A wonderful documentary on Leonard Cohen and what has become his best known song.
I absolutely love Leonard Cohen's music (I am listening to it as I write this review) and the man himself, so naturally this film had a huge attraction to me. It did not let me down in any way. This movie kept me glued to my seat through the whole runtime. While this movie can only tell so much in less than two hours, it still gives a wealth of information, and more than that one can tell the passion the filmmakers have for the subject matter. The clips of Leonard Cohen performing and being interviewed are priceless for those of us who love this wonderful artist. While we may already know much of the information given in the interviews to hear these words from Leonard's mouth make these scenes still incredibly engaging. The live performances make you remember just how much of a blessing this man and his music were. Like many documentaries this film also has new interviews. These interviews are with those who knew and worked with him as well as those who were inspired by him both directly and indirectly. Again even if you know the information stated here, these interviews are still engaging and valuable to any Leonard Cohen fan.
Yet as you can guess by the name of this movie, much of the focus is on his most famous song, Hallelujah. It not only covers Leonard's version of this song, but the many covers of the song, ranging from Jeff Buckley to Alexandra Burke to Eric Church. Even Vicky Jenson, the co-director of Shrek talked about its use in that film. While I still greatly prefer Leonard's version to these covers, I found this section also very interesting and I admit this is part of the film where I learned the most. I was not as familiar with these covers as I am with Leonard's version and found much of this very fascinating.
The only problem I had with this film is that the part of the documentary that is about Leonard Cohen's life and the part that is about the legacy of Hallelujah outside of Leonard's version, can get in the way of each other and this can become distracting.
This is an excellent documentary that I highly recommend to both long time Leonard Cohen fans and newcomers.
Despite the fantasy-based storyline and all the extravagant visuals, the best scenes in this film revolve around two people talking. A reason for this is that the dialogue is simply fantastic. This movie takes this wonderful fantasy-based world and uses it for incredibly intelligent conversations about the world we live in. These conversations are very thought provoking and leave one with much to think about once they leave the theater. As well as giving us a look at the world we live in, this dialogue also gives us a great look into who these characters are, making them much more than the simple two-dimensional stereotypes they could easily have been. These scenes are also boosted by how simply wonderful Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba are in their roles. These are two great actors seen here at the top of their game. As well as giving wonderful performances the two also have amazing chemistry with each other. None of this is to say that the more fantastically elements don't work here. This movie creates a fantasy world that is tied enough into our own world and various mythologies and histories that it feels completely possible to us that this reality could exist. To have a film that makes a story about a genie granting wishes feel this believable is certainly a wonderful feat. The film also looks great. It is no secret that director Geroge Miller (the Mad Max films) knows how to make wonderful looking movies and he certainly does here.
This movie does have its faults though. Much of the story involves the genie telling our heroine about his former masters and what happened when they found him. Some of these are really interesting (the woman who he gives great knowledge to) and some are not that great (the one with the two brothers). However, since there are quite a few of these stories, it begins to get a little tiresome at times, and can make the movie feel longer than it actually is.
While this film has its faults what works about it is truly excellent.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus Loves the Little Children. This comes from a 1955 Little Golden Record that also included them singing The Good Lord is Going to Take Care of You. This song was written by C. Herbert Woolston and is said to have been inspired by Matthew 19:14 ( “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.”) The song is to the tune of the 1864 Civil War song, Tramp Tramp Tramp (written by George Fredrick Root). Roy and Dale only sing the refrain of this song as that is all that was commonly used in Sunday schools.
This is followed by Merle Haggard with Victory in Jesus. Though there are many times when we feel defeated, it is important to know that as Christians we have victory in Jesus. He is our savior and no matter what happens to us on Earth, one day we will find ourselves in heaven, where there will be blessings beyond anything we have ever known or could ever imagine. By dying on the cross, Jesus has won the fight against sin and as we know by the book of Revelations, one day he is coming back to Earth to put Satan in chains. Merle is joined on this song by his good friend, Albert E. Brumley Jr.
Next comes Kris Kristofferson and Larry Gatlin with Help Me. In 1971 Connie Smith had invited Kris Kristofferson to the Evangel Temple. Jimmie Snow (the pastor of the church) had asked Larry Gatlin, who was a member of this church and currently worker as a janitor, to come up and sing a song he wrote. That song was Help Me and it had a major effect on Kris. Kris would later say, "It was what I guess you call a religious experience. I've never had one before or since. To this day I don't know why I did it. I think Jimmy sensed I didn't know what I was doing because he asked me if I was ready to be saved and I told him I didn't know. He put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to get down on my knees. There were a number of us kneeling and I don't remember what he was saying. It was something about freedom from guilt. All I can remember is that I broke into tears. I was weeping and when it was over I felt like I had been purged. I was carrying a lot of guilt at that time. I felt I had disappointed my family, my friends, my ancestors and everybody that knew me. So I wrote that song [Why Me Lord]." Because of the effect this song had on Kris, Kris recorded the song as a duet with Larry Gatlin on his 1972 album, Jesus Was a Capricorn. Kris later talked about this saying, "I did it because I loved the song and was so grateful for the effect it had on me. To further demonstrate my gratitude, I put it on the B-side of my single Why Me instead of one of my own, giving Larry mechanical royalties on the biggest single I ever had. Payback!"
