but because most of his cartoons were in black and white and feature a lot of topical gags about World War 2, his cartoons rarely get the exposure that other Looney Tunes directors do. He would return to the Looney Tunes universe well after the golden age as a timing director on such TV shows as Tiny Tunes Adventures, Taz-Mania and The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. I personally love McCabe's version of Daffy. He is as wild and crazy and energetic as Bob Clampett and Tex Avery's version of the character is, but he also has a few traits of the later Daffy that Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng would use. 

Now for an MGM Happy Harmonies short, The Little Bantamweight (1938). This is a rather typical entry in the Happy Harmonies series. It is very visually appealing, though it has much less gags than the typical cartoon from another studio. With the lack of gags, it is strange to think that this is the studio that in the 1940's would be giving us the Tom and Jerry and Droopy cartoons. 

Now for the Pink Panther in Pink in the Woods (1979). In this short film, The Pink Panther gets a job as a lumberjack. He had previously been a lumberjack in Pink Is a Many Splintered Thing (1968). 

Let us close by singing a song we all know. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

Mary Pickford: America's Sweetheart by Scott Eyman

Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman The 50 Greatest Cartoons Edited by Jerry Beck Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: Clika

 

Michael's Movie Grade: D-

A bland and overly familiar film.

This movie tells the story of a migrant worker, who is struggling to make it by and whose dream of making it in the music business seems to be going nowhere.  He decides to make some extra money; he is going to run drugs with his cousin. However, he soon finds himself in love with the new life he has as a drug dealer. 

The main problem with this movie is that our central character is hardly a character at all. Besides that, he dreams about being a famous musician and that his work doesn't pay much, we barely know anything about him. Unfortunately, these types of movies completely depend on the character.  This could be a somewhat interesting film, if we watched a good and likable character become a despicable human being as he went further down the rabbit hole. However, we know too little about him before he starts running drugs to have any sort of emotional connection. Because of this when we see him start to act cocky and selfish, this is the first time we see any personality from him. Because of this we simply view him as a terrible person instead of a once moral young man selling his soul for easy money. It is simply hard to care about anything that happens to him. This is not to say much of interest actually happens to him. For a film that is supposed to be about high stakes and danger we see very little of that until we are near the end. By then it is simply too little too late. The rest of the story simply seems to be going through the motions. There is a romance that exists because these stories are supposed to have a romance. There are family members and friends he is a jerk to because of course there are. Every plot point here has been done a million times and much better. Add to this stiff acting, unintentionally comedic dialogue and a moral which we are beaten over the head with and you get a lame excuse for a movie.

The only thing worth recommending here is the music. The songs sound great and are full of a type of energy that is absent elsewhere. 

Skip this one. 

Video Link: When Batgirl & Robin Got Controversial! - Casually Comics

Movie Review: Dead Man's Wire

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent thriller. 

This movie tells the true story (that happened in Indianapolis in 1977) of a man who feels wronged by a broker and ends up tying a noose with a gun attached to it to the broker's son. By doing this he plans to bring to light how terrible of people the broker and his son were. 

Is this man an evil horrible person, someone who is suffering from mental problems or a hero standing up for the little man? What makes this film work so well is that it never answers this question. It simply tells you the story and makes you reach your own conclusions about it. With such an approach the best well to tell the story is to make it as authentic as possible. Director Gus Van Sant (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), Good Will Hunting (1997), Milk (2008)) and writer Austin Kolodney (amazingly writing his first feature film) go to great lengths to achieve this. Austin Kolodney, even did much research on the subject to make sure this movie was as close to the real events as possible. Van Sant gives the movie an almost documentary look and feel to it, making us sometimes momentarily forget that we aren't watching real footage. This includes making each shot look as authentically like the 70's as possible. This was done down to the tiniest detail. Also making this movie feel real is the performances of Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery, both of whom seem to become these real-life people. Bill Skarsgård's is also incredibly magnetic making it hard to take your eyes off of him, even if his character can be far from likable. He is truly scary in this role because of how natural he feels, and this is what creates the tension needed for this kind of thriller. 

One thing does cut into this movie's feeling of authenticity though and that is Al Pacino's supporting role. When he is on screen, we are too aware that we are watching Al Pacino, and the film no longer feels like a documentary. 

The movie has a subplot involving two reporters who work on small stories but see this crime as a chance to get a big story for the first time. These characters are quite likable, but the story can feel shoehorned in and more than a little like padding at times. 

