Movie Review: Heart of the Beast

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C

An okay survival flick. 

In this film a former solider and a combat dog he befriended, crash and end up stranded in the wild.

This is a very typical survival movie with nothing to make it actually stand out. There is nothing more to the story than these two characters surviving in the wilderness. This leads to what is essentially a bunch of suspense set pieces. Some of these set pieces are very well done, while others revolve around poor CGI. All of them are boosted by beautiful location shooting, a good performance by Brad Pitt and an even better performance by the dog. 

I know it sounds sacrilegious to say that I was not moved by a dog movie. However, I found myself completely unaffected by the scenes that were obvious supposed to pull at my heartstrings. However, I felt no connection to the human character and everything with the dog felt like something I have seen a million times before. 

Despite strong performances, great location shooting and some good set pieces, this movie leaves one cold when it tries to pull on the heartstrings. The result is a film that is technically well made but empty.    

Cowboy Church #287

 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 the Marshall Family with You Never Mentioned Jesus to Me.

After this comes Nickel Creek with The Hand Song, from their 2000 self-titled debut album. The song was co-written by the band's own Sean Watkins (with David Puckett). His sister and bandmate Sara Watkins takes lead vocal. The album was produced by bluegrass great Alison Krauss.

Speaking of Alison Krauss, next comes her with In the Palm of Your Hand.  

Then comes Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans with Great is Thy Faithfulness. When Thomas Obadiah Chisolm was on a mission trip, he and his good friend William Runyan would write letters together. These letters often included poems that they would write. Chisolm was so moved by one of Runyan's poems that he would write a musical score to accompany it. This became the hymn you hear here. Great is Thy Faithfulness was first published in 1923. 

This is followed by The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. This is probably my favorite version of this old gospel song, especially with how well it captures the pure joy of the lyrics. This recording was made during the time when Roy Rogers was still a member of The Sons of the Pioneers before beginning his solo career in the movies and his voice can be heard very prominently on this track. 

Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash with It Was Jesus. The song was written by John himself and comes from his 1959 gospel album, Hymns By Johnny Cash. This was John's second album for Columbia records.  John would state that his main reason for leaving Sun Records and moving to Columbia is because producer Sam Phillips would not allow him to record a gospel album. This was especially important to John because he never set out to be a country singer or a rock and roll singer, but a gospel singer. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that as soon as he left Sun he would set out to make a gospel record. Hymns By Johnny Cash became his first of many gospel albums and proved to be a success with his fans.

Now for the 28th episode of The Lone Ranger TV series.

Now for a message from the reverend Billy Graham

Psalm 89

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;

    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

    through all generations.

2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

    I have sworn to David my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your line forever

    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,

    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

    he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?

    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;

    when its waves mount up, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

    you founded the world and all that is in it.

12 You created the north and the south;

    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13 Your arm is endowed with power;

    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

    love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long;

    they celebrate your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength,

    and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,

    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Once you spoke in a vision,

    to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

    I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20 I have found David my servant;

    with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21 My hand will sustain him;

    surely my arm will strengthen him.

22 The enemy will not get the better of him;

    the wicked will not oppress him.

23 I will crush his foes before him

    and strike down his adversaries.

24 My faithful love will be with him,

    and through my name his horn will be exalted.

25 I will set his hand over the sea,

    his right hand over the rivers.

26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,

    my God, the Rock my Savior.’

27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

    the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

28 I will maintain my love to him forever,

    and my covenant with him will never fail.

29 I will establish his line forever,

    his throne as long as the heavens endure.

30 “If his sons forsake my law

    and do not follow my statutes,

31 if they violate my decrees

    and fail to keep my commands,

32 I will punish their sin with the rod,

    their iniquity with flogging;

33 but I will not take my love from him,

    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant

    or alter what my lips have uttered.

35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

    and I will not lie to David—

36 that his line will continue forever

    and his throne endure before me like the sun;

37 it will be established forever like the moon,

    the faithful witness in the sky.”

38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,

    you have been very angry with your anointed one.

39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant

    and have defiled his crown in the dust.

40 You have broken through all his walls

    and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

41 All who pass by have plundered him;

    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

    you have made all his enemies rejoice.

43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword

    and have not supported him in battle.

44 You have put an end to his splendor

    and cast his throne to the ground.

45 You have cut short the days of his youth;

    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?

    How long will your wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember how fleeting is my life.

    For what futility you have created all humanity!

48 Who can live and not see death,

    or who can escape the power of the grave?

49 Lord, where is your former great love,

    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,

    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,

    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

52 Praise be to the Lord forever!

Amen and Amen.

