Video Link: February 2023 on TCM

Teen Titians: The Judas Contract (2017)

 

A really good animated direct to video superhero movie.

Based on a popular storyline in the comics, this film finds the Teen Titians in a very serious situation. Their new member Terra is just gaining the trust of the team, but she is obviously going through a lot and often finds her powers getting out of control and endangering her teammates. It becomes obvious that there is a dark secret that she is hiding from the other Teen Titians. Perhaps a secret that should make the Titians not trust her so much. 

Though this movie is certainly action packed, at its heart this is a very emotional film. Much of this is due to how the characters are handled. Each of the Titians' personalities are very well defined and none of them come off as one-dimensional. Not only this, but the relationships between each of the Titians is very well handled. This is probably the most important aspect in any film centering around a superhero team. These relationships can tend to grow over the course of the film as well. Beast Boy begins simply flirting with Terra, because he finds her attractive and she initially finds this annoying. However the relationship grows into something much deeper and more poignant and this leads to some of the most emotional scenes in the movie. There is also a wonderful dynamic between Starfire and Nightwing. Of course there is a strong romantic relationship between them but that is not the only thing explored with these two. Nightwing had originally been the leader of the group, yet after having left the team, when he rejoins, Starfire is the leader. He has trouble adjusting to this and she has doubts when the rest of the team turns to him instead of her. Though this aspect of the story is often kept in the background, it adds an emotional connection for the audience and makes the characters feel more real to us. Blue Beetle's relationship with his father is aspect that is often kept in the background but adds a lot to our connection with the character. Yet the main focus of the film is Terra, herself and while the character may be far from admirable much of the time, this movie does a wonderful job of making us still care for her and relate to her. Her character arc is very emotionally gripping and leads to a powerfully emotional ending. Even if you have never read the comics, you can easily see why this story is so famous, as you watch what she goes through. Yet as well as being emotional, this movie is also a lot of fun. The action scenes are wonderfully exciting and the humor is quite good. 

Unfortunately with this film's runtime being under an hour and a half and there being so many heroes, not enough time is allowed for the villains to shine. Because of this they come off as rather bland and typical superhero movie villains with little to make them stand out or be memorable. 

This film was a long time coming. The movie was scheduled for release 10 years before superhero fans actaully got to see it. The film was reserved to be the third of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. However it ended up being shelved. Fans would keep asking when it was going to come out. In 2010 Bruce Timm stated that there were currently no plans to revive this film. However in 2016, the movie was officially announced that it would be made and released. Voice actors Masasa Moyo (Bumble Bee), Jason Spisak (Kid Flash) and Crispin Freeman (Speedy) reprise their roles from the animated TV series, Young Justice. Meanwhile Stuart Allan (Robin), Taissa Farmiga (Raven), Brandon Soo Hoo (Beast Boy), Jake T. Austin (Blue Bettle), Sean Maher (Nightwing) and Kari Wahlgren (Starfire) all reprise their roles from the direct to video movie, Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016). Sam Lui the director of that film, directed this movie as well. 

This is a wonderful superhero movie and one I can easily recommend. 





 

Movie Review: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond (Gekijôban Tensei shitara slime datta ken)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A really fun animated film based off the popular anime TV series.

This film works so well because it can fully immerse you in its fantasy world. The world it takes place in is wonderfully thought out and fantastically realized. It has its own rules that it follows and as the film progresses you begin to understand these rules and everything that happens no matter how fantastic makes sense in this world. Because of this and the beautifully detailed artwork, this movie makes you feel like you have visited another world and at the end of the picture, you almost don't want to leave it. The movie also benefits from likable lead characters and though this film can't expand on the more complex parts of their personalities the way a TV show can do, you get to easily root for them and care about them. The relationship between two of these main characters is pretty touching and adds some real heart to this movie. The storyline of this film, while nothing groundbreaking, moves at a fast pace and never becomes boring. The film also benefits from some fun action scenes and a delightful sense of humor.

I admit that I went into this movie not having watching the TV that this is based off of and is part of the storyline of. I have read some online articles and reviews about it so I knew the basic premise. Unfortunately for me, this film is made for fans of the TV show and is not always kind to newcomers. For the early parts of this movie, I was having trouble keeping track of who some of the characters were. Luckily as the movie went on, I began to understand who these characters were better. This film also suffers from too many characters and while I am sure some of the supporting characters have more distinct personalities in the TV show in a movie (where you can't dedicate enough time to all of them), many of them can come off as a little bland and uninteresting. The film also has a very weak villain with little interesting or fun about him and as far as I can tell this is a new character and so the fact that this movie is a part of a TV series' story, is not much of an excuse in this case. There are also parts when this story (even as simple as it is) can feel a little rushed and this movie could have probably benefited from a longer runtime. 

Despite not having watched the TV series, I still had a good time watching this Japanese animated movie, and I am sure the fans of the series will enjoy it even more.  

The New Super Friends: Terror from the Phantom Zone (1978)

 

One of my favorite episodes. 

In this episode, three Kryptonian criminals escape from the Phantom Zone, due to the radiations of a comet. The three were originally captured by Superman and are looking for revenge on their old foe. Unfortunately the criminals have found red kryptonite and use it against Superman, making him age rapidly. Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, Robin and the Wonder Twins must save the day and their good friend. 

This is a really fun episode with a lot to recommend it. With three villains that are as strong as Superman and the Man of Steel being helpless creates a real feeling of suspense. The scenes with Superman looking onward, powerless to help, have a certain emotional poignancy that makes this a unique entry in the Super Friends franchise. The fact that their goal is not destruction or taking over the world, but simply to make the most powerful of the Super Friends feel completely powerless in a way he never has before, make them some of the most engaging villains in this series. Seeing how easily they can defeat the other Super Friends, also makes this a much more unique and suspenseful episode. 