This is a truly engrossing film. 

Movie Trailer: Masters of the Universe

Movie Trailer: The Dreadful

Movie Trailer: The Bride!

Video Link: The Forgotten Disney Voice Who Made a Folk Legend Unforgettable - West of Neverland

Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)

 

This direct to video animated movie marked the first feature film based on the DC Comics character, Green Lantern and predates the characters big screen debut in Green Lantern (2011). 

In this film, test pilot Hal Jordan is chosen by a Green Lantern ring when Green Lantern Abin Sur dies. With this he becomes the first Earth inhabitant to become a Green Lantern. When he is taken to the Green Lantern Corps, the Green Lanterns from other planets are distrustful of him. Yet he is put under the watchful eye of Sinestro (from the planet Korugar), who trains him how to be a Green Lantern. However, Hal learns that Sinestro is planning to overthrow the Corps and 8), Hal must stop the villain. 

This is a delightful sci-fi adventure. The worlds it takes us to are extremely atmospheric and believable. Even the worlds we only see for a short time are very well detailed and fun. The artwork is fantastic. The background art creates a larger than life feel that is perfect for this type of sci-fi story. The designs of the various beings are delightfully creative and fun. The action scenes are exciting and very well paced and animated. Hal is a very likable hero. Though he has a little bit of an ego, he in many ways is exactly what a hero should be. He is brave, smart, knows how to hold himself back and always does whatever he can to help anyone in trouble. 

This movie benefits from a very strong villain. Sinestro is a complex and well written character. We understand where he is coming from and there are many points with which we are inclined to agree with him. Though his reasons are not evil, his methods are deplorable. We at first find ourselves on his side, until he tortures multiple beings in order to get information out of them. He strongly believes that any means are worth the ideals and those means get increasingly disturbing as the film continues. From this we understand how he transitioned from someone who felt disillusioned by the Green Lantern Corps to a full evil supervillain. He also works because he feels like a massive threat to our heroes. 

Like many of these animated DC movies, this film has one major flaw. That is its length. At only 77 minutes, this film is much shorter than it should be. The start of this film is especially rushed. We barely get to see Hal in his civilian life. We also never get to see him get used to his powers. We see him get the ring and next time we see him, he knows how to use it almost perfectly. This short runtime also makes it so the rather large supporting cast remains underdeveloped.   

This film's director was Lauren Montgomery, who has worked as a storyboard artist on most of these DC Comics direct to video movies (and some of the Marvel ones as well) as well as such DC TV shows as Justice League Unlimited, Legion of Superheroes, Young Justice and Batman: Brave and the Bold. She may be the best director of these direct to video movies, having directed such films as Superman: Doomsday (2007), Wonder Woman (2009), Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010), Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010), Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011), Batman: Year One (2011) and Justice League: Doom (2012). 

This film was also written by one of the best writers for superhero cartoons, Alan Burrett. He had written for such TV shows as Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, The Batman, Krypto the Superdog and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. He was also a writer for such animated superhero movies as Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993), Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003), Batman: Gotham Knight (2008), Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011), Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015), Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018), Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019). He also served as a producer on many of the Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry direct to video movies.

Cowboy Church #252

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing Sweet Hour of Prayer. Prayer is one of the important parts of a Christians life but it also something that many Christians don't spend enough time doing. I admit myself to having been guilty of prayer far less than I should. Yet talking to the God of the universe is an incredible privilege we have and one of the greatest blessings in our lives. 

This is followed by Tex Ritter with I Leaned on a Man. Tex recorded this song on January 15, 1957, and it was released with Children and Fools as its B-Side. The song had appeared the same year in the western movie, The Big Land (1957) where it was sung by Bonnie Lou Williams, who was dubbing for Virigina Mayo. The song was written by Leonard Rosenman and Wayne Shanklin.

Afterwards is Mississippi John Hurt with Praying on the Old Camp Ground. He recorded this song on December 28, 1928.

 Next, we join The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1949 recording of Cowboy Camp Meeting. This song was written by one of the group's founding members Tim Spencer. 

Then comes Red Sovine with Where Will I Shelter My Sheep. This comes from his 1968 gospel album, Sunday with Sovine.

Afterwards is Tompall Glaser and Clint Miller with Glory Train to Heaven. 