This followed by Rex Allen with his recording of Sleep Little Moses. This song comes from his 1959 album, Mister Cowboy. As well as my fellow country music fans, my fellow movie buffs might also know Rex Allen. Like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, Rex had starred in some singing cowboy B westerns in the 1950's. However today his movie career might be best remembered by Disney buffs for narrating such Disney films as The Legend of Lobo (1962), The Incredible Journey (1963) and Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar (1967). He also narrated the Hanna-Barbera feature film, Charolette's Web (1973).
Personal Jesus is an example of how a song can take on a meaning to a listener that the author did not intend. Johnny Cash said that this was a song he wished that he had wrote. He felt it summarized perfectly man's relationship with God. That Jesus is always willing to forgive and have a relationship with anyone who desires to know him. Yet this when Martin Gore had originally wrote this song, he did not intend it to be actually about the Christian faith. He wrote it after having read Pricillia Presley's book Elvis and Me. Gore would state, "It's a song about being a Jesus for somebody else. It's about how Elvis was her man and her mentor and how often that happens in love relationships."
Next comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began 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.
Today's musical selection ends with The Charlie Daniels Band with Awesome God.
Today's movie trailer is The Far Country (1954). This was the fourth of the great series of western films that director Anothony Mann and actor James Stewart made together. Despite having made so many Westerns together though the biggest hit the two collaborated on was the musical biopic, The Glenn Miller Story (1954). The three westerns the two made before this film were Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952) and The Naked Spur (1953). The two made one more western together, The Man from Laramie (1955). They were set to make Night Passage (1957) together, but Mann was replaced as the director.
If you have trouble reading the contempary review of The Far Country click on the page below and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Motion Picture Daily, 1955
Now for a sermon by S.M. Lockridge.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Luke 3:8
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. Proverbs 3:13
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Thanks for joining me. There will be no Cowboy Church post for the next two weeks, because I will be on a trip to Israel with my church. However when I get back, these weekly posts will soon continue. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
This movie is one that can really keep you on the edge of your seat. Part of this is because if you don't know the true story (I didn't), it will constantly keep you guessing what is going to happen next. Director, Abi Damaris Corbin knows just how to keep this film intense and never lose the attention of its audience without making it feel rushed. This movie also sets out to be more than just a suspense movie involving a bank hold up. This film is also an examination of how even a good man can be pushed too far and the mistreatment of our veterans. What the VA has done to this man is truly tragic and will rightfully make the audience angry. From a storytelling standpoint, this also makes it easy for us to care about a character, even when he is threatening to blow up a bank. This does not mean we agree with his methods or that the film endorses this as a healthy way to deal with this tragedy, but it does create a strong connection between the character and the audience. It also drives home a powerful point and some social commentary that will stay with us. It doesn't hurt that as the main character, John Boyega (best known as Finn in the Star Wars franchise) gives the best performance so far in his career. He gives a performance that captures the fear and anger in him, while still emphasizing his good intentions behind what he does. You can see why he scares the two bank employees, but yet you can still see his vulnerability.
The main fault with this film is that often the dialogue can feel forced and unnatural. This is especially true of the scenes between the main character and his daughter. These scenes feel too cutesy and clumsily written that they take us out of the movie. There is also quite a bit of clumsily dialogue between the main character and the two bank employees (such when he asks one of them what she likes). Meanwhile the scenes that take place outside of the bank are simply not that interesting.
Despite its faults, what this movie does well is simply fantastic. Therefore this is an excellent watch for all movie goers.
Happy Saturday morning my friends. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with an excellent Donald Duck cartoon, The Trial of Donald Duck (1948). This movie is directed by Jack King, who had directed a large number of great Donald Duck shorts. King would retire in 1948, the same year this cartoon was released. This film would make its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired December 12, 1956.
Next comes Sylvester and Tweety in Tweet Dreams (1959). This movie is what is often referred to as a cheater. This means that it uses clips from earlier cartoons. The cartoons which have clips used here include Sandy Claws (1954), Tweety's Circus (1955), A Street Cat Named Sylvester (1953), Gift Wrapped (1952) and Too Hop to Handle (1956). Another cheater cartoon, Freudy Cat (1964) uses a similar premise where Sylvester visits a psychist. That picture would feature Sylvester going after Hippitey Hopper instead. Voice actor Mel Blanc would later write, "Sylvester has always been a favorite of mine. He's always been the easiest character for me to play. When I was show the first model sheet for Sylvester with his floppy jaws and generally disheveled appearance, I said to Friz Freleng, 'A big sloppy cat should have a big shthloppy voice. He should spray even more than Daffy.' While recording Sylvester cartoons my scripts would get so covered in sylvia I'd repeatedly have to wipe them clean. I used to suggest to actress June Foray, who voiced Tweety's vigilant owner Granny, that she wear a raincoat to the sessions."
Next comes a delightful Van Beuren cartoon, Cubby's Picnic (1933). This movie stars Cubby Bear. If the character looks a lot like Mickey Mouse, that is not a coincidence. Nearly every American cartoon studio at this time, was creating films featuring character who looked and acted just like Mickey. This was especially true of the Van Beuren Studio, who got sued in 1931, for using mice characters who were too close to comfort for Walt Disney.