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

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #297

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

Today's cartoon selection starts with a delightful short from the Disney studio, Suzie the Little Blue Coop (1952). This cartoon is a perfect example of what Disney could do better than nearly any other animation studio. It not only humanizes an inanimate object, but it makes us truly emotionally connect with this little blue car. This is a sweet and charming film that never fails to make me smile. This short film would make its TV debut on the Disneyland TV show episode, Adventures in Fantasy (1957), only five years after this film hit theaters.  

We continue with a real classic, Gold Diggers of '49 (1935). This short film was directed by the one and only Tex Avery. It was the first film, he directed for Warner Brothers and much of his famous style is already here. This cartoon does not feel like the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts that came before it. Instead, this cartoon has a faster pace and wackier sense of humor. While there is no doubt that Tex would have timed some of these gags even faster later in his career, you can clearly see the inklings of what would become his signature style. This is also the first black and white Looney Tune to feature Porky Pig (though the character had appeared in a color Merrie Melody beforehand). This is important as Porky would soon become the main star of the black and white Looney Tunes series. Yet in this film he is a supporting character. The real star is Beans the Cat. Both of these characters had made their debut in the color Merrie Melodies short; I Haven't Got a Hat (1935). Beans would remain the star of the Looney Tunes series for short while until Porky took over the series. 

Next comes Gandy Goose in The Frog and the Princess (1944). This short film follows a typical Gandy Goose pattern with its story. Gandy falls asleep and dreams of some elaborate fantasy world. 

Now for another Terry Toons cartoon, Fanny's Wedding Day (1933). This cartoon features a human villain named Oil Can Harry, years before Mighty Mouse fought a feline villain with the same name. Many cartoon fans believe these to be the same character. This human Oil Can Harry did not only appear in this character but in a series of melodrama spoofs. 

Now it is time for a commercial break.

Now for the silent cartoon short, Koko the Knight (1927). 

The Pink Panther began his animated career appearing in the opening credits of Blake Edwards' great live action feature, The Pink Panther (1964). Blake Edwards contacted animation producers Friz Freleng and David DePatie to create an animated Pink Panther for this title sequence. They created many different panthers, but when Blake saw the various drawings, he immediately knew which one he wanted in his film. The title sequence was a smash hit, and the character was spun off into a series of theatrical cartoon shorts (at a time when those were on their way out). Today we will look at the first and possibly best of these cartoons, The Pink Phink (1964). This cartoon set a template for many more shorts to come. The basic storyline involves a formula that would be often used. The Pink Panther wants to turn everything pink much to the annoyance of a little man (who may look a little like Friz). The gags come fast and furious and the design work is lovely. All in all, this cartoon was a delight and the best way to start this series possible.

Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Jesse and James (1931). 

Now to 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

Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town! by Jerry Beck

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

  

Movie Review: Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A delightful new Shaun the Sheep movie. 

 In this third Shaun feature film, Shaun is disappointed when the pumpkins he has been growing for him and the other sheep to crave are accidentally destroyed before Halloween. He takes to creating science experiments to make a new batch of pumpkins grow extra quickly. At the same time the farmer wants to ask the pretty vet out to the Halloween Hoedown but is nervous because of his receding hairline. Unfortunately for both Shaun and the farmer, these two stories collide. 

While it may not have the moving emotional moments of the first Shaun movie (the scene with all the sheep singing Feels Like Summer to little Timmy is both funny and touching), this movie makes up for it by simply being a lot of fun. The storyline is at once simple and delightfully clever. There is so much creativity going on here that it is hard not to appreciate it. Not only is the story very clever but the gags are quite clever as well. I saw this in a theater with no kids and most of the audience was laughing at quite a few of the jokes. This whole film is full of the gentle but clever slapstick that fans from this franchise already love. Every gag involving little Timmy put a smile on my face immediately. However, even funnier are the pop culture references. The references to Thriller and Psycho specially made me laugh out loud. Though this movie may not tug at your heart strings like the first film, you still care about the characters. This makes you still have an emotional connection to what is a very silly story. There is one scene where I felt very sorry for Shaun and wanted to give him a big hug. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the franchise, there is no spoken dialogue here, though all the characters do make sounds when they "speak." Because of the lack of dialogue music is of course very important. This is the first time Natalie Holt has done the music for Shaun, and she is a perfect fit. She knows just when to be playful with the music and when to play it straight. And when she does get playful, she never overdoes it. The music also helps add a fun Halloween-y atmosphere to this film, while still fitting the lighthearted tone. 

A shear delight. 