Now for Johnny Cash with Wings in the Morning. This wonderful recording comes from John's 1979 album; A Believer Sings the Truth. This was a double length gospel album and Columbia Records felt that such an album from John could never be successful. However, Columbia allowed John to release the album on its own and it was successful earning a spot in the Country Top 50. A shorter version of the album called I Believe would be released in 1984, which would feature a select few songs from the double album. A Believer Sings the Truth would not find its way to CD until 2012.

Today's musical selection ends with Susan Raye with Precious Memories. Though this is a sweet uplifting song, it was based upon a tragedy. In 1922, John Wright lost his five-year-old son. Wright would later say about this song, “’Precious Memories’ was born in the midnight hours as I bathed by pillow with tears, likewise all my songs came through life’s severest tests.” Though this is a very famous hymn, John Wright only received $36 for writing it. He would remain a janitor that was always struggling to make ends meet for his entire life. This version comes from the 1973 gospel album, Hymns by Susan Raye. 

Today's movie is Headin' for the Rio Grande (1936) starring Tex Ritter. 

Now for a message from the Reverend Billy Graham.

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;

    let the distant shores rejoice.

2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;

    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him

    and consumes his foes on every side.

4 His lightning lights up the world;

    the earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

    before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

    and all peoples see his glory.

7 All who worship images are put to shame,

    those who boast in idols—

    worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and rejoices

    and the villages of Judah are glad

    because of your judgments, Lord.

9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;

    you are exalted far above all gods.

10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,

    for he guards the lives of his faithful ones

    and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light shines on the righteous

    and joy on the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,

    and praise his holy name.

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

What a College Student thinks about The Big Parade

 King Vidor's The Big Parade (1925) is one of the great achievements of the silent screen and one of the greatest war movies ever made. It was a massive hit in its time, both critically and financially and it holds up incredibly well today. Why read about what I have to say about the film though? Why not instead read about what a college student of the 1920's has to say about it? It was the kind of production that appealed to the undergrad after all. 

The following is from an issue of Screenland Magazine (dated May 1926). If you have trouble reading the following pages, click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.

King Vidor is one of my favorite directors of all time. His films span many different genres, but he masters each one perfectly. Here is a page from a December 1925 issue of The Motion Picture Director that shows how appreciated him and The Big Parade were.

  

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #264

 Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoons.


Today's cartoon selection begins with Magoo's Three Point Landing (1958). This short benefits from some strong animation. Maurie Faigin animates the opening scene. Ed Freidman animates a lengthy scene (which is also one of the movie's highlights) were Magoo hitchhikes. Barney Posner also gets some great scenes animating Magoo driving through the airplane garage and arguing with the people therein, as well as the two pilots. Speaking of the two pilots notice that one is named Sully and is known for his "emergency landings." One of them also is voiced by Daws Butler doing a voice that sounds like The Huckleberry Hound Show's Mr. Jinx. 

Up next is Mighty Mouse in The First Snow (1947). About Mighty Mouse, producer Paul Terry would state, "If you go back through history, when a person is down and there's no more hope you say, 'It's in God's hands now.' ... So, taking that as a basis, I'd only have to get the mice in a tough spot and they say, 'isn't there some one who can help?' 'Yes, there is someone; its Mighty Mouse!' So down from the heavens he'd come ... and lick the evil spirit, or whatever it was, and everything was serene again. It was a pattern-made thing." Mighty Mouse didn't always just protect mice though. In this film, he protects some bunny rabbits. In his landmark book, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons Leonard Maltin writes, "Thus, any idea that was really good had to seem as if it came directly from Terry. So, when Klein proposed a spoof of the newly popular Superman character using a fly, Terry heard him out and dismissed the idea. A short time later he brought it up again, as if he conceived the whole thing, but in Terry's version the fly became a mouse." To be fair the idea of a super powered mouse is more endearing than that of a super powered fly. 

Now for the Fox and the Crow in Foxy Flatfoots (1946). This short film was directed by Bob Wickersham, a former Disney animator who had worked on some of the classic Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies cartoons of the 1930's as well as some of the studio's early animated feature films. 

