Happy Halloween

 

Screenland, 1929

TV Guide, 1953

The New Scooby-Doo! Movies: The Dynamic Scooby-Doo! Affair (1972)

 

A really fun episode of The New Scooby-Doo! Movies. 

This episode marks the first time The Mystery Inc. Gang teamed up with Batman and Robin. In this episode they investigate a creepy amusement park, where The Joker and The Penguin seem to be up to their own tricks. The two teams team up to stop the two villains however the two supervillains might not even be the ones behind the whole scheme.

I personally have a real fondness for really corny superhero stories, so an episode like this is right up my alley. The versions of Batman and Robin here are the same ones that appear in Hanna-Barbera's Superfriends TV Show, even down to having the same voice actors. What makes this really work though is that the filmmakers know how corny this all is and have a lot of fun. This leads to some darn good gags. I love that Batman and Robin invite the gang over from bat milk and cookies or that after Robin tells Batman, "To the Batmoblie" Fred tells the Mystery Inc. Gang, "To the Mystery Machine." The mystery here is also very well handled. I love how despite the obviousness of The Joker and The Penguin being involved, there is still a mystery and a good one too. The amusement park is a great environment for a Scooby mystery as it is delightfully creepy in the best way possible. Much of the artwork here is also very good and once again there is great care put into the background. 

This is an excellent episode.   

Cowboy Church #143

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

Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Leaning on The Everlasting Arms. This hymn began creation with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887. Following is The Louvin Brothers with the title track off of their 1960 album, Satan is Real. Unfortunately this album has received a less than great reputation based off of one thing. This is the cover art. Many view it as being silly or corny. Regardless of what you think of the cover art though, this is a top notch country gospel album, that is a must hear for both fans of gospel music and fans of country music. This title track has a powerful but uncomfortable message for us. As much as us Christians like to focus on the happy parts of the bible, it is worth noting that Jesus himself spoke about Hell and Satan. If Jesus spoke about these than there is certainly an importance that must be recognized by anyone who believes in the Bible. Introducing this song is Bob Dylan on his radio show. Next is George Jones with When Mama Sang (The Angels Stopped to Listen). This is followed by Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys 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. Afterwards is Bobby Bare with Drop Kick Me Jesus. Now Uncle Dave Macon and Sid Harkreader join forces for Jonah and the Whale. Which is followed by Gene Autry's 1946 recording of When It's Roundup Time in Heaven. This song was written by Jimmie Davis, who is best known today for writing You Are My Sunshine. As well as a songwriter and singer, he was also the governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948 and then again from 1960 to 1964.  Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash singing I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal. In the liner notes for John's Unearthed boxset, producer Rick Ruben wrote, "I always saw Johnny as being, personally, a work in progress. He was always tryin to improve himself in anyway he could. If you said something to him or made a suggestion, he would never say anything but he would take it away and think about it and work on it. So the words of 'Old Chunk of Coal' really fit John as a person. Plus its a song about coal and he really loved coal and minning songs."

Next is an episode of The Roy Rogers Show entitled, Ranch War (1955). 

Up next is C.S. Lewis' essay, The Psalms.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. Leviticus 19:33

 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Proverbs 6:20

So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:5

He and his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Acts 10:2

 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Romans 15:5

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8–9

Thank you 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 #147

 Hello my friends and welcome back for a Halloween addition of Saturday Morning Cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection appropriately starts with Betty Boop's Halloween Party (1933). This film has everything that I love about Betty Boop cartoons of this era. It is strange, surreal and a heck of a lot of fun. The following are a couple exhibitor's reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. "BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Talkar- toons—Better than the average Betty Boop. Good short for any program. Running time one reel. -H.E. Newberry, Y.M.C.A. Theatre, Whale Shoals, S.C. Small Town Patronage." "BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Betty Boop Cartoons - Good cartoon and sound. It's just a toss up which is the best cartoon, 'Mickey Mouse,' 'Betty Boop' or 'Popeye the Sailor,' with 'Popeye' slightly in the lead. S.H. Rich, Rich Theatre, Montpelier, Idaho, Small Town and Rural Patronage."

The Film Daily, 1933

Our next film has The Pink Panther meeting Dracula (who likes a lot like The Little Man) in Pink Plasma (1975). By 1975, when this cartoon premiered in movie theatres, most cartoon studios had stopped making animated short films for theatres. However with The Pink Panther cartoons, The Dogfather and other series, The Depatie-Freleng studio was keeping the animated short film alive. 

