Hello once again my friends. I know many of you, like me, are big fans of both silent movies and TCM. Because of this, here is a list of all the silent films that TCM is showing this September.
Sunday, September 3
City Girl (1930). Director: F. W. Murnau. Starring: Charles Farrell and Mary Duncan. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern.
Sunday, September 10
The Sea Hawk (1924) Director: Frank Lloyd. Starring: Milton Sills and Enid Bennett. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15pm Eastern.
Sunday September 17
The Smart Set (1928). Director: Jack Conway. Starring: William Haines and Alice Day. 9:15pm Pacific. 12:15pm Eastern.
Sunday, September 24
Downhill (1927) Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Starring: Ivor Novello and Ben Webster. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45pm Eastern.
Friday, September 29
The Symbol of the Unconquered (1921) Director: Oscar Micheaux. Starring: Iris Hall and Walker Thompson. 3am Pacific. 6am Eastern.
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021) (a documentary about silent film) Director: Francesco Zippel. 4am Pacific. 7am Eastern.
Scaramouche (1923) Director: Rex Ingram. Starring: Alice Terry and Ramon Novarro. 5:30am Pacific. 8:30am Eastern.
Souls for Sale (1923) Director: Rupert Hughes. Starring: Eleanor Boardman and Mae Busch. 7:45am Pacific. 10:45am Eastern.
The Pilgrim (1923) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring: Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance. 9:30am Pacific. 12:30pm Eastern.
A Woman of Paris (1923) Director: Charlie Chaplin. Starring Edna Purviance and Adolphe Menjou. 10:30am Pacific. 1:30pm Eastern.
Dogs of War! (1923) Director: Robert F. McGowan. Starring: Our Gang and Harold Lloyd. 12pm Pacific. 3pm Eastern.
Safety Last! (1923) Directors: Sam Taylor, Fred Newmeyer. Starring Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis. 12:30pm Pacific. 3:30pm Eastern
Why Worry? (1923) Directors: Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor. Starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston. 2pm Pacific. 5pm Eastern.
I Was Born, But... (1932) Director: Yasujirô Ozu. Starring: Tatsuo Saitô and Mitsuko Yoshikawa. 3:15pm Pacific. 6:15pm Eastern.
An enjoyable Liam Neeson thriller but not quite one of the best.
This movie has our main character in a car with his two children, when he gets a call alerting him that there is a bomb underneath his seat that will go off and kill him and his children if he gets out of his seat. This premise is both an asset and a flaw for this film. On one hand this creates a real feeling of suspense to this movie that is more effective than the average Liam Neeson thriller. This is because you are waiting for what will happen next rather than seeing action scene after action scene. The small space and small main cast also gives this film a more claustrophobic feel that is very effective. However this way of telling the story also can make the story feel a bit repetitive at times (even if the movie is only an hour and a half long), and it does deny us the type of exciting climax that we usually get from one of these movies (the climax here can in some ways feel underwhelming after much buildup).
What does help this movie how well the villain is done. The villain is not only a real threat to our main characters, but he also makes it so that we never once feel that anyone is safe, or anything can be taken for granted. The twist of who the villain is, is very well done. Of course, the film also benefits from having Liam Neeson in the main role, as his performance adds a lot to the suspense of this film. As always Liam Neeson is always perfect in a role like this and a movie like this.
However the family drama here, feels completely underdeveloped and incredibly cliché. The uses of humor here also don't quite work. The opening scenes also have a lot of very cliché dialogue.
This film makes for an enjoyable trip to the movies but there is no doubt it could have been much better.
An excellent film about Israel's past prime minister, Golda Meir.
This film is not in any way a traditional biopic, as it does not focus on her life story but rather how she delt with the Yom Kippur war of 1973. The majority of the movie takes place over a period of 19 days. There is a bit of backstory revealed through dialogue (including an excellent scene where she talks about her childhood over the phone), but this remains a movie about these 19 days. Yet the film does a wonderful job of still making us feel like we are watching the real person. Much of this is due to a lot of personality being put into this real-life character every time she is on screen. This is not a simple two-dimensional version of Golda but rather a complex representation of her. We can feel in every scene how driven she is and how tough not physically imposing how strong and powerful of a woman she was. Yet at the same time we see her make plenty of jokes (some of which are very funny). Still this always feels like the same person in every scene. Adding to this is a simply incredible performance by Helen Mirren. She completely disappears into the part and whenever you look and hear her you never feel like you are watching Helen Mirren. If you didn't know any better, you would swear you are actually watching the real Golda Meir (which is exactly what a movie based off a real-life person should be like). Helen Mirren is a wonderful actress with many great performances and this one deserves to be recognized along with her best. Some of the highlights for this movie are the scenes between Golda and Henry Kissinger (played wonderfully by Liev Schreiber). The movie does a fantastic job of conveying this complex but respectful relationship and the writing in these scenes is fantastic. This is a very dialogue heavy film (in fact we see little of the actual war), but the dialogue is often times very intelligent never simplifying anything or talking down to its audience. Yet for the most part it is still quite accessible to those who are not familiar with the historical events.
This film does have its flaws though. One of them is that while Golda and Henry Kissinger are wonderfully portrayed all the other characters in the movie are quite bland and have little in the way of discernable personalities. This fault can especially be felt in some of the early scenes with large groups of characters and lots of dialogue. The focus on dialogue rather than visuals can often make this a movie feel not as cinematic as it should be. This is especially true of how certain story points are stated rather than shown. There are also a few scenes early on when there is simply a lot of information given to us all at once through dialogue and this can feel like a bit much.