For anyone interested in movie history, many of the Disney cartoons of the 1920's are essential watching. The reason for this is that many of them are directed by Walt himself. All of us know Walt Disney as a producer, a studio head, a TV personality and one of the movies' greatest ambassadors, however in these short films we get to see him in the director's chair. Next, we have one of the cartoons he directed, El Terrible Toreador (1929). This movie marked the second Silly Symphony cartoon and the first one directed by Walt. As with many early Disney films, this cartoon features many gags that go against the rules put in place in the later Disney cartoons. For instance, the later films would not allow body parts to detach or stretch to impossible lengths. Yet in this movie, both of those are common sights. There are also some somewhat risqué gags that wouldn't fit with Disney's later squeaky-clean image. Despite this only being the second Silly Symphony, the series already boasts an incredible cast of animators. Ub Iwerks (Walt's right-hand man and one of the main influences on the early Disney style) animates the bullfighting scenes and supervised the work of the other animators. Burt Gillet (who would go on to direct many great Mickey Mouse cartoons as well as The Three Little Pigs (1933)) animates the meeting of Carmen and Don Jose. Wilfred Jackson (who would direct some of the best Silly Symphonies and be one of the directors of features like Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953) and Lady And the Tramp (1955)) animates Carmen's dance. Les Clark (one of the best Mickey animators and one of Walt's nine old men) animates a close-up of Don Jose. Jack King (who would direct some excellent Donald Duck cartoons) animates Escamillo confronting Don Jose. Ben Sharpsteen (who would be the supervising director for Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)) animates the introduction to the bullfighting scene. Animation for this film was done from July through August of 1929. The sound was recorded on August 12, 1929. The film was delivered in September 1929. The cartoon had its theatrical debut at the George M. Cohan (in New York) on September 13, 1929, where it played alongside the Frank Capra directed feature, Flight (1929). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Animation fans know director Friz Freleng as a master of timing and very few comedy cartoons have come close to the perfect comedy timing of his films. This can especially be seen in his cartoon, Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943). This in my mind is one of his funniest films and just a pure delight. Despite the title, this film does not have a parotitic theme or revolve around U.S. history. With the James Cagney feature, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) having come out the year before, this pun was probably just too good for the filmmakers to pass up.  As I have spoken about Friz earlier look for a portrait of him in Porky's office. A review in The Motion Picture Daily calls this film a "Pleasant little subject." The following are Exhibitor's reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—This studio's cartoons lately seem to be either exiciptionally good or exceptionally bad. This is downright terrible. - W. Verricks Nevins, III, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred N.Y." "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—Good cartoon, but where does it get its name? - Ralph Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesdale, W. Va." "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons - Average color cartoon. - E.M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla." 

Next comes The New Three Stooges cartoon, Bee My Honey (1965). The Stooges voiced themselves in this TV cartoon. 

Now for the Talkartoons cartoon, Sky Scraping (1930).

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Punching Bag (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used

Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/upas-magoos-three-point-landing-1958/

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Movie Review: All You Need is Kill

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A true visual feast.

This anime film starts with a young girl, who dies with many others due to an unleashing of killer alien plants. She then wakes up and is forced to live the same day again in a Groundhogs Day type of situation. 

First off, this movie is a true visual spectacle in the best sense of the word. Mixing hand drawn and computer animation, this film has a truly unique and exciting look. The designs of the characters and the world are full of pure creativity. The action scenes are some of the most incredible looking I have ever seen in an animated movie. 

These action scenes are also very exciting. They are incredibly well paced and constantly build up to something bigger with each one, which keeps them for becoming as repetitive as they might with such a storyline. 

The storyline may borrow from films we have seen before, but it offers some very clever and creative twists on these ideas, making them feel new and fresh. 

The problem with this movie though is with its fast pace and short runtime, the characters (while likable) are too simplistic. We simply never get to know anything beyond surface level about them. 

Despite some flaws in characterization, this is a fun, exciting and fresh movie. 

Movie Review: Is This Thing On?

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent dramedy. 

This movie follows a man going through a separation from his wife. During this time, he tries his hand at doing stand-up comedy, which proves to be very therapeutic for him.