The Exhibitor, 1964

Next comes one of the all time great films (not just cartoons but films as a whole) for Halloween watching. This is the Donald Duck short, Trick or Treat (1952). In this cartoon Donald goes up against not only his nephews but a witch named Witch Hazel. Looney Tune fans will recognize this name as the Bugs Bunny antagonist from a few short cartoons. The similarities between the two witches go deeper than just their name. They were both voiced by June Foray (though the Looney Tunes character was voiced by Bea Benederet (Betty Rubble) in her first cartoon in all the subsequent films she would be voiced by June Foray). Trick or Treat's director Jack Hannah would later recall in a 1978 interview, “I enjoyed directing Trick or Treat because I got a chance to work with a different personality. June Foray, who did such a great job as the voice of the witch, still mentions the film to me whenever I see her.” In a 1995 interview June Foray stated, “I did Witch Hazel as a short at Disney. She was a very funny character that I created the voice for. Chuck Jones loved it so much that he called me over to Warner Brothers to do her again. I went over there and they said, ‘You’re going to do Witch Hazel.’ And I thought, ‘how in hell are they going to do that?’ Disney owns it and they’re so litigious. But we did it. Chuck just went ahead and did it! So I asked him, just a couple of years ago, ‘How the heck did you ever do that and get away with it, taking a character out from under Disney’s nose?’ And he said, ‘Because it was an alcohol rub! He didn’t own the name!’ So Disney couldn’t capitalize on that or stop Chuck because it was already a copyrighted name.” Disney's Witch Hazel would appear in other Disney media besides just animated cartoons. She would appear in the 1953 Little Golden Book, Donald and the Witch for instance. Most importantly though Carl Barks would adapt Trick or Treat into a comic book adaption. Though it deviated from the source material in certain ways, Barks would reuse some of Witch Hazel's dialogue from the film. 

Next comes one of The Simpsons best Treehouse of Horror segments The Raven (1990). This comes from the first Treehouse of Horror episode which aired in the show's second season. Although the show is in it's 33rd season, it has done a Halloween episode for every season that followed as well and will continue to do so as long as the show runs. 

Now it is time for a commerical break. 

Now we join Flip the Frog in Spooks (1932).

The Film Daily, 1931 

Up next is our old friend Scrappy in Scrappy's Ghost Story (1935). The following is a review from The Motion Picture Herald, "This would have been a rather more successful cartoon, if it were not for its subject matter. In view of the fact that cartoons may be considered to be largely the material which most pleases small children, this can hardly be recommended for them. As Scrappy, before the fire, with his small brother starts on his ghost story, the cartoon pictures all sorts of ghosts a goblins and the like pursuing the small boys, which is likely to keep small children awake far into the night. Otherwise a fair cartoon. - Running Time, 7 Minutes." A review in The Film Daily states, "A good number of laughs evolve from this fast moving cartoon."

Today's cartoon selection ends with the TV special,  Bugs Bunny Howl-Oween Special (1977). 

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

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/disneys-trick-or-treat-1952/
 

Movie Review: My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A delightfully fun action movie based off the popular anime series. 

I have honestly not watched much of the TV series on which this is movie based and in some ways I think this worked to my advantage. Reading about the film online, I have found these movies have little to no effect on the series and are made to work as stand alone films. While I am sure this may be a problem to someone who watches the show and wants this to continue that storyline, for someone like me that makes it so that I can just enjoy a fun action film and have a nice trip to the movies. Because of this I admit that my opinion might differ from more diehard fans, but I just simply had a lot of fun watching this movie. Our two main characters are very likable and easy to relate to. Even those who have never seen the show will find themselves quickly growing attached to these characters. By the end of the film they will feel completely real to most audiences and win them over with their charm. The action scenes are excellently done and very exciting. Many of them will put you on the edge of your seat. This film also has a really good sense of humor and got quite a few really good laughs out of me and the audience I saw it with. The animation and artwork are excellent. The filmmakers took full advantage of this being a theatrical movie instead of a TV episode and made this film especially good looking. The storyline will be familiar to many, but it is quite well told, and overcomes to familiarity to simply be a lot of fun.  

The biggest fault of this movie is the pacing. This film moves at an incredibly fast pace and never takes the time to breathe. Because of this it can feel too hyperactive with too much going on at the same time. 

All in all this is a really fun movie, even for those who don't watch the show. 

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Snow Place Like Home (1988)

An excellent episode of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!

Freddie books a ski vacation for the gang and everyone is amazed at how promising this place looks. They are staying at a lodge owned by The Morgansons (a creepy looking yet kind couple who resembles The Gruesomes in The Flintstones). The gang wonders why the place is so empty until they learn about the story of an ice demon who haunts the lodge. When Scooby and Shaggy say good night to the gang, they find the ice demon is in their bed, leading to a big chase and another mystery on their hands. 

This episode works so well for a variety of reasons. Like most episodes of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!, the humor is excellent with plenty of funny gags throughout. The characters are at their most likable and their their snow-wear is well designed (Velma's outfit is especially adorable). The mystery is well put together, even if it is a bit too easy to solve (spoiler: It wasn't Red Herring). The chase sequence is one of the show's best. This is due both to the song which is incredibly fun and catchy and some great slapstick gags. What really makes this episode stand out to me, is The Morgansons. These are great and really likable characters and their interactions with the gang are fantastic. 

If I have one disappointment it is that The Ice Demon is not a very memorable villain.

All in all this is a very fun episode and a delight for Scooby fans.

P.S. Mr. Forester looks just like Ranger Smith (from the Yogi Bear cartoons) if he grew a mustache.

 

Movie Review: Heart of Champions

 

Michael’s Movie Grade: C+

An enjoyable if overly familiar sports drama. 

Where this film works its best is when it is about the sport of rowing. This movie closely follows the conventions of the typical underdog sports drama. However it also show a clear understanding of why those previous films worked. There is something about watching a group of underdogs learn to work together as a team and beat impossible odds that is immediately appealing and this film knows that. Seeing this group of people who at first constantly fight actually become a team is something that will put a smile on anyone who is a fan of these types of movies. The transition of this team as they grow and learn from each other is quite well done and does not feed rushed or forced. These scenes also benefit from a top notch performance from Michael Shannon as the coach. 