This is an excellent movie and it is a wonderful watch.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with In the Sweet By and By. This song came about because of a friendship between composer, Joseph Webster and poet, Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett. One day Webster was depressed, and Dr. Bennett recognized this. Dr. Bennett asked his friend what was wrong. Webster replied, "Oh nothing. Everything will be alright by and by." These words brought up an idea in Bennett and he wrote down three verses and a chorus to this song as soon as he could. He handed it to his friend saying, “Here is your prescription, Joe.” Webster loved the lyrics and wrote music for them in practically no time at all. Dr. Bennett later said, “It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.” The hymn was first published in 1868 and went on to great fame since.
This is followed by Johnny Cash with When He Comes. This song comes from John's 1979 album, A Believer Sings the Truth. This was a double length gospel album and Columbia Records felt that such an album from John could never be successful. However Columbia allowed John to release the album on its own and it was successful earning a spot in the Country Top 50. A shorter version of the album called I Believe would be released in 1984, which would feature a select few songs from the double album, including this one. Strangely A Believer Sings the Truth would not find its way to CD until 2012. Singing backing vocals for John here are his daughter Rosanne Cash and The Carter Family.
Next comes Del McCoury with Recovering Pharisee. It is important for us all to remember that even when we are Christians we will still occasionally fall into sin. What is important about these times is to not let them defeat us. We have to get right back up and continue to follow God. We can neither continue to live in this sin nor let the fact that we sinned affect our Christian walk.
Then comes Don Gibson with My God is Real. This recording comes from his first gospel album 1958's Where No One Stands Alone. There are many things we can never be sure of in this life and many things that are too complex for us to ever have a definitive answer for. Yet through all this we can be sure God is real. While this can be understood for looking at the sheer beauty and majesty of nature or how complex and interictally constructed everything in this world is, the main way we know this is because if you have walked with him you have felt him move through you and guide you.
That is followed by Blind Willie McTell with his 1940 recording of Amazing Grace.
Next is 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.
Then comes The Sons of the San Joaquin with Power in the Blood. Though at times we may feel weak and unable to help ourselves, we don't have to worry. That is because nothing is more powerful than the blood of Jesus. If Jesus can wipe all our sins and make us completely clean, think of how wonderful it is to have him walking through all our hard times with us.
On the same note, let us end with Carrie Underwood singing Nothing But the Blood of Jesus. Appropriately this performance is in the mother church of country music, the Ryman.
Next comes an episode of TV's The Gene Autry Show.
Now for a message from Billy Graham.
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray. Proverbs 12:26
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Proverbs 19:20
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Romans 14:3
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today’s cartoon selection begins with a delightful film starring Mr. Magoo, Spellbound Hound (1950). This short film is only the second Magoo cartoon. It is also one of my favorites from the series. The song playing on Magoo’s record player is the old song Frankie and Johnny. This song would not much later be used as the basis of another cartoon by the same director (John Hubley) called Rooty Toot-Toot (1951).
Up next comes Porky Pig in Notes to You (1941). This short film would be remade a few years later as Back Alley Oproar (1948). That remake would instead of featuring Porky and an unnamed cat would feature Elmer Fudd and Sylvester. The remake may be an even better film but this is still a solid and fun cartoon in its own right.
Up next comes the Max Fleischer Color Classic cartoon, The Kids in the Shoe (1935). This short film is a take on the old story of the woman in the shoe. I absolutely love the song number here.
Now for a great early Mickey Mouse film, Mickey's Follies (1929). In the short before this one, The Karnival Kid (1929), Mickey had his first spoken words, "Hot Dogs." In this film Mickey receives his first song number. This song Minnie's Yoo Hoo was composed by Carl Stalling, who at this time was the composer for the Disney studios (he would later do the music for many Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies). Later the year this cartoon was made, this song would be published and you could buy it as sheet music. This made this not only the Disney studio's first original song but also the first published. An instrumental version of the song would become the opening theme for the Mickey cartoons for the next four years. This cartoon had its first TV airing on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on December 13, 1955.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for everyone's second favorite yellow cartoon canary bird, Flippy in Big House Blues (1947).
The Betty Boop cartoons from the early 1930's were some of the most risqué cartoons from the golden age of American animation. Anyone who thinks of old cartoons as sweet, innocent and squeaky clean may be surprised to see scenes in these cartoons. One of the most risqué images from one of these cartoons comes from Red Hot Mama (1934), where we are given a look through Betty's dress. Though admittedly the rest of this cartoon is not exactly innocent either. The setting for this film is Hell, where Betty's sexiness excites the various demons. Not everyone back then was fine with what happens in this film as the following exhibitor's review from Motion Picture Herald shows. "Red Hot Mama: Betty Boop - I can remember several years ago after sound had been established that a great cry arose within the industry that the youngsters of that day (and the show patron of tomorrow) were unable to find any entertainment in the movie palaces because the biz had gone high hat and no entertainment for them. I screened 'Red Hot Mama,' a cartoon yesterday on my Sunday matinee hence this letter. I have always felt that in booking these cartoons the youngsters were getting a treat. I enjoy their hearty laughs and suppressed excitement when their favorite cartoon is on the screen. However 'Red Hot Mama' must have been drawn when the guy was drunk. Betty Boop starts out sweetly, is suddenly transported to Hell and pursued and tortured by all sorts of fire devils, imps and what have you. One variety, the ability to bound in the air and come down on a spear studded tail stabbed in the floor. A grand subject for your juvenile trade? Naturally my Sunday matinee was without a cartoon. The only recommendation I have for this is that the one responsible for it be compelled to sit through a screening every time he has a pink elephant fantasy. Some exhibitor's have said they hesitate to report on products through the Herald for fear of getting in bad with the local exchange. My opinion is that the people who are sincere in this business welcome constructive criticism. Report fairly on pictures with merit and likewise that class of product which is detrimental to our investments. I'm not a crank but it is cartoons such as the Symphonies and 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Little Red Hen' that are in demand and not such a thing as 'Red Hot Mama'. -E.A. Reynolds, Strand Theatre, Princeton, Minn. Small Town and Country Patronage." With the praise of the Silly Symphonies, I am wondering what this exhibitor would have to say about the Silly Symphony, Hell's Bells (1929). The following is a much more positive exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Red Hot Mama: Betty Boop - This is a great cartoon comedy that will please everyone. It is full of good clean entertainment and much better than the average comedy. More time should be given to shorts in order to fill in a poor feature and everything would be better. Running Time eight minutes. -J.J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, N.C. General patronage."
