In this film a new employee at the mall, gets a chance to work with the coolest girls in the mall. She soon stumbles onto that these girls are witches and that is the least of their dark secrets.
This movie has a campy and self-aware aesthetic that is simply a lot of fun. This movie has a great look to it from everything to the sets to the appropriately flamboyant outfits the girls wear. The look perfectly mixes campy over the top fun with a sense of foreboding, which captures the feel of the film perfectly. The four main characters are all perfectly cast. The four leads (Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp) have such great chemistry together and it is a joy to watch them play off each other. This is an asset in both the film's more serious and comedic moments. Speaking of the comedic moments, there are plenty of really funny jokes here. The best are the ones about a girl's favorite movie being Psycho, while she is dating a guy named Norman. While a few of the comedic moments may fall flat, the humor certainly hits more than it misses.
Unfortunately, this movie falls into the same trap as many horror and suspense films. It does a great job building up a sense of dread and darkness. However, all this lacks a payoff that lives up to the buildup. The payoff here simply is not dark, twisted, fun, creepy or shocking enough to feel like anything but a letdown compared to what came before.
Even if the movie doesn't fully stick the landing there is still a lot of fun to be had here.
Here is a fun little page from a 1919 issue of Film Fun magazine, showing some nice pictures of Charlie Chaplin outside of his Little Tramp costume on set. Enjoy these very cool images.
From another 1919 issue of Film Fun magazine here is an enjoyable comic featuring Chaplin's Little Tramp character.
Now for a film Charlie Chaplin made the same year these issues were released. A Day's Pleasure (1919). This is often considered to be a lesser Chaplin film because it bears a great resemblance to Charlie's cruder early work than to the more mature work he was making at this time. However, as you will see here lesser Chaplin can still make a pretty good comedy.
This movie involves a scientist and schoolteacher who is sent to space to help save the sun. He meets an alien whose sun is also dying and the two work together to save the universe.
What makes this movie work so well is the relationship between our main character and Rocky the alien. This relationship is surprisingly quite touching. The first scenes with them together are played comedically with the two characters having trouble communicating with one another. Though this comedy persists, the filmmakers masterfully move from broad comedy to very touching emotional moments very gradually. When we reach the finale, we care about these characters and their friendship so much that we are genuinely moved by it. Rocky is also simply a great character. He has a great design and his ways of communicating in the characters' early scenes together are very clever.
This movie also makes great use of flashbacks, going back and forth from him in space and everything that led up to him being there. These flashbacks are fantastically paced throughout the film, revealing to us little by little why he is actually up there. As we learn these various things about his life on Earth, the emotional impact of the film becomes more effective. These flashback scenes also include a rather touching romance that makes the conclusion to these flashback scenes all that much more emotionally effective.
This movie is filled with humor. One can argue that there is almost too much humor here and that sometimes it shows up in scenes that should be played straight. On the other hand, a lot of the humor is really funny.
On the downside, this movie is full of plot holes and little things that don't make sense and the runtime is simply longer than it needs to be.
Based on the popular children's book, this film tells the story of a pout-pout fish, who feels like an outsider because he has a face that constantly looks like he is miserable. However, when he accidentally destroys the home of a little fish, who is naturally optimistic and looks for the good in everyone, the two bond and create a friendship that change how he views the world and those around him.
This is a very basic children's film that tells its story in a very basic way. There is nothing here that you haven't seen a million times before. However, the actual storytelling is pretty decent. The two main characters, while not exactly complex, are quite likable and there is a real sweetness to their friendship that is kind of heartwarming. The character arc for the title character is quite well handled. The way he begins to see the good in others happens gradually and believably. Though this is obviously made on less of a budget than a Pixar or DreamWorks film, the art style is very pleasant and fits the story perfectly.
This film was based off a short story, and it shows. This film feels like a short film that has been stretched to feature length at times. The action climax especially feels out of place with everything that has come before. There is also a lot of humor here that tries too hard and ends up falling flat.
This is far from a new animated classic, but it has its charms.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of cowboy church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Have You Read the Bible Today. It is important for each of us to read our Bible each and every day. The Bible is not just some book, it is the living breathing word of God. It is easy for our faith and Christian walk to become idle and stagnant and the easiest way for this to happen is to simply not read our Bible. Taking some time each day to read the Bible is the best way for our faith and our walk with God to continue growing and maturing. This recording is the B-side of a 1955 Little Golden Record by Roy and Dale. The A-side was The Bible Tells Me So.
This is followed by Tammy Wynette with May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You. This comes from her 1969 gospel album, Inspiration.
After this comes Chelsea Moon and Uncle Daddy with How Deep the Father's Love for Us. This comes from their 2010 album, Hymn Project, Vol. 1.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with You'll Never Walk Alone. This recording was made in a church using a real church pipe organ. Playing that pipe organ was Benmont Trench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fame. There was a plan for Johnny Cash to make a whole album in a church with an organ before John passed away. In the liner notes for the Unearthed box set, producer Rick Rubin remembered, "Yes it was one of our future plans. We have a whole lot of stuff that was still left to do. This was one of two songs we recorded in a church in L.A. with Johnny singing live -because we wanted it to sound like he was in a church - and Benmont Trench from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers playing the church organ. He played the hands and the feet and the church organist pulled all the stops because it was a complicated instrument and unique. We decided to use just one of the songs on The Man Comes Around, and Johnny preferred the other one, 'Danny Boy.'" Tench remembered (in the same linear notes), "It was a really remarkable experience, because the way the organ is set up is so you can see the preacher through a mirror for your cues. I could see Johnny sitting in the chair the preacher sits in when the choir is singing, and he was in the center, facing the congregation, with headphones on. It's hard to paint into words, but the record will tell you what it was like. Indescribably moving."
Then comes Vern Gosdin with Jesus Hold My Hand. This comes from his 1985 album, Time Stands Still.
Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. Though it may be simple doctrine that we have heard since Sunday school, I hope we never forget how much power there truly is in the blood of Jesus. No matter what temptations and struggles we may face in life, Jesus' blood spilled on Calvary's cross has overcome all of it. With man something may be impossible but with God all things are possible.
Today's musical selection ends with Blind Wille Johnson with his 1930 recording of Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right.
Now for the 5th episode of The Lone Ranger TV series.
Now for a sermon from Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