Unfortunately the scenes that are not focused on the sport are the ones where the film really shows its faults. The romance never quite works. It is never devolved enough nor is there enough chemistry between the lovebirds for this romance to really work. Worse is the family drama which feels completely forced. One of the characters has a dad who seems to only care about his son for his future in sports. The father character is a completely one note character who feels more like a plot device than an actual character. This movie also has plenty of lines of dialogue that feel forced and like you have heard them plenty of times before.

This will probably be no-one's new favorite sports movie, but it certainly has its charms.    

Scooby-Doo! Where Are You: Go Away Ghost Ship (1969)

 

A really good episode of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You.

When the gang reads about appearances of the ghost of Redbeard, they decide to go investigate and they soon find themselves aboard his spooky ship.

Once again what makes this episode work so well is the atmosphere. A haunted pirate ship is the perfect setting for a Scooby mystery. Skull Island (no relation to where King Kong lives) is also a great location and is perfectly creepy. The scenes on Skull Island truly stand out and these offer some of the most fun creepy moments in the series. I especially love the design of the skull that pops out of a treasure chest. The background art is fantastic and simply lovely to look at. I feel Warner Brothers should simply put out a book of just the background art from Scooby-Doo! cartoons. I would definitly buy it. It is amazing the sheer amount of effort and detail that is put into this background art.

While this is not the funniest episode of the show, it does have one truly classic comedy moment, when Scooby and Shaggy disguise themselves as cooks. 

Redbeard is a fun villain and his interactions with Scooby and Shaggy are great. However if I do have one complaint it is that he and his pirate crew are not ghostly enough. If you were to watch this episode without the sound on, you would never know that they are supposed to be ghosts. The villains simply look like pirates, but not at all like ghosts and they don't do anything that is honestly that creepy. 

All in all, this is a highly entertaining episode. 

Movie Review: Dune

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

Top-notch sci-fi filmmaking. 

This move manages to do what so many sci-fi films try to do but fail at, this is to make us feel like we entered a new world. Over the course of this film, I became very engaged in this sci-fi world and by the end it felt completely real. There are multiple reasons for this. One is that this movie is not afraid to slow down and take its time and this allows us to fully absorb the setting and the people who live there in a completely natural and unforced and unrushed way. It also allows us to spend some quality time in this world instead of hopping from place to place or being overwhelmed with action scenes (both of which too many sci-fi films do), making the audience truly have the feeling that they are visiting this place for a couple hours. Another reason is the excellent sweeping cinematography. Though much of the film takes place in desert, it is made highly visually interesting in a large part due to Greig Fraser's (Who has experience with big budget sci-fi due to being the cinematographer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and some episodes of The Mandalorian) sweeping cinematography. Another reason is that the film really delves into the mythology (which plays an important part in the story) and the politics of these planets (this is done expertly as to never feel like it is simply exposition). One can never discount how much music adds to a film and Hans Zimmer's music adds a lot to making this world feel real. 

On top of this our main character is extremely likable and gives us an emotional connection with the story. None of that is hurt by how good Timothée Chalamet is in the role. In fact this whole movie is very well cast with every actor working perfectly as the characters they are portraying. 

The storyline is very well handled. It features many of the complexities and deeper meanings that are present in the source material but at the same time, tells a seemingly simple story very well. This way audiences can enjoy it on two levels. Though this is not a fast moving film at all, I was amazed when the end credits started to roll that I had had been watching it for two and a half hours, because it went by so quickly. I didn't want it to be over. This film is obviously not the end of the story and I can't wait to watch what happens next.

Scooby-Doo! Where Are You: Foul Play in Funland (1969)

 

One of the most unique and fun episodes of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You.

The gang is driving when they discover the lights are on at a closed amusement park. When they decide to investigate they discover that not only are all the lights on, but the rides are running as well. They soon discover a robot running around the park. They learn from the owner of the park they learn who this robot is. The owner created him to run the park when he was too busy, but for some reason he seems to be acting up. It looks like the gang has another mystery on their hands.  

One of the best things about the original Scooby-Doo! series is the environments. This episode is one of the best when it comes to this. An abandoned amusement park is the perfect setting for a Scooby mystery, and this episode handles this perfectly. The early scenes before we find out what was going on are appropriately creepy and feature some top notch filmmaking. All of the Scooby-Doo! Where Are You episodes feature great background art, but the art in this episode is especially good. The backgrounds are incredibly detailed, beautiful to look at and add an incredible amount of atmosphere to the episode. 

Charlie the Robot is a great character and there is definitely a reason why he is featured so prominently in Scooby-Doo! merchandise and promotional advertisements. He has a great design, that is immediately appealing. He is also unlike most of the Scooby antagonists in that he is rather likable and charming. This makes him truly stand out to Scooby fans like myself and you too. 

While not especially hard to solve, the mystery is better than usual and is definitely really well thought out.   

An excellent episode and a delight to any and all fans of Scooby-Doo! 

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!: Catcher on the Sly (1991)

 

A really fun and really short cartoon from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!