Now for a silent film starring Dinky Doodles, The Hunt (1927). The live action human in this film is none other than Walter Lantz, later creator of Woody Woodpecker.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Tijuana Toads in A Dopey Hacienda (1970). This short film pits our heroes up against an orange cat.
Thanks so much 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
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
Often I will agree with the critics on a movie, but there are a few times when I feel like I saw a completely different film than they did. This is one of those times, as I felt this was a great film. As someone who personally finds baseball incredibly boring, I did not expect myself to get as invested in this movie, about a real-life baseball player, as I did. However, I cannot deny that I was completely moved by this film. Like all feel good movies that are worth watching, this film revolves around a character who seems to have the world stacked against him. This may be a formula, but it is one that still works very well. To see this boy overcome many physical problems that make it even difficult for him to walk to become a great baseball player is something that is even inspiring to those of us who no interest in the sport. And the way this film is constructed it is hard not care very much about him and want to cheer when he has any form of success. One may argue that the way this is conveyed can get a little corny at times, but corny doesn't exactly mean bad. When something corny is done well it can have a real charm to it and this movie is simply full of a charm that I found irresistible. Much of this is because writers Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith craft a fine screenplay that may sometimes follow the sports movies clichés but never feels bound by them. Perhaps that these writers could turn out a good sports movie screenplay like this should come as no surprise, as Angelo Pizzo has previously worked on Hoosiers (1986) and Rudy (1993). They keep this film going by keeping a good hearted and charming feel to the whole movie. However this film's biggest asset is the relationship between our main character and his pastor father (a very heartfelt performance by Dennis Quaid). This is where the movie has it smartest and best writing. It leads to some very intelligent discussions as the characters talk about whether the exhilaration baseball gives our main character is worth the possible consequences, how to know what God's calling for your life is, whether you are truly hearing what God tells you or what you want to happen, whether pursuing baseball would be squandering our main characters gift at preaching and if it is possible to serve God through a sport. Even if it a Christian film, this does not come off as preaching to the audience but instead giving an intelligent discussion of things that go through many Christian's minds. This movie also never makes either side of these discussions look foolish but instead takes every point these characters make seriously. The relationship between the main character and his father also benefits from it not being too overly simplistic. It would be easy to simply cast the father as a villain who stands in the way of our hero's dream, but that is not what is done here. This is a good man, who does his best to always follow God's word and help others. Yet even as a good Christian, he is still human and has his struggles and accepting his son as a baseball player is one of them. Because of this even though the two characters are opposed to what the other is trying to do, they never disown each other or love each other less. This makes it so we can feel the love between the two of them even when they are fighting.
This is a great movie and I hope that people go and see it for themselves and enjoy it like I did.
A really effective feel-good movie, even if it is very familiar.
This film is based off of a true story about a young man who dreamed of racing cars and one day got the chance too after winning a contest that put the best players of the Gran Turismo video game (or racing simulator) against each other to compete in professional racing. What makes this movie work is that two of the characters work so well. The young driver (Archie Madekwe) is very likable. Not only does the actor bring a real likability to the character, but this film ensures that we are on the character's side. This is because through this character the film takes a look at a very basic human fear that we all know. This is the fear of being proven wrong. Because we relate to this feeling so instinctively it is hard for us not to feel for this character. The film also does a wonderful job of getting us into the head of the character during the racing scenes. The fact that we visually see much of what is happening in real life like a video game tells us how he is applying what he learned in the game and using that to move forward in a way that is very cinematic. The other character who makes us care about what is happening is his trainer (David Harbour). At first he has little faith in this contest and the idea of a someone who plays a video game becoming a real race car driver. Yet as he gets to know our young hero, he begins to change his mind very much. This is a type of character who may have been done before but works so well you may not care. One reason this character works is that his transition and his belief in the kid, feel completely real and completely justified. However the main reason this character is so appealing is that he is played by David Harbour. David Harbour is an actor who is always wonderful in any movie he is in and this one is no exception. He brings a really heart and humanity to this character, while also not hiding what makes the character rough around the edges. Even in early scenes when he is yelling at the racers and telling them that they can't make it, he is still completely likable, because of this performance. Before I heard of this film, I was not familiar with this true story at all (therefore I can't tell you how true it is to the true story). Yet I can easily see why it appealed to the filmmakers. It is just the type of underdog story that has been appealing to movie fans for a long time. There is a reason for this appeal, and it is easy to see why watching this movie. This is a feel-good movie that makes you feel good and that is exactly what you want from a film like this. Yet it is also not afraid to occasionally go into darker more serious territory and it does this surprisingly well.
