In this episode, a major movie stuntman quits, when a set for a film he is working on is haunted by a gremlin. When they accidentally crash into the set, Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy become the movie's new stunt people (and dogs).
Having cartoon characters work as movie stunt people is an old cartoon trope, but it is one I have always liked. This episode does this trope quite well. There are some pretty good slapstick moments and a decent number of thrills. The final gag in this episode is wonderful. Our favorite characters are also as likable as ever and as always it is fun to spend time with him. The supporting characters are also quite a bit of fun. The shorter runtime (this series had each episode broken up into two shorter cartoons, rather than a full half-hour story) works well. The story moves at a fast fun pace, yet never once feels rushed.
However, the gremlin is a rather forgettable monster with nothing to make him stand out from many similar Scooby villains.
This episode was written by Cynthia Friedlob and John Semper, both of whom worked not only for this series but also The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries and The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!
In this movie a raccoon helps a badger hijack a train, thinking that they will just stop it long enough for him to take the food inside to his friends for Christmas dinner. However, when the badger has other more sinister plans, the racoon teams up with a group of pets on board to stop the evil badger.
This film is simply a lot of fun. It first and foremost works as an action flick. Luckily the action scenes are very strong here with a good sense of tension and excitement. There are even many nods to the ultimate action movie, Die Hard (1988). The movie also works because of the main character. He is very much a lovable little rascal. He often times does the wrong thing, but he always has good intentions. He also (even if he isn't always honest with them), he truly cares about others. The villain is also a lot of fun. The support cast, while not complex, are quite likable as well. The movie also benefits from a storyline that (while familiar) moves at a fast and fun place.
The comedy is charming. However, it is the type of comedy that is more likely to make you smile than laugh out loud.
This movie does however suffer from very weak human characters, who are simply too bland. The messaging about the selfishness that is promoted with social media and how the news often exploits people's tragedies is also too on the nose and lacks any actual subtlety.
If you are like me then October means time to rewatch old black and white Univeral horror movies. Of course (besides Lon Chaney Jr.), the main actors who come to your mind with these movies are Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
Here is a 1932 article from Modern Screen magazine talking about these two horror icons. If you can't read the following pages, click on them and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
In this film the Mystery Inc. Gang visits Fred's uncle, world-famous chef Bobby Flay at his Rocky Harbor Culinary Resort. They soon find that it is being haunted by a ghost. Before you can say "Jinkies" the gang has another mystery on their hands.
There is a lot to enjoy about this movie. The mystery is quite well done and has some fun surprises along the war. The end reveal is quite clever, and the twist is very well done. The ghost is excellent here. He has a delightfully creepy design and that he only makes a shushing noise makes him even more creepy. The way he manipulates the technology around him makes the character feel even creepier and ups the suspense.
The humor in this movie is very hit and miss. There are times when it is laugh out loud funny. Most of the great comedic moments revolve around the gang themselves, who are all at their most funny and likable here. "The sandwich making dog said he'd be here" is one of my favorite comedic lines in these movies. Some of the basic slapstick gags work quite well here as well. Unfortunately, many of the gags involving the special guest stars (mostly famous cooks) fall flat. Though perhaps this is because I never watch cooking shows and don't really know who these people are.
This film is directed by Doug Murphy. This marks his only time directed a Scooby-Doo movie. His only other credit directing Scooby-Doo was a single episode of Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated (Night on Haunted Mountain (2012)). He did work as a storyboard artist on the movies Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur(2011), Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire (2012) and LEGO Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood (2016) as well as episodes of Be Cool Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated. The writer of this film was Tim Sheridan. This and the direct to video movie Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019) are his only works with Scooby.The majority of his work was on Superhero animation. He worked on such shows as DC Super Hero Girls, Justice League Action and Teen Titians Go as well as the direct to video movies Reign of the Supermen (2019), Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) and Batman: The Long Halloween (2021).
This may not be the best Scooby movie, but it is really fun.
This movie is a bit of a riff on Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1947) and Wim Wender's Wings of Desire (1987) (the opening shot is very much an homage to the latter). The story has an angel deciding to show a down on his luck man living in his car that the life of the wealthy isn't all it is cracked up to be by switching the lives of him and a very wealthy man who fired him. However, this seems to prove the opposite as he loves his new wealthy easy lifestyle.
The premise itself is quite clever and works as a subversion of the typical stories of how wealth solves everything. However, what really makes this movie is Keanu Reeves as the angel. This is simply a perfect role for him. He perfectly captures the innocence and naivety of this character. In lesser hands this could have come off as cloying or annoying but with him it comes off as perfectly natural and charming. He also does a wonderful job of playing the character as he becomes more worldly and jaded without losing any of that initial charm and likability.
For a comedy the humor is pretty hit and miss. There are plenty of jokes that come off as forced and don't work at all. However, there are also some truly hilarious jokes in here as well. When the comedy works, it really works. It is just too bad we have to sit through some really lousy jokes to get to the great ones though.