This cartoon is a departure from the usual man in a monster costume formula that not only populated much of the Scooby-Doo! franchise but most episodes of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo! Though this is not a full episode of the show, but just a brief cartoon at the beginning of one. Since A Pup Named Scooby-Doo! featured many gags inspired by Tex Avery and Looney Tunes, it is only apporpiate that the series would feature an old fashioned chase cartoon. Here an evil dog catcher ( Buster McMuttMauler, who previously appeared in  the episode Curse of the Collar (1989)), tries to catch Scooby, when Shaggy's away. The result is a series of fast paced slapstick gags. 

This may not live up to the best Tom and Jerry or Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons, but it is a lot of fun. The gags themselves are pretty funny and much of the over the top cartoony animation is delightful. The dog catcher is a great villain, and I could see a series of cartoons with him chasing Scooby included. Scooby is at his most likable here and there is something charming about seeing what he does when not solving mysteries. The main fault is that the timing is not as sharp as it should be and this is what makes it fall short of the classic cartoons it is inspired by. Still taken on its own terms it is a delight.   

Video Link: The MOST BEAUTIFUL SHOTS of FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT Movies - Adyfilk

The New Scooby-Doo! Mysteries: Scooby's Peephole Pandemonium (1984)

 

A delightful episode of The New Scooby-Doo! Mysteries.

Scooby, Shaggy, Scrappy and Daphne are working as reporters. Their boss Orson Kane (a reference to Orson Wells and his movie, Citzen Kane (1941)), hires them to get a story on horror film actress, Norma Deathmond (a reference to Norma Desmond, Gloria Swanson's character in the movie Sunset Boulevard (1950)). Norma has not been seen since her last film in 1933 and has been living in a creepy mansion since then with a staff of real live monsters. Our heroes disguise themselves as caters to get into her birthday party but are soon found out. Meanwhile there is something suspious about the newly hired mummy maid and that might put another mystery in their hands. 

This episode shows just what I love about this show. While as the name implies it puts the gang back to solving mysteries, unlike the original series, the supernatural and real monsters are still possible. This gives this series a unique place among the other Scooby-Doo! shows which either don't have real monsters and ghosts or don't have traditional mysteries. This episode is also delightful even taken out of that context. The humor is pretty good and while not laugh out loud funny, many jokes put a real smile on my face. The ending gag is especially good. Norma's mansion is a great Scooby location as it is  appropriately creepy but never too much to lose its sense of lighthearted fun. The new characters are also excellent and a lot of fun. The only real problem is that there are too few suspects for the mystery to really work.

All in all this is a delightful cartoon. 

Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire (2012)

 

A fun, if flawed direct to video Scooby-Doo! movie.

The Mystery Inc. Gang is heading on a vacation, but Velma will not tell Scooby and Shaggy where. Shaggy says anywhere is fine as long as there aren't any monsters. This turns out to not be fully true, as they are going to a vampire festival called, Vampire Palooza. There they see a group of vampire actors performing. Daphne soon has a crush on one of the actors, Braham (a nod to Braham Stoker who wrote the Dracula novel). However when it seems that a real vampire visits the show. It looks like the gang has another mystery on their hands. The stakes for this one though may be higher as the vampire soon kidnaps Daphne. 

There is a lot to love about this movie for Scooby fans. The characters here are all at their most likable and the humor is quite good. While not the funniest film in the franchise, there are quite a few really good laughs in here. The mystery element is excellent and while it is not too hard to solve it is still a lot of fun to try and solve it yourself. The design of the vampire is excellent. It is one of the creepier monster designs and this adds to the creepy atmosphere of the film. Yet it is not too creepy as to take away from lighthearted fun that we except from Scooby-Doo! The vampire festival and the swamp are perfectly creepy and atmospheric Scooby locations. They really pull you further into the film and make this movie stand out as something unique. This movie may be creepier than the average Scooby mystery but this is done very well and really enhances the film. The animation is quite excellent as well. 

This movie has a gimmick to differentiate it from the other Scooby films. That gimmick is that this film is a musical. Unfortunately this is the movie's weak point. None of the songs are all that good and most of them are completely forgettable. They are also not that well incorporated into the story and can at times feel like they come out of no where. This can get distracting. Songs in a musical should enhance the story. Unfortunately that is not the case here where if the songs were left out the story would remain unaffected. 

All in all a really fun Scooby movie, but I still wish they would have dropped the musical element.   

Cowboy Church #142

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

Today's musical selection begins with with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1935 recording of When I Leave This World Behind. This song was written by Bob Nolan. Bob Nolan was one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers and in my opinion one of the all time great song writers. As well as writing this song, Bob also sings lead on this song. Like many Pioneers recordings of this time, one of the highlights is Hugh Farr's excellent fiddle playing. This is followed by Uncle Dave Macon with his version of From Jerusalem to Jericho. Uncle Dave Macon was one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry, beginning his time there in the late 1920's and staying an Opry fixture until he died in 1952. Nearly every week, Uncle Dave would sing this song at the Opry and therefore it became a song that many country music fans and performers knew by heart. Up next is Johnny Cash singing Just As I Am. In the liner notes for his Unearthed box set, John stated, "Mahalia Jackson has sung this song. I've sang it too, all my life. It's a song of invitation, to come home to the church. You know, I had my years in the wilderness, had my years when the demons crawled up my back. That was only when the drugs started and they've gone away now. Well I'm no exorcist. I don't claim to be able to exorcise demons and I don't know how they went away but they did. And they don't come back anymore. I had to finally accept it that God thought there was something worth saving, so who was I to say, 'You're wrong?' I had to accept it and go along with it, and so that's what I did." This is followed by The Purple Hulls with How Deep the Father's Love. This recording comes from their 2012 album, Close to Home. Next is Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless with Daniel Prayed. This reminds us that prayer is something that we are supposed to do constantly. While we all fail at this sometimes, you will find the more you pray the closer you feel to God. This is followed by Gene Autry with his 1957 recording of There's No Backdoor to Heaven. This song was written by Dave Burgess. Burgess was the leader of the band, The Champs. The Champs were named after Gene Autry's horse Champion and were formed by executives for Gene's record label, Challenge records. They are best known for their 1958 instrumental hit Tequila. On There's No Back Door to Heaven Gene is joined by Johnny Bond on guitar and a choral group conducted by Carl Cortner. Today's musical selection ends with George Jones singing Cup of Loneliness. George wrote this song himself and it is one of his finest compositions. 

