Hello my friends. I know that like me many of you love both silent movies and TCM. Because of this, here is a list of the silent films on TCM this December.
Sunday, December 3rd
I Was Born But... (1932) Director: Yasujirô Ozu. Starring Tatsuo Saito and Tokkan-Kozou. 9:45pm Pacific. 12:45am Eastern.
Tuesday, December 5th
The Blackbird (1926) Director: Tod Browning. Starring Lon Chaney and Renée Adorée. 3am Pacific. 6am Eastern.
While 2021's Godzilla Vs. Kong pushed the human drama to the side to focus solely on spectacle, Godzilla Minus One does the exact opposite. The human drama is front and center here and we get to know who the human characters are and why we should care about them, before getting to the big monster fight. The result is the most heartfelt Godzilla movie yet. These are not the stereotypical and bland human characters that we see in the Monsterverse movies. Instead, these are well defined characters that feel completely real to us. This is especially true of our main character. The story involving this Japanese kamikaze pilot's return to his completely destroyed hometown, being completely unwanted and disgraced is an incredibly moving one. His relationship with a young woman and child, who he takes into his house brings us some of the most touching and heartfelt moments in any of these films. Meanwhile the scenes dealing with our hero's PTSD are often overwhelmingly emotional and poignant. Like the first Godzilla film (way back in 1954), this movie captures not only the physical destruction but also the psychological despair of postwar Japan. In fact, many of the early scenes could have even come from a serious drama about this subject. The result is incredibly effective, and the more serious tone is expertly handled. This is in fact even helped by this film's deception of Godzilla. Like the original movie, Godzilla here is not as much of a character as a sheer force of nature that mercilessly destroys and leaves mankind completely hopeless. This fits the tone of the story perfectly and appropriately for a film about post-war Japan, makes him once again an allegory for atomic weapons. Godzilla has also never visually looked this scary or powerful before.
Yet none of this is to say that this film is lacking in the action. The action scenes here are incredibly wonderful. The prolonged climatic action scene is possibly the finest in the franchise's history. It is incredibly intense, suspenseful, well-staged and exciting. Though it is a longer action scene, it is never boring and never loses one bit of its excitement. This is simply action filmmaking at its finest.
Though this whole show has been about varying timelines and realities, we have never truly visited them in any previous episodes the way it does here. In this episode, the show succeeds where most of the previous Marvel shows have failed. That is that it fully lives up to the promise of its earliest episodes. For instance, Wanda Vision did a great job with its buildup but when it got to its final episodes it simply wasn't as great as the buildup was. The wonderful payoff is seen from the very start of this episode, where Loki is being uncontrollably teleported between these realities. Each reality is beautifully visually realized. Each one feels completely real to us, and the result is wonderful. As a result this is an incredibly atmospheric episode. This even leads to a wonderful sense of unease and creepiness to this episode that is simply wonderful.
As well as exploring these worlds, this episode also does an incredible job of taking a very deep look into Loki's character. This show has done a much better job at delving into who this character is than the Thor or Avengers movies have and the result is fantastic. The pure character growth Loki goes through in this episode alone is simply wonderful. The arc that the character goes through here is very well done and where he is (as a character) by the end is simply perfect.
An excellent historical epic from master filmmaker Ridley Scott.
Even with the major set pieces this movie is first and foremost a romance. Luckly the relationship between Napoleon and Josephine is strongest part of this film. There is a wonderful chemistry between the two and whenever both of them are on screen. Yet the presence of the romance can even be felt in scenes that are not directly about the romance. The battle scenes and Napoleon's moments of melancholy are obviously driven by his love of Josephine. In fact, much of the film is narrated through Napoleon's love letters, where he shares in inner most feelings with her. The effect is marvelous, always making this film come back to its emotional center. It helps very much that Josephine is the most complex and interesting character in the film. This is just the type of role that Ridley Scott excels at bringing to the screen and Venessa Kirby gives a scene stealing performance.
This film is also a pure visual spectacle. Naturally being the director of Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Ridley Scott knows how to deliver a battle scene. These battle scenes fully show Scott at the top of his game. They feel larger than life and very exciting. These scenes will simply have you glued to your seat and in awe. As larger and epic as these scenes get, they still never go overboard as to feel unbelievable. The climatic battle scene is simply incredible and helps leave the film on a wonderful note. Yet the visual spectacle is not just confined to the battlefield. The sets, the costumes and the cinematography are all simply wonderful to look at.
This film's portrayal of Napoleon is sure to be a controversial one. In this department the film completely subverts the audience's expectations. This is not a larger-than-life Napoleon but a more subdued version. This is especially shown in Joaquin Pheonix's performance, which is surprising quiet and has a sense of unease to it. You even see many times here, where he is the one being controlled than the one in control. Not only this but his vanity and other flaws can make the character into a comedic figure. While some might complain that there are times when this film can take this too far (and there are), it is a truly fascinating subversion of what one expects for a historical epic that pays off quite well.
This film definitely has a major flaw though. This is that with the focus being on the romance and the spectacle, many of the other story points can feel rushed and underdeveloped. This is especially true towards the start and the middle of the film. It can seem to jump from one historical moment to the next without giving these moments the time they need to fully shine.
