There is nothing new or complex about this movie, but that does not mean it is not very entertaining. The film does a wonderful job of building up its suspense. For the most part this happens little by little. Because the suspense keeps growing as the film goes on, this keeps it from ever feel repetitive or boring. By the climax the film becomes so tense that you are completely on the edge of your seat. This movie also boasts some great action scenes. Both of the car chases in this film are truly fantastic and a whole lot of fun. The same can be said for the big shootout scenes as this movie approaches its climax. This movie even has a few surprisingly funny comedic moments.
The main problem with this film is that its story about a man going to extreme lengths to clear his own name is so familiar. Because of this it simply has a hard time standing out among many similar movies. It does everything well, but not to a level that would make it stand out. This makes this a great watch but one you will forget about in a few months. The same can be said about the characters. They are not boring characters, and they do their job well enough. Yet there is little to make them more memorable than characters from similar films.
This is a very well-made film, even if it can be too reminiscent of many similar movies.
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 Frank Luther with his 1931 recording of Jacob's Ladder.
Then comes the Carolina Gospel Singers with their 1929 recording of Jesus Paid It All. Elvina Hall wrote the words to this hymn on the flyleaf of her hymn book and handed it to her pastor. Meanwhile the church's organist John Grape handed the pastor a new piece of music he had just written. Noticing that the poem and the music fit together perfectly, the pastor put the two together and the hymn was born. The hymn came to be in 1865.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with This Train is Bound for Glory. This wonderful recording 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. A Believer Sings the Truth would not find its way to CD until 2012.
Next is Anne Wilson with God and Country. This comes from her most recent album 2024's God and Country.
Then is The Weavers with their 1951 recording of Poor Little Jesus. At this time their lineup included Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, Pete Seeger and Ronnie Gilbert.
Next is Hank Williams Jr. with Are You Walkin' And Talkin' For The Lord. This comes from his 1969 gospel album, Sunday Morning.
Today's musical selection ends with Sons of the Pioneers with Read the Bible Every Day. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the founding members of the group. This version of the song is from their newest album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals. However the Sons of the Pioneers had recorded this song before in 1947 (though of course they had completely different members at the time.
Now for a message from S. M. Lockridge.
Now for an episode of the Lone Ranger radio show.
The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. Proverbs 12:22
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3
The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth. Isaiah 26:7
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5
Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:4
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8
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 Mr. Magoo in Magoo's Problem Child (1956). This short film was directed by Pete Burness. Burness had previously been an animator on MGM's Tom and Jerry shorts as well as some classic Looney Tunes. At this time, he was the main director of the Magoo series.
Up next comes a Columbia Color Rhapsody cartoon, A Cat, a Mouse and a Bell (1935).
Big Bad Sindbad (1952) is an interesting cheater cartoon. This is because it only uses clips from one previous cartoon. The previous film is Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936). That short ran more than twice as long as the normal Popeye cartoon. With this short being more of a regular length, this movie plays as a shorter version of the earlier film with a new opening and closing. One change that appeared in the Popeye films between the two cartoons is that Popeye's outfit changed from black to white. Because of the reused footage though this movie is the rare 1950's Popeye cartoon with Popeye wearing his old outfit.
Next comes a classic Talkartoon cartoon, The Cow's Husband (1931). This short film stars Bimbo, who is best known today for being Betty Boop's boyfriend. However, at this time he was the Fleischer Studio's main star. His design here is also greatly different than the one we would later see in Betty Boop cartoons. This film contains all the delightfully surreal humor that made the Fleischer cartoons of this era so much fun. The film's highlight may be the rotoscoped bull dance.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Up next comes Daffy in Wackyland (2023). This recent short film was the first Looney Tunes cartoon to be done completely in stop motion. It premiered at Annecy International Animated Film Festival on 17 June 2023. This cartoon is a continuation of sorts of the classic Looney Tunes short, Porky in Wackyland (1938).
Now for another modern cartoon based on a classic cartoon character, D.I.Y. Duck (2024). This Donald Duck short was directed by Mark Henn, who worked as an animator on such Disney movies as The Little Mermaid (1989, the lead animator for Ariel), Beauty and the Beast (1991, the lead animator for Belle), Aladdin (1992, lead animator for Jasmine), The Lion King (1994) and Mulan (1998, lead animator for the title character). This short is a wonderful throwback to the Donald cartoons of the 1940's and 50's.
Now it is silent movie time with one of Walt Disney's Alice Comedies, Alice on the Farm (1925).
I love of the cartoons of Chuck Jones from any period but there is something special about his films from 1942 and 1943. At this time, he was fully getting away from his slower paced cuter output of the late 1930's but had not yet gotten to the style of films he would make in the 1950's that everybody is familiar with today. So, what we get from output during these two years are cartoons that experiment with what you can do in an animated short. It doesn't hurt that he worked with such experimental artists as layout man John McGrew. Chuck gave McGrew plenty of freedom and what John accomplished in these movies is nothing short of amazing. This is especially shown in The Case of the Missing Hare (1942), where experimentation is seen in every moment. Just watch the abstract backgrounds that show a mixture of two colors at a time, but the colors change when there is a strong action in the foreground. This is something someone may not notice on their first watch, but it is something they can feel. A review in The Film Daily stated, "Here is another hilarious, the Leon Schlesinger creation that keeps growing in comic strength with every new release." I think anyone watching this cartoon today will recognize that the antagonist is not Elmer Fudd, but one reviewer from The Exhibitor didn't as in his review he stated "...this has Elmer, as a magician..." A review from the same magazine less than a month later stated, "Elmer isn't in this." The latter is right. A review in Variety called this "One of the better Bugs Bunny subjects."