Next is Roy Rogers leading The Roy Rogers Riders Club in The Cowboy's Prayer in a short little film made for movie theaters. 

Here is C.S. Lewis reading his essay, The Sermon and the Lunch.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:28

For we walk by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:31

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:21

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7:13

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. Acts 24:16

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. Matthew 27:54

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

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

 

Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy (2005)

 

An excellent direct to video (though it did receive a limited theatrical release) Scooby-Doo! movie. 

Velma is in Egypt, away from the gang to help restore the sphinx. There she finds an ancient necklace that may or may not hold a curse. Meanwhile the rest of the gang heads to Egypt to meet her and surprise her. However when they show up spooky things start happening.

This is a smaller scale movie, but one that is extremely well done. The mystery element here is especially good and this is one of the few Scooby mysteries where the reveal took me by surprise. This film also has an emotional connect that makes it stand out among the other Scooby movies. The film really explores how much these characters truly care about each other and this is honestly quite touching. The humor is delightful. While this may not be a laugh out loud movie it does make you smile all the way through. Scooby and Shaggy are at their best here getting many funny lines. Still there are many funny jokes throughout and I love that the car trouble is helped out by a character called Triple A. There is a little side story and mystery with Scooby and Shaggy in this film and it is completely delightful and well done. As one should except from Scooby-Doo! the background art is excellent and simply a delight to look at. The designs of the mummies are also fantastic and give the film an appropriately creepy vibe.  

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #146

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with our good friend The Pink Panther in Pink Pranks (1971). While not a remake, this film seems to have borrowed a little bit from Chuck Jones' Bugs Bunny cartoon, Frigid Hare (1949), including the idea of the Pink Panther arriving in the wrong place during a vacation and helping a cute animal against a hunter, the basic setting and a gag where the cute animal cries ice cubes. 

Most Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons follow the same basic formula and therefore feel very repetitive. Boo Moon (1954) is a delightful exception and my favorite Casper cartoon. This short film features our hero heading to the moon and meeting and befriending a bunch of tiny men and even becoming their protector. If this sounds like Gulliver's Travels to you, then the similarities were certainly not lost on the filmmakers either. This film uses similar designs (and even reuses some) to the  Lilliputians from the Fleischer Brothers' animated feature length movie version of Gulliver's Travels (1939). This was also the first and only Casper cartoon to be released in 3-D, however most of us today know it much better in 2-D.

Motion Picture Herald, 1953

Next up comes one of my favorite cartoons from the silent era. The film is Reunion (1922) from the Out of the Inkwell series. Though many today assume that the combination of live action and animation is a relatively recent development, it has existed since the silent era and in fact there were whole series of short films that revolved  around this combination. Out of the Inkwell was one of these series and in it an animated Koko the Clown would have a battle of wits with his creator, played in live action by Max Fleischer, who also produced these films. Though after the silent era, Koko the clown would no longer star in his own theatrical series, he would still work as a supporting player in Betty Boop cartoons.

Chuck Jones would state that he would rely less on pop culture references and celebrity caricatures then other Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies directors and while for the most part this was true, there were rare times when entire Chuck Jones cartoons could revolve around pop culture references. Quentin Quail (1946) is one of these. The character of Toots in this film was based off of Baby Snooks, a character that comedian Fanny Brice played on the radio. The ending is another delightful pop culture reference. 



  

Now it is time for a commercial break.

Next comes the 7th Dogfather film, Delived Yeggs (1974).  While by the 1970's most studios were no longer making cartoons for movie theaters, DePatie-Freleng was helping keep the animated short film alive with multiple series. One of these series were the Dogfather cartoons for the mid-1970's. These shorts were a take-off of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972) with the titular character even sounding like Marlin Brando. 17 theatrical cartoon shorts were made of this series. This cartoon is a remake of the Sylvester and Tweety short, Satan's Waitin' (1954). 