Despite any flaws, this is an excellent film that subverts the historical epic, while still understanding the appeal of it.
A young boy starts to have his doubts as to whether or not there is a Santa Claus. Since this is his crucial night, The Polar Express a magical train stops at his house giving him and other children a chance to see the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
I simply love this movie. To me it captures the feeling of being a child at Christmas. Part of the reason is that this movie is filled with a pure sense of awe and wonder. This is especially true of the beautiful and lush settings that are perfectly visually realized on the screen. It is also true with how this film takes place in the 1950's but never calls attention to it. If you pay attention, you can tell the time period by the magazines or by the kid wearing Roy Rogers slippers (as a Roy Rogers fan, I love that detail). However instead of focusing on things that are obviously from the 50's this movie instead focuses on having a nostalgic feel that simply feels like it is from the past. Because of this, whether your childhood was 20 years ago or 70 years ago, this movie transports you to whichever period you grew up in and have nostalgia for. However, the main reason that this film makes you experience it as a child again is because of the main character. Him having no real name and have a personality that we can all relate to make us see things from his eyes. This is enhanced by the fact that the film rarely moves away from the character. Because of this by the end of the film, we have the same awe and wonder by the magic of Christmas that a child would have.
Even beyond this there is a lot to enjoy about this movie. Despite being based off such a short children's book this feature length film never feels too long. In fact, the 1 hour and 40m minute runtime flies by without a moment seeming wasted. The soundtrack is also simply wonderful. Alan Anthony Silvestri's (who has composed musical scores for many of director Robert Zemeckis' other films as well as this one) musical score is simply a joy to listen to. However, the songs are just as wonderful. The original song, When Christmas Comes to Town (written by Glen Ballard & Alan Silvestri), is simply beautiful and captures all the comforts of Christmas. Another original song, Rockin' on Top of the World (also written by Glen Ballard & Alan Silvestri) is a very fun song enhanced by an energetic performance by Aerosmith lead singer, Steven Tyler. Uses of classic Christmas songs being performed by Bing Crosby, The Andrew Sisters, Perry Como and Frank Sinatra add much to the nostalgic feel.
This film came to be when Tom Hanks fell in love with the 1985 children's book of the same name. He knew he wanted to make a movie based off this property and partnered with Chris Van Allsburg (who wrote the book) to make the film. He then got his friend Robert Zemeckis (who had directed Hanks in Forest Gump (1994) and Cast Away (2000)) to direct. Zemeckis would also co-write the film with William Boyles Jr. (who co-wrote Apollo 13 (1995), which also starred Hanks). Warner Brothers and Castle Rock Entertainment agreed to be production partners. They raised a budget of $165 million. Both Zemeckis and Hanks took an interest in doing the film with motion capture technology providing a more realistic look.
This motion capture animation is often the most criticized part of the film. It is true that the characters can look a little lifeless at times (especially with the eyes). Whenever I watch this film, I notice this at first, but as the film continues I stop noticing this at all. Because of this I have never found this as distracting as some others tend to. Though this may be a major flaw to some, it is only a minor one to me.
Though the critics were harsh on this film, often calling the realistic animation "creepy," it was a hit film and many today (including myself) watch it every Christmas season. The reason for this is simple. It is just a very charming and well-made Christmas movie.
This is another episode that has the Super Friends in a story inspired by a classic work of literature. This time it is Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. In this episode the great grandson of Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster. When the Super Friends stop this monster, the evil scientist decides to give his monster the powers (plus Batman's mind) of the Super Friends.
This episode is pure corny superhero fun at its best. The idea of the Super Friends fighting one of the most famous monsters of all time is a wonderful idea. The idea of that monster being given the powers of these famous DC Comics superheroes is simply irresistible. The design of the creature before and after his transformation is a lot of fun. It may be a very simple story but sometimes it is the simple stories that are the most fun. The evil scientist is very fun villain. He is over the top in all the best ways and it is simply wonderful to watch a villain who enjoys villainy as much as this one does. The monster himself is equally as fun. This episode also has a very good sense of suspense, making you wonder just how our heroes can possibly make it out alive. Yet the way everything is wrapped up is incredibly clever. The action scenes in this episode are also simply a lot of fun and very well staged. The episode also benefits from some wonderful artwork and a sense of atmosphere that is inspired by the classic Universal monster movies.
The only problem with this episode is the running gag involving Gleek and his plane. The entire joke was simply him having it and how raggedly it looked. Therefore, it does not work as a running gag, because it was the same exact thing every time it was repeated. It didn't build up to anything or have any variations, making it a joke without a punch line.
This is a very fun episode and a delight to anyone who likes corny silly superhero fun.
Note: This review may contain very slight spoilers. However, I am sure that even if you haven’t seen the movie, you can already guess these spoilers.
This animated made for TV movie (which originally aired as part of Danny Thomas' TV show) is one of the most unusual of the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. Because of this it may not appeal to as many people as the studio’s more famous Christmas specials. Yet the movie has a charm that works well on me.
