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.
In this episode, the gang gets lost on their way to Niagra Falls. The windup spending the night at a mental asylum that is haunted by the ghost of Dr. Coffin.
Everything about this episode is simply wonderful. This is a different type of setting for a Scooby mystery, and that helps give the episode a very unique and effective sense of atmosphere. This sense of atmosphere is helped out by some wonderful background art and some very effective creepy music (I think this episode may have one of the best musical scores for any Scooby mystery ever). There are also some very effective creepy moments here, especially Scooby being hypnotized by the ghost playing the organ and where it looks like dead bodies are being carried out. The ghost of Dr. Coffin is one of the best Scooby ghosts, as he is legitimately creepy in everything from his design to his laugh to how much of a threat, he feels like to our heroes. Adding to the spooky fun is some delightful humor that made me laugh multiple times. Shaggy especially gets some good comedic lines here. The mystery element is especially strong here as the identity of the ghost is not obvious, but it makes perfect sense when it is revealed.
Jame Curtis' biography of Buster Keaton is one of the finest movie star biographies, I have ever read. At over 700 pages, this is a massive read. Yet it never once feels boring or get repetitive. Once more I hated every time I had to put this book down.
This book hooked me from the very beginning. Buster's childhood is an endlessly fascinating subject. He grew up on the stage as part of his parents rough and tumble comedy act becoming the star of the act himself when he was still a little kid. Luckily this book covers Buster's childhood in the most informative and engaging way I have ever read. The stories contained in this portion feel larger than life but are still completely real. Yet this book still continues extremely strong as Buster reaches adulthood. Due to the length of the book, Curtis is able to cover each of Buster's silent films in great detail and with excellent critical commentary, while also giving us a great portrait of his personal life. Even massive Keaton-philes will learn a great deal here and come away with an even greater appreciation of the man and his films. The book continues to give in depth looks at the majority of his talkie films in a very honest way. The book offers many criticisms of his talkie work. As many of you know by the talkie era, Buster no longer had great creative control over the majority of his work, and his talkie work rarely lived up to his silent masterpieces. Yet at the same time the book does not fully dismiss these films, the way other writings on Buster Keaton do. Just because they don't reach the height of his silent work, doesn't mean they can't be fun. And this book is just as quick to praise his talkie work as it is to criticize it, making this the fairest look at these films I have ever read. At the same time this book paints a fascinating picture of Buster as a person. He could be a more complex person than he himself (being a completely unpretentious guy) would have given himself credit for. Curtis captures both his virtues in his flaws making a truly human look at this cinematic giant, who can sometimes seem beyond human to movie lovers. Even when looking at his flaws though, the book remains sympathetic and makes us care for Buster for reasons beyond that he made great films.
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
The Skelton Dance (1929) was the first of Disney's Silly Symphonies and one of the best. The idea for the series came from musical director Carl Stalling (who would later work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies). The Silly Symphonies were designed to revolve around music. Walt Disney loved the idea and felt that a second series would allow him to experiment more and not be tied down by the formula of a Mickey Mouse cartoon. The idea for the first film also is believed to have come from Stalling. Stalling would tell historian Michael Barrier about the genesis of the movie stating, "He thought I meant illustrated songs, but I didn’t have that in mind at all. The Skeleton Dance goes way back to my kid days. When I was eight or ten years old, I saw an ad in The American Boy magazine of a dancing skeleton, and I got my dad to give me a quarter so I could send for it. It turned out to be a pasteboard cut-out of a loose-jointed skeleton, slung over a six-foot cord under the arm pits. It would ‘dance’ when kids pulled and jerked at each end of the string. Ever since I was a kid, I had wanted to see real skeletons dancing and had always enjoyed seeing skeleton dancing acts in vaudeville.” Though Carl Stalling would use an excerpt from Edvard Grieg’s March of the Dwarfs, most of the music was an original by Stalling. The animation for the movie was completed in six weeks. The majority of the animation was done by Ub Iwerks, the Disney studio's main animator at the time. He animated some of the earliest Mickey films entirety by himself. On this film he was assisted by Wilfred Jackson and Les Clark. It is not known for sure what Les Clark animated as some sources state he animated the opening scene and others (including his own) state he animated one skeleton playing another's ribs as a xylophone. Wilfred Jackson most likely animated the scene where the rooster crowing (which was reused in The Cat's Nightmare (1931)). When Walt tried to sell this film, it did not go as smoothly as he excepted. Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, would later speak about this, “Father wasn’t easily discouraged. He took The Skeleton Dance to a friend who ran the United Artists Theater in Los Angeles and asked him to look at it. ‘We’re looking at some other things this morning,’ the man said, ‘and I’ll have my assistant look at it. You go with him’. Father sat beside the assistant while the film was run. It was just before the first morning show; a few customers had drifted in and it was obvious they liked The Skeleton Dance but the assistant didn’t listen to them. ‘Can’t recommend it,’ he said. ‘Too gruesome’. Father got a hold of another friend and asked him if he could put him in touch with Fred Miller who managed the Carthay Circle, one of the biggest and most important theaters in town. Father’s friend sent him to a salesman on Film Row. ‘Maybe he can get him to look at your skeleton film’. Father found the salesman in a pool hall shooting a little Kelly (a game played on a standard pool table with sixteen pool balls where each player draws one of fifteen numbered markers called peas or pills at random from a shake bottle which assigns to them the correspondingly numbered pool ball, kept secret from their opponents, but which they must pocket in order to win the game). ‘Leave your picture here, Disney,’ the Kelly player said. ‘I’ll look at it. If I like it, I’ll get in touch with you’. It sounded like a stall but he actually did look at the film. When he looked he said, ‘I think Fred will like this. I’ll take it over to him myself’. As a result, Miller showed The Skeleton Dance with a feature picture he was running. It went over big. Father clipped the local press notices and mailed them to Powers with a note: ‘If you can get this to Roxy (the nickname of Broadway showman Samuel L. Rothafel who ran New York’s prestigious Roxy Theater), he’ll go for it the way Miller did. Powers got a print to Roxy and Roxy liked it. He ran it in his huge New York theater.” This movie premiered at the Carthay Circle on June 10, 1929 alongside F.W. Murnau's feature film, 4 Devils (1929). The Carthay Circle is where later Disney features like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Fantasia (1940) would make their Hollywood premiers.
Up next is the Fleischer Brothers Screen Songs cartoon, You Try Somebody Else (1932). This short film features an early appearance by Betty Boop. This song was written in 1931 by B.G. De Silva and Lew Brown and has lyrics by Ray Henderson. The song had been recorded by the likes of Kate Smith, Rudy Vallee, Ted Black, Guy Lombardo and Connie Boswell. The trio of songwriters also wrote The Best Things in Life Are Free.
Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Beaver Trouble (1951).
Now for the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, The Mill Pond (1929). This short film features our good friend Farmer Alfalfa. The animation and use of sound may feel crude compared to what Disney was doing at this time, but the cartoon has a kind of unpolished charm because of this. I also love how even if this is a sound cartoon, words for the sound effects as well as the characters giggling appears on the screen like this is still a silent cartoon. Musical notes even come out of the musical instruments.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes the Coyote and Roadrunner in Coyote Falls (2010). This short film played in theaters with the feature film, Cats and Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010). In theaters, this film played in 3-D, making it the first Warner Brothers cartoon in 3-D since Lumber Jack Rabbit (1953). This is the first of 6 theatrically released Looney Tunes cartoons directed by Matthew O'Callaghan. Matthew O'Callaghan also directed the feature films, Curious George (2006) and Open Season 2 (2008) as well as the Disney TV special Sport Goofy in Soccermania (1987). He also created the animated TV series The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Next comes Felix the Cat in Pedigreedy (1927).
Next is a late Fleischer Studios Popeye short, I'll Never Crow Again (1941). The year after the release of this cartoon Max and Dave Fleischer would find themselves no longer making cartoons for Paramount and many of their employees continuing to make Popeye and Superman shorts for Paramount without them. Many critics of the Popeye series claim that all the cartoons simply feature Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive. However, this short does not follow this formula in the slightest. The song that Popeye and Olive sing at the beginning of this cartoon is from the first of Fleischer Studio's two feature films, Gulliver's Travels (1939). A review in The Motion Picture Daily called this cartoon, "Good for a few laughs." A review in Showman's Trade Review stated, "While this is not the usual type of Popeye cartoon, the novelty is not sufficient enough to raise it out of the 'fair' class." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "I'LL NEVER CROW AGAIN: Popeye the Sailor— Popeye Cartoons are always enjoyed, but this was not as good as average. Running time, 7 minutes. —J. M. Thomsen, Center Theatre, Marlette, Mich. Rural patronage."