Up next is the Mickey Mouse cartoon, The Castaway (1931). This was the first cartoon to be directed by Wilfred Jackson who would direct some of the best Disney cartoons of the 1930's. Jackson had become a director hugely through a misunderstanding. He wanted to animate a whole short by himself and he asked Walt if he "could handle a picture" himself. Instead of animating a cartoon by himself he would up directing The Castaway. According to Jackson, "we never did get this misunderstanding cleared up." Walt ended up very unhappy with the finished film and Jackson remembered overhearing Walt and Roy Disney having a conversation about it. Roy said, "But Walt, it doesn't look like a Disney picture. I don't know if we ought to release it." Walt replied, We've got to release it to meet our schedule Roy." Despite this the cartoon is actually pretty good and should delight Disney and movie fans of all ages. This movie also marked the first time Frank Churchill would do a musical score for a Disney film. He would later score music for such Disney features as Snow White (1937), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942). 

Now let us close by singing one you 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

Working With Walt: Interviews With Disney Artists by Don Peri

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein 

  

Movie Review: Ron's Gone Wrong

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A surprisingly quite good animated family movie. 

What really makes this film work is just how likable our two main characters are. As the movie progresses we learn to truly care about these characters. It is easy to see ourselves in them and therefore have an emotional connection with them. As this is a story about friendship, the most important element has to be the friendship between these two characters. Luckily this is very well handled and brings a real heart to the film. The friendship feels completely natural and we can see it develop in a completely believable way the never feels rushed. Because of this, the emotional moments work surprisingly well and the film has a sweet and unforced charm that makes it a real delight. The story, while nothing new, is also quite well told and has a nice heartfelt message about friendship. 

Like many family movies these days, the filmmakers feel like they have to fill every moment with humor. However this film works better in that department than many similar films do. There are quite a few really funny moments and I certainly found myself laughing more than I thought I would. Still as to be excepted from this constant humor approach, not every joke works. However even the jokes that don't work aren't bad or leave a bad taste in your mouth. They are just kind of there. Because of this they do not distract from how good the jokes that work are. 

On the downside some of the dialogue can feel forced and too on the nose. This is especially true in some very obvious exposition scenes and some scenes which state the moral all too obviously. Some dialogue can also try too hard to sound hip and modern. 

All in all this is a surprisingly delightful movie. 

Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo!: From Bad to Curse (1982)

 

A very good Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo! cartoon.

Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy visit a Gypsy camp. However when they get there an evil man steals a magical amulet that has unlimited power and sets to use it to rule over all the gypsies. Our heroes must stop him before it is too late. 

Many of the Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy cartoons abandoned the spooky themes of the franchise was known for. However this cartoon feels like a return to those spooky themes, while still differing heavily from the typical Scooby formula. For instance the supernatural moments are completely genuine and there is no mystery as we know who the villain is from the get go. This creates a cartoon that has just what we all love about Scooby-Doo! while still being a departure from the formula, creating a delightful cartoon. Like many of Scooby's best adventures, the atmosphere really stands out here. The atmosphere of the gypsy camp is delightfully spooky and adds much to the action. The humor while not laugh out loud funny is really charming and will put a smile on many cartoon fans' faces. The villain, while not having much personality, feels like a genuine and real threat to our heroes and we do really wonder how they will end up defeating him. 

All in all this is a delightful little cartoon.  

Video Link: Roy Rogers 'Under California Stars' (From Under California Stars (1948))

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!: The Return of Commander Cool (1989)

 

An excellent episode of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!

In this episode the gang goes to see the new life size Commander Cool toys. Of course Shaggy and Scooby go dressed as Commander Cool and Mellowmutt. However soon an alien model seeming comes to life an wrecks havoc. When the gang tries to stop them Shaggy accidently hurts his head and get amnesia. Seeing the costume he is wearing Shaggy thinks he really is Commander Cool and that Scooby is Mellow Mutt. Being a superhero Shaggy decides to take over the case for himself. 

There is nothing too original about the plot and in fact Shaggy had already believed he was a fictional superhero in the Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo cartoon, Super Teen Shaggy (1982). However this episode more than makes up for that with its great sense of humor. This is certainly one of the funniest episodes of the show and there were many great gags throughout. The running joke with Red Herring is espically funny and proves to be one of the funniest uses of that character. The gang's attempts to both play along with Shaggy's fantasies and protect their friend is very funny as is Daphne's way of dealing with the dust. The mystery is very good and while it is not too hard to solve, you can definitely see that it was well thought out. The alien, while not as great as a Scooby-Doo! Where Are You monster, is well designed and a lot of fun. 

All in all this is an excellent episode and should delight all fans of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo!

Movie Review: The Last Duel

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A smart and intelligent medieval drama.

This movie takes a Rashomon-like storytelling method where the story is told from three different character's perceptive. While this storytelling device is not used perfectly, it is used very well. What appears different from each of these three times the story is told is not only certain story points but how characters are portrayed. It has been said that everyone is the hero of their own story and that is definitely true here where each character appears the most likable when the story is shown from their perceptive. However what is very clever about this is that we get the feeling that these characters are lying the most to themselves. They have so convinced themselves that they are in the right that they can not even see their own hypocrisy. This is very thought provoking because it causes us to look inside of ourselves and wonder how often we have lied to ourselves to put ourselves in the right when maybe we were not. The final version of the story though offers us social commentary beyond this. It not only speaks to woman's rights both of the time period and today but it also speaks to how many people over the years have scarified what they knew was right because they were afraid of a society that did not approve of what was right. This is not only thought provoking but emotionally powerful as well. 