What makes this film work is just how real it feels. Director/co-writer Bradley Cooper (who also plays a supporting role in the movie) along with his co-writers Will Arnet (also the film's star) and Mark Chappell (who wrote the very fun comedic whodunit See How They Run (2022)) keep this movie quite grounded in reality. The main character doesn't just step on stage and become a massive success. He still keeps his day job and most of his performances are at open mic nights. This not only keeps the story grounded but it helps because this movie is not about the career of a stand-up comedian but rather how doing this helps him make it through a very hard time in his life. If people like his act is secondary to what is inwardly happening to the man on stage. Adding to how real this movie feels are the two main characters. Both these characters are extremely well developed with personalities that reach far beyond what we usually see in romantic films. Important for a movie like this the two characters (played by Will Arnet and Laura Dern) also work together extremely well. We completely believe their relationship. We understand and can see how these two fell in love, while also see and understand what is making them drift apart after all these years. How real the scenes feel between them makes many scenes feel uncomfortable to watch, as they leave a real emotional impact on the viewer. The whole movie has the feel of not watching a movie but instead getting a private peek into the lives of real people. 

As a dramedy this movie is sporadically funny. Many of the stand-up scenes are truly hilarious. As crude as they get, they made me laugh quite a bit. However, once we get away from the stand-up stage, the humor falls flat much more often. 

The weakest part of this movie though is the supporting characters. We barely spend any time with the kids and by the end we still don't know anything about them. The main couple's best friends are not very interesting and at times annoying. Whenever the focus drifted to them, I was hoping it would drift back away again soon. While I cared deeply about the main characters' marriage, these two's marriage never felt real enough for me to truly believe. 

Despite any flaws, this is a deeply moving and quite intelligent movie. 

Movie Trailer: Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era

Movie Trailer: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

Movie Trailer: Avengers: Doomsday

Movie Trailer: The Mummy

Video Link: Walt Disney's People and Places - Disneyland, U S A (1956)

Movie Review: No Other Choice (Eojjeolsuga eobsda)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A brilliant dark comedy from Korea. 

This movie tells the story of a man who was fired from his job and is struggling to support his family. When he applies for a job in his field of expertise, he tries to kill all the other applicants so that he will certainly get the job.

What makes this movie work so well are the early scenes. Not only do they set up that this character has an idyllic life, but they also make the character very likable. When he loses his job, we empathize with him. As he descends into a darker frame of mind, it is done in such a gradual way that we are going through the emotions with him. This shows perfectly how there are people that are normal people that we would be glad to have as friends but who when the tide turns against them can show a dark side, we never knew they had. It also shows how corporate greed and the difficulty to make it in a money hungry world can so easily push these people past their breaking point. This makes everything here seem all too real and relatable. Yet director/co-writer Park Chan-wook is a master at dark comedy. To keep this movie from getting too disturbing to enjoy, he places a lot of that dark comedy throughout the film. Thus, we are laughing at the absurdity of what we are seeing, while we are also horrified by how real it is. This is shown perfectly in the first murder scene. As dark as the subject matter is, it is played almost as a slapstick comedy with how ineptly it goes. The dark subject matter makes our need to laugh all the more urgent and we laugh louder because of it. 

Usually, these types of movies focus only on the main character while making that character's family bland and forgettable. Yet here the wife and kids are also very well fleshed out. This is especially true for the young daughter, whose storyline is surprisingly touching. 

This film also benefits from a great ending that is in equal parts, disturbing, funny and touching.

This is another great movie from Park Chan-wook.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

As early as October 2011 (before the first Avengers film was even released), head of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige mentioned that there were plans for a second Avengers movie. In May 2012 Head of Disney Bob Iger officially announced that the sequel was happening. In August 2012. it was confirmed the Joss Whedon would return to direct the sequel. About doing the sequel Whedon stated, "I have to make my movie assuming that people will only have seen the first one, or possibly not even seen the first one. I can't assume that everybody went to see Thor [The Dark World], Captain America [The Winter Soldier], and Iron Man [3] in-between. I have to go from one movie to the next and be true to what's happened, but not be slavish to it [...] The model I'm always trying to build from, my guiding star, is The Godfather Part II where a ton has happened in-between and it's a very different movie [from The Godfather], but you don't need any information: it's there in the film." 