This movie has a very good message about empathy and helping those less fortunate as well as how even if your life sucks, there can still be seemingly little things that bring great joy. Unfortunately, we are pretty much beaten over the head with this message, with much of the dialogue feeling too much like a sermon.
This film is quite flawed, but it does still have its charms, and its heart is in the right place.
I this short cartoon, Scooby, Shaggy, Scrappy and Daphane go to the Old California Festival and see a play featuring the Zorro-like dog El Sabueso. That night excited by the show, Scooby goes to sleep and dreams that he is El Scoobo and Scrappy is Scrappito and the must save Senorita Daphne and Senor Shaggy when they are kidnapped.
The New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show featured our heroes going back to solving mysteries after previously having starred in short that often had nothing to with mysteries or anything spooky. However, this cartoon is almost a step back to our heroes' non-mystery solving days. There is no mystery to be solved here and nothing spooky at all. This is just a silly little cartoon short starring Scooby-Doo. However, like the similar shorts that were made not long before hand, this is a charming little cartoon. It is never laugh out loud funny, but the silliness brings a real charm, and this is a pleasant way to spend 11 minutes. There are some pretty amusing gags here, including the one where our heroes disguise as a mariachi band. Plus, the whole concept of Scooby as a masked Zorro-style hero is a very fun one. Having him and Scrappy imagine themselves as these heroes is perfectly in character for them, while showing a playful side to them we don't see often enough.
This may not be a cartoon classic, but it is very charming and cute.
This movie tells the true story of John O'Leary, who has a child accidently set his house on fire and burned himself beyond what anyone would think that he could come back from. He survives and after making it through a struggle with self-doubt, becomes a powerful Christian speaker.
Though visually this film may resemble a made for TV movie, it is obviously of a high caliber than what is seen on Hallmark or Lifetime. The acting is truly excellent here with not a weak link in the cast. Of course, William H. Macy is a standout as the real-life baseball announcer, who ends up becoming one of the main character's best friends. However, Joel Courtney and James McCracken also wonderful as the main character as an adult and kid. DeVon Franklin steals various scenes in a supporting role as a nurse. Stephanie Szostak and John Corbett are excellent as the parents and Masey McLain is quite good as the love interest. I came into this film expecting the corny dialogue that is heard in too many Christian movies, but the dialogue was actually quite strong here with most characters talking how people would actually talk in these difficult situations. The writing also does its job as it makes you feel inspired by the story of this character's life. As you should with a feel-good movie, you feel better leaving the theater than you did entering it.
The movie's main flaw though is that there is nothing cinematic about it. As mentioned before this looks like a made for TV movie rather than something that you would actually see on screen. Yet this is not the only aspect I am referring to when I call this uncinematic. The film simply doesn't follow one of the most important rules in movie making, show don't tell. I understand that the filmmakers' have to condense a person's life to less than two hours. However, this does not excuse brushing aside important plot points with brief bits of dialogue. After one disastrous attempt at talking to a group of girl scouts, we next see our main character having become a mostly successful public speaker. What changed between those time periods is never shown to us but rather the main character mentions it briefly during a conversation. For a movie about public speaking, this major change in the character's life should have been something that we were shown happening. The same thing happens with the character's transition from a party animal to someone who lives for God. Again, we are told about this change but don't see it happen in front of us. Even though this still a good movie, this is a truly major flaw.
Despite this major flaw though this is a very effective film. It is a feel-good movie that truly makes you feel good.
Whenever I mention The Mummy to people around me, they automatically think of the Brendan Fraiser movies. While I enjoy those movies, I do wish that the old black and white Universal mummy movies got the same attention. The first of these films is a pure horror classic and one of the best Universal monster movies. While the mummy pictures that followed never quite reached the height of the original, they were often times fun for what they were.
That is why I am so glad to own this 2017 Blu-Ray featuring all the classic black and white Universal Mummy movies. Each of these films has been restored and each of the restorations looks absolutely wonderful. I have never seen any of these films look anywhere near as good as they do here. Based on what I have seen in similar sets, I expected the first film to look great while the others would have a lesser quality to them. This was happily not the case here. I was also happy to see that the makers of this Blu-Ray set included Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) along with the more typical mummy films. That movie marked the end of an era in multiple ways as not only the last entry in the Mummy series but also the last film Abbott and Costello made for Universal, the studio where they made their best and most popular movies. Though it does not have the best reputation among either comedy or horror fans, I have always had a real fondness for that movie.
Most of the bonus features for this set are simply attached to the original movie (though the set includes the trailers for all the movies). While I wish there were bonus features relating to the other films on the set, the bonus features for the first film are truly excellent. They include two information filled and fun audio commentaries and various documentary shorts about the making of this movie and the Universal monster films in general. All of these bonus features are excellent and a real treat for any old movie or Universal monster fan.
Now for my thoughts on the induvial movies themselves.
The Mummy (1932): A horror masterpiece and one of the best Universal monster movies. Though this movie may not be actually scary by today's standards, it has a wonderful eerie atmosphere that is still incredibly effective today. Plus, Boris Karloff is incredible as the main character.