This episode also benefits from wonderful artwork. I love how the Phantom Zone is pure black and that all the characters are presented as simple outlines (the robotic sound of their voices also adds a lot to the atmosphere). I also love how this episode allows us to visit various locations allowing for more of the wonderful background art and settings that help make this series so delightful. 

This is a wonderful episode and a must see for all Super Friends fans. 

Movie Review: Living

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A

A beautiful British remake of a Japanese classic. 

To many movie buffs, remaking Akira Kurasawa's Ikiru (1952), seems sacrilegious. I would be lying if I said I didn't have a healthy amount of skepticism about remaking such a masterpiece. However, Living turned out to be a truly beautiful film, whose biggest fault is simply that the original was even better. Like the original, this is a movie that tackles huge subjects, including life and death. It approaches these subjects in a non-pretentious and straightforward manner, but one that does not lack depth and complexities. The film deals with an older man, who discovers that he has a terminal disease and only has six months to live. Unlike many films which would take a simplistic quit your job and do what you always dreamed of approach; this film takes a very different approach. The main character has followed the same routine every day and found himself simply going through life in a mechanical and joyless manner. This is something that happens to all of us and sometimes mechanically following a routine can make us forgot about the passion, we once had for our lives. Some early scenes show him trying to indulge in frivolities that he had never partaken in. Yet unlike many other movies that would have these as pure joyous scenes, here they are anything but. They are just as joyless as the early scenes in the office. This is portrayed in a purely cinematic and visual way, that put us in his shoes better than any dialogue ever could. Yet this is not a joyless film and is in fact delves into a completely different kind of joy. While I do not want to give much away, this movie deals heavily with the internal search for a way to spend the little time he has left truly living, rather than an external. This is something that is not only much deeper and thought provoking compared to what we see in so many movies with similar premises, but also one that is more emotionally investing. This movie does a wonderful job of making you truly care about our main character and go on the emotional journey with him. This is not done through an overabundance of dialogue or characters philosophizing in ways that a regular person would never do. In fact this is presented in a rather quiet and subdued manner that manages to get its point across clearly without ever telling us directly what that point is. The result is an incredibly emotionally powerful movie and one that by the end brought real tears to my eyes.

This movie also is a visual treat for those of us who are fans of 50's cinema. The whole film has the look of a movie from the 1950's (this is especially true of the opening scenes). This not only gives this film a wonderful and unique look for a modern movie, but it also perfectly brings to life the setting of 1950's London. The use of black and white in some of the early flash back scenes is also a wonderful visual touch which brings real life to the type of scenes that have become almost cliché today. The wonderful use of color in this movie, as well as how well it uses its British settings also give it ways to make this film feel diffrent from the classic it is remaking, while still being a faithful remake. This movie also benefits from an incredibly human and moving performance by Bill Nighy. His performance is very human and vulnerable, while always keeping the character feel like someone we can respect instead of simply pity. 

This is a truly wonderful movie, with a powerful quiet beauty. It may be a remake of a masterpiece, but it is still a great movie by its own merits. 

Cowboy Church #206

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing 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.

This is followed by Billy Walker with his version of How Great Thou Art. This classic hymn was originally based on a poem by Swedish Pastor Carl Gustav Boberg. He wrote this poem after walking home one day and a sudden storm came. When the storm stopped he saw the clear bay in front of him and heard a church bell in the distance. This inspired him to write the poem. He first published it in 1886. When he published it again in Witness of the Truth (a newspaper he edited) in 1891, it included both words and music. The English language version we all know was translated by missionary Stuart K. Hine. 

Next comes Dennis Agajanian with Goodbye Old Man. When we give ourselves completely over to God, we should be completely changed. We all have that old man in us. That old man is the way we used to live apart from Christ. When anger, fear, anxiety and sinful deeds ruled over us. These things can grab a hold of your soul and make you into someone who is simply heading for his or her own destruction. While they may seem impossible to fight, God is greater than all these things and though with man it is impossible with God all things are possible. Though sometimes, we still hear from this old man and sometimes we still fall into the things of the past, with God we now have the ability to keep fighting and pushing forward. I hope we can all say goodbye to that old man, because once you leave him, you will never want to see him again. 

Now for The Carter Family with their 1940 recording of Heaven's Radio. It is important to remember that even during the times, when we don't feel like God is there, he is always watching over us and there with us through any rough time we may have. 

Then comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of Rounded Up in Glory. In a 1972 interview Ken Griffis asked Sons of the Pioneers front man, Bob Nolan, "Well, OK. As you progressed as a group, did you use the older type songs as the basis for your programs? Or did you try to blend in more the newer things? Did you try staying with the older things?" Bob responded, "Yeah, we tried to stick strictly to the old ones and, of course, I had an idea or I felt that my songs—the ones that I was writing at the time—were authentic. I tried to keep them authentic. Western." This applied not only to the songs Bob wrote, but the songs the group recorded written by others. There was always a real cowboy feel to nearly all the songs they recorded. That is definitely true here, as this song sounds like something that would feel completely natural in an old west setting. 

Then Johnny Cash with God Has My Fortune Laid Away. No matter what blessings we may have in this life, they will never compare to the blessings God has waiting for us in Heaven. In the same way, any troubles we have in this life can never compare to the blessing God has waiting for us in Heaven.

Today's musical selection ends with Randy Travis singing Nothing But the Blood. 

Now for Roy Rogers on a 1953 episode of TV's This is Your Life.

Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Numbers 23:19

say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Isaiah 35:4

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

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. James 4:17

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:l6

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

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:10

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

Resources Used

https://www.tumbleweedtrail.net/griffis-nolan-perryman-spencer

https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/the-history-behind-the-old-rugged-cross-hymn-george-bennard-revival

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #210

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with one of Disney's great sports cartoons with Goofy, Double Dribble (1946). This movie differs from many of the other Goofy sports cartoons because it is directed by Jack Hannah rather than Jack Kinney. At this time Hannah was mostly directing shorts with Donald Duck as well as Chip and Dale. Hannah would occasionally direct Goofy cartoons, but it was not a regular occurrence. He directed another sports-themed Goofy cartoon, this same year, with A Knight For a Day (1946). Animation and Disney buffs should listen to the names of the various players in this film as they are named after various Disney employees, including one named Hannah and one named Kinney. This cartoon made its TV debut in an episode of the Disneyland TV show entitled, The Goofy Cavalcade of Sports (1956). It was the only cartoon not directed by Jack Kinney to appear on that episode. 

The next cartoon is a Max Fleischer Color Classic, Greedy Humpty Dumpty (1936). The Color Classics series was very much inspired by Disney's Silly Symphony cartoons. Like those cartoons this series did not focus on reoccurring characters, but instead mostly on one off characters. With its fairytale atmosphere and operetta style dialogue this is probably one of the entries that is closest stylistically to a Silly Symphony. There are however some strange little gags that are pure Fleischer humor. 

Next is a delightful Art Davis directed Looney Tunes cartoon, The Rattled Rooster (1948). Art Davis may have only directed Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons for a short while, but the offbeat and often hilarious sense of humor has made him a favorite of many classic cartoon fans. This movie was written by Dave Monahan, who had in the late 1930's and early 1940's been a writer who had written cartoons for Chuck Jones, Tex Avery and Friz Freleng's units. Monahan would leave Warners to fight in World War 2 in the U.S. Army. When he returned to Warners in 1947, he would briefly become a writer for Art Davis' unit. Monahan would later direct the live action scenes in Chuck Jones' feature film, The Phantom Tollbooth (1970). The worm character in this film is a take-off of Red Skelton's Mean Little Kid character. The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Rooster chases worm for his meal. Worm leads the hungry bird on a merry chase. Several imaginative sequences help in making this short a cut above average." 

Now we join the Pink Panther in Pink Lightning (1978).

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now it is time for a delightful silent movie, Dud the Circus Performer (1919).

Now for Popeye the Sailor in Olive's Boithday Presink (1941). This movie features the character George W. Geezil, who was a much more prominent character in the newspaper comic strip, Thimble Theater, where Popeye was introduced than in the animated cartoons. This short film marked his second appearance in an animated cartoon. His first animated appearance had been in A Clean Shaven Man (1936), where he had a non-speaking cameo. In this film he actually does get some lines, as he has a wonderfully funny interaction with Popeye towards the start of the cartoon. 

Now for Mickey Mouse in Black and White (2015).

Next is the final theatrical appearance by the Terry-Toons character, Farmer Al Falfa with Uranium Blues (1956). 

Home Movies, 1946

Today's cartoons selection ends with the Looney Tunes Webtoon, H2-Uh-Oh! (2004). 

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

Resources Used

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

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disney_Wiki

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Video Link: A Tribute to JEANNE MOREAU - Adyfilk

Movie Review: Maybe I Do

 

Michael's Movie Grade: D-

A bland and surprisingly unpleasant romantic comedy. 

This film is an adaptation of a play written by Michael Jacobs, who wrote and directed this movie. When you consider this film's stage play origins some of its faults make a lot of sense. There are many things here that might work in a stage play but fall flat in a movie. For instance, much of the movie's dialogue is taken up by speeches from various characters about marriage, love and loneliness. Every main character has multiple speeches and while this may work in a play, it seems awkward, forced and tiresome in a movie. There is also the fact that this movie tells us everything and shows us nothing. When it comes to the characters' backstories, which play a huge role in this film, we only hear about them through long passages of dialogue rather than flashbacks or any other cinematic device that could convey it much better. Yet these are not the only problems this film has. The worst fault of this film is the characters themselves. It is hard to ever care about them because they never feel real to us. The characters only have the slimiest bits of personality and nothing else. Despite the fact that these characters are supposed to be our emotional attachment to the film, they feel more like plot devices than characters and this is not helped by the way that they talk like critics trying to dissect what a film means than how anyone would actually talk in such a situation. Also for a romantic comedy this movie is actually kind of unpleasant. The majority of the film is spent with characters arguing and saying mean things about each other. Because of this, when the film tries to be that feel good romantic comedy, it often feels like too little too late. This may have worked if this film worked as an insight to what makes marriages go wrong but once you get down to it, it has little to actually say (despite how much characters talk about it) that we haven't heard a million times. There are also enough scenes that flat out deny that such a pessimistic outlook on marriage would be its intention. The result is a movie that is neither deep enough to work as a social commentary nor romantic enough to work as a romantic comedy.

This movie does have a wonderful cast, of great A-list stars including Emma Roberts, William H. Macy, Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, Diane Keaton and Luke Bracey and all of them give good performances that can occasionally (though nowhere near often enough) give some life to the material. There are also a couple of good jokes here. However these simply aren't enough to make up for the rest of the movie. 

This story may have worked as a stage play (I haven't seen the play, so I can't say for sure), but it simply does not work as a movie.

Movie Review: Pathaan

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

An enjoyable dumb-fun action film from India. 