Now let us close by singing a song we all know.
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
Without a single word of dialogue, this seemingly simple film will move you to tears by the end. The story starts off as simple as can be. A dog is lonely and in need of a friend. He buys and builds a robot and the two quickly grow a real close connection. These scenes of the two having fun could have been released as a short film and been a pure delight. However, the story does not end there, and the movie goes on to be something much more profound and beautiful. I expected to enjoy this movie, but I did not expect to be moved as deeply as I was. This movie goes from the warm hearted and funny movie it starts as to being a deeply intelligent and thoughtful mediation on loneliness, friendship and the passage of time. What is amazing is that for a movie about a dog and a robot, this mediation is very open and honest about these themes. It does not simplify anything and among the happy and sad scenes there are many that are bittersweet. This is something that is especially true about the passage of time. What happens as time passes is something more complex than simply happy or sad and this movie is unafraid to look at this with this complexity. While there are scenes that we might hope could have gone a different way, these scenes are perfectly honest about all of them. The look at friendship is equally complex and intelligent. Any close relationship has its moments of joy and of sadness. This movie captures both of these feelings perfectly. As for loneliness anyone who has ever felt lonely can attest to how accurate this movie is.
Yet this is an animated family movie about a dog and a robot. Even with the complex emotional scenes this film also has all the joys you could want from this type of movie. The early scenes after the robot are built are incredibly joyous and this joy is completely infectious. As the movie ventures into more complex territory, it still keeps its sense of humor. While not always laugh out loud funny the humor is creative and fun. Therefore, it will keep a smile on your face. This whole movie is also full of great imagination and the whole film is full of pure and awe-inspiring imagination. This imagination also keeps this movie very accessible to young kids, even with its deeper themes.
This is director/writer Pablo Berger's first foray into animation and hopefully not his last. Berger has a love of silent cinema and even directed the modern silent film, Blancanieves (2012). Here again he masters of making a modern film using this truly timeless form of storytelling. He stated that making Robot Dreams, he made the crew study the silent films of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. While this film has its own unique feel the influence of these great artists can truly be felt. The great character design work was done by Daniel Fernández Casas. Casas is best known for his work with Illumination having done great work on such movies as Sing 2 (2021) and The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019).
An unabashedly sentimental and profoundly moving dramedy.
Despite the title, this is not a horror movie, nor does it have anything to do with ghosts. This is rather a deeply emotional story about a family that is falling apart after the son commits suicide. However, the father and the daughter (who are barely talking to each other outside of arguments) reconnect when the father finds himself joining a community theater group.
This film often dips completely into sentimentality. However, it does so with such sincerity that it never feels forced or cloying. Instead it comes off as completely natural and real to us. Because of this, Ghostlight is a movie that can often truly move its audience to tears. This movie will tug on your heartstrings and never let go. This is one of those films that will make you leave the theater still feeling all the emotions you did while watching. One of the main reasons for this is that it is not afraid to dip into darker territory, yet at the same time never simply becomes a depressing dirge. Rather there are some moments of hope and great beauty, that leave us fully inspired. This creates a very mature and believable look at this movie's complex themes, which are often in equal parts very sad and quite hopeful. This is the true definition of a film that will make you laugh and cry.
What also makes this film work so well is the characters. As the movie starts, they seem like almost one-dimensional stereotypes. However, as the film goes on, we see that there are many more layers to each of these characters than we first saw. These are characters who have parts of themselves they don't always show outwardly. This is something that community theater allows them to bring out into the open in a way that they usually wouldn't show outwardly. Because of this, we get to truly know these characters in a deep and meaningful way. As the film goes on, they feel more real to us than some people we know in real life. This is helped by truly incredibly performances by Keith Kupferer and Katherine May Kupferer (real life father and daughter) as the father and daughter here. You feel the pure raw emotion in their performances, as they truly pull on your heartstrings. This is evident not only in many of the film's dramatic scenes but in their scenes where the characters are preforming on stage. The climatic performance of Romeo and Juliet will truly bring you to tears. Speaking of the play, the way this movie mirrors the play they are performing with their personal drama is absolutely masterful. The big performance of the play becomes doubly emotional powerful as the drama of Shakespeare's play and the characters' personal drama meld together seemingly effortlessly to create something profoundly moving.
This movie is not just a pure drama though. Though the story has many very serious themes, the drama is rounded out by some well-incorporated humor. Much of the comedy here is truly hilarious and made me laugh out loud. Most importantly though is that neither the comedy nor the drama ever gets in the way of each other but blend seamlessly.
In 1966, Batmania swept the United States. Though the character had first appeared in comic books in 1939, the 1966 Batman TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward gave the character a newfound popularity that was beyond anything he had known before. Between the first and second season of the show a theatrical feature film starring the same cast and made by the same crew was released. However, the original intention for this movie was to have it released before the premiere of the TV show. This theatrical feature film was supposed to be audiences' introduction to this version of the caped crusader. However, this was not meant to be. When ABC decided to debut the TV series as a mid-season replacement in early 1966, audiences ended up seeing Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder on TV before seeing them on the big screen. Perhaps this was for the best because all though the TV series was a national phenomenon, this movie ended up only being a moderate success at the box office. The movie premiered at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, on July 30, 1966. Though this marked Batman's first feature length film this was not the first time he was seen on movie screens as there were two Batman movie serials in the 1940's.