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in The Closet (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
In this episode, Shaggy's wealthy and eccentric uncle inherited the old King Arthur castle and moved it over to his home in new England. Unfortunately, it seems that the castle came with the ghosts of Merlin and the Black Knight.
There is a lot to love about this episode. Haunted castles are always a perfect setting for a Scooby mystery, and this one is no exception. This setting is very atmospheric, giving a delightful Halloweeny vibe to the proceedings. Much of this is due to great background art and use of daker colors. Also adding to the Halloweeny vibe are the floating spirits, which add just the type of spooky fun that we all love. Merlin may not look particularly ghost-like, but he does have a really fun design and feels like a real threat to our heroes. The Black Knight also feels quite intimidating. Where this episode really stands out is it humor. The humor really is exceptionally good here. Scooby and Shaggy being hypnotized is absolutely hilarious as is much of the slapstick with Scooby and Shaggy. Also getting some good laughs is Shaggy's uncle and his similarities to Shaggy.
If I had one complaint it is that the mystery is really easy to solve due to a lack of suspects but when an episode is as fun as this, that is hardly a complaint.
This horror film seems to mistake shock value for thrills. The film opens with a running naked couple being shot to death by arrows. This opening scene ends with the guy getting an arrow through his testicles. This scene has little to no bearing on anything that follows but it is unpleasant and gross, so it is there. Later when a character is cooking dinner there are very gruesome shots of him cutting up a fish. Again, there is no need for this, but it is here for shock value. Most of this movie though does not revolve around violence but rather sex. These sex scenes simply feel incredibly trashy and embarrassing to watch. There is nothing at all sexy about them and instead come off as silly (not in a funny way though). They also seem to go on forever and disrupt the whole plot of the movie. The movie only runs a little over an hour and half but there were times when I wondered if I read the runtime wrong as it seemed longer than some three-hour movies I have seen. Through much of the second act this movie plays like a trashy soap opera focusing on the romantic and sexual entanglements of characters we never get to care about. When the danger is finally reveled in the third act (which we have been impatiently waiting for it to be for what seems like an eternity), it is through a horrible plot twist. Like the previous gory sequences, I have mentioned the plot twist is disturbing and gross but not for the right reasons. It does not add a sense of tension to the story (especially since we don't care about anything happening) nor does it add any real depth. Instead, it is just shocking a gross for the reason of being shocking and gross. The climax similarly is just an excuse for gore with no actual tension or suspense anywhere around.
In this episode, the gang winds up in the small town of Winterhaven, when the Mystery Machine runs out of gas. Here they find the town is being terrifired by an electifying 10,000 volt ghost. Before you can say Jinkies the gang has another mystery on their hands.
What makes this episode so wonderful is the villain. The 10,000 Volt Ghost is a top-notch Scooby villain in every way. His design is very memorable and even quite unique among Scooby villains. He also feels like a real threat to our heroes, especially since his electric exterior makes it so our heroes can't even touch him. The big reveal of who the ghost's true idenity is also quite clever. There is a reason that he is one of The Scooby-Doo! Show's most memorable villains and even appears in the show's theme song. The episode also greatly benefits from some strong humor, especially the slapstick involving Scooby and Shaggy. The town of Winterhaven also provides a great setting for a Scooby mystery. The snowy abandoned town is quite atmospheric, espically due to some great background art. The scenes in the abandoned engry plant are especially atmospheric and fun.
In this episode the gang goes to visit Scooby-Doo's cousin Scooby-Dum in the deep south. There they find that Scooby-Dum's owners Ma and Pa Skillett, who own a showboat restaurant, are being haunted by a gator ghoul. The gang (and Scooby-Dum) have another mystery on their hands.