The Mummy's Hand (1940): The second movie in this series is a delightful mixture of comedy and horror with the main heroes almost feeling like a straight man and comic comedy team. While they may not be Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, they are still quite a bit of fun and got a few laughs out of me. The mummy here is also delightfully creepy.
The Mummy's Tomb (1942): A darker, more sinister follow-up to The Mummy's Hand has a delightfully creepy feel to it. The large time jump feels completely unnecessary though.
The Mummy's Ghost (1944): This is an enjoyable little horror movie but the previous entries in the series have done everything here before and done it better.
The Mummy's Curse (1944): This fifth entry simply rehashes plot points from the previous films. This is true to the point that watching the movie for the first time, you still feel like you have seen the film before. The climax is quite atmospheric and creepy though.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955): A delightful finale for both Abbott and Costello's great run at Universal and this series of Mummy movies. Though it may not contain as many laughs as earlier Abbott and Costello films, the comedy duo is delightful here. And even if there are less laughs than earlier A&C outings, there are still some pretty funny moments there. The movie also moves at a fast and fun pace. As with all this Abbott and Costello meet the monster movies, the storyline is quite good and could have even been a pretty good monster movie if played straight. A delight for both comedy and horror fans.
In this episode, the Mystery Inc. gang must solve another mystery when a manticore is haunting a theme park.
There is a whole lot to love about this episode. Creepy Spooky Terror Land is a wonderful setting for a Scooby mystery. It has a wonderfully atmospheric and creepy feel to it. The use of lighting and the darker colors in the backgrounds create a wonderful sense of eerieness to the whole episode. It also feels truly massive with always a new and equally atmospheric area for our heroes to explore. The manticore is a great villain with a delightfully creepy design. The mystery itself is quite good and takes some very unexpected but clever turns. The humor is quite charming. Though it may not be laugh out loud funny, it definitely made me smile, multiple times.
As many of you may know, this is one of the few Scooby-Doo series to feature an ongoing storyline and for those following this storyline, there are a lot of great twists there as well. This is an important episode to this storyline and features some extremely smart and shocking twists in this way as well.
This episode is directed by Curt Geda. He directed various episodes of this show as well as the direct to video short Scooby-Doo! Spooky Games (2012). He was also a storyboard artist on the direct to video Scooby movies, Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005) and LEGO Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood (2016). Outside of Scooby-Doo! he also directed the popular direct to video movie, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000). The episode is written by Adam Beechen. This series is the only Scooby-Doo! project he worked on. Outside of Scooby-Doo! he worked on such shows as Rugrats and Jackie Chan Adventures.
In this episode the Mystery Inc. gang decides to go on a picnic and run into the Harlem Globetrotters. The gang and the famous basketball team are tricked into going to Haunted Island and find they have another mystery on their hands.
There is a lot to love about this episode. The Harlem Globetrotters (who had their own animated TV show also by Hanna-Barbera) are wonderful guest stars. They work very well with the Mystery Inc. gang, and they get some real good laughs in this episode. With the sheer number of them, it is also amazing that each one has their own personality. This episode also benefits from a very strong setting. Haunted Island is full of spooky Halloween-y fun. The background art is wonderful here and there is a delightful atmosphere to the whole episode. I also like that after the mystery was solved, we still got to see the Globetrotters play a game, which helps this episode stand out. The game itself is quite funny with some solid slapstick.
This episode does have a few flaws though. While the various spooks around the island are well designed and fun, the actual main ghosts are kind of bland looking and forgettable. Also, with a lack of suspects, there is no mystery here.
This movie's plot may revolve around an art heist, but that doesn't mean it is an Oceans 11 type movie. For one thing no one expects Kelly Reichardt to direct a movie that is anywhere close to action packed. This film unfolds at the same slow and leisurely pace that most of her work does. Because of this it forces you to have to pay attention. If you let your attention drift too much, you are not going to get much out of this movie. However, if you give yourself completely over to the film, you may find yourself getting wrapped up into the story and characters. This is even with the fact that the story and characters are also a part of what differentiate this movie from your typical heist movie. The story is not concerned much with the action of the heist itself. In fact, it is more concerned with the aftermath and the effect that this simple crime gone wrong has on our main character. The character himself differs from typical stars of this type of film as despite the title he is not a mastermind. He is not a complete idiot either though. Rather he is a fairly average man who is completely out of his depth and bit off more than he can chew. Yet this is what made this movie feel more relatable and real to me. While the main characters of typical heist films may be fun to watch, they are often the type of people we would never meet in real life, while the main character of this film is someone we might simply say hi to on the street.
What also however becomes clear about this character is that he is kind of a directionless loser. There is not great plan behind these crimes. Despite the high profile of the crimes, the reason for committing them is largely petty. He shows no knowledge of our appreciation for the art he steals and simply picks the works based on what he saw on an art professor's wall in college. He looks over what are much more popular and priceless paintings for these specific paintings that he simply assumes are the best because of where he has seen them. This also reflects his ideology or lack thereof. The movie brilliantly uses an early 1970's backdrop with protests almost always in the background. He never acknowledges these protests or comments on them, showing that he truly has no knowledge or understanding of the world around him. This again shows us the pettiness and the pointlessness of his actions. As this movie progresses it turns his lack of any sort of ideology or conviction against him in some truly poignant and thought-provoking ways that cause us to look inwardly at ourselves in relation to the world around us. Yet at the same time the movie sympathizes with him to an extent because it knows there is more of him in us than we are often willing to admit.