Just as the Pink Panther character came out of the opening credit sequence for the live action feature film The Pink Panther (1964), a fellow DePatie-Freleng cartoon character, The Inspector came from the opening credits sequence of that movie's sequel A Shot in the Dark (1964). The Inspector was based off of the main character of these movies, Inspector Clouseau, however he was not quite just an animated version of Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards' famous character. Since the Pink Panther diamond was not used in this sequel and his name is not in the title of the film, the Pink Panther character was not used for these opening credits. Later sequels which would not feature the diamond, would have "Pink Panther" in their titles and feature the character in the opening credits. This opening title sequence was directed by George Dunning, who is best remembered today for directing the Beatles' animated movie, Yellow Submarine.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes Peter Potamus in The Good Hood (1964).
Now for a silent movie starring Dreamy Dud, He Resolves Not to Smoke (1915).
Next comes the fifth Hoot Kloot film, Pay Your Buffalo Bill (1973). This is the third film in which Hoot Kloot faces off against his nemesis Crazy Wolf. Both Hoot Kloot and his horse Fester are voiced by Bob Holt. For DePatie-Freleng Holt would also voice The Dogfather and Harry Halibut (from the Misterjaw cartoons). For Hanna-Barbera, he would voice Grape Ape.
Today's cartoon selection ends with Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939). This is the first Daffy Duck short to be directed by Chuck Jones. Though Chuck Jones would play a major role in helping transform Daffy Duck from the early crazy character into the more selfish and greedy duck, in this movie Daffy is completely at his craziest ("that is correct, 100% correct"). At this time Chuck was directing slower paced and more dramatic cartoons then his Warner Brothers cartoon associates, however this film is complete cartoon silliness that moves along at a pretty quick pace for Chuck at this time period. Many cartoon fans will recognize this movie for its presence on many public domain DVDs and Blu-rays.
Thanks for joining me. Just so you know there will be no Saturday morning cartoon posts for the next two weeks, because I am taking a trip out of the country with my church. But after that break, I'll be back to posting animated gems each week. 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
I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety by Jerry Beck.
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin
I love the Warner Brothers musicals from the 1930's. This of course includes beloved classics like 42nd Street, but it also includes overlooked gems like Sweet Music. It amazes me how little talked about Sweet Music is among classic movie fans. It has everything that makes me love these musicals so much. Great songs, lavish looking musical numbers, a great cast (Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Ned Sparks, Allan Jenkins...) and great humor are all here. Yes, it is a corny and silly movie, but I think we could all use a little more corniness and silliness in our life and this film is very entertaining to boot. The director of the film is Alfred E. Green. Green was never a director who had a distinctive style or genre. He directed films as diverse as Dangerous, The Gracie Allen Murder Case, Ella Cinders, The Jolson Story, Baby Face, Smart Money and this film.However,he did bring us a list of usually consistently good movies. Most of his films were usually B-movies but this is a rare A-movie for him and he pulls it off very well.
One of the main reasons for this film existing is it's star Rudy Vallee. Rudy Vallee was one of the biggest music stars of this era, and Hollywood was quick to take advantage of his popularity. His first film appearance was in 1929 with the short Radio Rhythm and that same year he would appear in his first feature The Vagabond Lover. He would have a great career as a movie actor as well with films such as The Palm Beach Story, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, I Remember Mama, and Gold-diggers in Paris, and this film. He would prove he was a great performer whether an actor or a singer. However this film was made to show off Rudy's music. He would often times clown around when performing on stage and that is taken to full advantage here. For instance Rudy does an imitation of radio star Fred Allen during a great comedy song called Outside and there is much slapstick with him and his band on stage. This film truly lets Rudy Vallee show his very likable stage image at its best.
Rudy Vallee isn't the only great thing about film's cast. Especially of note are Ned Sparks and Allan Jenkins (who my fellow Hanna-Barbera lovers might know as the voice of Officer Dibble in Top Cat). Both of these actors played smaller roles in many Warner Brothers musicals. They were always quite funny in those small roles and they are even better in their larger roles here. Their parts in this film are hilarious (Ned Sparks as Ann Dvorak's agent and Allan Jenkins as a nutty publicity agent). Also what works well here is that Ann Dvorak and Rudy Vallee have great chemistry.
The song writers for this film are the great team of Al Dublin and Harry Warren (42nd Street, Gold-diggers of 1933) as well as the team of Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal (Footlight Parade) and another songwriting team of Mort Dixon and Allie Wrubel (Flirtation Walk). One of the highlights of the film is the great ending musical number written by Dublin and Warren.
Critics and audiences both enjoyed the film when it was released, and I am sure many classic film fans will love it today.
This movie very much feels like a feature length version of a sitcom episode. All the basic story points here, are very much typical sitcom stories. A father is too busy with work to see his son, two sisters (and the mothers of some of the main characters) are fighting, a boy falls for a girl and is helped out in this department by some wacky relatives and a man doesn't want to admit that he did not get the job everybody excepted him to. This movie adds nothing to these plot points that has not been seen in a million sitcoms before. Because of this the film mainly on how likable the characters are and how funny the humor is. The movie is pretty good on both these accounts but hardly outstanding. Our main character is quite likable. Sure, he almost always does the wrong thing, but he always means well and truly does care about his family. The main problem with the treatment of the characters is that there are too many of them for a movie that is only a little over an hour and a half. These characters come off as likable and pleasant but little more as we are not allowed to spend enough time with them for them to be anything more than one note. The humor can be a mixed bag. However I will admit there were a few jokes that made me laugh out loud (especially those with the main character's ex-girlfriend who is now a cop). Still most of the humor is typical sitcom-esque humor that raises more of a smile than a laugh. Some of the humor completely misses though. This movie stars stand-up comedian Jo Koy and some of the humor comes off as extended stand-up routines. I have never listened to Jo Koy's standup, so it could often be better than it comes off here. These stand-up comedy type scenes to me completely fell flat and reminded me of why I have never been a big fan of stand-up comedy.