I will admit about the story though, that it can feel much too familiar at times. If you have ever seen this type of movie before, you can see pretty much every single plot point coming from a mile away. This can take away any feeling of real suspense in many of the racing scenes. The romantic subplot is also incredibly underdeveloped and not really that interesting. In fact his romantic interest often feel more like a story point than an actual character and we never know who she is outside of being his love interest. Even as a story point though, she doesn't really move the story forward at all. In fact her entire presence just really feels like padding.
This film may be flawed, but it is also a feel-good movie that makes you really feel good. Therefore even with its flaws, I found it very easy to have a good time watching it.
In this episode, the Legion of Doom gets a hold of an element known as Noxium, which is capable of killing all of the Super Friends. Unfortunately with this element they have already taken care of Batman before they can stop them. Now the Super Friends must stop the Legion of Doom before they are all dead. This may be their most dangerous mission yet.
As corny as the idea of Noxium is, it does a wonderful job of creating an incredibly effective threat to our heroes. Out of every episode of this show, this one probably has the greatest sense of suspense. This is not only due to how big of a threat Noxium is but also because the episode does such a wonderful job making this episode feel much higher stake than the usual episode. This is already set up perfectly from the opening scene, with Batman's funeral. This is not the way you would expect a Super Friends episode to start and the effect is quite jarring. The sense of suspense only grows as the episode progresses and the Legion of Doom finds ways to lure the Super Friends into their trap. Yet even with this the episode still keeps the series' sense of corny fun with some good gags, fun bits of dialogue and fun action sequences.
The only problem I have with this episode is that the ending is so much of a dues ex machina that it feels like a complete cop out. Of course I don't know how else you can end a story like this for a show like this.
Though her name is known by most old movie fans, I feel that Mae West is still often overlooked when film buffs talk about the great movie comedians. The best of her films are sheer delights and mandatory watching for old comedy fans. I know every time I watch a film with Mae West, I simply have a great time.
The following is a 1935 article from Motion Picture magazine about this wonderfully talented lady. If you have any trouble reading it click on the following pages and use your touch screen to zoom in.
Now here are some examples of Mae West at her best.
This movie takes place in a not-so-distant future, where a group of aliens have landed on Earth to "help" humans with their advanced technology. Despite these many humans' lives are in ruin as many are out of work and struggling to get by or else becoming completely subservient to the aliens. Unlike many movies about aliens taking over the world, the focus of this film is not on action or humans fighting the aliens. Rather it is a story about regular people simply trying to survive from day to day after the aliens take over. This is a fascinating take and very interesting to see such a situation from this point of view. It also uses this point of view and situation to provide some very intelligent social commentary. Some of this commentary is very obvious, when some of it is more subtle. However much of it is very thought provoking and leaves some real food for thought as you leave the theater. Themes such as prejudice, colonization, voyeurism, propaganda, class distinction, perseverance and the integrity of art are all very much explored here in complex and intelligent ways. However one of the most interesting concepts explored here is how much you can truly give away (including your privacy and integrity in this film) to be financially successful and take care of your family. The film does not offer a clear answer to any of this but it does exactly what an allegory should do by making you take some deep introspection at your own life. The main characters in this film are likable (but far from perfect) and make it easy for us to see this strange world through their eyes. This causes us to be able to have an emotional connection with this sci-fi premise.
This movie has a very weird sense of humor. It doesn't always work and there is definitely more than a fair share of comedic moments that don't work. However the comedic moments that do work are not only funny but laugh out loud hilarious.
As intelligent as this movie is, sometimes it can have simply too many ideas and feel more than a little overcrowded. Also while the main characters are very likable many of the side characters are simply very bland and forgettable.
All in all, this is a very thought-provoking film, which easily overcomes its flaws with a very interesting premise and being very intelligent.
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 1948 recording of Lead Me Gently Home Father. The band had recorded this song before in 1937 and I personally love both versions. Jesus in his earthly life spent much time talking to his father and before going to the cross he stated, "not my will but yours be done." This should be the way we approach God the father. We should talk to him before we make any major decision in life, for our life is not our own, but it belongs to God. Therefore we should follow him wherever he leads us knowing that he alone knows what is best for us.
This is followed by the Buchman Brothers with their 1946 recording of Singing an Old Hymn. I often times find that when I am going through a tough time, the words of these old hymns come directly to my mind. When I think about the lyrics, I am often touched by the beautiful truths that are contained in the lyrics to these songs.
Afterwards is Connie Smith with a gospel song written by Hank Williams, A Home in Heaven. This recording comes from Connie's 1975 album, Connie Smith Sing Hank Williams Gospel. This album consists entirely of gospel songs written by Hank Williams.
Next is Tennessee Ernie Ford singing I Love to Tell the Story. When recovering from a sickness, Arabella Katherine Hankey wrote a poem about the life of Christ. This poem was broken into two parts the first being called The Story Wanted (published in January, 1866) and the second called The Story Told (published in November, 1866). I Love to Tell the Story comes from this second part. In 1869 William G. Fisher put this text to music and that is the version we know today. Still it is worth noting that Hankey wrote her own music for these words, but her music was seldom used and is now forgotten.