In this film (based on a Charles Dickens story of the same name) a kindly toy maker invites a cricket to live with him and his daughter. He does this because he believes that a cricket on the hearth brings good luck. As Christmas approaches the cricket becomes part of the family, even helping make the toys for the upcoming holiday. However, things take a dark turn, when the daughter’s true love is assumed lost at sea and the shock causes her to lose her sight. This is only the beginning of their troubles. However, the cricket takes it upon himself to make it all better by Christmas Day.
What makes this so different from the other Rankin/Bass Christmas specials is that this is really a sad movie with a very happy ending. While the other Rankin/Bass Christmas specials had unhappy moments, they were often brief, and they were never quite this sad. While in my mind this makes the happy ending all the happier, for some this may be more than they wish to see in this type of movie.
There is a lot I really like about this movie. Like all of these specials, the film benefits from a wonderful voice cast. This wonderful cast includes Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas (a real-life father and daughter playing father and daughter), Roddy McDowall, Paul Frees (who cartoon fans might know as the voice of Boris Badenov (Rocky and Bullwinkle's archenemy) and Donald Duck's uncle Ludwig Von Drake), Ed Ames and Hans Conried (who Disney fans might know as the voice of Captain Hook). While limited, the animation has a real warm charm to it. Maybe it is partly nostalgia but there is something about this type of limited animation that feels like Christmas to me. The varying art styles during the song numbers are also completely delightful. Also, it is really easy to care about these characters and stand by them as they go through both bad times and good. Because of this the happy moments are happy, and the sad moments are sad.
The songs here are very pleasant to listen to but not especially memorable. Because of this you might enjoy these songs, but they won’t stick with you the way the songs from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) do.
This film does have its flaws though. The humor is rarely that funny here and most of it falls flat. Also, the scene inside the animal filled nightclub feels like it belongs in a completely different movie. The song number in that scene also feels like padding, as it has no purpose in the story and tends to distract from it.
While this may not be Rudolph, it is a charming little made for TV Christmas movie that deserves to be better known.
Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and The Jimmy Wakely Trio with their 1940 recording of Silent Night. This song was written in 1818 by Josef Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber. Raised in Salzburg, Mohr became an ordained priest on August 21, 1815. He was then sent to a town just north of Salzburg called Obendorf. That is where he met a schoolteacher named Franz Xaver Gruber, who would later become the organist at Old Saint Nicholas Church in 1816. They were in a need for a song on Christmas Eve, 1818. Mohr presented Gruber with a poem he had written a few years before and Gruber quickly put it to music on his guitar (the organ was broken) and that Christmas Eve the first ever audience heard Silent Night. The tempo of that earlier version was faster paced than the one we know today but it was still very popular with the audience and would soon become a song synonymous with Christmas.
This is followed by Wilf Carter with The Old Rugged Cross. This recording comes from Wilf's 1964 gospel album, Let's Get Back to the Bible.
Then comes Connie Smith with O Holy Night. This hymn was written in 1847. The lyricist for the song was Placide Cappeau. Cappeau was a poet who rarely wrote about Christian subjects, however the local priest asked him to write a poem for Christmas mass. He didn't know what to write so he looked at the story of Jesus' birth in the book of Luke and tried to place himself there. He then asked his friend Adolphe Charles Adams (who had composed over 80 operas) to write some music. This hymn would gain controversy in France, when the church learned of its writers. Cappeau had left the church and joined the socialist party. Adams was not Christian, but rather Jewish. The idea that neither of the writers of a Christian hymn were in fact Christian, upset many church leaders. These church leaders denounced the song and deemed it not fit to sing in a church. Yet despite this the hymn was one of the most popular Christmas songs in France at the time.
Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1946 recording of Cowboy Camp Meeting. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the founding members of the group.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with Ringing the Bells for Jim. Though we may think of God's miracles as a thing of the past, he is still performing miracles today.
Then is Randy Travis with Angels We Have Heard on High. This hymn began as a traditional French carol (Les anges dans nos campagnes) dating back to the 18th century. The English language version of this hymn was written by James Chadwick in 1862. However, this version of the song differs from the original French version. This was a very loose translation and in fact Chadwick would also write some original lyrics not to be found in the French version of this hymn. Because of this the two hymns are often viewed as different songs. This version of the hymn comes from Randy's 2007 Christmas album, Songs of the Season.
Though I love Christmas music, there are only two singers who I consider the voices of Christmas. These are Bing Crosby and Gene Autry. Today's musical selection ends with Gene Autry singing Merry Christmas Waltz.
Now for an episode of the Red Ryder radio show.
Now for a message from Pastor Greg Laurie.
3 John
1 The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.
13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
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.
Santa's Surprise (1947) is an especially delightful Christmas cartoon from Famous Studios. This cartoon is best remembered as the first cartoon to feature the character of Little Audrey. Little Audrey was an original character for the studio and also a replacement for Little Lulu, who the studio had made a series of cartoons with, in the past. Little Lulu was not created by the studio but was the star of a comic strip by Marjorie Henderson Buell. When Paramount decided not to renew the license for Famous Studios to use that character, Little Audrey was created. The character was designed by veteran Disney animator Bill Tytla (possibly my favorite Disney animator), who was now a director at Famous. This short's lead animator was Myron Waldman, who specialized in cute animation (often shining his best in the studio's Casper series). Myron would later remember this cartoon as one he was especially happy with.