This movie's plot is wonderfully simple. The Joker (Ceaser Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) all team up to pull off an elaborate scheme to take over the world. Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) must stop them before they can complete their evil scheme.
This movie may feel like a longer episode of the TV show, but if it does it feels like one of the best episodes. This film is a complete delight from start to finish. Like the TV series much of the action is played completely tongue in cheek. This movie is corny, but it knows that it is corny. Because of this the filmmakers have a lot of fun playing with just how silly a lot of the action is. That makes it so that we have just as much fun watching. There are many scenes here that are pure comedy gold. No matter how many times I watch this film, I still laugh out loud at some of these comedic moments. The opening scene with the dynamic duo in the Bat-copter, the famous Bat-Shark repellant gag, the scene in the Commissioner's office where they try to figure out who is behind this and of course the classic "Somedays you just can't get rid of a bomb" scene are all comedic brilliance. Yet this movie also captures the same secret that makes the TV show work. While it may be filled with silly over-the-top gags, the characters themselves are never treated as jokes. Batman and Robin are still exactly the type of hero that every kid would want to be. Even as an adult these two versions of Batman and Robin are exactly the type of hero that I would wish to be. This is why Adam West remains my favorite Batman. It is not because of the corniness of the movie and TV show but because this version of Batman is everything that I feel a hero should be. Similarly, the villains, while over the top, feel like a real threat to our heroes. We may laugh at some of their antics but like Batman and Robin, they never become jokes. As a threat to our heroes, we take them seriously. Of course, as is true with the TV show, the great casting makes this movie work incredibly well. Each actor plays their roles absolutely perfectly.
The only real problem I have with this movie is that it is a little bit longer than it needs to be. Some of the scenes involving the romance between Bruce Wayne (Batman's secret identity) and Kitka (really Catwoman in disguise) can drag a little. Maybe these could have been shortened to make a tighter movie. However, even with this flaw, I love this movie with all my heart.
This one of the rare theatrically released films directed by Leslie H. Martinson. Martinson had mostly worked as a TV director. Though as a TV director his career spanned from the 1950's through the 1980's. TV shows he directed episodes for included The Roy Rogers Show, Tales of Wells Fargo, Cheyenne, Maverick, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Wonder Woman, Young Maverick, CHiPs and of course Batman. Fans of classic TV might also know him for directing the made for TV movie, Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978). The only difference in the casting for this movie and for the TV show is that Lee Meriwether played Catwoman instead of by Julie Newmar (who played the character in the first two seasons of the TV show).
I truly love this movie with all my heart. This is just sheer corny superhero fun at its best.
With this episode, I continue to be in love with this show and wish I had watched it when it was new.
In this episode, Kamala's bangle revels many secrets about her family legacy.
This episode could have easily been nothing but pure exposition. Yet instead it is a very entertaining and heartfelt episode. Rather than simply focusing on Kamala, the start of the episode shifts much of the focus onto her great grandmother. We have heard so much about her and know how important she is to Kamala becoming a superhero. It is so wonderful to see her actual story and that story doesn't disappoint. It is truly heartfelt and moving and Mehwish Hayat's performance is truly moving. This portion of the episode also takes a very respectful and emotional look at a very tragic part of Indian history. It never simply uses this historical moment as a backdrop for a superhero story, but instead treats it with the respect and seriousness that it should be. When the story shifts to Kamala, we truly see what a wonderful young actress Iman Vellani truly is. While she does have some scenes where she can show her quirky loveable charm, this episode features some truly heartfelt scenes. These scenes give the young actress to really show her range and she plays each of these emotional scenes perfectly. Though there are less superhero action scenes here, the action scenes are a lot of fun (despite some weak special effects).
This film marks the feature length directorial debut for director/writer Daina O. Pusić. She could not have started her movie career with a more ambitious project.
Here she pictures death as a magical bird that can grow or shrink in size. At first this bird seems to do his job with little emotion, as he speaks not a word and simply sends both those who are ready to die and those who are afraid of death to their deaths simply like a force of nature. However, all this changes when we meet our main human characters. He goes to visit a 15-year-old girl, who is very ill. Yet the two end up becoming friends. Because of this she convinces Death to wait until she can talk to her mom. The bird patiently spends time with her until her mom comes home. What happens after is something I dare not spoil here.
This type of story could have easily gone wrong in one of two ways. Either the fantasy elements could make it so it would be hard to take the serious themes seriously or the film could simply be too depressing for anyone to want to sit through. Somehow this first-time director/writer found a way to not fall into either of these traps. As I left the theater, I was profoundly moved by what I saw but never in a way that I wasn't completely grateful for having watched it. Rather than distracting from the seriousness of the story, the fantasy elements instead communicated these complex themes in a way that seems perfectly approachable and even more profound. As for the serious themes, they are explored in a highly intelligent thought-provoking manner. This film does not give any easy answers for death, but rather it explores all the ways it is both necessary and hard to deal with. This movie is full of scenes that emotionally hit you right in the gut, but there is also something inspiring and even kind of uplifting even in the film's darkest scenes. Watching this film, you will be taken to some dark places but the light will never be fully taken away as there is something beautiful even in these dark places. It is rare to see a film that leaves you with so many complex emotions that are hard to explain but this movie does that just perfectly.