Unfortunately all the characters besides our three main ones are quite bland and feel like stereotypes of characters rather than real characters. Though the Rashomon-like storytelling device works well in a lot of ways it does have its faults. So scenes are directly repeated without much difference between them and this can make the film drag at times and feel too repetitive. In fact this movie doesn't need to be as long as it is and would have benefited from a shorter runtime. 

The New Scooby-Doo! Mysteries: The Hand of Horror (1984)

 

One of the best The New Scooby-Doo! Mysteries cartoons.

The New Scooby-Doo! Mysteries was a very aptly titled show. Before this Scooby was starring in a series of TV shorts featuring just him Scrappy and Shaggy. These short were as far removed for mysteries as possible, and often would have nothing spooky in them. The New Scooby-Doo! Mysteries brought back both the mystery element and the spooky themes. As well as this it also brought Daphne back into the mix (Fred and Velma would appear in a few episodes as well but were not regular characters). This show also differed from the original series by having each episode made up of two cartoons rather than a half hour mystery.

The gang is lost and decides to go to an old house to ask for directions. A man who has just been fired warns them not to, because strange things are happening in there. Daphne and Scrappy decide that this sounds like a mystery and they should go in to investigate. While they are in there they find a strange disembodied hand that likes to play tricks on the gang and a couple of scientists who are acting very strange. 

This is a top notch Scooby cartoon and a pure delight. The scientist's house makes for a perfect Scooby-Doo! environment being appropriately creepy but in a lighthearted fun way. The humor of the hand playing tricks on Shaggy and Scooby are delightful and reminiscent of the best episodes of the original series. The running gag with pizza delivery man is also delightful. The storyline is well handled (pun intended) and the comic pacing is excellent. However the mystery is too easy to solve due to a lack of suspects. 

A delightful Scooby-Doo! cartoon.   

Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo!: Misfortune Teller (1982)

 

A fun if unexceptional Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo! cartoon. 

Shaggy gets a job as a fortune teller at a carnival with Scooby and Scrappy helping out. When a bully named RB and his girlfriend come to have their fortune told, Shaggy tells them that RB will win every prize at the carnival. RB says that this fortune better come true or he will beat up Shaggy. Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy do everything they can to make the fortune come true. 

This is a fast moving episode that never loses its sense of energy or fun. The humor is not laugh out loud funny but it works pretty well and definitely puts a smile on my face. The ways our heroes try to make RB win are delightfully clever. The gang is at their most likable here. As I have said before one thing I love about these cartoons is that is nice to see what these characters we love do when they are not solving mysteries. I also really like the ending gag, as it is another one of those delightful impossible gags involving Scooby and food. These gags have been around since the original series and they are always delightful and charming. 

On the downside RB is a rather bland villain and his girlfriend is equally bland. 

While not the best Scrappy-Doo! cartoon, this short is certainly fun and isn't that just what you want from a cartoon. 

Video Link: The Iconic Duo of BIBI ANDERSSON & INGMAR BERGMAN - Adyfilk

Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo!: Scooby-Doo! and Genie-Poo (1982)

 

A really fun, Scooby-Doo! and Scrappy-Doo! cartoon.

Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy are spending a nice day at the beach, when they find a bottle. After rubbing the bottle two genies come out. One of them is the human genie Jasmine and the other is a dog genie, Genie-Poo. They don't prove to be two of the nicest genies and they wish to find a way to return to ancient Ariba before they have to go back inside the bottle. Genie-Poo has a crush on Scooby and wants to spend eternity with him, even if that means forcing Scooby to live in the bottle with her. Shaggy and Scappy must save Scooby before it is too late. 

This is a fast paced and funny chase cartoon. While this may not be a laugh out loud cartoon, all the gags work quite well and the result is a cartoon that leaves a smile on my face throughout. The two genies are great villains and play off our heroes very well, as well as providing some good gags themselves. Genie-poo's instance on taking Scooby with her into the bottle provides a great challenge for our heroes. Meanwhile Jasmine's complete and utter indifference to our heroes  makes her a very engaging villain. The idea of our heroes still having three wishes but having to catch up with the constantly moving and kidnaping villains is a very clever idea. 

While many of my fellow Scooby-Doo! fans dislike these Scrappy-Doo! cartoons for them abandoning the mystery element, that is a major part of why I like them. I love the mystery formula as much as anyone else but sometimes it is nice to see these characters doing something different. These cartoons with their short runtimes and reliance on old school slapstick humor also remind me of the great old theatrical cartoon shorts in the best way possible. 

Notice how Jasmine physically resembles Jeanie from Hanna-Barbera's animated version of I Dream of Jeanie. However her personality is completely different.  