Now for a Fleischer Brothers Screen Song cartoon, My Wife's Gone to the Country (1931). The Screen Song cartoons featured a mixture of cartoon action and "Follow the Bouncing Ball" sing-along. In fact, it was these short films that introduced the idea of following the bouncing ball.
Next comes Pride of the Yard (1954). Despite this cartoon stating that it is staring Percval Sleuthhound, this is the only film he appeared in.
Next is a classic Donald Duck film, Toy Tinkers (1949). This movie features Donald once again going up against Chip and Dale. This film is directed by Jack Hannah, who at this time was directing the majority of the Donald Duck cartoons. When Chip and Dale had their very short-lived series of shorts, Jack Hannah directed all three cartoons in that series. This cartoon is laugh out loud funny. The slapstick is spot on and timed perfectly. Every joke works and they are all very funny. The humor is also displayed perfectly through the great character animation one should expect form a Disney cartoon. While Disney cartoons are often called sweet and cute in contrast to the hilarious antics at studios like Warner Brothers and MGM, the Disney studio could make slapstick cartoons as great as the rest of them (this is not an insult to Warner Brothers and MGM as I love there cartoons a lot as well). This stands as one of Disney's funniest shorts (a joke involving a telephone never fails to make me laugh out loud)
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes the Aesop's Film Fables short, The Alley Cat (1923).
Next comes Mickey Mouse in The Duck Hunt (1931). In this short film, Mickey and Pluto go out hunting for ducks with little luck. A scene in which Pluto is swimming in the lake with a decoy on his head was later repeated in the Sunday Mickey Mouse comic strip. A variety of animators worked on Pluto here, but the star animator for the character is Norm Ferguson, who is one of the main animators responsible for developing Pluto's personality. This cartoon predates the first appearance of Donald Duck, but I wonder how Mickey's future friend would feel about this movie.
Now for some Saturday Morning Minions.
If any of you wonder why I love Christmas so much, this song should explain.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin
Happy Thanksgiving my friends. While I may not eat Turkey (I am vegetarian), I still have always liked Thanksgiving. It is a wonderful time to reflect on all the blessings we have in life and to let those we love, know how thankful we are for them.
Of course, when it comes to Thanksgiving scenes from the movies nothing tops Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925).
Another Thanksgiving movie treat is of course Bing Crosby singing I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For in Holiday Inn (1942).
While I may not eat turkey, The Three Stooges certainly know all about turkey dinners.
The concert film, The Last Waltz (1978) can be considered a Thanksgiving movie as the concert takes place on Thanksgiving Day and the film ends with a big Thanksgiving dinner for the whole audience.
Of course no Thanksgiving is complete without Thanksgiving cartoons.
Motion Picture Herald, 1936
Now for some music appropriate for the holiday.
I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving my friends.
When the last episode left off, Miss Minutes promised to reveal something shocking to Ravonna Renslayer. As this episode starts it lives up to that promise and what is revealed is not only a huge twist but is one that changes the direction this season is going. This is simply a great twist and one that opens the episode on a great note. It is not the only great twist here. There are quite a few twists along the way, with some of them even being surpassingly dark and compelling. This all leads up to a quite surprising and well-done ending. This episode also does a wonderful job of continuing what happens when our "heroes" get a hold of a variant of Kang. Even with all the great twists in this episode, the episode is also full of quite a few character moments. The conversation between Loki and Sylvi in the automat is simply wonderful and does a great job at exploring who these characters are and how they adapt to this more heroic role they find themselves in. This episode is also very atmospheric with wonderful uses of lighting. The use of lighting throughout this episode does a wonderful job of creating a darker more suspenseful feel to this episode. This is especially true of the scene with Loki and Sylvi in the automat, where the lights going on and off create a visual interest in a dialogue heavy scene.
I still find Jonathan Majors' performance as this Kang variant to be very off putting and forced. It can really take me out of the more serious scenes. The humorous moments in this episode also tend to fall quite flat here with none of them actually making me laugh.
While it may not be top-tier Disney, Wish is definitely a good movie and a treat for Disney fans.
One thing that enticed me to see this movie (besides just being a huge Disney fan) is the look. From seeing the first trailer, I feel in love with the look of this film and it did not disappoint. This film is a real visual marvel. Production designer Michael Giamo stated that this look originated from when the filmmakers tried to see if a 3-d computer animated character could mesh against a water color background from a classic Disney feature film. Using a background from Pinocchio (1940), they found that this worked very well. Wish therefore combines a newer style of animation and a more traditional look. The result is magnificent. Like Disney's very first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), this movie visually makes us feel like we entered into a storybook world. This is even prevalent in having an opening that is very much an homage to the earlier Disney classic. With an opening title that looks very much like the one at the start of Snow White, followed by the opening up of a storybook to start the film (which not only Snow White but many classic Disney features do), this homage is a treat to fans of that 1937 classic.