This is not the type of movie; you want to stop and think about the storyline while watching but if you come to it with the right mindset, you will enjoy yourself. This is about as over-the-top and silly as an action movie can get, but to complain about the over-the-top action scenes here is like complaining about the ones in the Fast and the Furious movies, they are exactly what the filmmakers intended them to be. Not only are these scenes quite a bit of silly fun, but they are also well staged and paced. The storyline is nothing special, but it does its job. It moves at a quick pace and keeps the viewers' interest from start to finish. Also for a film with such a simple storyline that runs nearly 2 and a half hours, it somehow doesn't feel padded. The characters, while not exactly deep are quite likable and easy to root for. This is helped by really good chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan (this is intended as a bit of a comeback film for him as he hasn't played a major movie role in four years) and Deepika Padukone, who play off each other very well. Naturally all the sexy costumes that the beautiful Deepika Padukone wears here definitely helps keep the viewers' attention and fits this type of spy action movie perfectly. This film also had a really fun villain. It is becoming rarer that we get movie villains that simply enjoy being evil this movie serves as a great reminder why these types of villains are so much fun, especially as John Abraham Though there are not as many musical numbers as in many other Bollywood films, the ones that are here are a lot of fun. 

This film's sense of humor definitely is not its strong suit. Nearly every comedic moment falls completely flat and some of them are just embarrassing. There is also some really fake looking CGI throughout this movie. When compared to how real the CGI looks in many mainstream movies today, this feels all the more apparent. There is also some awkward and clumsy dialogue here. However, the biggest fault of this movie is just how much it feels exactly like so many other movies, much of the time. Many scenes here will immediately remind moviegoers of scenes from other movies, which often times are not as great as they are in the other movies. If one is familiar with the James Bond, Marvel and Fast and Furious films, these scenes will be all too familiar and you can't watch them without automatically comparing them to those movies. 

This is by no means a great movie, but if you just want to turn your mind off and have a nice trip to the movies, this film will provide you with that. 

Movie Trailer: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Movie Review: The Son

 

Michael's Movie Grade: F

A miserable movie that leaves you wondering just who this was intended for in the first place. 

I was hoping that this film would be for depression, what director/co-writer Florian Zeller's previous film, The Father was for dementia. That movie helped us see the world through the eyes of someone with dementia and come out with a better understanding of it, making it still well worth watching even as it delved into a depressing subject matter. Unfortunately, this film lacks any of this depth and gives us little understanding of these characters. Because of this what we are left with is a depressing dirge of a movie that's only impact on its audience is making them feel worse than when they came in. I would hate to think of someone who struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts or someone who knows someone who struggles with this, watching this movie because the whole film feels hopeless and bleak. Yet the sadness that this movie will make you feel does not come from the filmmaking and storytelling but rather from subject matter. A teenager going through depression and suicidal thoughts will always be depressing and make us want to cry. That is because we are human beings and not monsters. Yet just because a depressing subject matter makes us feel sad, does not mean a movie did its job well. The fact of the matter is the storytelling here is horrible. The characters all come across as complete stereotypes with nothing interesting or engaging about them. These characters never feel real to us and often times it is hard to relate to or understand them. Again unlike The Father, which brought us into the mind of the main character, here by the end of the film we don't have any more understanding of who these characters are than we did just a few minutes into the movie. The storyline also suffers from clunky exposition and terrible dialogue. The dialogue never once feels like how people actually talk and this too often simply takes us out of the movie. This becomes an especially major fault because this film tries to feel very realistic and true to life. This movie was based off a stage play (with the same name) by Florian Zeller, who also directed and co-wrote the film and its stage play origins feel too obvious. This feels much more like a filmed stage play than a movie for much of the runtime, especially when the characters do much monologuing. You can see the monologues working better on the stage but in a movie, they simply feel out of place and clumsy. 

This film does have a top-notch cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern and Anthony Hopkins. These are great actors who all give great performances that are wasted on such a miserable film.

I was left wondering at many times, just who this movie's audience would be. It obviously isn't for people who suffer from depression or know and love those who do, because it would offer no comfort or help. It is not for the average movie-goer who wouldn't want to see a movie about such a depressing subject. It isn't for those who want a character study, because there is little depth to these characters. It isn't for those who want something thought-provoking because it says nothing that pretty much anyone doesn't already know. Looking at the reviews it is getting, it is definitely not for film critics. So this becomes one of those rare movies that I cannot picture anyone actually liking. 

The New Super Friends: The Beasts Are Coming (1978)

 

A really fun episode.

In this episode a satellite crashes in Death Valley. There it exudes radioactive energy that causes all the nearby animals to become giant monsters. The Super Friends go to try to find a way to turn this back to normal, but the radiation may have a major effect on the superheroes as well. This shows it ugly head when the radiation turns Wonder Woman and the Wonder Twins into giant monsters too. 

This is exactly the corny superhero fun that I adore. The premise is over the top and irresistibly fun. There is something so simple but so fun about superheroes fighting giant animals and this episode delivers all the fun you could want from such a premise. The action scenes are very fun and the designs of the giant animals are simply wonderful. The climax is especially fun and provides all the wonderful corny action-packed fun one could ever want. This also works heavily because of the pure fun of seeing the rest of our heroes having to face off against a giant monstrous Wonder Woman. Adding to this is the wonderful monster designs for her and the twins. You could never ask for a better design for a giant monstrous Wonder Woman then you have here. This episode also works due to delightful characterizations of the Super Friends and great background work. Death Valley ends up being a great setting for this superhero story. Once again there is a lot of detail and effort that went into these backgrounds. This gives the episode a delightfully unique feel to it. I also love the dialogue between Batman and Robin in this episode. It reminds me of the 1966 Batman show and movie in all the best ways.

This is exactly the kind of corny fun that makes this show so enjoyable. 

Movie Review: Women Talking

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A+

A beautifully moving and thought-provoking work of art. 