There is a lot to love about this episode. The gator ghoul is a wonderful villain with a great design and delightfully creepy glowing eyes. This is a very creepy villain that feels like a real threat to our heroes. This helps make the gator ghoul one of the most memorable villains of this series. The swap setting as well as the scenes aboard the showboat give this episode a wonderful sense of atmosphere. This setting helps give this whole episode a delightfully spooky feel. As well as being spooky, this episode is also often quite funny. There are plenty of truly funny laughs here. The slapstick with Shaggy. Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Dum is often delightfully funny. At the same time this slapstick actually contributes to the story as it sets up how our heroes will catch the villain.
This episode marks Scooby-Dum's first appearance, and it is one of the best uses of the character. He is a pure delight here. He provides some of the episode's funniest moments and he has great chemistry with Scooby-Doo. The contrast of his bravery (he is studying to become a police dog) and Scooby-Doo's cowardness is a lot of fun as well.
In this episode, the Mystery Inc. Gang goes to Mexico for a fiesta, but the fiesta is cancelled because the town is being haunted by the giant ghost of Katazuma, an ancient Aztec king.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. Mexico proves to be a great setting for a Scooby mystery. There is a great sense of atmosphere throughout. The scenes in the swap are especially effective, due to some incredible background art and the use of lighting and fog. Also delightful are the scenes in the temple, which again benefit from some strong background art. I truly appreciate how the scenes in the temple fully utilize every member of the Mystery Inc. gang. There are also some delightfully spooky moments. The scene with the phantom barge is especially effective in this respect. The episode also benefits from some pretty strong humor, Shaggy gets some funny lines here and Scooby gets some good slapstick moments.
The only real flaw with this episode is that the villain is rather forgettable and does little to stand out from other Scooby villains.
Run Time: 75 minutes. Studio: Sleepy Hollow Corporation. Director: Edward D. Venturini. Writer: Carl Stearns Clancy. Based on a story by Washington Irving. Producer: Carl Stearns Clancy. Main Cast: Will Rogers, Lois Meredith, Ben Hendricks Jr., Charles E. Graham, Mary Foy. Cinematographer: Ned Van Buren. Assistant Director: Warren Frome.
Despite horror not becoming a major movie genre until the early 1930's with the Universal Monsters, there are plenty of films from the silent era that are prefect for the Halloween season. Some of these are very familiar to movie fans. Such examples are Nosferatu (1922) and Phantom of the Opera (1925). However if you dig deeper there are plenty more silent era spooky season treats. One of these is this month's Silent Film of the Month, a 1922 adaption of Sleepy Hallow entitled The Headless Horseman.
I am sure many of you are familiar with the plot. However, for those who aren't, this story follows a schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane. Ichabod falls for the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel and competes with the tough and strong Brom Bones over her affections. One night he takes a fateful ride where he meets the ghostly headless horseman.
While this movie doesn't quite reach the heights of the wonderful, animated Disney version of the story, there is a lot to enjoy about this film. Chief among the reasons to recommend this movie is Will Rogers in the lead role. Casting him as Ichabod Crane is a bit of casting against type. Rogers is best known for his home-spun and likable persona, while in most tellings the schoolmaster is anything but home-spun and likable. Yet Rogers played the role quite well, proving that he has more acting talent than he often gave himself credit for. Rogers could have been a pretty good dramatic actor and not just a comedian with loads of folksy charm. Still the filmmakers work in a few scenes where more typical Rogers humor prevails. Though these scenes are few and far between, they are pretty funny. This is also a very handsome film, thanks to excellent sets and costumes. These truly give the movie a small-town atmosphere that is simultaneously charming and threatening.
Of course, what everyone is watching this film for is the climactic scene where Ichabod meets the Headless Horseman. While a bit too brief and not exactly scary by today's standards, it is quite atmospheric, well-shot and benefits from Will Rogers doing his own horseback riding adding a sense of realism. In short, this scene is not perfect, but it is a lot of fun. The Headless Horseman also simply looks really cool. Sure, the effect is basic, but it works very well.
If I had to fault this movie, it would be because of its pacing. The film often meanders and can take too long for anything to actually happen. Because of this even though it has a brief runtime it feels longer than that. The tar and feathering scene is also a bizarre addition to the story.