Yet this movie does quite well in the story department as well. Feeling that they should do a special film for the studio's 100th anniversary, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck (the directors of the Frozen films) looked back on the studio's past films. They decided that what defined Disney magic was the idea of a wishing star (which of course was a major part of Pinocchio). Writers Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore (in her first feature film credit) as well as directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn (who makes her directorial debut here, though she has worked as a storyboard artist on multiple Disney and Illumination movies) fashioned a story that is very charming in its simplicity. This is not a film full of shocking plot turns nor does it have an epic feel to it. However, the classic storybooks this is trying to emulate do not have these things either. Because of this with this simplicity, the movie captures the charm of these storybooks quite well. Asha is a great protagonist. She is charming, relatable, and easy to root for. The villain is fantastic. While many Disney movies of late have been lacking a strong villain, or sometimes any villain, this movie brings back the classic Disney villain in full force. What makes the character work so well is that we can see him evolving from a man with good intentions, who carries those intentions too far, to a complete villain in a completely believable way.
The songs in this movie are pleasant but ultimately forgettable. While there is nothing wrong with these songs and they are nice to listen to, they don't have the lasting impact that the best Disney songs do. Sadly, you will not leave the cinema humming any of these songs.
Where this film really falls flat is the humor. While there are a few good jokes here, most of the humor simply left me (and most of the audience in the theater with me) completely silent. Another flaw is that Asha's human friends (I like Valentino and Star) are quite bland and forgettable.
While it may have its flaws, this movie is still a real treat for Disney fans.
While flawed, Saltburn is a twisted, dark and engrossing ride.
What makes this film work so well is that there are many twists and turns and many of them are quite shocking. While none of these twists and turns come out of nowhere, most of them you won't see coming. This is especially true when it comes to the characters themselves. These characters may not be likable but they are always fascinating to watch. The movie even has you constantly guessing whether or not you truly know who these characters are. You can tell that each of these characters is putting on a facade. There is a dark twisted joy as well as pure terror as we see this facade be peeled away. At first you might think that this is simply an anti-rich and anti-establishment film, but it turns out to be much more complex than this while still offering some social commentary. The look of this film is also simply wonderful. From the lavish sets to the great cinematography, this movie is simply wonderful to look at. This look isn't just for being pretty though, it also adds much to the story. It makes Saltburn feel dark and unreal, while also showing why this place entices and lures all who go there.
This movie does have its flaws though. One is that it is simply longer than it needs to be. There are times (especially towards the start), when it can really drag. Also this film should have ended sooner than it did. It has what would be a perfect twist ending and we don't need any more explanation or closure after this. But the movie goes on and provides us with both anyway, somewhat losing the mysterious and ambiguous feeling that it had just a little bit earlier. This had also been a flaw of director /writer Emerald Fennell's only previous feature, Promising Young Woman. She is a very talented filmmaker and I hope that she learns to overcome this fault in her otherwise very good movies. This movie also tends to use sexual moments simply for shock value and not to really enhance the story and this does little but pad the already too long runtime.
While this may have its share of flaws, like Saltburn itself, this movie has a mysterious hold over its viewers for much of its runtime.
In this episode, the evil Captain Nimoy (a character somewhat inspired by Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) uses an evil robot version of Batman to get to Superman's fortress of solitude and steal some kryptonite from his vault to enhance his weapons. With Superman away at the time, the Super Friends get help from four Kryptonians from the bottled Kryptonian city of Kandor (which is from the comics).
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. While one-note Captain Nemoy is a very fun villain, and this episode does a good job of setting up how he can be a believable threat. The story with him using the robotic version of Batman works perfectly. This is the perfect amount of corny superhero fun. The use of the smaller Kryptonian heroes is also very clever and a fun idea. They don't have much personality but they lead to some very fun action scenes and there is a clever use of their small size. Even their designs are a lot of fun. There is also plenty of the wonderful background art that I love about the Hanna-Barbera cartoons of this time period. I love the look of Captain Nemoy's submarines both inside and out. They have a great design and the scenes inside are filled with this wonderful background art. There are even some nice little touches that are not called attention to, such as a sci-fi looking organ in one of the ships.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus in the Morning. Jesus should not only be on our minds when we go to church but all the time. He should be there when we wake up in the morning, when we go about doing our daily routine, when we get home each day and when we go to bed at night.
This is followed by Slim Whitman with He Bought My Soul at Calvary. Too often we take what happened at Calvary for granted without truly thinking about what it means. By this I do not only mean the pain and suffering he endured (though that has often become too sanitized in our minds), but also the fact that now we can have a close personal relationship with the God who created the heavens and the Earth.
Then comes Wayne Raney with his 1949 recording of Gathering in the Sky.
Next comes The Carter Family with their 1941 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887.
Next is Waylon Jennings singing Precious Memories on his 1976 album, Are You Ready for The Country. 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. Though Waylon did not record a great many gospel songs, he more than proved himself as an incredible gospel singer. The pure soul, emotion and power in his voice could not be more perfect for gospel music. Personally, Waylon's version of Precious Memories remains my favorite version of this classic hymn.
Afterwards is The Sons of the San Joaquin with Unclouded Day.
After this comes Johnny Cash and Billy Graham with Preacher Said, Jesus Said. Johnny and Billy were great friends and John often appeared at the Billy Graham crusades and played a major role in leading many people to Christ. This song has Johnny singing with inserts of Billy Graham quoting Jesus. The message of this song was not only timely then as well as timely now. It will always be timely. When things are darkest and we don't know who to believe or trust, we know that we can always count on the words of Jesus Christ to be as true as they ever were.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1941 recording of What a Wonderful Joy. Words cannot describe just how joyous it will be when we reach heaven. The Bible doesn't describe Heaven in much physical detail, probably because our minds cannot even comprehend how great it will be.