This film centers around a group of women living in an isolated village, where all of them (including the children have been brutally abused, yet this society does nothing to protect them from this. They know that they must either fight back or run away. The majority of this movie takes place with the women holding secret meetings to discuss which course of action they should take, To have a film take place mostly in one building and be so dialogue heavy is a very dangerous risk for any filmmaker to take, yet director/writer Sarah Polley succeeds brilliantly. Much of the reason for this is that the dialogue is fantastic. There is not a word wasted in this film and this dialogue explores deep themes in a wonderfully complex manner. There is nothing simplistic about this film's approach to these topics and there are no easy answers given at any point. Despite these women not being literate or educated, they are not in any way dumb or naive and characters on all sides of these discussions bring up fascinating points that really got me thinking deeply about these subjects. Some of my favorite discussions have to do with the idea of forgiveness and what it truly means to forgive and how it differs heavily from allowing others to abuse you and whether or not forgiveness is even possible in extreme situations like this. Again this movie does not give any simple answers to this and these conversations left me with much food for thought that lasted well past when the end credits stopped rolling. Rarely before have I even thought so deeply and long about just what the word forgiveness actually means. The fact that this movie could inspire such thoughts are truly a testament to how incredible of an artform film actually is and just what it is capable of. Yet this movie is not simply a collection of intellectual speeches. Instead these discussions come directly from who these characters are and each of these characters has their own distinct personality. The fact that these characters become so real to us and that their personalities are so vivid and complex makes this film not just a cerebral experience but a very emotional one as well. You truly care what happens to each of these characters and this plays a major role in the movie's success. Also despite the fact that this movie is very dialogue heavy and is confined to one place, it never feels stage bound but rather very cinematic. The movie has a unique look to it especially with its use of color. The filmmakers had thought about making this film in black and white but instead opted to use very muted colors. This was definitely the right choice as it gives the film a look that is not only unique but also gives the story a feeling that is set apart from any time period or place. This look gives the feeling of a place that embodies both the past and present. This is important as the themes of the film are truths that are as old as time itself but which are just as true today. Unfortunately it seems like there will always be prejudice, abuse, greed for power and people who twists the words of the Bible to mean, not what it actually says but what they can use for their need for control or to support an evil agenda. There is a feeling that this isolated village could actually exist somewhere in our world today which is a truly chilling thought. The use of muted colors also gives this film a bleaker more melancholy feel, while not making it one that is simply depressing to watch or one where a hope for a brighter future cannot exist. Add to all this an incredible cast including Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Ben Whishaw, Rooney Mara and Frances McDormand and you have a simply incredible film. 

Simply a brilliant movie that everyone who takes film seriously as an artform should watch. 

Movie Trailer: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Cowboy Church #205

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing Have You Read the Bible Today. This recording is the B side of a 1955 Little Golden Record the husband-and-wife duo made, with The Bible Tells Me So as the A side. Backing them up on this recording is Mitch Miller and his orchestra. Reading the bible each day should be an important part of every Christian's life. The Bible is how God can speak to you any day or any time. Reading the Bible plays an important role in how we grow and mature in our faith instead of remaining stagnant. With this growth and maturity, we can experience greater joy in our lives and have a greater more personal relationship with God himself.  

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

This is followed by Diana Trask with One Day at a Time. This song was written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson.

Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. 

Now is Billy Cate singing The Touch of God's Hand. This recording comes from Billy's 2017 gospel album, A Cowboy's Prayer. The song was written by one of the all-time greatest writers of Cowboy music, Bob Nolan from The Sons of the Pioneers. Though many of us get to points where we feel that God is nowhere near us, he always is and you can see the blessings of God that abound us, by simply opening your door and seeing this beautiful world God has given us to live in. The trees, the plants, the fresh air and the animals are all evidence that there is a God who truly loves us and delights in blessing his beloved creations (us). 

Now is Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash performing Over The Next Hill We'll Be Home. Listen closely to the lyrics of this song, they are truly beautiful and offer a wonderful message to every Christian. I know these lyrics touch me deeply and can help me, whenever I am feeling weak or down. 

Next is Willie Nelson and his sister Bobbie Nelson (on piano) performing Just a Little Talk With Jesus. This hymn was written by Rev. Cleavant Derricks, a pastor of a small African American church in Alabama. During the great depression, his church was desperately in need of new hymnals. He had written hymns but none of them had been published. He contacted the publisher Stamps-Baxter in hope of giving them some of his songs in exchange for hymnals. They had little interest in most of the hymns, but they really liked Just a Little Talk With Jesus. For writing this beloved gospel song Derricks received 50 hymnals. How blessed are each and every one of us that we can talk to Jesus anytime we want to and that he will actually listen to us and truly hear what we have to say. He may not always answer each of our prayers the way we want him to, but this never means that your prayer fell on deaf ears, but that he knows what is best for us and always has a plan for us. At the same time, he is willing to give us the comfort and strength we need to make it through every situation. Because there is nothing this world can do to us that God isn't bigger than. 

Today's musical selection begins with The Louvin Brothers with their 1955 recording of Just Rehearsing.

Today's movie trailer is for Santa Fe Trail (1940), directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Ronald Reagan. Michael Curtiz is one of the great directors of Hollywood's golden age, having directed such films as Casablanca (1942), Mildred Pierce (1945), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and White Christmas (1954). He also directed this film's star, Errol Flynn in some of his most popular movies including Captain Blood (1935), The Sea Hawk (1940), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). He also directed my favorite Elvis movie, King Creole (1958). Santa Fe Trail may be far from a historical accurate movie, but it is still a delightful film. 

Hollywood, 1941

Now for a sermon by S.M. Lockridge.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; and it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Corinthians 15:42-44

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Thessalonians 4:14

He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. Deuteronomy10:21

 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 5:13

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” Isaiah 12:4

I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king. Daniel 2:23

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

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #209

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with our old friend Bugs Bunny in A-Lad-In His Lamp (1948). This movie features Bugs Bunny meeting a genie that he calls Smokey. The genie was voiced by Jim Backus, who cartoon fans probably know as the voice of Mr. Magoo. Jim Backus also had a pretty good career appearing in live action films including Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Pat and Mike (1952) and Don't Bother to Knock (1952). On television he played Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island. The character of Smokey the genie would later appear in an episode of Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries TV series entitled Fleas Release Me (1998) and in the episodes of New Looney Tunes, The Meanie and the Genie (2019) and O.M.Genie (2020). 