This film's director, Edward D. Venturini is relatively little known and only directed a handful of movies that are not remembered today. During the talkie era, he directed Spanish language versions of American films. In this era before dubbing and subtitles, some films were shot multiple times in different languages so they could be shown in non-English speaking countries. B-Western fans might know that he directed the Hopalong Cassidy western, In Old Mexico (1938).
Producer/writer Carl Stearns Clancy would later write and direct a series of travelogue shorts that were narrated by Will Rogers. Clancy approached Will Rogers as Rogers was performing in Chicago. For a sense of historical accuracy Clancy would build the schoolhouse set on the original site. At that time this was part of Rockefeller's Tarrytown, New Yor, estate. This would be very close to where Will Rogers was going to be performing in the Ziegfield Follies around the time the movie was to be filmed (it was filmed in July and August of 1922). Because of this Rogers would be able to do both his stage work and make this movie at the same time. Clancy had to increase his budget for Will Rogers (the movie ended up costing 19,583.20) but he felt this was worth it. Clancy was impressed by the comedian's professionalism as well as his energy. For the filming of one scene a stunt rider didn't show up. Clancy recalled that Will Rogers "volunteered to double for the missing extra, quickly changed his make-up, leaped into the saddle, and led all the other riders in repeated thundering dashes up and down the rock-strewn road until the scene had been taken." Clancy said, "he was greatly amused to see himself in two places at once."
Exhibitor's Trade Review, 1922
Exhibitor's Herald, 1922
THe following is a review from Picture-Play Magazine. "'The Headless Horseman' -Will Rogers. The tragedy of this picture is that it might have been great, and it is only moderately good. Will Rogers has his funny moments, but the picture as a whole does not live up to them."
Motion Picture News, 1922
For anyone interested, you can watch this film below on YouTube.
This movie about an upcoming football player who gets a chance to train with his hero and uncovers dark secrets about what it takes to become a great football player, has some good ideas. However, all of these ideas are completely wasted in this extremely messy movie. The tone is all over the place here and goes from being a very serious social commentary to an over-the-top parody to being a horror picture. None of these elements mesh together at all. The parody gets so over the top and silly that it is hard to take the commentary or horror seriously. This is not to say that any of these elements would have worked well on their own. The comedy is never funny, as the filmmakers seem to think that simply being over the top is funny in and of itself. The social commentary is even worse. While there is something to be said about how cultish sports have become in America, this movie beats you over the head with everything it has to say. After so much religious and cultish symbolism is constantly thrown at you, you may want to shout, "I get it already" to the screen. I am not saying that a movie like this should be subtle, but it doesn't have to constantly beat us over the head with everything it needs to say either. As the story gets sillier and more over the top, the social commentary gets even more heavy handed. The horror is more of a joke than the actual comedy. The film's attempts at horror are embarrassingly inept, relying solely on the cheapest of jump scares and bloody images that simply feel unnecessary. Actors Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers try their best with the material they are given. However, if you could get a cast of the greatest actors of all time, they couldn't even make this mess of a movie to work.
I am almost in awe of just how bad this movie is. ·
Hello everybody. It is once again that wonderful holiday, National Silent Movie Day.
Let us start this holiday themed post with the most famous name in silent movies, Charlie Chaplin.
Charlie Chaplin is considered to be one of the big four of the silent film comedians. The other three are considered Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Harry Langdon.
Of course there are other great silent movie comedians including Mabel Normand, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Laurel and Hardy and of course the Keystone Cops.
Of course there were some great dramatic filmmakers during the silent era such as D.W. Griffith, Lois Webber and F.W. Murnau.
I am a big fan of J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt's book, Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney.
Now for some of Walt Disney's silent films themselves.
Of course I am an avid watcher of TCM's Silent Sunday Night.
My favorite place to watch silent movies is Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California, where all silent films are accompanied by the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe organ.
Hello, my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today’s musical selection begins with the King of the Cowboys and The Queen of the West, 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 Moe Bandy with The Old Rugged Cross. The song itself dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then.