Then is George Jones with God Keeps the Wild Flower Blooming. This recording comes from George's 1974 gospel album, In a Gospel Way. The Jordanaires are on background vocals here, they also did backing vocals on many of Elvis' gospel recordings.
Next is The Petersens with Come Ye Sinners.
Then is Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Have You Read the Bible Today. It is important for each of us to read our Bible each and every day. The Bible is not just some book, it is the living breathing word of God. It is easy for our faith and Christian walk to become idle and stagnant and the easiest way for this to happen is to simply not read our Bible. Taking some time each day to read the Bible is the best way for our faith and our walk with God to continue growing and maturing.
Today's musical selection ends with Woody Guthrie with Ezekiel Saw the Wheel.
Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.
Now for an episode of Gene Autry’s TV Show.
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10
“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:5
The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Isaiah 60:19
The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper. Proverbs 28:25
Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. Proverbs 28:27
He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:5
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. Ephesians 5:1
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoons selection begins with Mighty Mouse in Sunny Italy (1951). This short film typical for a Mighty Mouse cartoon of this time being presented in an operetta like style with a beginning that parodies old movie serials.
Next comes a wonderful Daffy Duck film, The Daffy Duckaroo (1942). This cartoon was directed by Norman McCabe, who I always feel was underrated as a Looney Tunes director. Some of his Looney Tunes shorts are truly excellent, but because most of his cartoons were in black and white and feature a lot of topical gags about World War 2, his cartoons rarely get the exposure that other Looney Tunes directors do. He would return to the Looney Tunes universe well after the golden age as a timing director on such TV shows as Tiny Tunes Adventures, Taz-Mania and The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. I personally love McCabe's version of Daffy. He is as wild and crazy and energetic as Bob Clampett and Tex Avery's version of the character is, but he also has a few traits of the later Daffy that Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng would use.
Next is the film debut of Chilly Willy, a cartoon appropriately called Chilly Willy (1953). Those familiar with the character may notice that his design is quite different here. In the character's very next cartoon, I'm Cold (1954), Chilly would look like the character we know today. This cartoon was directed by Paul J. Smith. After this cartoon, the Chilly Willy films would briefly be directed by Tex Avery and then Alex Lovy. The next Chilly Willy cartoon directed by Paul J. Smith would be Robinson Gruesome (1959).
Now for a silent short film from the Out of the Inkwell series, Koko's Storm (1925).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Ferdinand the Bull (1938) began production as a Silly Symphony short but in the end the Disney studio released it as a Special. Unlike many Disney cartoons of the time which were either original stories or based off stories that dated quite a ways back, this film was based off a contemporary story. The book had been published in 1936 and though there was controversy for its pacifist themes, it became a real best seller, even outselling Gone With the Wind. Walt bought the rights to the book in October, 1937. Albert Hay Malotte, who wrote the score for this cartoon, would co-write a song called Fernand the Bull with Larry Morey. Though this song does not appear in the film it was used to promote the cartoon. The matador seen in this cartoon is a caricature of Walt Disney himself. The scene in which the matador enters was animated by Ward Kimball, who included himself as the little man carrying the sword. Animation for this cartoon would be reused by Disney in a wartime training film, Stop the Tank (1942), the Goofy cartoon, For Whom the Bulls Toil (1953) and the feature length, Fun and Fancy Free (1947). The following is an article in Boxoffice Magazine (Dated January 7th, 1939). "Sioux Falls, S.D. Manager Joe Floyd of the Granada covered nearly all the angles for the RKO-Disney short, 'Ferdinand the Bull' the subject rated a holdover. A 14 foot cutout of Ferdinand, was used in the lobby illuminated by two Klieg lights. Another large cutout was anchored a sound truck which blasted announcements and played the show's records. Four illuminated billboards were used with two thirds of the space given over to the Disney picture. Window displays were especially made by Floyd and there were 12 in select locations. A feature of the advertising was a teaser campaign: newspaper space was in editorial columns were large throughout the run. There were extra announcements on the radio and records of 'Ferdinand the Bull' were broadcast several times through station KELO, which reaches about 150,000 persons."
Next is Betty Boop and Bimbo in Bimbo's Express (1931). This short film has everything I love about Fleischer cartoons of this era. The whole film is full of delightfully surrealistic and weird gags that I simply adore.
Now we join our old friend Scrappy in Playing Politics (1936). After this film I fully support Oopy for president.
Let us by singing a song we all know together with the Screen Songs cartoon, The Lone Star State (1948).
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
Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman
A well-made and fun superhero movie, even if it is very familiar.
What makes this movie really work is that it is just as much about who Jaime Reyes is when he is not Blue Beetle as it is about him as Blue Beetle. So much of this film focuses on Jaime's close relationship with his family. This is very well done. It provides this film with a strong emotional center that works very well. The scenes involving the family are very charming and at times quite touching. Since the relationships between the family members feel quite real, it is easy to care about what happens to the characters in the film. This makes it so that the emotional moments end up working very well. As well as this Jaime is simply a wonderful character here. He is incredibly likable and very easy to relate to and connect with. Though many films have tried to do the average guy becomes an action hero trope, this one does it better than many and much of that is due to a very good performance by Xolo Maridueña (in fact the whole cast is great), who simply has a natural charm, but one that at the same times doesn't make him feel like he is not another guy. The likability of this character also shows itself in the action scenes as we truly care about what happens. The action scenes are also just very well executed and are simply a lot of fun to watch. A certain scene involving the secret of his love interest's father also does a very good job of world building and makes us want to see where this may go in future movies.