Now for Andy Panda in Meatless Tuesday (1943). This movie was directed by Shamus Culhane. Shamus had previously worked at both Disney and Fleischer Studios. However his best work was as a director at the Walter Lantz studio, making wonderful cartoons like this one and some of the best Woody Woodpecker shorts ever made. 

We continue with the last black and white Silly Symphony, Bugs in Love (1932). This is a rather typical Silly Symphony of its time, following the well-established formula of animated characters having a grand time to music until the villain of the piece appears and tries to wreck their fun. As you can guess by the title this film's story involves various bugs. Bugs were a common site in the early Silly Symphonies and the newspaper comic strip based off the cartoon series. In fact, the newspaper comic strip featured a complete remake of this cartoon. The Silly Symphonies were a series that at this time was constantly improving and audiences and exhibitors quickly took note of this improvement. For evidence here is an exhibitors review from 1934 (two years after the film's original release), "BUGS IN LOVE: Silly Symphonies—An old Silly Symphony. Not as good as the new ones. Running time, one reel. —A. B. Jefferis, New Piedmont Theatre, Piedmont, Mo. Small Town Patronage." Of course the Silly Symphonies were quite appropriately one of the most popular cartoon series of the time. The following is an exhibitors review from The Motion Picture Herald, "BUGS IN LOVE: Another great Silly Symphony. Give it extra billing. —Charles Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa." Not everybody was so impressed with the series though as shown through the following exhibitors review from The Motion Picture Herald, "BUGS IN LOVE: Silly Symphony—This is just another Walt Disney cartoon comedy. Nothing good about it; just ordinary and is only fair entertainment. We have only played one good comedy of this series and every time we hope the next one will be better. Disappointed in these. Running time, nine minutes. - J. J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N.C., General Patronage." 

Now we join the Pink Panther in Pink Piper (1976).

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

I have mentioned many times on this blog, that some of my favorite cartoons of all time are the Goofy cartoons, Jack Kinney directed for Disney. Up first is an early example of this, Goofy's Glider (1940). This was the first of Goofy's wonderful series of "how to..." cartoons, where Goofy shows us how to do something the wrong way. It is also the first Goofy cartoon to be directed by Jack Kinney. This movie also serves as the basis for Goofy's Fly School, the really fun roller coaster in Disney's California Adventure. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "GOOFY'S GLIDER: Walt Disney Cartoons— Very funny. Disney's poor cartoons compare with what the majority of other companies consider good. Runtime 8 minutes. - H. Goldson, Plaza Theatre, Chicago, Ill. General Patronage." 

Motion Picture Herald, 1932

Now for a silent movie starring KoKo the Clown, Koko in Toyland (1925). His live action boss is played by the legendary cartoon producer Max Fleischer, who produced this series of cartoons.

Now for the Looney Tunes web cartoon, My Generation G...G...Gap (2004).

Next is the Van Beuren Rainbow Parade cartoon, Rag Dog (1935). This cartoon is directed by Burt Gillett and Tom Palmer. Burt Gillett had come to Van Beuren from Disney and was one of Disney's finest directors of the early 1930's. There he even directed the most famous Silly Symphony cartoon, The Three Little Pigs (1933). Animator Jack Zander remembered first seeing Gillett, "One day the boss of the place, Frank Snell, who was just a businessman, came walking through the place with a funny little beady-eyed fellow. Somebody nudged me and said, 'Do you know who that is?' and I said no. 'That's Burt Gillett.' So I said, 'Who's Burt Gillett?' and he said, 'Burt Gillett is the guy who directed The Three Little Pigs.'" Jack Zander also remembered, "He worked like Walt did. We'd do pencil tests. Of course, when we were working at Van Beuren, nobody ever heard of a pencil test. We'd just animate and ink it and that's all there was to it. He initiated pencil tests and movieolas. We'd have to animate this stuff and look at it; he'd look at it and then he'd make changes. It was a stimulating thing. The only ones who had any trouble were the real old animators, animating for years in a set manner. They found it a little difficult to adjust." 

Now for one of The Simpsons shorts for the Tracey Ullman Show, Bart's Hiccups (1988).

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

Resources Used

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Video Link: Tribute to RACHEL WEISZ - Adyfilk

Classic Short Film: Grand Slam Opera (1936)

Movie Review: Missing

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A well made and exciting thriller. 

In the vein of Searching (2018), this film is completely shown to us through technology. We see everything through computer and phone screens. Even though this storytelling no longer has the originality that it had in Searching, it is still incredibly effective. This proves that this style of storytelling is not just a novelty, but an effective mode of filmmaking. Here this works both because of how essential a part of our lives that technology has become and as a way of communicating what our main character is going through in a completely cinematic way. Our main character is an 18 year old girl whose mother has gone missing and she decides to find out what happened to her mother herself. The fact that we constantly see her on the internet trying to find any clue as where her mother could be, shows how tirelessly she is searching for her in a way that we could not see as effectively otherwise. It also works perfectly in the scenes before she finds her mom is missing because she is an 18 year old girl and therefore technology is a major part of her life and this helps establish who she is and the world that she inhabits. There are a few times, where it feels a little forced to have a computer or cell phone in a scene, but these are very rare. For the most part it feels like a natural way to tell the story. It also allows for some wonderful touches of filmmaking. The montage as she is throwing the party is a wonderful piece of filmmaking and shows just how well this type of storytelling opens itself up to filmmakers to explore cinematic ideas. 