A truly great and thought-provoking film that deconstructs a popular genre to turn it into something more powerful and profound.
In this episode, the evil Dr. Phibes wants to destroy the rain forest in search of immortality. Scooby and Shaggy must stop him.
I really appreciate this show trying to do something different than the average Scooby series, but I really wish it was funnier. Most of the humor in this episode simply falls flat and there is not one real laugh here. This episode also hurts from one of this series' biggest flaws that Dr. Phibes is a rather uninteresting and bland villain. Once again, his henchmen are simply one joke characters and here that joke isn't even funny.
This episode still has a few things going for it. The background art is lovely to look at and Scooby and Shaggy are just likable as ever.
This episode is written by the show's creator and story editor Ray DeLaurentis. The episode is directed by Jeff Allen, who directed quite a few episodes of this show as well as episodes of the animated TV series Xiaolin Showdown and Ultimate Spider-Man. This is the only Scooby-Doo show either of them worked on.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing The Lord is Counting on You. This song is directed heavily at the duo's younger fans and is about the importance of Sunday school. This is appropriate because Roy had long been an advocate for Sunday School. In the early 1940's the rules for the Roy Rogers Riders Club included "love god and go to Sunday school regularly." This rule is especially interesting considering that it was before Roy gave his life fully to the Lord. After that of course his support for Sunday school grew even stronger. One time when he and Dale were taking part in a rodeo at Madison Garden, Roy spoke to his audience, "I heard some kid say it is sissy stuff to go to Sunday school. Don't you believe him. Sunday school is for he-men."
This is followed by Patty Loveless' version of Working on a Building. This recording comes from her 2009 gospel album, Mountain Soul II.
Afterwards is the Monroe Brothers with Oh, Hide You In The Blood. They recorded this song on February 15, 1937, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Then comes Johnny Cash with The Mercy Seat. This is a cover of a song by rock and roll singer/songwriter Nick Cave. Nick released the song on his 1988 album, Tender Prey. Like with all of John's covers he made this song completely his own, when he recorded it on his 2000 album, American III: Solitary Man. In fact, John's cover was one of the highlights of that album. Nick Cave was a massive Johnny Cash fan. Nick was not only proud to have John cover one of his songs, but he also loved the cover version himself. With its commentary on prison and capital punishment as well as the Christian imagery employed throughout, this song perfectly fits into John's larger discography.
Afterwards is Hank Williams singing The Battle of Armageddon. Hank recorded this song in 1949, but it was not released until after Hank's death. The song was written by Roy Acuff (a legendary country singer in his own right) and Odell McLeod. However, the song truly has the feel of a Hank song. Though his best-known gospel work is the upbeat and fast paced, I Saw the Light, Hank recorded a lot of songs filled with dark and moody imagery based off the book of Revelation.
Speaking of Roy Acuff here is his 1958 recording of Where Could 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."
Next is The Charlie Daniels Band with Somebody Was Prayin' For Me. This song comes from their 1996 Christian album, Steel Witness. Charlie Daniels stated in his memoir, Never Look at the Empty Seats, that he took special care writing his Christian songs because in his younger years, though he believed in God, he did not fully understand what the Bible actually said and he wanted his band's Christian albums to speak to those who are like he was.
Today's musical selection concludes with The Sons of the Pioneers' 1937 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. At this time the group was made up of Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer, Leonard Slye (later to leave the band for a movie career under the name Roy Rogers), Lloyd Perryman, Karl Farr and Hugh Farr. This is personally my favorite line up for the band (though I love this band under any incarnation).
Now for the 12th chapter of the Buck Jones movie serial, The Red Rider (1934).
Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.
Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy Trails to you until we meet again.
This is the third of three Dynomutt, Dog Wonder episodes to be a crossover with Scooby-Doo.
In this episode, Dynomutt, Blue Falcon and the Mystery Inc. Gang team up to stop the villainous Swamp Rat and Mudmouth, when they pump half of Bogmeyer Swamp into Big City.
This is the weakest of three Scooby-Doo crossovers. The reason for this is the weak hillbilly villains. These villains are simply bland hillbilly stereotypes with nothing to make them stand out. They also never feel like they should be actual threats to a pair of superheroes and a group of experienced mystery solvers.
This does not mean that there is not quite a bit to enjoy about this episode. The Mystery Inc. gang has wonderful chemistry with Blue Falcon and Dynomutt. I especially love Scooby and Dynomutt both being major fans of each other. The episode also benefits from some strong slapstick and some wonderful background art throughout.
While still fun, this episode does very much suffer from weak villains.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Porky Pig in Jeepers Creepers (1939). This cartoon shows director Bob Clampett at his absolute best. The film has a great sense of spooky atmosphere, a great sense of energy, a catchy title song (which premiered in the Warner Brothers movie, Going Places (1938), where it was sung by jazz legend Louis Armstrong) and very strong gags.