The humor is hit and miss. There are times when it is really funny and other times when it falls flat.
This movie does unfortunately have very weak villains. These villains are as cliché and bland as you can get and there is nothing to make them stand out from a million other movie villains that are essentially the same characters. There are also quite a few times where the film can not only become predictable but it can also feel way too familiar to those who have watched a lot of superhero movies.
This is nothing that is going to revolutionize the superhero genre, but it is a good solid movie.
With musical biopics being a dime a dozen right now, one of these movies has to be something very special to stand out. Luckily this film is just that. Director and co-writer Bill Pohlad (who brought us the Brain Wilson biopic, Love and Mercy (2014)) gives us not only a well-made biopic but also a heartfelt and moving character study. Rather than this movie revolving around an artist who has reached an almost iconic status, this is a film about two brothers who most people haven't heard of, The Emerson Brothers. This film tells the true story of how as teenagers these brothers made an album together called Dreamin' Wild. Nothing happened with the record after that and it simply faded into obscurity with no one noticing. However 30 years later, a record collector finds this album and falls in love with it. Due to this he helps the album get the attention he feels it deserves. This leads the two brothers to reunite and play together after years of not being a major part of each other's lives. The story itself is fascinating and one that truly stands out among the many musical biopics that are very similar to each other. However the execution is often times just as good as the story. The character study is enhanced by contrasting on what makes the two brothers so different from each other. Donnie (Casey Affleck) has spent all his time since he was a teenager trying to truly make it in the music world with little to no success. Because of this he has become much more jaded and skeptical than he was as a teenager (Noah Jupe). When this comes up, he views it as his last opportunity to be successful. Joe (Walton Goggins) enjoyed playing with his brother, but music has never been a serious dream for him. So for him, he views this not as his last opportunity but rather as a fun experience allowing him to play with his brother once more. This difference causes tension between the brothers, and this is handled wonderfully. This is because no matter what one of them may say or do, we can always see the love between them. This brings a real warmth to this movie that feels completely natural. This warmth can be felt even in the film's saddest moments, and it makes the movie a pure delight to watch. How much we connect with Donnie is also achieved through Bill Pohlad's great direction. Though filmmaking techniques including distorting the sound and image as well as cutting to Donnie's younger self, Pohlad tells you all you need to know about where Donnie is emotionally. As Donnie Casey Affleck gives a truly wonderful performance that hits every emotional beat perfectly. He is not the only one who is great in this film as there is a truly wonderful supporting cast that includes Zooey Deschanel, Chris Messina, Jack Dylan Grazer and Beau Bridges.
Also important for a movie about musicians the music here is simply wonderful. After watching this film it is easy to understand what those who discovered the Emerson Brothers heard in their music. It is simply wonderful. Adding to this is wonderful songs by other artists that are included on this soundtrack including The Band's great cover of Bob Dylan's When I Paint my Masterpiece.
Despite its major flaws, there is still enough here for Bollywood fans to enjoy. For an action movie like this, the main characters serve their jobs quite well. They do not come off as particularly deep here but they do not need to be. The main heroes are easy to like and root for and the villain is easy to hate. While this may be very basic stuff, it does makes us care about what happens to these characters. The action scenes are a lot of fun. Though it may take too long to get to the action scenes, when they come along they are simply too over the top not too enjoy. The pure gleeful absurdity of these scenes simply put a big smile on my face. The song numbers here are also really good. Not only are the songs well written and fun to listen to, but the visuals accompanying them on screen are just as delightful.
The main problem with this film is that it is much longer than it needs to be. This is a simple action movie with a simple story, there is simply no need for it to be approaching three hours. Honestly this movie could have been an hour shorter and could have worked much better. Many of the early scenes in this film and the romantic scenes all could have been cut without losing anything. The romance scenes are also simply not very interesting at all. The attempts at humor in this film also mostly fall flat.
This may not be a great film, but it makes for a decent trip to the movies.
I am a huge fan of director Greta Gerwig's previous films, yet I am sad to say that everything that made those movies so great is completely absent here. At times it is almost hard to believe that this is by the same filmmaker. This film is to put it bluntly a big mess. Probably the worst fault of this film is the characters themselves. Every character is either incredibly bland, unlikable or both. Because of this it is hard to care about a single character here and therefore I found it hard to have any emotional connection to anything that happened. This also makes how much of a mess the storyline is all the more obvious. Even a fantasy film needs to have some source of internal logic, if it wants us to take anything seriously. The problem is that much of the story's very premise doesn't make sense within the context of the film. For instance, what exactly is Barbie Land and how does it function with the real world? The more you think about it, the less sense it makes. When the very foundation of the story doesn't work, the whole thing simply falls apart and that is what happens here. This lack of logic could work if there was nothing but comedy in this film, but instead there are times where it wants us to take it somewhat seriously (especially during the last act) and I simply found it impossible to do so. Not only this but there are quite a few subplots that add little to nothing to the film The last act is when this movie decides it wants to be something much more than a simple comedy. It wants to be a film that has something to say. Unfortunately, its way of going about this is all wrong. Instead of having the message come out of the characters and story, the message seems to be the only thing driving the characters in stories. This often results in making the characters seem like they only exist for the sake of the message the film is conveying. This film also does one of the worst things a message movie can do. This is to delve into speeches that explain the moral of the story in the most obvious way possible. This should not be something an audience should be told by a movie but something that should infer by watching it. While the feminist message is admirable and a lot of what it says is completely true, it is also very basic. Because of this you might agree with what you hear while watching the film, but you will have little food for thought as you leave the theater. This is a case of good intentions being overcome by bad execution. I have not talked much about the comedy yet despite this film being a comedy. The truth is most of the comedy falls completely flat. There were maybe two jokes that got a laugh out of me, but all of the rest didn't even make me smile. Much of this comedy feels like it is simply trying much too hard. Unfortunately it tries so hard to be funny that it winds up being painfully unfunny.