Next comes the C.S. Lewis essay, Must Our Image of God Go?
Next comes a 1942 episode of the Red Ryder radio show.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
Love one another. 1 John 3:23
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life. Proverbs 22:4
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
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. Happy Saturday morning and welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Superman in Terror on the Midway (1942). This is the last Superman cartoon by the Fleischer Studio before that studio was succeeded by Famous Studios (who would continue the Superman cartoons. In these short films Superman is voiced by Bud Collyer, who had also voiced the character on the Superman radio show. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "SUPERMAN ON THE MIDWAY: Superman Color Cartoons - We think these cartoons are very poor, but they seem to draw extra business. We plug them with extra trailer we got from National Screen. Always get in extra business. Why, is a mystery. - R.S. Pryor, Cactus Theatre, Austin Tex."
Now for one of Chuck Jones' great Bugs Bunny cartoons, Wackiki Wabbit (1943). The two castaways who try to eat Bugs in this cartoon, were caricatured to look like and were voiced by Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies writers, Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce. Many of Chuck's cartoons of this time had great experimentation with background art, and that is certainly true here. The background art is delightfully abstract, in a way that works perfectly. The background art is credited to Bernyce Polifka, though it has been debated whether or not John McGrew had anything to do with the backgrounds here considering he left the studio during the making of the film.
Next, we join our good friend Farmer Alfalfa in Tropical Fish (1933).
Next comes a classic Mickey Mouse short, The Opry House (1929). This cartoon was based off a story idea by Ub Iwerks. The film was made when Walt was in New York. Because of this Walt corresponded with Ub (who was working on the film in California) by mail offering him his commentary and direction for the cartoon. I love the rubbery and very cartoony feel to these early Mickey Mouse shorts, and this is one of the most perfect examples of that.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is Heckle and Jeckle in Deep Sea Doodle (1960). This is nearly the end of the theatrically released Heckle and Jeckle short films. Only three more would be made after this. While the quality of the animation is definitely much less than that of the earlier shorts with these characters, there are still some pretty good gags in this movie.
It is now silent movie time. So, get ready for a double helping of silent Jerry on the Job cartoons. Enjoy The Mad Locomotive (1922) and The Wrong Track (1920).
Next we join Woody Woodpecker in Jurassic Woody (2022).
Motion Picture News, 1919
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Bart's Haircut (1987). This is one of the shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin.
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Though this episode is still building up Kang as the big menace (the after credits scene from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) is part of this episode), the main villain of this episode is Miss Minutes. This episode does a wonderful job of making a silly cartoon clock into a believable villain in a superhero (or supervillain) show. In fact, she is actually very creepy and even a bit terrifying here. This is good storytelling. In this episode, we also get to see one of Kang's variants here and this is quite well handled. It also leads to a wonderful look into how he became the villain he would. There is also a very intelligently written scene between Loki and Sylvie here. This is also a very atmospheric episode. The World's Fair is a wonderful setting, and it is beautiful realized on screen. This is especially because of its wonderful lighting. While this is not an action heavy episode, the action scenes here are truly wonderful. This episode also has some truly wonderful and surprising twists towards the end. The ending itself is fantastic.
My only real problem with this episode is that Jonathan Majors' vocal performance as the Kang variant is too over the top and distracting. I preferred his more subdued performance in the finale of last season or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
What makes this film work so well is the two main characters. Coriolanus Snow is a very complex character and one that is fascinating to watch. While we may not always like him, we do always relate to him. We see a bit of ourselves in every part of him. Because of this, we often find us putting ourselves in his shoes and thinking about what we would do in such a situation. This gives us an emotional attachment to what we are watching, in a completely different way than the average action movie. Lucy Gray is the complete other side of the coin. She is a character that we can't help but like. She simply has a good heart, and we are shown that over and over again. Because of this there is a real suspense in the Hunger Games scenes as we simply fear for her life. In many ways she functions as the heart of this film and a bright light in a dark world. The romance between the two is also very well handled and feels completely believable and real. The story line is also very intelligent here. Not only is it quite involving but the social commentary and larger points in this film are very smart and thought provoking.
One thing that shocked me with just how much I loved it was the music. As many of you know I am a major country music fan. So, I was delighted that the songs (one of the characters is a singer) took a strong influence from country, bluegrass and folk music. Not only this but the songs were very well written, both musically and lyrically (I understand that the lyrics come directly from the book). Rachel Zegler also did a wonderful job singing these songs and was a joy to listen to. This is my taste in music and I hope this movie introduces more people to this type of music.
Not everything here works though. Though our main two characters are great, all the other characters are either very bland or too over the top that the clash with the more serious tone of the film. The attempts at humor also often fall flat. While it is important to have bits of humor to lighten the mood in this type of film, none of it was funny here. The movie is also quite long and can drag at times (especially in the last act).
While this film may have its flaws, everything that works is simply wonderful.