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.
Up next is the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, Sky Skippers (1930).
Now for Good Deed Daly in Scouts to the Rescue (1956).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is Woody Woodpecker in Well Oiled (1947). This short film was directed by former Disney animator Dick Lundy. While working at Disney, he was one of the studio's duck-men, a group of artists who specialized in animating Donald Duck. He would later even direct some Donald Duck cartoons. Between the Donald Duck cartoons for Disney, his various cartoons for Walter Lantz (for whom this cartoon was made) and his Barney Bear cartoons for MGM, he proved himself just as fine of a director as he was an animator.
Now for Mutt and Jeff in Where Am I? (1925).
Spooky Swabs (1957) marked the final Popeye theatrical short. This cartoon has Popeye and Olive Oyl aboard a haunted ship. The two characters (as well as Wimpy) had been on a haunted ship before in the cartoon, Shiver Me Timbers (1934).
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Grandpa and the Kids (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV show.
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 Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman.
Like the first episode of Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, the second episode is also a crossover with Scooby-Doo!
In this episode, the caveman criminal Lowbrow wants to become the king of crime. He steals books to learn how. The Mystery Inc. Gang teams up with superhero Blue Falcon and his robotic canine sidekick Dynomutt to help bring him to justice.
This is an enjoyable episode. Once again Blue Falcon and Dynomutt have wonderful chemistry with the Mystery Inc. Gang. It is a lot of fun to watch these characters play off of each other. This episode also does a great job utilizing each of the many main characters, as each of them contribute something to stopping the evil Lowbrow. Speaking of Lowbrow he is a really fun villain. The idea of a not too bright caveman, who wants to become a genius so he can be a criminal mastermind is a lot of fun. Lowbrow also has a great design and feels like a real threat to our heroes. Also adding to the fun is Dynomutt's various gadgets, which are always a highlight of these episodes.
My only real complaint about this episode is that the humor is not as funny as it should be. There are a few good gags here but many of the comedic moments also fall flat.
Despite not being especially funny, this is an enjoyable episode with a delightful idea for a villain.
By the time, Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) came out it looked as if the Universal monster movies had reached their end. The Frankenstein Monster, Dracula and the Wolfman had all made their farewell Universal monster movie appearance in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) and The Invisible Man made his last appearance in these films in Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951). And it had been since House of Dracula (1945), that any of the Universal monsters had appeared without Abbott and Costello. By this time horror had been changed by the sci-fi craze with sci-fi B movies taking the place of a genre that had once been defined by the Universal monsters. It was unexpected that in this era a new Universal monster would appear and that this new monster would enjoy a similar popularity to the previous monsters.
This 2018 Blu-Ray set contains all three entries in the original Creature from the Black Lagoon trilogy: Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). The first two features were made during the 3-D craze of the 1950's and were shot in that process. This set includes both the 2D and 3D versions of these two films. Bonus features include audio commentaries on all three movies. Film historian and horror movie expert Tom Weaver provides the commentary alone on the first film. He is joined by Lori Nelson (the female lead) and film historian Bob Burns for the second movie and is joined by only Bob Burns on the third movie. These audio commentaries are extremely informative, and you have to listen to them more than once to get anywhere near all the information. Yet Tom Weaver is still just as entertaining as he is informative. Also included are a short documentary entitled Back to the Lagoon, production photographs and the original theatrical trailers. These may seem like basic Blu-Ray bonus features, but they are still delightful to film buffs. New HD restorations were made for all three movies. The first film looks amazing and allows one to truly appreciate the visual charm of this movie. This is especially seen during the great underwater scenes; the underwater photography was truly groundbreaking for 1954 and still looks great today. The second film however looks nowhere near as good. It does not look bad but there is an obvious drop in visual quality after watching the first film. The third film may not look as amazing as the first, but the visual quality is certainly an improvement over the second.
Here are my opinions on all three movies themselves.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): It is easy to see why this movie was so popular. It is a simple, straightforward but very effective monster flick. The creature's costume is fantastic and immediately memorable, the underwater scenes are still visually stunning, the creature is both creepy and endearing and the action scenes still hold up. The human characters may not be complex, but they do fulfill their jobs fairly well. Maybe not the masterpiece of Frankenstein (1931) or Dracula (1931), but still one of the better monster movies of the 1950's.
Revenge of the Creature (1955): This King Kong inspired story of the creature in captivity, is the weakest film of the trilogy. Though the creature is sympathetic, too much time is spent on incredibly bland human characters. This includes a romance that is so cliché and poorly written that is hard to care about. The film does pick up in the final act, where it becomes what it should have been all along.
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956): This third movie is surprisingly strong. The premise of a scientist changing the creature from a sea creature to a land creature is actually pretty original idea. Not only is the premise strong but it is told quite well. It is easy to form a strong emotional attachment to the creature and there is some quite intelligent social commentary with the human characters. These are probably the strongest human characters in the trilogy. They are a bit more complex, and you can't always describe them in simple words like good or bad. The scares are also quite strong here with an even more eerie atmosphere than the previous films. This may actually be my favorite movie of the trilogy (maybe not the most popular opinion), and it is such an underrated gem of a monster movie.