Also making this movie even more powerful are the performances by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew. Both of them give perfect performances here. Petticrew may be a young actress, but she plays this role with an incredible amount of maturity and insight. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is of course best known for her over the top comedy roles (especially in the infamous sitcom, Seinfeld). However here she is given what is perhaps the most serious role of her career and she plays it perfectly. She brings such emotion to her performance that it is hard not to be swept up in it.
This film tells the story of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry the Eighth, though it takes more than a few liberties with the true story.
Where this movie really works is in the sense of atmosphere. This whole film is drenched in a dark but intriguing atmosphere. So much of this is captured in the film's look. Everything from the lighting to the costumes to the cinematography perfectly captures this feeling of dread and constantly draws us into the world of the film. Also helping very much with the sense of dread is how well the danger that Katherine increasingly finds herself in grows. The filmmakers truly know how to build up suspense in an incredibly effective way that makes us feel more ill at ease as the movie goes on. Even the critics who hated this film praised the performances by Alicia Vikander and Jude Law. I have to join in giving these praises. The two give incredibly dynamitic and magnetic performances that draw you into the film and even make some of the weaker scenes kind of work.
This is the first English Language film by Brazilian director, Karim Aïnouz. However, you can never tell that watching this film as much of the dialogue flows perfectly naturally though.
The main problem with this film is overlength. Many scenes either drag on too long or simply don't add anything to the story. If this was 20 minutes are so shorter, it would be a much tighter and more exciting film. However, as it is even some of the most patient movie fans may find their minds drifting from time to time. The gorier scenes should have definitely been left on the cutting room floor as they simply come off as gratuitous and repetitive. The film also could have benefited from certain characters being fleshed out more. That could have easily made certain scenes have a stronger emotional impact.
This movie certainly has its flaws, but the things that work are great.
This film follows a 36-year-old Jewish-American woman in 1991. Her father was a Holocaust survivor, but had never talked about anything that happened before the family came to the U.S. The daughter decides to go to Poland to discover her family's roots. However, her father decides that he is going along.
This movie mostly focuses on the relationship between the father and daughter. While some (though not all) of this family drama can be cliché, many of these scenes hit all the right emotional beats. Much of this is because of how likable these characters are despite their flaws and the great performances by Lena Dunham and Stephan Fry. They bring a strong sense of humanity to their characters here and this adds so much to every emotional scene. Though this is a fictional story that has to do with the Holocaust, the scenes involving the greatest tragedy in world history are done with the utmost respect and honesty. The scenes where the visit Auschwitz is so disturbing that it can be hard to watch. While it may not be pleasant it is the only way to handle this extremely dark chapter in human history. The emotions the father has as he is facing this horrible part of his past are truly powerful. It simply hard to watch some of these scenes without being swept over with emotion.
However as effective as this film is it can be quite flawed. This movie tries to mix its emotional story with some comedy. However, most of this comedy falls completely flat. I barely laughed at any of the comedic scenes here. Even the few comedic moments that worked, felt at odds with the seriousness of the story. As great as the two main characters are the rest of the characters are rather bland and forgettable. Also, for such an emotional movie, the ending kind of feels too convenient and doesn't completely work.
This movie may have its flaws, but it also truly packs a strong emotional punch.
In many ways this film is very reminiscent of Martian Scorsese's gangster movies (especially Goodfellas (1990)), only with the focus being on a biker gang. As such there is little here that you haven't seen before. This doesn't make this a bad movie at all though and there is a lot to enjoy about this film. One of the main reasons for this are the performances by Austin Butler and Jodie Comer. Austin Butler is simply perfect in this role. He has a real magmatism to him here, that draws you in and makes it hard to look away. You fully see why all the other characters are drawn to him and admire him so much. Jodie Comer's performance helps bring a sense of heart and humanity to this tough film. This is also a very handsome looking movie. Every shot in this film is simply gorgeous to look at. This gives the film a real atmosphere that helps us not only understand the appeal of this lifestyle but feel it as well. There is simply a feeling of coolness here that makes the movie hard to fully resist. While the story is cliché and familiar for the most part it works, because it is simply well told.
This movie does have its flaws as well. I will admit that Tom Hardy essentially doing a Marlon Brando impression for the whole film got a little distracting at times. Most of the characters seemed underdeveloped and it felt like we never got to know them beyond the surface level. Also because of the familiarness of the story, this is not an especially memorable film and one you will likely forget about a few years from now.
While this be the new classic it wants to be, there is still a lot to recommend about this 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 Jesus in the Morning. This song reminds us that we are not only to leave a small part of the day with Jesus as our focus but all day long as well as every day. We should wake up each morning with Jesus on our mind and go to bed each night the same way. While few of us will succeed with this every day, we will find that each day we do it will be an enriching day that will makes us grow as a person. This song comes from Roy and Dale’s 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By.