In this film Bob Hope plays The Lemon Drop Kid, a swindler, who hangs around the horse tracks touting fake tips to make money. This gets him into a situation where he needs to pay a gangster (Fred Clark) $10,000 by Christmas Eve, or else he may not live to see New Years. He decides to dress himself up as a street corner Santa Claus in order to make the money. When this winds him up in trouble with the law, he comes up with an idea of how to make the money. He will pretend to operate an old folks home from old ladies who don't have a place to go to, yet it is just a scheme to get the $10,000.
Perfect for a movie that takes place around the Christmas season, this film mixes the typical Bob Hope humor with a good helping of sentimentality. The movie does a truly great job at this, and the result is a film that is both funny and heartwarming. What makes this mixture work so well is that both the comedy and the sentimentality come directly from the characters and the story. No matter how wacky or silly any of the gags get, each of them has a purpose and helps move the story forward. While most of the gags revolve around Bob Hope's one-liners (most of which are truly funny), there are also some wonderful sight gags thrown in for good measure. The scene where the controls for the bed get out of control is truly hilarious. A scene involving a mannequin is also as funny as anything ever put in a Bob Hope picture. The sentimentality is just as well done here. When it comes to Christmas time movies, we all have a special fondness for a warm-hearted story about a cynical person coming into contact the spirit of Christmas (this is why there are so many film adaptions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol) and this movie has this in spades. This is a film that always has its heart in the right place and there are moments (especially towards the last act) that are surprisingly quite emotional for a Bob Hope comedy. This movie also has one of the best realized romances in any of the Bob Hope films. You really believe the relationship between these two characters and his girlfriend is a fully realized character instead of just a love interest for the main star.
As much as this is a Bob Hope movie, the supporting cast is also fantastic here. William Frawley is often just as funny as Bob Hope in his scenes. Marlyn Maxwell as the Kid's girlfriend is also great. Not only is she given a meatier role than most of the love interests in Bob Hope pictures, but she also shines with her great musical numbers. However, the real heart of the film comes from the great Jane Darwell (who classic movie fans will know for playing Ma Joad in John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940) among many other great film performances). She puts just as much heart into this comedy as she did into her more critically acclaimed roles. Because of this she is a major reason why the sentimentality in this film works so well. Even wrestler Tor Johnson (most famous for his role in the worst movie ever made, Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)), gets some good moments here.
Probably this film's greatest legacy today is that it brought us a very well-known Christmas song, Silver Bells. This song was the brainchild of the songwriting team Jay Livingston and Ray Evans (who wrote all of the songs for this film). Paramount was not happy with some of their recent output and if the two did not come up with a hit song soon, their contract would lapse. They were at first disheartened when they were assigned to write a Christmas song. They had no ideas for any Christmas songs and didn't feel like they could really prove themselves with one. Then one of them noticed a tinkly bell on their desk. This gave them an idea and the wrote, "Tinkle bells, tinkle bells. It's Christmas time in the city." The lyrics would be changed to Silver Bells when Livingston's wife made them aware that tinkle could also mean to urinate. The song was originally going to not be given special attention in the movie. Instead it was just going to have the characters standing in a room singing. However it was noticed (especially by Bob Hope) that there was something special about this song and it was given a more visually interesting treatment with The Kid and his girlfriend walking down a city street at Christmas time. Though the song was written for this movie, it was heard by the general public before the film's release because Bing Crosby and Carol Richard's recording of the song was released before the movie. Bob Hope would later making singing this song an annual tradition on his Christmas TV Specials.
This movie was based off of a story by Damon Runyon, also called The Lemon Drop Kid. A film of the same name based off this story had previously been released in 1934. William Frawley was in the casts of both that film and this movie. Bob Hope had previously starred in another Damon Runyon adaption with Sorrowful Jones (1949).
The credited director for this movie was Sidney Lanfield, who had previously directed Hope in such films as the previously mentioned Sorrowful Jones, My Favorite Blonde (1942), Let's Face It (1943) and Where There's Life (1947). However Hope was very unhappy with his work on this picture and wanted a new director. This director was Frank Tashlin, who ended up directing about a 3rd of this film. Though Tashlin had directed many cartoon shorts (especially Looney Tunes cartoons) this was his first real job directed a live action feature. Tashlin would go on to direct one of the best Bob Hope movies with Son of Paleface (1952).
The Lemon Drop Kid is a great underrated Christmas classic.
In this episode, Superman tries to stop a volcano, while an evil Superman from a parallel universe tries to make a volcano erupt. The two Supermen end up switching places and finding each other in the opposite universe. The universe our Superman finds himself in doesn't have the Super Friends but the Super Enemies, in evil version of our superheroes. Meanwhile the evil Superman tries to take over his universe.
This is in many ways the Super Friends version of a Crime Syndicate story. The Crime Syndicate are characters from the DC Comic books, who are evil versions of the Justice League and come from the parallel universe of Earth 3. This episode is not an exact adaption of a Crime Syndicate story as these characters have the same names as the Super Friends (the Crime Syndicate has different names than the Justice League) and a different line up (the Crime Syndicate has no evil version of Aquaman and the Super Enemies does not have evil versions of The Flash or Green Lantern).