Afterwards comes Blind Willie Johnson with his 1927 recording of Jesus Make up My Dying Bed. Bob Dylan would later perform this song on his 1962 debut album and Led Zepplin would later record it on their 1975 album, Physical Graffiti. Both Bob Dylan and Led Zepplin would record the song under the title, In My Time of Dying.
Then comes The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of Rounded Up in Glory. In a 1972 interview Ken Griffis asked Sons of the Pioneers front man, Bob Nolan, "Well, OK. As you progressed as a group, did you use the older type songs as the basis for your programs? Or did you try to blend in more the newer things? Did you try staying with the older things?" Bob responded, "Yeah, we tried to stick strictly to the old ones and, of course, I had an idea or I felt that my songs—the ones that I was writing at the time—were authentic. I tried to keep them authentic. Western." This applied not only to the songs Bob wrote, but the songs the group recorded written by others. There was always a real cowboy feel to nearly all the songs they recorded. That is definitely true here, as this song sounds like something that would feel completely natural in an old west setting.
This is followed by Jean Shepard with Life's Railway To Heaven. This recording comes from her 1968 gospel album, I'll Fly Away.
Next is Anne Wilson and Lainey Wilson with an acoustic version of Praying Woman. The two originally recorded this song on Anne Wilson's 2024 album, Rebel.
Today's musical selection ends with Johnny Cash singing his self-penned song Man in Black on an episode of his TV show. This song was inspired by a trip John made to Vanderbilt University, where he was asked various questions about himself and what he believes. The song would be released as a single in March 1971 with Little Bit of Yesterday being its B-Side. In May of 1971 it would be the title song of a new album of his. That album also included another political song from John, Singin' in Viet Nam Talkin' Blues, which was released as a single that May as well. That 1971 album was one where John was extremely vocal about his beliefs as it was filled with both political and Christian songs. The title song expresses both his political and Christian beliefs.
Noe for the tenth chapter of the Buck Jones movie serial, The Red Rider (1934).
Now for a message from Billy Graham.
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Job 6:14
A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28
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
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14
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. Welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with the film that introduced the character of Woody Woodpecker to movie-goers, Knock Knock (1940). However, this cartoon is part of the Andy Panda series, and Andy Panda and his dad are the true stars of the movie. Yet it is Woody who gets the best laughs and steals the show. Producer Walter Lantz would later state that the idea for this film would be inspired by a woodpecker hammering at his roof during his honeymoon at Sherwood Lake California. However, this story has been disproven by many film historians. Leonard Maltin would write in his landmark book, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, "This delightful story has apparently undergone some showmanly embellishment, since the honeymoon occurred one year after the production of the cartoon." If Woody here seems very familiar to the early Daffy Duck or the early prototype for Bugs Bunny this is not a coincidence. Recently having joined the Lantz staff was Ben "Bugs" Hardaway, who had worked for Looney Tunes and with said characters. This cartoon feels a lot like many of the Warner Brothers cartoons that Hardaway had directed. Also helping add to the similarity is that Woody is voiced by Mel Blanc, the voice of Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny.
Next comes the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, Time on My Hands (1932). This short has an early appearance of Betty Boop (as a topless mermaid) and a song performed by Ethel Merman. Betty even turns into Ethel Merman at one point.
Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, The Little Red Hen (1955). This short is directed by Connie Rasinski.
Rare for a character from a Disney feature film (at least during the Walt era), Jiminy Cricket continued being used at the Disney studio well after being introduced to audiences in Pinocchio (1940). He would go on to appear in another Disney feature, Fun and Fancy Free (1947), he would appear in some episodes of the Disney anthology series and would be a regular presence on TV's The Mickey Mouse Club. He would appear in the theme song and host various short segments, where he would function in the role of an educator, teaching kids about safety, science and health. One of these segments was the I'm No Fool segment, where he would teach kids how to be safe. These segments first aired on the TV series but were later sent to schools as 16mm educational films. Now enjoy, I'm No Fool with Fire (1955).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for the early Looney Tunes cartoon, Bosko Shipwrecked! (1931). This was the first Looney Tunes cartoon to be solely directed by Hugh Harman. In the previous cartoons Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising would direct the films together. However, from this point on, for the most part, Hugh Harman would direct the Looney Tunes, while Rudolf Ising would direct the Merrie Melodies. The shot of Bosko running away from the lion would be later used in the opening credits of the Futurama episode, Anthology of Interest I (2000).