I do admit I like the design of Barbie Land, which does a really good job of making the world of the toys seem to come to life. Also while I didn't like the characters, I do admit that the cast is very good in their roles.
Despite all the hype around this film, it is simply put a bad movie.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Thank You God. This lovely recording comes from a 1956 Little Golden Record (Let There Be Peace was the B-side).
This is followed by Roy Acuff and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with I Saw the Light. This combination was far from a natural one. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band consisted of some long-haired hippie boys and their sound combined traditional country music with a more modern rock style. Roy Acuff was not only a great country music traditionalist, but also a very conservative man who was about as far from a hippie as you can get. This track comes from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 1972 album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken. That album consisted of the group doing many of the great country classics with some of the greatest names in country music. Roy Acuff was originally not sure he wanted to record with these hippie boys for this album, but luckily changed his mind. The result was this wonderful version of a Hank Williams classic that not only stood as one of the highlights of the album, but one of the truly great recordings of country gospel music.
Then comes The Heavenly Gospel Singers with their 1936 recording of Moving Up That King's Highway.
Afterwards is Gene Autry with his 1956 recording of There's No Back Door to Heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." While some may try to get into Heaven in different ways, no way but Jesus Christ can get someone there. Though this may sound exclusive, it is in fact very inclusive. Because with Jesus being the only way there is no one in this world, who is incapable of getting to Heaven because Jesus is willing to save anyone who is willing to come to him.
Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of The Old Rugged Cross. This hymn 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.
Then comes Carrie Underwood with Blessed Assurance. This hymn came about when songwriter Fanny Crosby visited composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp played a tune for Crosby and asked what came to her mind with that tune. Crosby said, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" She then immediately followed it with more lyrics that would be in the finished song. The song was published in 1873 and first appeared in a monthly magazine for which the editors were Joseph Fairchild Knapp and Phoebe Palmer Knapp (who were husband and wife). When it later appeared in 1887's Gospel Songs, No. 5 by Ira Sankey, this we lead it to greater fame as it would be commonly sung in the revivals of Dwight L. Moody and Sankey. By 1889, the hymn commonly appeared in Methodist hymnals. This version of the hymn comes Carrie's 2021 gospel album, My Savior.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with You'll Get Yours and I'll Get Mine. This recording comes from John's 1979 double length gospel album, A Believer Sings the Truth. Columbia Records did not have much faith in how a double length gospel album would sell and did not want to release this album. However, John (with Columbia's blessing) would release the album under his own Cachet label. In 1982 Columbia would reissue the album on the Columbia label. In 1984 Columbia would release a much shorter version of the album as I Believe.
Today's musical selection ends with George Jones with Homecoming in Heaven. This is the title track of George's 1962 gospel album. This was the first of George's gospel albums.
Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.
Up next is a 1941 interview with a man who was born in 1843 and worked as a photographer. Here he talks about the old west.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4
A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. Proverbs 15:13
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! Proverbs 15:23
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Thank you for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning, once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a delightful short film starring Mickey Mouse, Musical Farmer (1932). This was the next to last film Mickey made for Columbia Pictures before his shorts would be distributed by United Artists. The latter part of this cartoon with the henhouse being treated as an assembly line recalls an earlier Disney film, the Alice Comedy, Alice's Egg Plant (1925). This idea though would be best used not in a Disney short but in a Warner Brothers cartoon, Swooner Crooner (1944).
Next comes a later day Terry Toons cartoon, A Bum Steer (1957). This film came out after Paul Terry had sold Terry Toons to CBS. CBS as well as having the rights to the cartoons also retained the entire Terrytoons staff. As well as airing the old films on TV, CBS was intrested in keeping the theatrical cartoons from the studio going and did so with Gene Deitch as the new artistic supervisor. Gene Deitch had worked with UPA, a studio that specialized in flatter more artistic stylized design work and this look can be seen in almost every Terry Toon made during this period. Cartoon fans today know Gene Deitch best for some truly underwhelming Tom and Jerry shorts in the 1960's. This is not fair though as this was just a small part of his career and elsewhere he made some great films. This short was directed by Mannie Davis, who had been directing Terry Toons shorts since the 1930's.
Next comes an excellent Daffy Duck cartoon, A Coy Decoy (1941). This film was part of a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies in the 1930's and 1940's that featured books coming to life at night. The first of these was I Like Mountain Music (1933) and the last was Book Revue (1946, also starring Daffy Duck). This cartoon features the early Daffy Duck meaning he is not yet the greedy and attention seeking duck he would be later. He is just simply crazy which works perfectly with this crazy short. As much as I love the later Daffy, I have a special fondness for this early crazy duck. A review in The Motion Picture Daily states, "The net result is moderate amusement." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "COY DECOY, A: Looney Tunes Cartoons—A dandy black and white cartoon.—C. L. Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa, General Patronage."
Now for a classic silent film from the Out of the Inkwell series, Fishing (1921).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for a classic short film starring the Tijuana Toads, Hop And Chop (1970). This cartoon introduced the character of the Japanese beetle, who would later appear in the Blue Racer shorts for the same studio.