This film provides a pleasant trip to the movies and a few good laughs but is hardly a holiday classic.
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 Heavenly Airplane. This song was written by Bob Nolan, one of the founding members and one of my favorite songwriters. Bob also sings lead on the track. Hugh Farr's fiddle playing is simply wonderful here.
Next comes The Carter Family with their 1964 recording of Troublesome Waters.
This is followed by Johnny Horton with Church by the Side of the Road. This song was written by Johnny Horton himself. The background vocals are by the Jordanaires who back Elvis Presley on many of his gospel recordings.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with The Great Speckled Bird. The song was written by Reverend Guy Smith. These lyrics reference Jeremiah 12:9, "Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour." The song would become a country music standard when Roy Acuff recorded it in 1936 and it became of his signature songs. Johnny Cash's version comes from his 1959 album, Song of Our Soil. Kitty Wells recorded the song the same year.
Next is Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with In the Garden. This song was written by C. Austin Miles. As well as a hymnist, Austin's hobby was photography. He wrote this song in 1912 while waiting some film to dry in a cold and leaky basement. Miles had discovered earlier that he could read the bible in the red lighting of his darkroom and often did. This day he was reading John 20. He read about how Mary went into the garden to see Jesus' tomb. Her heart was full of sadness, but when she learned that Jesus had overcome the grave she was moved to great joy. This passage moved Miles as he read it, and this song started to come to him. Miles originally intended this song to be an Easter song and for it to be from the point of view of Mary Magdalene. Miles would later say about this song, “This is not an experience limited to a happening almost 2,000 years ago. It is the daily companionship with the Lord that makes up the Christian’s life.”
Now for Merle Haggard singing What a Friend we Have in Jesus. Despite being Joseph Medlicott Scriven's most famous composition, when he made a collection of his writings entitled Hymns and Other Verses it did not appear. It has been assumed that the reason for this is that he probably wrote it for his mother when she was sick and not for the public. It is believed that it is through his mother that the hymn reached the public. It first appeared in 1865's Social Hymns, Original and Selected credited as anonymous.
Next comes Gene Autry and Diana Shore with The Old Rugged Cross. The song itself dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then.
Today's musical selection ends with The Everly Brothers with Softly and Tenderly.
Two movie trailers for today. The first is for True Grit (1969) and the second is True Grit (2010).
Despite the lateness in John Wayne's career, True Grit is one of the films he is most associated with and is still a staple on any TV channel that shows western movies. The amount of times I have watched this on TV is higher than how high I wish to count. As many of you know Glen Campbell both acts and sings the opening song. Campbell was not the first considered for this role. The original choice for this role was Elvis Presley. However Elvis' manager insisted Elvis get top billing. Of course for any but John Wayne to get top billing in a John Wayne movie was unheard of, so another singer was found to play the part. Director Henry Hathaway hated Glen Campbell's performance in this movie. To be fair though Glen Campbell also completely dismissed his performance in this film as well. Henry Hathaway had earlier directed John Wayne in North to Alaska (1960) and The Sons of Katie Elder (1965). The 2010 remake while not as great as the original is still a really good film as well.
Next comes the C.S. Lewis essay, On the Reading of Old Books.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44
... 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 everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. Deuteronomy 15:11
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
What makes this movie work so well is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It instead has no pretentions of being anything more than a really fun anime action film. This may turn off die hard fans, who want a groundbreaking addition to the franchise, but for those who just want a fun movie, this works very well. This movie keeps the franchise's sense of humor perfectly, and I was surprised at how much I laughed watching the film. The characters are as likable as ever. This film is not afraid to show the character's sillier sides, but it never had the characters become jokes. The characters feel like completely real people and despite their faults they also come off as true heroes. The movie will remind those who grew up with the anime, just why these characters were such a major part of their childhoods. Though the plot is hardly original, it moves at a fast pace and it is never dull for a second. Yet the story also doesn't feel too rushed. The stakes also feel really big in this picture, giving it a bit of an epic feel, especially towards the final fight scene. Speaking of the final fight scene, it is fantastic and will easily make many forgive any of its faults.
While the story is a lot of fun, it is also very predictable. There was little done here that has not been done before (sometimes even by the same franchise). Because of this, you always know what is going to happen next and where each plot point is going to lead. This installment is completely done in CGI instead of 2D animation. The result is mixed. Some scenes look fantastic and make you forget this and feel like you are watching an episode of Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z. This is definitely true of many of the fight scenes which simply look wonderful. On the other hand, a lot of the scenes look more like cut scenes in a Dragon Ball video game rather than something that would be in a theatrically released feature film. Some of the early scenes with the villains look especially bad and took me out of the movie when I saw them.