This is followed by Anne Wilson with Songs about Whiskey. This comes from her most recent album, 2024’s Rebel.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with Precious Memories. Though this is a sweet uplifting song, it was based upon a tragedy. In 1922, John Wright lost his five-year-old son. Wright would later say about this song, “’Precious Memories’ was born in the midnight hours as I bathed by pillow with tears, likewise all my songs came through life’s severest tests.” Though this is a very famous hymn, John Wright only received $36 for writing it. He would remain a janitor that was always struggling to make ends meet for his entire life.
Then comes Mainer's Mountaineers with their 1937 recording of Carry Your Cross with a Smile.
Up next is Jim and Jesse with Where the Roses Never Fade. This recording comes from their 1964 album, The Old Country Church.
Afterwards is the Prairie Ramblers with their 1936 recording of How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.
Up next is Willie Nelson with Unclouded Day. This song was written by Josiah Kelley Alwood in 1979. Alwood described why he wrote this song stating, “It was a balmy night in August 1879, when returning from a debate in Spring Hill, Ohio, to my home in Morenci, Michigan, about 1:00 a.m. I saw a beautiful rainbow north by northwest against a dense black nimbus cloud. The sky was all perfectly clear except this dark cloud which covered about forty degrees of the horizon and extended about halfway to the zenith. The phenomenon was entirely new to me, and my nerves refreshed by the balmy air and the lovely sight. Old Morpheus was playing his sweetest lullaby. Another mile of travel, a few moments of time, a fellow of my size was ensconced in sweet home and wrapped in sweet sleep. A first-class know-nothing till rosy-sweet morning was wide over the fields. To awake and look abroad and remember the night was to be filled with sweet melody. A while at the organ brought forth a piece of music now known as “The Unclouded Day.” A day and a half was bestowed on the four stanzas.” This version comes from Willie's first (and best) gospel album, 1976's The Troublemaker. This recording features Willie at his best as this is one of the most fun and energetic versions of this song and Willie's voice and guitar playing are in top form. Gospel means "good news", so it is no wonder that so much of it is so joyful and this is about as joyful as it gets.
Today's musical selection ends with Sons of the Pioneers with Will There be Sagebrush in Heaven. This recording comes from their most recent album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals. The group had previously recorded this song in 1947, though the group of course had a completely different line up at that time.
Now for a message from the Rev. Billy Graham.
Now for an episode of Roy Rogers radio show.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23:4
The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Psalm 118:24
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:3
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3
Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. Hebrews 13:18
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8
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 Heckle and Jeckle in Flying South (1947). Heckle and Jeckle always seemed to bring out the best in the Terry Toons staff. That is definitely true in this short film. This cartoon offers gag after gag and many of them are simply wonderful. What I also love about these shorts is how they embrace the fact that they are cartoons. There are so many gags here that feel like the filmmakers were having a wonderful time exploring just how much you could get away with in a cartoon.
For anyone interested in movie history, many of the Disney cartoons of the 1920's are essential watching. The reason for this is that many of them are directed by Walt himself. All of us know Walt Disney as a producer, a studio head, a TV personality and one of the movies' greatest ambassadors, however in these short films we get to see him in the director's chair. Next, we have one of the cartoons he directed, El Terrible Toreador (1929). This movie marked the second Silly Symphony cartoon and the first one directed by Walt. As with many early Disney films, this cartoon features many gags that go against the rules put in place in the later Disney cartoons. For instance, the later films would not allow body parts to detach or stretch to impossible lengths. Yet in this movie, both of those are common sights. There are also some somewhat risqué gags that wouldn't fit with Disney's later squeaky-clean image. Despite this only being the second Silly Symphony, the series already boasts an incredible cast of animators. Ub Iwerks (Walt's right-hand man and one of the main influences on the early Disney style) animates the bullfighting scenes and supervised the work of the other animators. Burt Gillet (who would go on to direct many great Mickey Mouse cartoons as well as The Three Little Pigs (1933)) animates the meeting of Carmen and Don Jose. Wilfred Jackson (who would direct some of the best Silly Symphonies and be one of the directors of features like Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953) and Lady And the Tramp (1955)) animates Carmen's dance. Les Clark (one of the best Mickey animators and one of Walt's nine old men) animates a close-up of Don Jose. Jack King (who would direct some excellent Donald Duck cartoons) animates Escamillo confronting Don Jose. Ben Sharpsteen (who would be the supervising director for Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)) animates the introduction to the bullfighting scene.
Next comes a classic early UPA cartoon, The Popcorn Story (1950). This cartoon was directed by Art Babbitt. Art Babbitt had previously worked at Disney and was for a while one of that studio's best animators. While working at Disney, his animation helped define the character of Goofy. His other work at Disney included a much-praised sequence with a drunk mouse in the Silly Symphony The Country Cousin (1936) as well as work on the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Geppetto in Pinocchio (1940). While later UPA cartoons could get a little bland, I have a huge fondness for the UPA shorts from around this era.