Movie Review: Practical Magic 2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C

An okay belated sequel. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the first movie, a family of witches has a curse where when any female members fall in love, the person they fall for dies a premature death. In this sequel Sally tries to hide that they are witches and have a curse from her daughters. When one of her daughters gets a boyfriend though it looks like things might be too late. 

This movie works best when it focuses on the Owens sisters from the first film. These two are still a delight to spend time with. The bickering and interplay between them are easily the highlight of the movie. Whether funny or sweet it is great to simply watch these two characters share the screen. The wonderful chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman only adds to the enjoyment here. Other returning characters are also fun to see again and get their time to shine. 

However, this film falls into the same trap that so many sequels to movies multiple decades earlier do. That is that the new characters are simply boring. We do not care about the daughters or the boyfriend or even Sally's new love interest. These new characters are devoid of any personality whatsoever. This proves to be a major flaw because the emotional center is focused on these new characters. The emotional center is in fact focused on one of the daughters and her boyfriend. Not only are these two characters completely bland but they hardly get enough screentime together for us to have any investment in their relationship. 

Though the movie can be fun, since the emotional center focuses on such underdeveloped characters we don't actually care about what happens. 

Cowboy Church #286

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing, It is No Secret. This song was written by cowboy singer and actor Stuart Hamblen. Before turning to God, this man's life could hardly be considered Godly. He often drank and fought, and this often landed him in jail. When in 1949 Hamblin went to a Billy Graham crusade, he turned his life over to God. The drinking and fighting were put behind him and his whole life changing. One day he was talking about this change to his good friend John Wayne (yes that John Wayne) and that it was no secret what God had done for him. John Wayne said, that he should write a song with those lyrics.  Stuart Hamblen had also had a brief movie career and appeared in the Roy Rogers movie, The Arizona Kid (1939).

This is followed by Jim and Jesse's 1960 recording of Destination in Heaven.  

Afterwards is The Chuck Wagon Gang with their 1948 recording of Echoes from the Burning Bush. The Chuck Wagon Gang which in their original incarnation consisted of D.P. Carter, his Son, Jim (Ernest) Carter and his daughters, Rose (Lola) Carter Karnes and Anna (Effie) Carter Gordon Davis. The group recorded mostly old gospel songs. Incredibly the group is still around today (though with completely new members). Because of another country music family with the same last name, they have been referred to as "the other Carter Family."   

Then comes Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard with Sing Me Back Home on a 1969 episode of TV's The Johnny Cash Show. This song was written by Merle and was based off a true story that happened while he was in San Quentin State Prison for attempted robbery. It was the title track of his 1968 album. 

Next is Ralph Stanley with Children Go Where I Send Thee. This comes from his 1975 gospel album, Let Me Rest On A Peaceful Mountain.

Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of The Touch of God's Hand. This song was written by one of the group's founding members (and one of my favorite songwriters), Bob Nolan. Bob also provides lead vocals on this song. This is also one of the earliest Sons of the Pioneers recordings with bass player Pat Brady, who replaced Roy Rogers, when Roy followed a movie career. Brady would later play Roy's sidekick on TV. 

Today's musical selection ends with Porter Wagoner with a live recording of I Thought of God. This comes from his 1964 live album, In Person. 

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

Now for the 27th episode of TV's The Lone Ranger. 

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,

    the royal son with your righteousness.

2 May he judge your people in righteousness,

    your afflicted ones with justice.

3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,

    the hills the fruit of righteousness.

4 May he defend the afflicted among the people

    and save the children of the needy;

    may he crush the oppressor.

5 May he endure as long as the sun,

    as long as the moon, through all generations.

6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field,

    like showers watering the earth.

7 In his days may the righteous flourish

    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

8 May he rule from sea to sea

    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

9 May the desert tribes bow before him

    and his enemies lick the dust.

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores

    bring tribute to him.

May the kings of Sheba and Seba

    present him gifts.

11 May all kings bow down to him

    and all nations serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

    the afflicted who have no one to help.

13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy

    and save the needy from death.

14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,

    for precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!

    May gold from Sheba be given him.

May people ever pray for him

    and bless him all day long.

16 May grain abound throughout the land;

    on the tops of the hills may it sway.

May the crops flourish like Lebanon

    and thrive like the grass of the field.

17 May his name endure forever;

    may it continue as long as the sun.

Then all nations will be blessed through him,

    and they will call him blessed.

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,

    who alone does marvelous deeds.

19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;

    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen.

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

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

Video Link: How Disney's Reign of Dragons Started with This Oddball - West of Neverland