This is a delightful episode. It is simply pure corny superhero fun at its finest. The whole idea of the Super Enemies is delightfully silly in the best way. The idea that they even meet at the Hall of Evil is fantastic. I especially love the designs of these evil versions of the characters. Robin having the tiny mustache is simply a wonderful design choice. I even love Gleek the space monkey's evil design (despite not being a fan of the character). There is also something just simply charming about superheroes fighting evil versions of themselves. The idea may not be complex or original, but it is a heck of a lot of fun and this episode embellishes this idea to its fullest. Simply put this is a lot of fun.
This episode does have one major flaw though. This is the ending. The ending here is simply very abrupt and when the episode finishes the story is not wrapped up yet. It would have been better, if this was a two-parter and there was another episode that picked up exactly where this one left off.
Still despite this major flaw, this is still a wonderful episode.
In this episode, the Wonder Twins and (sigh) Gleek the space monkey go on a camping trip. There they discover some trolls that are forced to serve an all-powerful villain called Mal Havok in the middle of the Earth. Mal Havok then turns the Wonder Twins into trolls. Gleek escapes to warn the Super Friends. However, when the Super Friends go down to rescue them, they are turned into trolls as well. They then go on a journey to find a magic ring which can stop him.
While the Super Friends don't meet any characters from Lord of the Rings, this episode is clearly inspired by Tolkien's books. The trolls' designs look like how Tolkien describes the hobbits. Also the whole idea of them going on a quest for a magic ring is obviously taken from the books. There is even an attack by monstrous spiders. Even the title calls to mind Tolkien.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. Mal Havok is a wonderful villain. He has a great design, a well-fitting voice and feels like a major threat to our heroes. This whole episode is also full of a great sense of imagination. There are tons of creatures that the superheroes run into and all of them are wonderfully designed. I especially love the designs of the spider monsters and the giant slugs. I even love the designs of the Super Friends as trolls. This episode also features a wonderful sense of atmosphere. The way Middle Earth is designed is fantastic and the background art is often breathtakingly good. Not only is this artwork a joy to look at but it also adds makes this strange world all the more real to us.
Unfortunately, this is a Gleek heavy episode. He is just as annoying and unfunny here as ever. I also hate the ending, as it feels like a complete cop-out.
Despite its flaws though there is a lot to enjoy and even love about this episode.
A really enjoyable dumb-fun action movie from India.
This film is part of what is known as the Spy Universe. This is a franchise of various Indian action movies that exist in a shared universe (obviously inspired by the MCU). This may not be the strongest film of the franchise, but it is a fun movie. The action scenes are quite good and very exciting here. These action scenes are delightfully over the top. We are well aware that they could never happen and real life, but that is just part of the fun. The choreography and staging of these action scenes are also wonderful. The scene in the Russian bathhouse is probably the best example of this. It has all the wonderful choreography of the best martial arts films with a little bit of sexiness through in. The result is simply a lot of fun. Also wonderful is the fight on the highway. This is as over the top as action scenes can get and I loved it. Our heroes are not especially deep or complex, but they are likable and easy to root for. Much of this is due to the charm that Salman Khan and especially Katrina Kaif bring to their roles. Katrina Kaif especially seems to be perfectly cut out to play this type of action heroine.
This film does have its problems though. The villain is quite bland. The movie is too long for a simple dumb-fun action film and can drag at times. Also, most of the humor falls flat.
This is not great art, but for fans of Bollywood action movies, this is a lot of fun.
A very charming musical version of the nativity story.
This may in many ways be a very simple retelling of the Christmas story but in many ways the charm is in that simplicity. This is because while it may be simple it does capture the heart and the warmth of the biblical story. It may take a few creative liberties, but it gets right down to the essence of what Christmas is all about. Whether you are a Christian or not this movie will simply put a smile on your face. Much of the warmth can be found in Mary and Joesph themselves. While Mary (as portrayed here) may in some ways resemble your typical Disney heroine, she is a character that we like from the time that we first see her (much of this is due to Fiona Palomo's warm and charming onscreen presence). Also even while adding more typical movie heroine traits, this movie always treats her with the utmost respect and shows why she was far from just any woman. The way Joseph is portrayed is simply perfect. This film takes a good look at the inner conflict he had. We truly see him battling within himself whether or not to believe Mary. This is something that I feel many film versions of the nativity story tend to overlook. However I feel that it is one of the most important parts to the story. The sheer amount of faith Joseph had to walk with to believe and trust that Mary was telling the truth. I simply love that this movie, honestly takes a look his step of faith (Mary even says to him, "I'm not the only one who was chosen for this."). This also adds a real emotional connection to a story that we all know how it ends.
I went into this film, expecting to not really enjoy the songs. Part of this comes from many modern musicals having songs that I didn't care for. Yet I was surprised that I actually ended up enjoy these songs quite a bit. They are quite catchy and pleasant to listen to. There are even times where the lyrics are quite clever. I even actually loved the song from Joseph's dream sequence.
The scenes with the Magi are mostly played for laughs and are often times very silly. While I have no problem with this concept, I felt they should have been funnier. There may be a few smiles in these scenes, but there are no real big laughs. Though most of these scenes I was feeling that I should have been laughing more than I was.
While this may not be the best film version of the Christmas story, it is a very charming film. There are even a few moments of greatness here.