This film is really two movies in one. One is a prison drama about two prisoners, one a macho very serious revolutionary and the other a sensitive movie obsessed gay man. The other is a fictional 1950's movie musical, which the movie obsessed inmate tells his cellmate all about.
Most critics seem to be praising Jennifer Lopez's performance (as the star of the fictional movie), calling it one of the best of her career. No offense to J-Lo but her casting is actually one of the film's greatest flaws. She is a talented performer and does a good job with song numbers. However, she is missing that larger-than-life quality the role calls for. We are supposed to believe that the movie obsessed inmate views the actress and the character as a larger-than-life screen goddess. Yet watching J-Lo on screen we never once get this feeling from her. This makes one of the most important aspects of the story fall completely flat. The fiction 1950's film within a film also never quite worked for me. It never really captures the look or feel of a 1950's movie musical. The look is simply too modern and as someone who has seen plenty of 1950's Technicolor films, this simply took me out of the movie. I know this film within a film is not supposed to be a masterpiece, but the storyline itself is too messy and it hard to understand why someone would be so obsessed with it. The songs are pleasant to listen to but easily forgettable. Writing this review the same day I watched the movie; I am having trouble even trying to remember what any of these songs sound like.
The prison drama is not much better. The two inmates are rather bland and stereotypical characters. Though there are attempts to endow these characters with more depth, they never quite overcome their familiarity. There is also an attempt to add greater emotional depth to the relationship between these characters, but it just seems to come out of nowhere. This robs it of any emotional effect it could have. This movie tries to make some political commentary. However, for such an otherwise ambitious film, it plays it too safe in this regard. Though one of the main characters is a revolutionary, we never hear him state what he is actually fighting for, outside of some very basic left of center statements. Because of this it is hard to get caught up in his storyline. It is hard to connect to a person who is constantly being threatened with torture for his political activism, when the activism feels like nothing more than a plot point. The final act of this story seems to go on forever making this movie seem much longer than it is.
The closest thing this movie has to a saving grace is the actors playing the two prisoners, Tonatiuh and Diego Luna. They are fantastic and add some humanity to these otherwise bland characters. That they played both the prisoners and two characters in the film within a film is a clever idea.
This is a real disappointment of a film. It frankly should have been much better than it did.
Everyone, Hyde! is the first episode of Dynomutt, Dog Wonder which originally aired as the second half of The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, which was really a combination of two shows, the other being the first season of The Scooby-Doo Show. Dynomutt, Dog Wonder kicks off with a cross-over with Scooby-Doo.
In this episode caped superhero Blue Falcon and his robotic dog sidekick Dynomutt must stop the evil Mr. Hyde, a super villain who has created a formula that allows him to turn into a monster. While trying to stop him they run into the Mystery Inc. Gang, who helps them take down the villain.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. Dynomutt and Blue Falcon are fun and likable characters right from the start. The similarities between Blue Falcon and Batman just add to the fun, giving this episode an enjoy sense of light parody. Mr. Hyde is one the best Dynomutt villains. He has a wonderful design that is delightfully creepy and memorable. His gas that turns people into monsters that look like him, is an enjoyably creepy idea that makes him not only a good supervillain but a great match up for Scooby. The Mystery Inc gang are well utilized here and get some great moments. They have good chemistry with Dynomutt and Blue Falcon. The scenes between Scooby and Dynomutt are especially fun. At the same time the Scooby-Doo characters never take the spotlight away from Blue Falcon and Dynomutt, who are after all indented to the be the real stars. Just like in the actually Scooby-Doo episodes one of the best aspects here is the background art, which is great to look and provides a great sense of atmosphere.
The humor may not be hilarious, but it has its charms. The humor here is more likely to make you smile than actually laugh.
As the second half of The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, Everyone, Hyde! was preceded by The Scooby-Doo Show episode, High Rise Hair Raiser (1976). Everyone, Hyde was directed by Charles A. Nicholas, who had previously been a director at Disney, where he directed many of the Pluto cartoons.
This film works better as a music video than it does an actual movie.
Before I get to greatly criticizing this film, I must state that I absolutely love the soundtrack by rock band Nine Inch Nails. This did not come as a surprise since Trent Razor (one of the members of the band) has become one of my favorite film composers. Nine Inch Nails fully lived up to what I expected from them here. The 80's inspired synth pounding rock score is so much fun to listen to. On top of this it fits the world of Tron perfectly and even makes some mediocre action scenes briefly seem exciting.
However, I can't help but wish this score was attached to a better movie. The main problem with this film is that it gives you nothing to connect with emotionally. All of the characters are completely bland and lacking any personality. The storyline is completely cliché and offers nothing that we haven't seen a million times before. It also seems to simply be going through the motions with little to no effort to put into it. The dialogue feels very forced and is not believable in the slightest. The falls completely flat. The world building is also extremely lacking and despite strong visuals the sci-fi world is never believable.