This may not be a game changer for the franchise but it is a very fun animated action flick.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a delightful Donald Duck cartoon, Wide Open Spaces (1947). This short film is pretty much a one man (or one duck) show for Donald. Another character appears briefly but we never see his face. This movie was directed by Jack King who had been Donald's regular director. This cartoon is towards the end of his time working in animation as he would retire the next year in 1948. This short would later be used as part of the TV special Donald Takes a Holiday (1986). It was also used as part of the feature length compilation film, Donald Duck Goes West (1965). Donald Duck Goes West received a theatrical release overseas, but not in the U.S.
Next is the 4th Hoot Kloot film, A Self-Winding Sidewinder (1973). This short marks the second appearance of Kloot's nemesis, Crazywolf, whose silly voice is provided by Larry Man. Larry Man is most famous for voicing Yukon Cornelius in the classic TV movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). He also appeared in some live action movies including Bullitt (1968) and The Sting (1973).
As many of you know The Pink Panther began his career in the animated opening credits sequence of Blake Edwards' wonderful live action movie, The Pink Panther (1964). Friz Freleng and David DePatie had recently formed their animation studio, DePatie-Freleng. This studio was mostly making TV commercials, when they got a call from Blake Edwards. Blake showed David the script for The Pink Panther and told him though he was making a live action movie, he felt it should have a cartoon Pink Panther, somewhere in it. David and Friz then told their artists to create a design for a Pink Panther. David DePatie remembered taking "about 75 to 100 different panther poses..." to Blake. Blake picked one and said that that was the character. Later Blake Edwards would tell them he wanted an animated opening credits cartoon sequence that could up to five or six minutes (about the same length as a typical theatrical cartoon short). David and Friz then set to making a storyboard with writer John Dunn (Friz's favorite writer) and animator Art Leonardi. When they showed Blake the storyboard he loved it. Though Friz and David explained that the sequence would not be cheap, Blake and producers The Mirisch Brothers agreed to the cost. The DePatie-Freleng studio took about two months to complete this sequence and it was worth it. As David DePatie would later remember, "At the conclusion of the main title the crowd went bananas." No wonder this character would in less than a year be spun off into his own cartoon series.
Now for the second to last Willie Whopper cartoon, The Good Scout (1934). Look for a cameo from the first Looney Tunes star Bosko in this film. Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising (Bosko's creators) would soon be taking over the MGM cartoon studio and make a few Bosko cartoons there.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next up comes an early black and white Silly Symphony, Mother Goose Melodies (1931). Like many other early Silly Symphonies, this film doesn't feature much in the way of plot and spends most of it time with characters dancing and reacting to the music. Yet this is an important film in the series as it is the first one to have lyrics sung by the characters. The songs here are rather simple affairs with little of the complexities that would appear in later Disney music (JB Kaufman and Russell Merritt's indispensable book on the Silly Symphonies credits these songs to "Bert Lewis and/or Frank Churchill). The opening scenes beginning the parade (animated by Ben Sharpsteen) would later be reused in a special short for the 1932 Academy Awards titled Parade of the Award Nominees. This film would be remade as the color Silly Symphony, Old King Cole (1933). The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Walt Disney and his assistants have turned out a synchronized cartoon comedy that will be hard to beat. It has all the Mother Goose rhymes worked into one story and the transportation from one to another is accomplished by turning the pages of a huge story book. Drawings on the pages come to life and preform real laugh-making antics. Gags are new and plentiful. This one will make audiences laugh plenty." The following is a review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Walt Disney has done a most unusual piece of work in this "Silly Symphony" number. There is indicated a great step forward technically, in animation and synchronization, in addition to excellent subject material, clever animated ideas, and rapidity of action. There is almost the illusion of real life in some of the figures, the animation is so fine. Many well known Mother Goose stories are included with the stories neatly running together. Old King Cole is featured and little Jack Horner is featured as well. The youngsters will devour this and ask for more and the elderly children will enjoy it hugely by all means do not miss it. It is great." Walt Disney voices Little Jack Horner himself.
Now for a classic Tex Avery directed short for Warner Brothers, Porky's Preview (1941). I love how composer Carl Stalling joins in the fun by doing amateur sounding versions of songs he often liked to use in his scores for Looney Tunes cartoons.
Now for some Dudley Do Right.
We close with the first pairing of Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales, It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House (1965). The two would be paired together in 25 more cartoons.
Thanks for joining me and come back next week for another round of animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
A thriller that is so dumb that it can't even work as turn your mind off fun.
While watching this movie in the theater, it was hard not to notice that people were laughing quite a bit at the scenes that were supposed to be scary or suspenseful and it was even harder not to join in. I am usually a person who finds it easy to suspend my disbelief, but the absurdity of this movie was hard for me to even believe. Much of this lies in the lion that is trying to kill our heroes. First off this lion looks incredibly fake. I knew going in that this character was going to be CGI, but I never excepted him to look so much like a cartoon character. I would have not been surprised if he started talking to the characters in English. The idea of a lion coming with an elaborate plan to capture a specific group of people, also seems like something that would work better in a cartoon-y comedy rather than a film that is supposed to be suspenseful and scary. All the scenes with the lion attacking people are too reminiscing for much better scenes from other movies to be in anyway memorable and shocking. This is not hurt by the fact that in every moment in this film is completely predictable. From the start we pretty much know how this film is going to end and there is not a single surprise along the way. Because of this, I actually got bored by a movie as over the top and silly as this one. It is sad when I care more about the family drama scenes then the actual lion scenes.