Now for a classic silent cartoon with Krazy Kat Invalid (1916). For those of you unaware Krazy Kat was a newspaper comic strip that ran from 1913 to 1944 (I highly recommend seeking it out and reading it as it is still very funny today). The comic strip origins are very obvious here as this cartoon feels like a moving comic strip.
Up next is the first pairing of Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales, It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House (1965). The two would be paired together in 25 more cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Watching TV (1987). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Be sure to come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Pinocchio: The Making of a Disney Epic by J.B. Kaufman
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
An okay thriller but well below what I have come to expect from Paul Thomas Anderson's films.
This movie works best as a straightforward thriller. The action scenes are very well done, and PTA's direction of these scenes are as great as you would expect from such a master. The climatic action scene is especially exciting. PTA also manages to keep visual interest throughout, and this is a very handsome looking film. Though the characters are quite underwritten (and few of them are likable), the all-star cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti) all lend their movie star charm to the role.
While the melding of genres can often be one of PTA's greatest assets as a filmmaking, here it doesn't quite work. The tone feels all over the place and this keeps us from having any real emotional connection. It also doesn't help that the humor is often quite unfunny, and the political commentary is too surface level to ever make the audience actually think.
Paul Thomas Anderson as proven himself to be one of the greatest filmmakers working today, bringing us lots of masterpieces. So, if this new movie falls short of his best work, it will hardly leave even a small blemish on his filmography.
Best known today for his role as Osgood Fielding III in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959), where he delivered the famous ending line "Well, nobody's perfect, Joe E. Brown had actually been one of the most popular movie comedians of the 1930's. He was especially popular in small towns, where his self-assured and boastful but good-hearted character resonated with audiences. Between 1933 and 1936, Brown was named one of the top 10 money makers in the movies. Though Brown occasionally appeared in great movies, most of his films were programmers. This is to say films that were meant to be a pleasant part of the movie program with no pretentions about being anything more. These movies were quite successful at being just this and most of them are still entertaining today.
Here is a 1930 article from Screenland magazine that provides us with "Joe E. Brown's Real-Life Story." If you have trouble reading it click on any of the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
Here is Joe E. Brown on a 1954 episode of TV's This is Your Life.
This movie follows a teenage girl, who befriends an alien that the authorities think is dangerous. The basic storyline is a familiar one and comparisons to ET and The Iron Giant are inevitable. For a movie with this familiar of a storyline to stand out, the story must be told exceptionally well. Luckily that is completely the case here. Although certain parts of this film may be a bit intense for some kids, I can picture a kid seeing this and falling completely in love with it the way previous generations fell in love with the aforementioned movies. Everything about this movie is truly excellent. Like in all the best fantasy movies, the heart of the film rests in its main character. While she is not a perfect person and has more than a bit of the angry teenager in her, she is instantly relatable and easy to care about. We see so much of ourselves in her and can feel the pain she is going through having lost her dad. We see and understand why she felt she needed to build a wall around her. Because of this we know that beneath her rough exterior, she has a real heart of gold. This is especially shown through her relationship with the alien, which feels completely real and compelling to us. All of this is helped out a lot by 19-year-old (and already horror queen) actress, Lulu Wilson, who is fantastic in this main role. The alien itself is also fantastic. Unlike similar movies the alien design is not cute but in fact quite creepy looking. Because of this we start out a little weary of the creature but end up falling in love despite our initial reaction to its appearance. The creature has to truly earn our love and because of this the attachment we feel is greater.
The creepy design to the creature and how lovable it ends up being, also perfectly reflects the tone of this movie. This is a movie that stresses the importance of something pure in a cynical world. There is a real warmth and sweetness to the relationship between the two main characters. At the same time the world of the film is full of cynical people, who can and will never understand the purity of the bond formed here. The movie lets us known very early on that these characters are never going to simply be won over because they see a heartwarming scene. This allows the movie to have a sentimental feel to it without ever feeling naive. This mixture of what is sweet and pure with what is cynical and without understanding makes this movie feel more emotional honest than other similar movies and helps make it feel like something special.