Video Link: An Introduction to the New Wave Movements - TCM

Cowboy Church #141

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Thank You God. This song is the A-side of a 1956 Little Golden Record (with Let There Be Peace on Earth as the B-side). Roy and Dale are joined on this song by The Ranch Hands & Mitch Miller and His Orchestra. This is followed by another 1956 country gospel recording. This time it's George Jones singing his self-penned Taggin' Along. Next comes Johnny Cash singing Redemption. This song was written by John himself  and comes from his 1994 album, American Recordings. Despite being so late in John's career this album was very important to his career. Though John was still considered a musical legend before this album, like many musical legends his career was often looked at in the past tense. The music he had been currently making was failing finically and critically, while many simple paid no attention to it. He even briefly considered  to permanently becoming an act in Branson. If it had played out Branson would have worked heavily against him ever being cutting edge or a force to be reckoned with, as he would simply be reliving his past glories in an act that would revolve around nostalgia for the good old days. If that This was all to change when John meet producer Rick Rubin. At first glance this seemed like an odd pairing as Rubin did not produce country records. He was best known for producing young rock, hip-hop and rap acts. However he saw something in John that no other record producer was seeing at the time and saw that John could just as easily connect with the young audience that these young stars did as well as the older country artists. For the first album they made together, Rubin asked John to simply bring his guitar and play and sing whatever he wanted to (from any genre or time period). This self-penned song was one of the songs he sang. The album did just what Rick Ruben wanted it to do, create something that would be just as popular with teenagers and young adults who listened to punk and rap as to John's longtime country fan base and this was done by simply having John be himself. John was once again on the cutting edge of the music scene. Next comes Randy Travis singing Shall We Gather At The River. This hymn was written in 1864 by Robert Lowry. Lowry later described writing this song,  “One hot afternoon in July 1864, I was resting on his sofa, visions of heaven pervaded his senses. I saw the bright golden throne room and a multitude of saints gathered around the beautiful, cool, crystal, river of life. I was filled with a sense of great joy. I began to wonder why there seemed to be many hymns that referenced the river of death, but very few that mentioned the river of life. As I mused, the words and music to Shall We Gather at the River came to his heart and mind.” This is followed by The Monroe Brothers with their 1936 recording of What Would You Give in Exchange For Soul. This song was originally written by James H. Carr and F. J. Barry and first appeared in the 1911 songbook, Hosannas to the King. Afterwards is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Lord You Made the Cowboy Happy. Next is Charley Pride with Whispering Hope. This beautiful hymn comes from the pen of Alice Hawthorne (the pen name for poet Septimus Winner), who is best known for her contributions to children's music with songs like, Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? and Ten Little Indians. We continue with Tennessee Ernie Ford singing Take My Hand, Precious Lord. This song was written by Thomas A. Dorsey after the passing of his wife and newborn son in 1932. Though Dorsey had given his life to the Lord and was moving away from his career as a blues singer instead writing gospel songs and even pastoring churches. Still after the death of his beloved wife and child, he began to question his faith. Instead of giving up his faith he turned to prayer. He prayed that God would lead him through all the troubles of life. He put his prayer to music (George Allen's Maitland) and this turned out to be one of his most popular songs. Today's musical selection ends with Andy Griffith singing a medley of The Old Rugged Cross and Near The Cross.

Up next is an episode of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch Radio Show that aired September 20, 1953.

Next is C.S. Lewis reading his essay, The Decline of Religion.

Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. Proverbs 28:27

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished." Chronicles 28:20

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. Galatians 5:6

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6

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

Resources Used

Johnny Cash: The Redemption of An American Icon by Greg Laurie and Marshall Terrill

https://dianaleaghmatthews.com/shall-we-gather-at-the-river/#.YWw3p_rMJPY

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-precious-lord-take-my-hand

Scooby-Doo!: Frankencreepy (2014)

 

An excellent direct to video, Scooby-Doo! movie. 

As one may guess from the title, this film is a takeoff on the story of Frankenstein. As our movie begins Daphne is hosting her new internet series, Jeepers It's Daphne and has the gang on as special guests. However the gang is interrupted by a lawyer for Velma's family. Velma has inherited an estate in Transylvania owned by her great-great uncle. Velma is hesitant and we soon find out why. Velma's great uncle   Baron Von Dinkenstein is said to have created a monster that inspired Mary Shelly to create the story of Frankenstein, which is a story that skeptical Velma feels is ridiculous. However the gang makes a trip to Transylvania anyway. However they soon find that each of them has what they love best being taken away from them, including Fred's van, Daphne's self image, Scooby and Shaggy's appetite and Velma's skepticism. The gang finds themselves having to solve the most personal mystery yet. 

With how personal this mystery is this movie feels bigger than the average Scooby mystery, yet this is done in a way that never takes away from the lighthearted fun of the franchise. The humor here is excellent and there are quite a few really funny moments. The jokes revolving around Scooby and Shaggy's loss of appetite as well as the Townspeople's reaction to Velma are especially great. The town of Transylvania is a perfect Scooby location. It is a seemingly inviting and friendly place but there is a dark side to it buried beneath. This is handled extremely well and gives off vibes that are creepy (but not too scary), like all of the best Scooby locations. The design and background art is top notch and just as good as any of the locations of the best episodes of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You. The mystery element is one of the finest in any Scooby movie. It is extremely well thought out and very clever. The reveal at the end is perfect. 

Unfortunately this movie tries to experiment with camera angles and editing. Instead of adding to the film, it just feels pointless and distracts the story. There is also some forced exposition.

This ranks among the best direct to video Scooby-Doo! movies. 

Movie Trailer: The Batman

Vintage Horror Film Advertisements and Movie Trailers

 Hello my friends. It is October and as all of us film fans know, this is a month that exists simply to watch old monster movies, especially those from Universal Studios. To celebrate the month here are some advertisements for classic horror films. 

Variety, 1935

The Exhibitor, 1938

Universal Weekly, 1933

Showman's Trade Review, 1943

Universal Weekly, 1933

Exhibitor's Trade Review, 1924

Variety, 1931

Now for some movie trailers for classic horror films.