In this film, because of the events in the previous film, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) create a program they call Ultron to keep the world safe from all threats. Ultron (James Spader) though takes on a robotic body and decides that Earth would be safer without humans in it. The Avengers (Downey, Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johanson, Jermey Reyner, Chris Hemsworth) must team up again to stop Ultron. Meanwhile Ultron convinces two super powered twins to help him, Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

This is an excellent film and one of the most underrated MCU films. What this movie does extremely well is to raise the stakes from the first film. The danger feels much more real and present here and therefore the suspense is also raised. The main reason for this is the main villain. Ultron is a truly wonderful villain. Not only does he feel like a major threat to our heroes, but he also is a very compelling character. The very premise of a program created by the Avengers taking on a life of its own yet becoming the enemy of the Avengers is already a compelling one. The way Ultron views the world and the Avengers is quite well-written. While his point of view is warped, you can still understand where he comes from. What also makes this character compelling is how it takes on characteristics of Tony Stark himself. His jokes and snarky attitude sound like Tony Stark because he was created by Stark. Frankly watching what is essentially an evil Iron Man makes for fun watching but it also gives us a greater understanding of the dark side of Tony. The twins he gets to help him, don't get enough screentime to develop as strong of personalities but they are very effective as threats. We can easily see how Scarlet Witch's powers can tear apart the Avengers from the inside and what she does to our main heroes obviously leaves emotional wounds that can't be healed easily. As well as this the movie also does a great job of exploring who our heroes are and what makes them tick. The characters are much more emotionally vulnerable here and this makes them feel much more real to us. The movie also does an especially great job of giving us a better glimpse of who Hawkeye is (as we didn't get to know much about him in the previous movie) and why a guy who shoots arrows is so important to a team that literally has a god on it. This movie also benefits from very strong action sequences that even top those in the first movie. 

Unlike the previous movie where the humor hit constantly, here it is a bit hit and miss. There are moments here that are legitimately quite funny (I especially love the elevator joke towards the end). However, there are also times when it can fall completely flat. There are quite a few forced quips here that feel like they are simply there because they are expected. This makes some of the humor lose the natural feel it had in the first movie. 

 Chief among the flaws is that the romantic relationship between Hulk and Black Widow, doesn't work. It feels forced, bland and quite undeveloped. The plot also can rely too much on supposedly smart characters acting dumb simply because the plot says they should. 

The movie was a financial success grossing $1.403 billion worldwide making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2015. On its opening weekend alone, it grossed $392.5 million making it the seventh largest ever opening weekend.

Critically it received quite mixed reviews. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times stated, "Although this movie is effective moment to moment, very little of it lingers in the mind afterward. The ideal vehicle for our age of immediate sensation and instant gratification, it disappears without a trace almost as soon as it's consumed." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone stated, ""Age of Ultron is a whole summer of fireworks packed into one movie. It doesn't just go to 11, it starts there. [Joss Whedon] takes a few wrong turns, creating a jumble when the action gets too thick. But he recovers like a pro, devising a spectacle that's epic in every sense of the word." Richard Rooper gave the movie three and a half out of four stars stating, "Someday, an Avengers film might collapse under the weight of its own awesomeness. I mean, how many times can they save the world? But this is not that day."

This movie introduced Ultron, Scarlet Witch, Quick Silver (although Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver had a tiny cameo in the post credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)) and Vision to the MCU. Ultron was first introduced to the comics in Avengers #54 (July 1968). In the comics he was created by Hank Pym not Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Vision was introduced in the comics not much later. He first appeared in Avengers #57 (October 1968) in the comics he was originally created by Ultron to trap the Avengers. However, he would have a change of heart and end up joining the Avengers. Him and Scarlett Witch would have a romantic relationship both in the movies and the comics. Scarlet Witch made her first comic book appearance in X-Men #4 (March 1964). Quick Silver also first appeared in the same issue. Though both Quick Silver and Scarlet Witch have strong ties to the X-Men, at the time this film was being made, 20th Century Fox had the film rights for the X-Men. Because of this for the MCU, their origin stories were changed to fit into a Marvel Universe without the X-Men. In the comics Quick Silver and Scarlet Witch joined the Avengers in Avengers #16 (May 1965). 

Resources Used

The Marvel Encyclopedia published by DK Books
 
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/avengers-sequel-comic-con-mark-ruffalo-249014/

https://web.archive.org/web/20140815052937/https://deadline.com/2012/05/disney-announces-avengers-2-in-development-268528/

https://variety.com/2012/film/news/joss-whedon-to-write-direct-avengers-sequel-1118057576/

https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18630302.html

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2395427/?ref_=bo_cso_table_18

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-avengers-review-20150430-column.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/avengers-age-of-ultron-251411/

https://web.archive.org/web/20150430020626/http://entertainment.suntimes.com/movies/avengers-age-ultron-marvel-humor-peril-comic-book-triumph/

https://www.reviewingcomics.com/marvel/avengers-1963/avengers-16/