Idris Elba is a great actor and Baltasar Kormákur has directed some good movies. With this in mind this film should be chalked down to everybody is entitled to a miss.
Despite the title this is not a typical romance film in any way. In fact, this movie is often less about romance then it is about living life even after something very painful. In this movie an older woman (Dale Dickey), after the painful loss of her husband simply hides herself in her trailer, isolating herself from the rest of the world. After years of living like this she decides to meet with a childhood friend (Wes Studi), who she has not seen in a very long time. Unlike what most movies would do this film is not focused on the idea of this woman finding a new romance. Rather the point of the film is her need to stop going through the motions and enjoy herself again. I feel this is a much more important moral. Sometimes what people need is not something external or a new romance, because if they don't take care of what they internally feel, this all means nothing.
The style of this film will turn many people off very quickly, but once you think about it this to tell the story. The movie is quite slow moving and very quiet. This may turn off those used to more action based and faster moving films. Yet without this slow pace, the film would not have the same impact. In the early scenes you simply see a woman doing repetitive everyday tasks without talking to many people or having much of an emotional reaction to what she is doing. Without much exposition the story is perfectly set up. We understand that this woman is hurting and isolating herself with few friends or family. To tell so much by doing so little is pure cinema and the kind of art that only movies can create. As the film moves along we see her interacting with her childhood friend and some of the blanks are filled. Yet this remains a slower moving and quieter movie. There is little focus on any big romantic scenes between the two but instead the focus of the film is on the smaller scenes with the two of them. This is important as while we may overlook these smaller moments when they happen, when we feel lonely or miss people it is these moments that we look back on with the most fondness. That can make these scenes the most charming and beautiful parts of the picture.
Just as well as this movie knows how to use silence it knows how to use music. Music is this film isn't just something the characters listen to in this film. It is something that helps them express how they feel much more eloquently than they can say normally. Our main character has a radio that she claims that if you just turn the dial the perfect song will play, even if sometimes you don't know why it is the perfect song at the moment. Every song used in this movie perfectly fits the internal emotions of the character and there is no doubt the film would lose something without its soundtrack (for a fan of country and folk music, I especially loved the songs chosen here). One of the most joyous scenes in the picture involves the two childhood friends play and sing a song together. This movie perfectly illustrates the power of music and why it is so important.
With how incredible the filmmaking is it is hard to believe this is director, Max Walker-Silverman's first feature film.
Over the course of its long run, Super Friends changed formats and titles many times. Probably the most famous and popular format was an hour-long format featuring two half hour segments. The first of these segments was called The New Super Friends and featured only Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, Robin and the Wonder Twins (a pair of characters created specifically for this series) and they would most of time fight one-off villains created specifically for this show. There was also the Wonder Twins' pet monkey Gleek but more about him later. The second segment would be called Challenge of the Super Friends and would feature a wider variety of heroes and have them fight the legion of doom (a group made up of some of the greatest super villains from the comics. Rokan: Enemy from Space marked the first The New Super Friends segment.
In this episode a giant dinosaur-looking monster attacks a city leaving destruction in its wake. The Super Friends come to the rescue but seem to be useless as the creature is as powerful as Superman. Superman soon realizes why this is. The creature comes from Krypton just like Superman.
This episode is pure corny fun. Though this episode may seem too corny and dated for many modern superhero fans, I have always embraced and loved the sillier aspects of superhero stories making this a lot of fun. Also there is a certain charm to such a simple unpretentious story, that does not try to be anything complicated or epic.
This episode certainly benefits from a great villain design. While this villain is simply a force of nature and has no personality to speak of, he is still quite memorable. He has a powerful and threatening look and one that simply looks how a child would imagine such a character looking. There is also something that is always satisfying about seeing superheroes face off against a giant monster.
While Super Friends has often been criticized for its characterizations of the characters being bland, this episode really gets the character of Superman right. When it seems like the only way to defeat Rokan is to risk his own life, Superman has no problem doing this stating that they should do things according to "the greater good for the greater number of people." The fact that Superman never even hesitates to say this and shows little fear of what could happen to him, shows why he is such a great character. Superman is a character that should represent who we aspire to be and be someone we can always look up to. That is something that can perfectly be said about this version of Superman here.
Now I have to get on to what will be my major complaint for many of these episodes. That would be Gleek the monkey. This character is a waste of space and often times just gets the Super Friends into more trouble. In this episode just as the Wonder Twins are going to help Aquaman, Gleek ruins their plan to. Gleek is in a long line of comedic animals to be featured in Hanna-Barbera action shows. The idea of having a comedic animal sidekick is not a bad one, but Gleek is never funny. There has never been a joke with this character that has made me smile once and when he ruins things for the Super Friends, it simply annoys the audience. Luckily He doesn't get much screen time in this episode but it is still too much.
All in all (and despite Gleek), this episode is quite a bit of fun.