Despite an excellent soundtrack and some strong visuals, this movie suffers from very weak writing.
In this episode the gang goes to visit Daphne's uncle's ranch. However, the ranch is being haunted by a ghost bull and a ghostly Indian.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The desert setting is perfect for a Scooby mystery and allows for some wonderful background art. I especially love the purple canyons in the background. Adding to the great sense of atmosphere are the burial ground and the cave scenes. Both of which provide some excellent spooky moments. The moving skeleton in the burial ground is especially a lot of spooky fun as is the scene with the hawk. The bull ghost is also very memorable and fun. The humor is quite good in this episode. The slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy is excellent.
This episode does have some flaws though. One is that we never spend any time with Daphne's uncle or get to know anything about his personality. Other realities of the gang have been simply more memorable. I also felt that though he is effective the ghostly Indian is too similar to other Scooby villains to be especially memorable.
A bit of trivia, this is the first episode where Daphne's last name Blake was used though it is exclusively used for her uncle.
In this episode, the gang investigates when demons are wreaking havoc in Seattle.
Everything about this episode is fantastic. The demons have a delightfully creepy and memorable design. They also feel like a real threat to our heroes and provide some delightfully spooky moments. The way they appear in puffs of smoke and the creepy noise they make upon appearing make them even more spooky and fun. This episode also benefits from a great sense of atmosphere. This episode has some unique and memorable settings for a Scooby mystery. The underground city is an especially memorable setting. Not only is this setting wonderfully effective in and of itself, but the various abandoned stores underneath is equally fun. My favorite is one that is filled with statues of monsters and ghosts. What makes this scene even more fun is that some of the statues resemble characters from previous Scooby mysteries including Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Werewolf (1970) and Which Witch is Which (1969). This episode also has an especially fun climatic chase which masterfully mixes slapstick and thrills. Speaking of slapstick, the humor in this episode is often quite funny. The gag with Scooby and the shadow cracked me up.
An excellent episode and a must watch for Scooby fans.
In this episode, the gang reconnects with some old friends who have formed a musical group. The musical group has a new song based on an ancient voodoo chant. This song seems to bring back an ancient shaman, who plans to turn everyone into zombies.
There is a lot to love about this episode. Mamba Wamba himself feels quite dangerous with how easily he seemingly dispatches the various band members (some of these scenes are delightfully creepy). He also has a wonderful creepy laugh and a great design. The zombies he creates from the band members are delightfully creepy and gives a great spooky feel. The design of the pink zombie is also quite creative and memorable. This episode also benefits from a great setting, which allows for some great background art, which gives a wonderfully spooky atmosphere. The scenes with Scooby and Shaggy in the swamp are especially effective in this regard. The slapstick is also excellent in this episode, especially as Fred's trap backfires and Scooby and Shaggy run through the swap scared (this scene makes for a perfect mix between comedy and suspense).
If I had one complaint about this episode, it is that the song itself is rather bland and forgettable. For an episode whose plot centers around a song that is supposed to be the next big hit, the song should at least be better than this.
A technically well-made but emotionally distant film.
On paper it seems like this movie about professional fighter Mark Kerr should be your average sports film. However, anyone who has seen the previous films of writer/director Benjamin Safdie, knows that he is not about to deliver such a conventional film. In fact, with this movie, he seems dead set to get as to not fall into any of the typical trappings of sports movies. On a technical level he is quite successful. This movie has a documentary style of filmmaking that works perfectly. Thematically it strips away any of the glitz and glamor attached to the sport and instead focuses in on the brutality and senselessness of two grown adults beating the crap out of each other. This makes for a film that seems real and honest without a hint of superficiality. The documentary style of filmmaking also helps this seem unique among the many different sports movies out there.
However, this movie's major failing is in characterization. I never once felt like I knew who any of these characters actually were. For the most part they are completely devoid of personality. The brief little glimpses we get of what these characters' personalities are makes them seem completely unlikable and selfish. There is not one reason to care about them or what happens to them. This creates an emotionally empty movie. Critics have been praising Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt's performances here but there is only so much they can do with the lack of material they are given.
On a technical level this is a very well-made movie, but it is held back greatly by not giving the audience any reason for an emotional connection.
This movie follows the story (based on a true story) of a down on his luck man, whose only great skill is his power of observation. His uses this to rob McDonalds to give his daughter what he always wanted to give her. However, is caught and then escapes from prison. After that he is hiding out in a Toys "R" Us. Likable criminals are often something that is hard for movies to get right. Too often in these movies either the crime makes the character too unlikable, or the crime is played down to point that the premise rings empty. This film however actually finds the right balance. The main character knows that his skill set is perfect for being a criminal, but his downfall is often that he cares too much to be a real successful criminal. This is a great characterization for such a character. It automatically endears him to us while not endorsing what he does. Channing Tatum is extremely charming in the role making the character work perfectly. For a movie with such a premise this is also a surprisingly sweet and good-hearted film. The romance is excellent providing a real heart to this film without even getting too shmaltzy. Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst have wonderful chemistry that makes each of these romantic scenes work very well. The scenes between the main character and his love interest's daughters are also incredibly sweet. This movie also has a surprisingly moving ending.