The mystery and suspense elements work quite well. This is the type of movie that keeps you guessing quite a bit throughout, never fully knowing in which direction the film is going to go. The twists and turns here are simply a lot of fun and I had a great time trying to guess what was going to happen next. The climatic scenes of this movie are great examples of suspense. Seeing this in a movie theater, I had audible gasps from the audience during these scenes and I admit that I was kept on the edge of my seat. There was also a delightfully creepy and uneasy vibe to these scenes that I simply loved. The use of lighting in these scenes as well as the wonderful way the filmmakers used the only seeing things through technology method to the story only made them more effective. It also helps that we truly like our main character. She may not have a lot of depth to her but she is very likable and easy to relate to. 

This film does definitely have its faults though. As well as the mystery element works most of the time, it works less and less the more you stop to think about it. There are quite a few unanswered questions as well as moments that either don't add up or take too much of a suspension of disbelief. There is also the fact that the majority of supporting characters are quite bland and few more like plot points than characters. The movie also has too many red herrings and this can make it drag at times.

This movie marks the feature length directorial debut for Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, both of whom had been editors on the very similar, Searching. They also both wrote the screenplay for Missing. This screenplay was based on a story by Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty, who were the writers for Searching. 

Despite any faults this film is a lot of fun and a lot of the filmmaking is excellent.

Movie Review: Holy Spider (عنکبوت مقدس)

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent and quite disturbing crime thriller from Iranian director, Ali Abbasi.

This is not an easy movie to watch by any means and that is the point, this should not be an easy movie to watch. This film is based on the real-life serial killer, Saeed Hanaei, who picked up and brutally murdered prostitutes believing that doing such was his calling from God to rid the world of such "wicked women." Though much of this film follows Saeed, it does not in any way play down the full horrors of what he did. The murder scenes are brutal here and will easily churn one's stomach. Yet this never comes across as exploitive or gratuitous. That these scenes haunt us so much only makes the rest of the movie more powerful. Yet the most disturbing scenes here are the ones where we see Saeed's home life. These scenes are not disturbing because of anything bad that happens during them but instead because of how calm they are. Looking at these scenes we could be looking at any family man, and if we to watch them out of context, the character would seem likable. The idea that this character goes on living a normal family life like he hasn't done anything wrong is truly terrifying. It is terrifying for two reasons. One is that if we ran across this man on the street, we would have no idea we are looking at a murder. The other reason is that we see no remorse or guilt for the horrible things he has done. The fact that this character is based off a real-life person, only makes it more chilling. Adding to this is a wonderful performance by Mehdi Bajestani. This film also follows a very dedicated journalist, who grows to feel more than simple empathy for the victims and this drives her further to find a way to stop this evil man. While this character could have been rather one note due to good writing and a wonderful performance by Zar Amir Ebrahimi, she becomes quite a bit more than that. She also becomes the character that we can emotionally connect to and care about, giving the film some of its finest suspense scenes. This film also offers some thought-provoking commentary about Iranian society and the sexism (and often acceptance of violence against women) very present in that society. While this is not done in a subtle way, in fact some of the dialogue can be a bit too on the nose for my taste, it is effective. The fact that there can be people not horrified by Saeed's actions is chilling, especially after we witnessed the horrors of his actions. The final scene in this movie is one of the most terrifying and heartbreaking scenes I have seen in a new movie for a long time. Though this is not a horror movie, nothing a horror film could do, could be quite as chilling as this, because this is not a spooky story but a terrifying reality we are looking at. 

This movie does certainly have its faults though. One is that it is simply longer than it needs to be and could have benefited from a shorter runtime. Also sometimes the moving from being a thriller to a social commentary can feel abrupt and make it feel like two different movies. There is also that while our main characters are fascinating, the supporting characters are often quite bland. There is not much in the way of personality in these supporting characters and there are even a couple where I am not sure I could tell you just what their personalities were supposed to be. Also as mentioned earlier some of the dialogue was not only unsubtle but was too on the nose for my taste. 

All in all this is an excellent film, even if it is not always an easy one to watch.  

Video Link: A Tribute to ANITA EKBERG - Adyfilk

Alison Skipworth AKA Crosspatch

 Alison Skipworth is a too often overlooked character actress of the 1930's. Though her name may not be known by many of you, if you are a fan of old movies, you have most likely seen her. She was in Raffles (1930) with Roland Colman and Kay Francis, Dangerous (1935), The Girl From 5th Avenue (1935) and Satan Met a Lady (1936) with Bette Davis, Doubting Thomas (1935) with Will Rogers, Here is my Heart (1934) with Bing Crosby and the Josef Van Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich film, The Devil Is a Woman (1935). However she is best remembered for the movies in which she worked with W.C. Fields, If I Had a Million (1932), Tillie and Gus (1933), Alice in Wonderland (1933), and Six of a Kind (1934). She proved to be a great foil for the great comedian in the same way that Margaret Dumont was for The Marx Brothers.  Though she was an older woman at the time she made these films and the parts she played were hardly glamorous ones, in her younger days on the stage, she was considered a great beauty when she had worked on the stage in her younger days. 

The following is a 1933 article from The New Movie Magazine. If you have any trouble reading it click on the pages and use your touch screen to zoom in. 

Here is the trailer for a delightful comedy movie she was in. 

  

Movie Review: House Party

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

An enjoyable comedy.