This film is a lot like a Hallmark movie on the big screen. It has a charm to it and is a pleasant watch but there is little you are going to remember about it in a few days. This movie has a simple but charming premise involving a 30-year-old woman, who is exhausted from trying to fit in with her same age friends, when she feels she has more in common with an old lady. When she decides to do a past life regression, she then finds herself as a 70-year-old woman. This all leads to the typical romantic mishaps and a nice lesson about being yourself. The romance here is actually done quite well. There seems to be a real connection between the characters and how the relationship evolves is very well done. Our main character is very likable and relatable. Her character arc is also very relatable and her progress through this arc feels very natural. Diane Keaton of course shines here like she always does. Though many movies with her are not as good as she is, she is always wonderful in any film. Though she plays many scenes for broad comedy, she also brings a lot of heart and humanity to the role. Yet Elizabeth Lail, who plays the younger version of the character is also very good and charming in her role.
Despite being advertised as a comedy, this movie is not that funny. If you are excepting to get some big laughs, this may not be the film for you. The jokes are not really bad, but they are ones you are more likely to smile at then laugh at. This movie also is very predictable and familar. Many scenes will make you think, "where have I seen this before," and anyone who has ever watched a movie before knows how this film will end.
This film provides a pleasant trip to the movies but little more.
Note: This is the newest of DC Comics series of animated direct to video movies.
Michael's Movie Grade: B
An excellent superhero adventure.
What really makes this movie work is how well it presents the characters. John Stewart is one of my favorite Green Lanterns and this film perfectly shows why. He is never defined by the ring or the powers it gives him. In fact as the film starts he is strongly opposed to the idea of being a Green Lantern. This movie also goes into the PTSD he has suffered from his years in the military, which often pushes him to dark places in the middle of battle. This subject is treated very respectfully, and the film does a great job of having this be a part of his character but not something that defines him either. What does define him is what is most necessary for a Green Lantern. His ability to push on through anything and his sense of duty even when what he knows is the right thing isn't the thing he would choose. His character arc over the course of the movie is well realized and you truly believe his growth as a person and as a Green Lantern. This movie also does a great job with it handles Hawkgirl and Green Arrow. This is the tough no nonsense Hawkgirl that I have been a fan of since I was introduced to her through the wonderful Justice League cartoon show. She is hard and rough on the outside and willing to go further than most of the other heroes, yet she is still clearly a hero and is always seeking justice and what is right. I love how Green Arrow despite being a superhero with no powers, he never lets himself take a back seat to any of the other heroes.
While the storyline of this film may not be especially original, it is very engaging. All the main characters go through arcs that make perfect sense and help us understand better why we love these characters. This movie also benefits from some wonderful action sequences that are simply a lot of fun.
This film has the main fault of many of these DC direct to video animated movies. That is that it feels quite rushed. This movie serves as an origin story for John Stewart, a look into his PTSD, his reluctance to be a Green Lantern, his meeting of some Justice League members, a story about the disappearance of Hal Jordan, a story about Green Arrow dealing with what happened to his best friend, a story of Hawkgirl learning to trust others and an action film about a huge intergalactic war. A movie with all this going on shouldn't be less than an hour and a half. Because of this shorter length some of these plot points don't receive the time to be as fleshed out as they should be, and a few seem to be dropped at times as the movie goes on. This movie also has a big twist that I could see coming much too soon.
While this may not be the best of these movies, this film is a really fun and well-made superhero adventure.
An enjoyable suspense film with a few good scares.
This movie has an incredibly simple premise (in fact too simple for its runtime). Two young women climb up an abandoned TV tower in the middle of nowhere, but it does not go as planned and the two get stranded up there. Movies featuring characters being suspended in a very high place have a long history, think of Harold Lloyd in Safety Last (1923). There is a reason this premise still exists today and that is because it still has the ability to frighten and excite. This movie is proof of that. Even if you aren't afraid of heights, some of these scenes will keep you on the edge of your seat. Part of the reason for it is that even in today's movie savvy world, this film looks quite real. You really believe that these characters are about to fall to their deaths at any moment. The shots looking down from the tower are truly terrifying. This movie also benefits from there often being the slight moment of suspense that makes one wonder if the film is going to follow the cliché's or do something different. The main characters are also quite likable. There is little to no depth or subtlety to these characters, but they are likable, and this makes any scene with their lives in danger more suspenseful. There is also a twist towards the end that while done quite a few times before works better than should of. All of this means the most important aspect of the movie is its strongest asset.
However, there is quite a bit that doesn't work about this movie. This is definitely evident in the dialogue. Much of this dialogue seems to be trying too hard to sound like how two hip young women would talk. There is some soap opera type drama that happens between the two main characters and it seems completely forced and unnecessary. The humor in this film is quite bad and I can't think of one time a joke made me even smile. However the main fault is the film is longer than it needs to be. While this may be strange to say of a movie less than two hours in a time when many movies ran well over two hours, the length is simply too much for this simple of a story. After a while there are too many attempts to get down and too many contrivances that make things more difficult that the film can feel a bit repetitive.
This may not be a great film but it does provide a fun trip to the movies.
Whether she is in a mainstream movie or an art house film, Aubery Plaza never fails to impress me in pretty much every role she takes on. She is an incredibly gifted actress and always shows incredible range. I also respect how she is not afraid to take on incredibly challenging roles (like the one here). Therefore it is a large statement when I tell you, I think in Emily the Criminal she gives perhaps her finest performance. This is a film that if the right actress was not cast, simply wouldn't work. Luckily Aubery Plaza is exactly the right actress. Because of her we can find ourselves relating to this mostly unlikable character. That is because her performance gives a bit of humanity behind the character's morally terrible decisions. There are times when we actually find ourselves wanting this character to get away with her crimes. Yet despite her adding humanity to this character, the actress knows not to go too far in this direction. Like the other characters in the film, we are never supposed to fully know this character and what she does next is supposed to be a mystery to us. Aubery understands this perfectly and though we can relate to and believe this character, we always know there is something underneath the actress is just not telling us.