This film does have its flaws though. It can feel tonally uneven at times as the comedy and the drama don't always mix perfectly. Speaking of the comedy, it is fine but never as funny as it wants to be. I also felt that some of the supporting characters can be a little too bland and not feel quite real.
Overall, this is a surprisingly effective movie despite a few flaws.
In this episode the gang is enjoying a meal (and Scooby and Shaggy a hero sandwich), when Scooby spies a zombie with no face. They find out that this zombie stole a valuable coin. When they find the zombie in a toy factory, before you can say "jinkies" the gang has another mystery on their hands.
There is a lot to love about this episode. The zombie is a very fun villain. His design is fantastic, and he has a delightfully creepy feel to him. The humor in this episode is quite great as well. This is actually one of the funniest episodes of this season and some of the gags made me laugh out loud. The slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy is wonderful. A gag involving a toy duplicator and the ending gag is truly hilarious. The lieutenant is a very fun character as well. His skepticism towards everything the gang tells him, makes for a real fun chemistry between the two. It is too bad this is the character's only appearance as I could see him becoming a great reoccurring character.
This episode does have its flaws though. A gorilla finds his way into the act and feels completely out of place. A gorilla and a no-faced zombie are an odd pairing of villains and don't feel like they belong in the same episode. I also felt that (except for a few gags), this episode doesn't really fully utilize the toy factory setting. While this should be a perfect setting for a Scooby mystery, it is lacking in the atmosphere it should have.
Despite a few flaws, this is a fun episode that benefits from some real laugh out loud humor.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with a wonderful version of the classic hymn, How Great Thou Art. In the book, Happy Trails: Our Life Story, Roy tells of a story that had to do with this song. "I'll tell you about one time we nearly got into a real war with the promoters: at the World Championship Rodeo at Madison Square Garden in 1952. During the first rehearsal I started to practice 'How Great Thou Art,' a religious song I wanted to make the centerpiece of our musical act. There's a line in that song that goes, 'Then sings my soul my Savior God to Thee...' Someone in the front office heard the rehearsal and came to me that night to tell me I wasn't allowed to mention Christ at the rodeo. 'It might work for the kids in Houston, Texas' he told me, 'But this is New York. You can't preach to kids here.' I told him I wasn't preaching but that the Savior was a part of the song and I fully intended to sing that song in New York or anywhere else we performed. They suggested that I could change the words of the song so it didn't mention Him. I'm not one for grandstand plays but I told those fellas that if I couldn't sing 'How Great thou Art' just how it was written, Dale and I would pack up and leave town. The song stayed in the show. That year we did forty-three performances over twenty-six days and broke all Madison Square Garden attendance records."
Afterwards is Tammy Wynette with I Believe. This song comes from her 1969 gospel album, Inspiration.
A Singer of Songs in my mind gets down to the essence of Johnny Cash and honestly when I first I found out I was surprised he had not written it. What is interesting is that when interviewed about this recording for the Unearthed Box set, Johnny stated, "Good song but I don't know whose it is." Producer Rick Rubin in comments for the box set stated that he felt this was "one of the most touching and emotional of all the songs." However, he admitted "I have no idea where it came from. I don't even remember recording it." He wondered how he could have possibly missed putting this song on one of the albums he and Johnny did together. Johnny's song John Carter Cash however shed light on where this song came from. "Every once in a while, I'd bring in a song or two - he knows instantly, when he hears a song, whether it will work out for him or not. This was written by Tim O'Connell." This song was recorded during the sessions for Johnny's third album for Rick Rubin, Solitary Man. Johnny was a heart simply a singer and a storyteller and he knew that there was no greater story than that of Jesus Christ.
This is followed by Conway Twitty with Jesus is a Soul Man.
Then comes Brad Paisley with Old Rugged Cross. The song itself dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then. This version comes from Brad's 2001 album, Part II.
Next comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of Rounded Up in Glory. In a 1972 interview Ken Griffis asked Sons of the Pioneers front man, Bob Nolan, "Well, OK. As you progressed as a group, did you use the older type songs as the basis for your programs? Or did you try to blend in more the newer things? Did you try staying with the older things?" Bob responded, "Yeah, we tried to stick strictly to the old ones and, of course, I had an idea, or I felt that my songs—the ones that I was writing at the time—were authentic. I tried to keep them authentic. Western." This applied not only to the songs Bob wrote, but the songs the group recorded written by others. There was always a real cowboy feel to nearly all the songs they recorded. That is definitely true here, as this song sounds like something that would feel completely natural in an old west setting.
The music continues with Washington Phillips with his 1928 recording of I Am Born to Preach the Gospel.
Today's musical selection ends with Joey and Rory with Are You Washed In The Blood.
Now for the 11th chapter of the Buck Jones movie serial, The Red Rider (1934).
Now for a message for the reverend Billy Graham.
Psalm 61
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,
his years for many generations.
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