Now we join our old friend Krazy Kat in Krazy's Waterloo (1934). Though this series was based off George Herriman's classic newspaper comic strip the Krazy Kat character here bares scant resemblance to the one in the comics. For one thing in the comics, Krazy's gender is a mystery but in the cartoons the character is clearly male.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now it is time for some Saturday Morning Minions.
is Porky Pig's Feat (1943). This cartoon is directed by Frank Tashlin. Tashlin began directing cartoons for the Warner Bothers studio in 1936. However, in 1938, he would leave the studio to work at Disney. Soon he would leave Disney to direct cartoons at Columbia, where he would introduce the characters of the Fox and the Crow. Porky Pig's Feat was the first cartoon he directed after briefly returning to Warner Brothers as well as his first Daffy Duck cartoon. Tashlin would later become a live action director, directing such films as The Son of Paleface (1952), Artists and Models (1955), The Girl Can't Help It (1956) and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (1957). Porky Pig's Feat is a very fast paced and funny cartoon, that is an absolute delight. The following is what an exhibitor wrote about the cartoon to the Motion Picture Herald, "Porky Pig's Feat: Looney Tunes Cartoons - It's black and white but it's fast and furious and full of laughs. That's what counts. - W. Varrieck Nevins, III, Alfred Co-op Theater, Alfred N. Y." This cartoon is appropriately included in Jerry Beck's book The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes.
Up next is one of Walt Disney's silent Alice Comedies, Alice's Mysterious Mystery (1926). The Alice Comedies were a series of short films which combined a live action little girl with an animated world. This series also marked the first series of films by Walt Disney to use reoccurring characters. Here Alice is played by Margie Gay, the third child actress to play the character.
Now let us close by opening our hymn books to sing an old hymn.
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
The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck.
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russel Merrit and J.B. Kaufman
The first Inside Out (2015) is my personal favorite Pixar movie. To me it is the perfect example of everything that makes Pixar great, being an incredibly intelligent film that is also great fun to watch. While probably nothing will ever top that masterpiece (though I would love to be proven wrong), this is a wonderful sequel that shows that the studio still has plenty of Pixar magic.
This film understands that being a sequel it cannot capture the same awe and wonder that the first film did. Because of this the filmmakers don't even try. Instead, they simply focus on telling a great story. That they do perfectly. Rather than the beautiful introduction to the world of Riley's mind that began the first film, we instead start off with a fun comedic scene. This scene is not only pretty funny, but it perfectly does its job of reintroducing us to these wonderful characters and leaving us exactly where we left off from the last film. It prepares us for the truly emotional journey (pun intended) that we are about to take. The drama truly begins when we are introduced to more emotions (Anxiety, Envy, Ennui (or boredom), Embarrassment). These new emotions completely change how everything will play out in Riley's mind. Though kids will enjoy this movie, it is probably those who have experienced being a teenager, who will apricate this best. This film takes a more complex route than the average coming of age drama does. Instead of focusing on romance or preparing yourself for life beyond school, this movie focuses on how our emotions become more complex. What was simply being happy, sad, angry, scared or disgusted as a kid has grown into emotions that are much more complex and harder to describe. As things become more complex, it becomes so easy to lose sight of who we really are. There is something that is so needed about seeing this played out in such a clever and intelligent but also easy to follow and grasp way. We don't only see Riley but ourselves on the screen, as the film addresses feelings that we may try to hide but in a way that feels like a much-needed hug. Perhaps because of the complex emotions and themes here, there are less all-out tearjerker scenes than in the first movie, but it is hard not to be profoundly touched as the film reaches its final act. The final act of this film is incredibly moving, and I simply got swept away in all the emotion.
Like all the best Pixar movies, this film does a great job of balancing its more serious scenes with a lot of humor. While not all the humor lands perfectly, the jokes that land are truly hilarious. There were definitely moments (seeing this movie in the theater) when the whole packed audience was laughing out loud.
This movie marks the directorial debut of Kelsey Mann, who worked as a story supervisor on Monsters University (2013), The Good Dinosaur (2015) and Onward (2020). Before working at Pixar he had been a storyboard artist on such animated TV shows as Duck Dodgers, Megas XLR, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The screenplay was written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein. Meg LeFauve was a co-writer on the original Inside Out as well as The Good Dinosaur and Onward. She even received a story credit on Marvel Studio's Captain Marvel (2019). This is Dave Holstein's first feature film, though he has worked on quite a bit of TV.
This movie may not have the same sense of awe and wonder that the first film did but it more than makes up for this by simply telling a truly great and moving story. This is a must see for all Pixar fans.
This is the first segment of the seventh episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this cartoon, Wonder Woman and Aquaman team up to stop an evil villain known as the Enforcer, who has taken over a hidden civilization.
This is delightful superhero adventure. The hidden civilization our heroes try to save has a wonderful design. This design mixes an ancient Aztec look with a futuristic sci-fi feel. This gives the segment a very atmospheric feel that helps it stand out. The background art here is simply beautiful to look at. A lot of work went into this background art and the attention to detail is simply amazing. The Enforcer himself has a wonderful design and a delightfully menacing voice.
The main action scene is exciting but too brief. There is a lot of fun to be had in this action scene, but the briefness makes the battle seem too easy for our heroes. This is one of the few Super Friends segments where the short length doesn't quite work.
Superman, Batman and Robin all have small cameos in this cartoon.
This is the final segment of the sixth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this cartoon an earthquake happens in India that causes cobras to leave their homes and get out in the open. Wonder Woman and Apache Chief team up to get an antidote. Unfortunately, this means facing up against a massive cobra named Cataro.