Yet this movie does not rest solely on the wonderful performance of Aubery Plaza. Writer and director John Patton Ford knows how to keep us the edge of our seats and always guess what is going to happen next. Despite this incredibly being his feature length debut, this film feels like the work of an old pro. There is not a second of film wasted and everything is so wonderfully designed to keep us on the edge of our seats. The film never moves too quickly to lose its feeling of suspense or too slowly that it might lose our interest. He knows when to give us a strong suspense scene and when to give us a breather. He also knows how to incorporate social commentary without ever stopping the film to sermonize to us. The premise of this film is very simple and not that different from similar suspense movies. A young woman is stuck in dead end job without enough money to pay her student debts. Yet John Patton Ford knows just how to make this premise feel new and fresh. I cannot wait to see what this director does next.
Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Dwelling in Beulah Land. Dwelling in Beulah Land was written by C. Austin Miles (who also wrote the gospel classic In The Garden) and was first published in 1911. C. Austin Miles once said, “It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my Master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.” Roy Rogers (at this time Leonard Slye) sings lead on this song. This was his last year with the Pioneers before he would leave to start his solo movie career.
Next comes Randy Travis with The Unclouded Day. This song was written in 1879 by Josiah Kelley Alwood. Alwood would later write about the creation of this hymn. “It was a balmy night in August 1879, when returning from a debate in Spring Hill, Ohio, to my home in Morenci, Michigan, about 1:00 a.m. I saw a beautiful rainbow north by northwest against a dense black nimbus cloud. The sky was all perfectly clear except this dark cloud which covered about forty degrees of the horizon and extended about halfway to the zenith. The phenomenon was entirely new to me and my nerves refreshed by the balmy air and the lovely sight. Old Morpheus was playing his sweetest lullaby. Another mile of travel, a few moments of time, a fellow of my size was ensconced in sweet home and wrapped in sweet sleep. A first class know-nothing till rosy-sweet morning was wide over the fields. To awake and look abroad and remember the night was to be filled with sweet melody. A while at the organ brought forth a piece of music now known as 'The Unclouded Day.' A Day and a half was bestowed on the four stanzas.”
Now we join Ernest Tubb with his 1936 recording of The Right Train to Heaven. Ernest wrote this song himself. Though he recorded the song in 1936, it would be released as a single in 1942. This is because there was a musicians strike in 1942, that made it hard to get new recordings so the label released this old recording that didn't receive a proper release. This recording was part of Ernest's first recording session on October 27, 1936.
Next comes Bob Dylan with Gospel Plow. Though Bob Dylan is praised today hugely for songwriting at the beginning of his career, he was often an interpreter of old folk songs. His 1962 debut album only contained two original songs and all the rest were covers. He would return to the role of an interrupter of folk songs for his 1992 album, Good As I Been To You and his 1993 album, World Gone Wrong. Gospel Plow comes from Bob's self-titled debut album. It is unknown who actaully wrote this song but it is believed to be an African American spiritual. It was most likely inspired by Luke 9:62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
This is followed by Johnny Cash singing That's Enough. This recording is from John's 1958 album, The Fabulous Johnny Cash. This album was John's first album at Columbia Records after leaving Sun Records. Sam Phillips, his producer at Sun, did not want John to record much gospel music as he felt it would not sell as well as country or rock and roll. This was disheartening to John, who wanted to sing gospel more than any other type of music. Naturally for his first album away from Sun, John would include a few gospel songs. His next album for Sun would be a full gospel album entitled Hymns by Johnny Cash.
Next comes Hank Williams with Thirty Pieces of Silver. Though none of us have done what Judas had done to Jesus, we have all let Jesus down at times when we chose not to follow him. So many have turned down the wonderful gift of Jesus for much less than thirty pieces of silver. Yet we must remember that Jesus loved Judas and knowing all along what Judas would do to him, still wanted to be a part of Judas' life. In the same way he wants to be a part of our lives regardless of what we do. If Judas were to have repented and turned to Jesus as his Lord and savior, there is no doubt Jesus would have welcomed him back with open arms. In the same way, no matter how bad our sins are, Jesus is always waiting for us with open arms.
Today's musical selection ends with Roy Rogers singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
Today's movie trailer is for Destry Rides Again (1939), starring James Stewart and George Marshall. During the silent era Marshall had directed films with some of the biggest movie cowboys of that time, including Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson. He would also make a name for himself as a fine comedy director, especially in the talkie era. He directed such great movie comedians as Laurel and Hardy, Will Rogers, Bob Hope and W.C. Feilds. Perhaps that is why he did such a great job combining the two genres in this movie.
If you have trouble reading the following page click on it and then use your touch screen to zoom in.
Showman's Trade Review, 1939
Next is C.S. Lewis' essay, What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Acts 16:30-33
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18
So we do not lose heart. Though our other self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Thanks for joining me come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