This film's humor may be a bit uneven, but when it works it can be quite funny. The best moments are when it is at its most over the top and silly. Though the early scenes in this movie are far-fetched they have a certain grounding in reality, as the film goes on though it lets completely go of this grounding in reality and this is when it truly gets funny. The early scenes (with a few exceptions like the hologram) have a few lights laughs in them, but one gets the feeling that it should be funnier than it is. Even when our main characters decide to throw a party in Lebron James' house, there is still this grounding in some sort of reality keeping the laughs not as loud as they should be. However towards the last act of the film, this movie gets some really good laugh out loud moments as it leaves reality at the doorstep. The scenes with the koala at the party and the scene where our main characters go to retrieve something that was taken (I am giving no more away about this scene because it will be much funnier that way), are laugh out loud funny and make up for the scenes that were lacking in laughs. Truly silly over the top comedies have been becoming rarer lately. There are romantic comedies and superhero films with a lot of humor, but there are surprisingly few all out comedies lately and these moments reminded me just how much I have missed these types of movies. This made me grateful I saw this movie, because even if it is not a consistently funny film, the funny moments are delightful. This especially appealed to me as someone who become a movie buff through Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and The Three Stooges, I have long had a silly over the top comedy. There are some jokes that fall flat, such as the ones having to do with the DJ and with the promoters who are angry at our main characters, but as Groucho Marx said " Well, all the jokes can't be good. You've got to expect that once in awhile." 

Like in many of these types of comedies, the storyline is simple and nothing groundbreaking, but it does its job. The characters while not having much depth are likable and even if what they are doing is wrong it is easy to care about them and want to see them succeed. There is also a nice believable friendship between the two and a bit of an arc that these characters go through. The storyline is predictable but it moves at a nice pace and is just good enough to keep us interested even during the jokes that fell flat. 

This may not be a new comedy classic but it provided this comedy lover with a fun trip to the movies.  

Movie Review: A Man Called Otto

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A lovely comedy/drama. \\

This is a film that rests heavily on its main character. Luckily this character is its strongest asset. Though the character is a very grumpy man and often yells at everyone, he is also a character that it does not take long for us to grow to care for. Why we should care about this character is well set up very early on. You seem him, outwardly act grumpy and rude towards his new neighbors (who will play an important role in the film as a whole) but do nice things for them while acting this way. He helps them park their car and fixes certain things around the house. This little touch simply tells us so much about the character. We can tell that he is very angry and lets this emotion take over, but underneath that he has a good heart and in spite of his anger at the world around him, he simply can't help but to stop and help others. The movie doesn't have any dialogue directly stating this about him, but anyone watching can easily pick up on that and that is an example of well-done filmmaking. Unlike many lesser films that explore similar characters, this movie understands the idea of showing instead of telling and that makes it all the more effective and makes the character all the more real. Of course, this character's likability is helped by having the great Tom Hanks in the role. Tom is a true movie star with a charm and relatability in each of his roles that always seems completely natural. Because of the character is even likable and charming in his angriest moments. Yet he is not the only one who shines in this cast. Mariana Treviño is truly wonderful as one of his neighbors across the street. She also brings a sheer amount of likability and charisma to this character that makes it so she steals nearly every scene that she is in. 

One of the best things about this movie however is how well it balances the comedy and the drama. While this is often a really funny movie, it also has no fear to go into darker and more serious places. This film deals with our main character's pain after losing his wife and multiple suicide attempts from him due to this pain. This may seem like heavy stuff for what is supposed to be a feel-good film, but that is just why it works. To be able to find joy in the midst of great pain is a powerful thing and that is what this movie provides. Despite being a feel-good film, it never trivializes or tones down these darker moments and that makes the feel-good moments all the more effective. The use of comedy also helps immensely as it helps us through these darker moments. At the same time the humor works well because it is wonderfully worked into the drama. The humor often comes from the main character's grumpiness and various remarks about what is wrong with the world around him. As funny as these moments are they are also character moments that come directly from the emotional place this character is in. Therefore it does not feel abrupt when the tone switches from comedic to dramatic (or the other way around), because both the comedy and the drama come from exactly the same place. 

If I had a complaint about this movie it would be that the side characters are often very one note, but this feels like a small complaint as it never affected my enjoyment or emotional involvement with the film. 

A true delight. 

Cowboy Church #204

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing In the 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.” Learning this story has made this song all the more powerful for me and I hope it enhances the power of this great hymn for you as well. 


This is followed by Roy Acuff with his 1946 recording of That Glory Bound Train.

Next comes The Charlie Daniels Band with The Business of Love. This comes from the group's first gospel album, 1994's The Door.   In his memoir, Never Look at the Empty Seats, Charlie Daniels wrote, "I think the most pressure I was ever under as a songwriter was when I wrote the songs for our first gospel album, The Door. It was such a special project to me. I wanted it to be much more than just another gospel album. I wanted the lyrics to have impact and hopefully speak to some of the people who, like me, had such a hard time understanding the gospel message and were falling through the cracks." 

Now for the Sons of the San Joaquin with Beyond the Sunset. This recording comes from their 1997 gospel album, Beyond the Sunset. It is important that as Christians, we always remember that our life here on Earth is not the end. In fact life is but a vapor in the grand scheme of things and we should spend our lives, knowing that when it is over we will spend entirety with our Lord and experience his full glory and blessings. We should live our lives accordingly and understand that spiritual things need to come first as they are the most important. 

Then comes Johnny Cash with When He Reached Down His Hand for Me. This comes from John's second gospel album, 1962's Hymns from the Heart. This album, while still sounding like a Johnny Cash album has a much more traditional gospel sound than his first gospel album, 1958's Hymns by Johnny Cash.  

Now for The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1935 recording of When I Leave This World Behind. Bob Nolan sings lead on this song and the wonderful fiddle playing is by Hugh Farr.

Afterwards is Tennessee Ernie Ford with I Love to Tell the Story. 

Today's musical selection ends with The Statler Brothers singing Standing on the Promises of God. This hymn was written by Russell Carter in 1886. Working as a sheep herder he developed a heart condition. This led him to pray much more often, and he began to get closer to God every day. When he was healed, he vowed to "stand on the promises of God" and wrote this song.

Now for a 1987 interview with some of our favorite movie heroes, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Gene Autry.

Now for a message from the Reverend Billy Graham.

 Rim of the Canyon (Columbia Pictures Pressbook, 1949)

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

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

 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalms 8:2

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

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