This is Super Friends fun at its best. There is so much to love about this cartoon. It is an action-packed segment that is exciting from start to finish. From the earthquake at the start to the fight with Cataro every scene is full of fun superhero action. Cataro also proves to be a wonderful foe for our heroes and his ability to control the other animals adds a fun sense of suspense to the episode. The design for not only Cataro but all the cobras is excellent giving them a menacing look without making them look completely villainous. India also serves as a perfect setting for a Super Friends adventure. The background art is simply beautiful to look at, especially the scenes with the temples. This artwork also helps give this cartoon a very atmospheric feel that helps it stand out from many of the other Super Friends adventures of this time.
This movie marks the feature-film debut of director and writer Josh Margolin. This film was inspired by his real-life grandma, who was also named Thelma. The lead role of Thelma went to June Squibb, who has been acting in movies for decades. At 94 years old this marks her first time playing a lead role in a movie. It tells the story of how after being scammed out of money on the phone an elderly woman escapes her family and tracks down the people who stole her money.
This film is a sheer delight from start to finish. While I expected this movie to be funny, I did not expect to laugh as much as I did. I was not the only one in the movie theater (I saw this as part of AMC's Screen Unseen) laughing my head off. The whole audience was laughing themselves silly watching this (considering that the audience didn't know what they were about to watch says something). Nearly every joke in this movie hits the mark perfectly. While the humor can get over the top at times, there are also times when it has funny observations at the tiny things in life. It also does a great job finding humor in what happens as we grow older, while not turning its characters into jokes. We are often times laughing with these characters rather than at them. Because of this underneath all the wonderful humor (which even includes lampoons of action movies), this is a very warm-hearted film. While you are laughing yourself silly, you also become very emotionally connected to the characters. The characters may have their flaws, but they are all very likable and good people underneath. This helps so much during the scenes where the film takes a more serious tone. The movie takes a look at some unpleasant subjects such as feeling like you are useless and in everyone's way. Though this look often focuses on being old, it is something that even younger movie goers can relate to on a certain level as most of us have felt this way for one reason or another in our lives. This is not only explored through Thelma but even her 24-year-old grandson as well. He often times feels like a failure, who can never amount to anything. This drama is just as good as the drama surrounding Thelma. What makes this movie work as both a comedy and a drama is that the humor (no matter how over the top it can get) comes directly from the characters and story. Because of this it can get as silly as the filmmakers want without ever getting in the way of the drama. This also makes it so that the more serious scenes don't seem out of place amongst all the comedy.
Though the entire cast is great, it is June Squibb and Richard Roundhouse (in his final movie role due to his recent passing) who steal the show. The two make an excellent comedy team, playing off each other perfectly. The two have wonderful chemistry and it is a joy to watch them share the screen.
This is a comedy-drama that works wonderfully as both a comedy and a drama.
A very well-made film about the life of Ming Wang, a brilliant doctor who helped blind people be able to see.
What really made this movie work is the way it is told. This film tells one specific story within the doctor's life. However, this is interspliced with flashbacks, where we see everything that brought him to this point. These flashbacks are often the most emotional parts of the film. Because of this the main story becomes all the more emotionally involving. What at first seems just like a conventional and not especially emotionally involving telling of this story, gains more emotional urgency as we begin to understand more and more what is driving this character. The flashbacks are also often very well juxtaposed with the main story, with many reflecting what we see in the next scene. The main story also has its share of heart felt moments, especially towards the film's last act. A scene in a church is especially touching. This movie also benefits from a very strong lead performance by Terry Chen. The movie also benefits from a very strong sense of humor with some truly funny moments. of being based off such an incredible true story doesn't hurt either.
Anyone familiar with the studio or the filmmakers will know that even if it is not the focus their will be some Christian messages here. They are very well incorporated into the plot without feeling like the film stops to preach to its audience. In fact, some of these moments are even some of the film's most emotional.
This film does have its flaws though. One is that the supporting characters are often quite bland, and we never get to really know them as characters. The romance also can feel tacked on. It doesn't really add much to the story and instead kind of distracts from it. It also is not that interesting. It seems to be here because nearly all biopic movies have a romance in them.
Though this movie has its flaws, it also has a lot to recommend it.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus Loves the Little Children. Jesus would state, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." There is no doubt that Jesus did love the little children and he loves us big children too. If we will humble ourselves and become like little children, the blessings he has for us are immeasurable. This recording comes from a 1955 Little Golden Record that also included them singing The Good Lord is Going to Take Care of You. This song was written by C. Herbert Woolston and is said to have been inspired by Matthew 19:14 (“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.”) The song is to the tune of the 1864 Civil War song, Tramp Tramp Tramp (written by George Fredrick Root). Roy and Dale only sing the refrain of this song as that is all that was commonly used in Sunday schools. However, these are not the only lyrics to this song. If you wish to see all the lyrics click here.
Next comes Bill Cox with his 1935 recording of The Golden Train.
Afterwards is Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan with a cover of Woody Guthrie's song, Jesus Christ. Woody Guthrie was of course Arlo's father and one of Bob's heroes. This version of the song comes from a tribute concert to Woody Guthrie that took place at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 1968.
Then comes Red Foley with his 1951 recording of Where Could I Go but to the Lord. This song was written in 1940 by James Buchanan Coats. He was standing beside a dying neighbor, an African American man named Joe Keyes. Coates asked Keyes if he knew where he was going after he died. Keyes responded, "Where Could I Go But to the Lord."
This is followed by Anne Wilson with 3:16. This comes from her most recent album, 2024's Rebel.