Now for Andy Panda in The Wacky Weed (1946).
Up next is a cartoon with a clever take on the story of the tortoise and the hare, Winner by a Hare (1953).
Today's cartoon selection ends with a classic Silly Symphonies short, Who Killed Cock Robbin? (1935). This film shows cartoon birds at the mercy of an unjust legal system. Satire, dark humor, celebrity caricatures and slapstick abound. The most significant of the celebrity caricatures is Jenny Wren, a caricature of Mae West. Most of her animation here is handled fantastically by Ham Luske and her voice comes from Martha Wentworth who does a really good impression. This character would later appear in the Silly Symphony Toby Tortoise Returns (1936). Two of Walt's future Nine Old Men animate on this film, Eric Larson and Clyde Geronimi. Eric animates the scene where Cock Robbin falls and the cops rushing in. Clyde animates the scenes involving the blackbirds and the cops, Legs Sparrow with the cops and then going into the witness box, and the cops' raiding the area. For the year of 1935 the National Board of Review named this as one of the Ten Best American Films (not just cartoons but films as a whole). According to JB Kaufman and Russell Merrit's excellent book, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series, the idea for making this film had been around the Disney studio as early as October 1933, but work truly began in March, 1934. Wilfred Jackson was originally going to be the cartoon's director, but he was replaced with Ben Sharpsteen, who was replaced with Dave Hand, who actually directed the cartoon. Dave Hand would later be the supervising director for the Disney feature films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). My fellow Alfred Hitchcock fans will recognize that a clip from this cartoon was later used in Hitch's classic movie, Sabotage (1936).
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
Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
This film may have an incredibly weird sense of humor and be about an alien landing in someone's backyard, but what really makes it stand out is just how sweet and goodhearted it is. Underneath everything this is a movie about growing older and feeling that you no longer have a place in this world. To juxtapose this with an alien being on a strange planet, only further makes this point stand out. It is easy to relate to and feel for each of our main characters because this movie does such a good job of making us feel all that they are going through. Not that this is hurt by truly great performances from Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin hurt at all. All three of them put out an effortless charm that makes us immediately care about these characters. For all of our main human characters, they find comfort in this strange alien and though he doesn't talk, he makes each of them feel much less alone in the world and gives each of them a little more strength to push through. Though this may sound corny and cliché in the context of the film it works very well and it is hard to leave this movie without simply feeling at least a little bit better about whatever is happening in your life. As well as being a touching story with a great message this movie is also very funny. I did not except to laugh out loud watching this but I definitely did and quite often. This was truly of not only me but everyone else in the theater with me.
This film does have some problems though. There are subplots brought up that are not given the time to be fully fleshed out and their resolutions can feel quite underwhelming. Also there is some darker humor here, that while funny, feels out of place with the rest of this mostly goodhearted movie.
This film marks the feature length directorial debut (though he has directed some TV episodes) of actor and comedian Randall Park (Marvel fans might know him as Jimmy Woo in the Ant-Man movies and Wanda Vision). Even this early in his directorial career he proves himself to be a very mature filmmaker with a lot to say. He and writer Adrian Tomine (who also wrote the 2007 graphic novel on which this film was based) take what could have been a traditional romantic comedy and turn it into something much more powerful and insightful. Early in the film, the main character after attending a movie premiere of a film he hated stated that one of the problems with the movie he just watched was that the protagonists had no real flaws. This can certainly not be said of Shortcomings. In fact the flaws of the main characters are what this movie is all about. Our main protagonist is a pretentious want to be filmmaker who runs a small art house cinema and looks down his nose at anything currently mainstream (in one scene he talks about a co-worker saying that it is sad that all the movies he likes are on Disney+). Not only can he be a pretentious snob but most of his actions are completely selfish and this is especially true when it comes to his friendships and romantic relationships. While these major character flaws would be a death sentence to most romantic comedy films, they are what make this one special. This film is just as much a character study as a romantic comedy. Because of this while we may not like his actions, we can't help but see ourselves in him. We all have acted like this at times and we all have felt like him. Therefore it is hard not to feel somewhat of a connection to him. Also this movie is about him coming to terms with his faults and realizing that even though he is in his thirties, he is far from a mature adult. This is also something we can all relate to, because no matter what age we are we all have at least a little growing up to do. Because of this, we have a strong emotional connection to this far from traditionally likable character and go through each of the experiences with him. Also helping out is how touching his deep friendship is with his best friend. Even when these characters are fighting and angry at each other, you can tell how much they care about each other and this adds a lot of warmth to the movie in a seemingly effortless way. It doesn't hurt that Justin H. Min and Sherry Cola have simply wonderful chemistry together.
It of course also doesn't hurt that this movie is laugh out loud hilarious. I expected to enjoy this film, but I did not expect to laugh the way I did. There are so many truly hilarious moments in this movie. Film buffs will especially love the conversations between the employees at the movie theater over various movies, as they are truly hilarious and all us movie people have heard conversations like these. Sherry Cola is truly hilarious in nearly every comedic moment she is given, showing us just how much of a comedic talent she is. However the bizarre comedic highlight is the act, one of our main character's co-workers at the movie theater puts on at a club. The act is so bizarre and simply a perfect parody of anything that tries to be experimental and artsy and fails miserably at being such. What makes the scene work so well is that as over the top and insane as it is, the parody is spot on for anyone who has ever seen this kind of art.
Also simply how can I not love a romantic comedy that features clips from Yasujirō Ozu and François Truffaut films.
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