In this movie, a man and a woman who have had no luck at relationships (more than partly due to themselves), meet a wedding and find themselves going on a fantasy like journey together where they must relive moments of their pasts. This basic storyline is very clever and mostly effective. It causes us to look at our own lives and how they have shaped how we see the world and our relationships with others. It also leads to some quite effective emotional moments. However, the main charm of this film comes from the main characters. They are far from perfect characters and both of them have hurt a lot of people. Despite this they want to and are trying to be better people. This makes us relate to them because many of us are flawed individuals trying to be better. The romance itself works more because of the chemistry between Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie than anything else.
Of course, this movie benefits from a great musical score by one of my favorite film composers Joe Hisaishi (best known for his work on the Studio Ghibli films).
The humor in this movie is quite hit and miss. There are some truly hilarious moments mixed in with comedic moments that are really bad.
Despite this movie's charms, it does suffer from some overly cliché and forced dialogue that sounds too carefully planned out to be believable. There are also many times when the filmmakers seem to be trying too hard to seem profound but in reality, aren't saying anything we haven't heard many times before.
This movie is like its main characters. That is to say it is very flawed but still has its charms.
In this film, a recently sober ex-improv comedian is unhappy with trying to live a normal life, as his fiancée insists, he doesn't do stand-up anymore. On Christmas Eve he ends up chipping his tooth and spending an amazing day with his pretty dentist that causes him to rethink many things.
This movie has a lowkey charm that I completely fell for. Rather than moving directly from plot point to plot point this story unfolds at a leisurely pace. It lets us spend time with and get to know these characters. As the film continues, we enjoy simply spending time with these characters more and more. It almost feels like spending Christmas with good friends. While these characters are far from perfect, they are real and human. We see much of ourselves in them and therefore connect with them on a real level. This is of course helped by the sheer charm of Michael Strassner and Liz Larsen in the lead roles and the real chemistry between them. Because of this when the emotional moments occur, they are incredibly effective.
As well as just being charming this movie is often laugh out loud funny. The over the top but still somewhat grounded situations these characters get themselves into provides some great laughs. The dialogue is also often quite witty and funny.
Christmas may at first seem like a simple backdrop for this story, but this movie wouldn't be anywhere near as effective if it took place any other time of year. The Christmas imagery as well as the Charlie Brown Christmas inspired soundtrack add a lot to this film's relaxed charm.
A must see.
P.S. I don't know why they released a Christmas movie in late September.
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 is followed by Patty Loveless with [We Are All] Children of Abraham from her 2009 gospel album, Mountain Soul II.
Afterwards is Johnny Cash with Are the Children In.
Then comes Anne Wilson and Jordan Davis with Country Gold. This is an acoustic version of a song from Anne's second album, 2024's Rebel.
Next is Connie Smith and Nat Stucky with Crumbs from the Table. This is from a 1970 gospel album the two country singers did together that is called Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith. This was the second album that the two made together. The first was 1969's Young Love. The idea to pair the two come from the record company, as both had recently had major hits and the company believed that their two voices would blend very well together. They were right.
Now for The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of Rounded Up in Glory.
Next comes The Carter Family's classic 1927 recording of Can The Circle Be Unbroken. This song was based off of the 1907 Christian hymn (written by Charles H. Gabriel and Ada R. Habershon), Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Uncle A.P. Carter reworked this song changing the lyrics to be about the death of a mother. Though this version would be covered by an incredible amount of artists, many of them would change the title back to Will the Circle Be Unbroken as well as changing that one word in the chorus. However these cover versions would use A.P.'s lyrics for the rest of the song. This is one of my all time favorite songs, because it is a sad song, but one which also finds hope within its darkness. This is a song about trusting in God in times when it is very difficult to, which is something many gospel songs don't cover but which many Christians struggle with.
Today's musical selection ends with Jean Shepard with Too Much to Gain to Lose. This comes from her 1969 gospel album, I'll Fly Away.
Now for the 9th chapter of the Buck Jones movie serial The Red Rider (1934).
Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Proverbs 25:21
So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Matthew 5:45
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