Now for Johnny Cash with Redemption. This recording comes from John's 1994 album, American Recordings. This was his first album for the American Recordings record label. This record label was not known for country music, but rather heavy metal and rap. The Black Crows, The Beastie Boys, Sir Mix-A-Lot and Slayer were among those he had recorded there. What drew John to this unlikely label was the complete musical freedom he would have. For this album, producer Rick Ruben had John simply record whatever songs he felt like (from any genre and any time period), just him and his guitar. This was a success and revived John's musical career which had been on a downslide commercially, critically and creatively. Reviews said that this was not just one of John's best recent albums, but one of the best albums he had ever done. John now found himself with a new young audience whose musical taste consisted of heavy metal, hip hop, punk, alternative and rap.
Now for Jamey Johnson with Amazing Grace. This hymn was written by John Newton in 1772. It is no coincidence that John Newton wrote this hymn, as he was someone who badly needed God's grace. Looking at his life before he gave it to God, there is not much to find that is admirable and in fact some of what we see is downright horrific. He played a part in one of the darkest (if not the darkest) parts of American history. He was a slave trader. To say that slavery in the United States (and in any country at any time) was a tragedy and a horrible part of our history is an incredible understatement, and this man was a part of that horrific system. Later he even admitted that he treated the human beings that he was bringing over harshly. If there is anyone, we in our humanness would think is beyond God to reach it would be this guy. Yet God did reach him and being God completely changed him. He not only abandoned his job, but he gave his life to God's ministry and helped fight slavery every step of the way. If God could do this with him who is to say that any of us or anyone, we know could possibly be out of God's power to reach. Jamey performs this hymn to the tune of the old folk song, The House of the Rising Sun.
Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers performing Just a Closer Walk with Thee. This recording comes from their most recent album, 2024's Campfire Spirituals.
Next is the C.S. Lewis essay, Myth Became Fact.
Next is an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show.
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. 1 Samuel 12:22
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18
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 Magoo Breaks Par (1957). This cartoon was directed by Pete Burness, who directed quite a few Mr. Magoo cartoons at this time. My fellow Tom and Jerry fans might recognize his name from the credits of many early Tom and Jerry cartoons, where he worked as an animator. He also spent a brief time as an animator at Warner Brothers on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons.
Next, we join Heckle and Jeckle in Taming the Cat (1948).
Mickey’s Fire Brigade (1935) teams up Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy for the second time (and the first time in color). This time they were firemen. Walt had earlier used the idea of firefighters for slapstick comedy with the silent Alice Comedy Alice the Firefighter (1926) and the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Firefighters (1930). This cartoon opens on a fantastic note. The title of the film appears on screen like an average Disney cartoon of this time. However soon a fire burns the title letting the cartoon officially start. This imaginative opening sets us up perfectly for the great cartoon we are about to watch. Though Art Babbitt did not animate on this cartoon the personality he had already injected into Goofy can be seen here. This is especially true of a scene where Goofy tries to throw things out of the window (animated by Woolie Reitherman) and a scene where he tries to tell Clarabelle Cow her house is on fire (animated by Bill Tytla). In this film Clarabelle Cow spends most of the time taking a bath unaware of the fire around her. However, she is very upset by “peeping toms” Mickey, Donald and Goofy, who of course are just trying to tell her about the fire. Her animation is mostly handled by Grim Natwick and Bill Tytla. There is of course some great slapstick humor in this short. Though the studio was doing much less gags involving long stretching or detachable body parts they were still doing quite a few impossible gags that can only be done in a cartoon. Such an example here has to do with the treatment of the fire itself. It is given human characteristic and often appears to be having its own thoughts and feelings. One of the best uses of this is when the fire chases Donald up a ladder and is seemingly taunting him along the way. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Mickey's Fire Brigade: Mickey Mouse: One of the best of the Mickey Mouse series. Running time, eight minutes. -M.H. Harrington, Avalon Theatre, Clatskanie, Ore. Small Town and Rural patronage." A review in the Flim Daily stated, "This is one of the liveliest and funniest of the Walt Disney cartoon creations."
Next comes the Fleischer Screen Song cartoon, Row, Row, Row (1930). This is very much a pre-code cartoon and there are a lot of sexual jokes here that would not fly at all a few years later.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for some Saturday Morning Minions.
Next up comes a classic black and white Looney Tunes short, Hollywood Capers (1935). This short film stars Beans the Cat. Beans and Porky Pig made their film debut in the same cartoon, I Haven't Got a Hat (1935). However those making these cartoons felt that Beans would be the big star of these cartoons and as such a few cartoons with Beans as the main character would be made. This short features a gag that Porky Pig would later do in You Oughta be in Pictures (1940). This is when Beans dresses up as Oliver Hardy to sneak into a movie studio. However, Beans is much more successful than Porky is. Look in the background for a poster advertising a fight between “Punchy” Pierce and “Hurricane” Hardaway. This is referring to two of the writers of Warner Brothers cartoons at the time, Tedd Pierce and Bugs Hardaway. Also, Beans is voiced by Tommy Bond here (who played Butch in the Our Gang shorts).
Now it is silent movie time so enjoy, Policy and Pie (1918) starring the The Katzenjammer Kids. This cartoon was directed by Gregory La Cava, who would later become a director of live action features including My Man Godfrey (1936) and Stage Door (1937).
Now let's close with a song we all know.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your tune be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
