Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #233

Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoons. 

 Today's selection begins with a Porky Pig short, Notes to You (1941). This cartoon was later remade as Back Alley Uproar (1948), which is considered an all-time classic. Back Alley Uproar would replace Porky with Elmer Fudd and the unnamed cat with Sylvester. Yet there are many scenes that when compared to each other are nearly identical in the two versions. This should come as no surprise considering that director Friz Freleng and writer Michael Maltese would work on both shorts. That remake seems to overshadow this film, yet taken on its own terms is very entertaining and a joy to watch. The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "Notes to You: Looney Tunes Cartoons - Here is one of the funniest cartoons for some time. New gags and highly amusing. Running time, 7 minutes. - H. Goldson, Plaza Theatre, Chicago, Ill. General Patronage." 

Now for Honey Halfwitch in Baggin' the Dragon (1966). This short film was directed by Howard Post, who directed the first eight of the Honey Halfwitch cartoons. 

Next comes the Donald Duck cartoon, Hook Lion and Sinker (1950). This is the second of five theatrical shorts to feature Louie the Mountain Lion and the only one in which he has a son. Despite this movie being released as a Donald Duck cartoon the lion's share (pun intended) of the footage goes to Louie and his son. This short film would make its TV debut on an episode of TV's Walt Disney's Presents entitled The Mad Hermit of Chimney Butte (1960). 

Next comes the Woody Woodpecker film, Banquet Busters (1948). This movie is a rare time in which two of Walter Lantz's most popular characters, Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda, appeared together in a theatrical short. However, it was not the only time they worked together. Woody made his debut in the Andy Panda short, Knock Knock (1940). Probably the most popular pairing of the two was in the Musical Miniature cartoon, Musical Moments from Chopin (1946). Banquet Busters was the only time Andy Panda appeared in the Woody Woodpecker series as their other appearances together were in other series. 

Now it is time for a commercial break.

Now for the silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, Day by Day in Every Way (1923).

Hell Bent for Election (1944) was a rare Chuck Jones directed film of the 1940's that was not a Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies short. The year before this film was released, Chuck had directed a very serious animated war time documentary called Point Rationing of Foods (1943). Hell Bent for Election was one of the earliest films but what would become known as UPA (home of Mr. Magoo and Gerald Mc Boing Boing). The United Auto Workers of America had approached animation legend John Hubley about making a film to promote presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt. With the success of Point Rationing of Foods and knowing that Jones was politically liberal, Hubley immediately thought about Chuck as the director. He and others at the studio approached Looney Tunes producer Leon Schlesinger about the use of his studio after hours for making the film but Leon did not want to have an attachment to a political film. So instead, the film was made at the fledgling Industrial Film studio (which would later evolve into the UPA studio). As it would continue to be later, this was a very politically liberal studio, and they welcomed the making of such a film in a way that Schlesinger wouldn't. To make the film, the studio recruited animators from Screen Gems and Warner Brothers. This included Robert "Bobe" Cannon (who would later become one of UPA's best directors) and Ben Washam from Chuck Jones' unit at Warner Brothers. This film would help the studio in getting to make films for the Navy. As producer Stephen Bosustow remembered, "some of the guys in charge were pro-Roosevelt and thought the film was great, and said someday if they have more pictures, they'd give them to us."

Now for the Betty Boop cartoon, Little Nobody (1935). Like many Betty Boop cartoons of this time, Betty is not the real star here. Instead the real star of this film is her little dog Pudgy. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in House of Cards (1987). This is one of the shorts with the animated family made before they got their own TV series and it aired on The Tracey Ullman 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

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Hook,_Lion_and_Sinker

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

   

Movie Review: Tornado

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

A familiar but strangely gripping film.

This story about a young woman on the run from thieves after she stole from them is not exactly original and is kind of predictable. However, it is not this simple story that makes this movie stand out. This movie is rather a tour de force for director John Maclean and actress Kôki (a popular Japanese singer and model). Maclean brings out his inner Akira Kurosawa here. Rather than most movies with this type of story the focus is not on the action but rather on creating a sense of atmosphere. Many scenes in this picture are deliberately paced and not afraid to be quiet. Instead, these scenes spend their time building up the time and setting this film takes place in. This deliberate pacing as well as the visual beauty of this movie creates an almost spellbinding effect that draws you in immediately and lasts for the whole film. Kôki is equally wonderful in this movie making this not exactly complex character feel completely real for us. 

Wonderful filmmaking and a great lead actress help to make standard and predictable story into a gripping experience. 

Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland (2000)

 

Get Happy is the best of all Judy Garland biographies because it does not read like a biography. Most biographies give you a lot of information about their subjects but don't really create much of an emotional connection to them. When you reach the end of a novel on the other you care deeply about the characters and feel as close to them as you do to yourself. In this way, this book reads more like a novel than a biography, though it is 100% accurate. You don't feel like you just learned new facts about Judy Garland, you feel as if you know her personally. For the length of time it takes for you to read this book, you get to walk in Judy's shoes and see the world through her eyes. You feel the pain and tragedy of much of her life but also get to appreciate and enjoy those fleeting moments of joy. This book never eschews Judy's many flaws, but it offers a very sympathetic and understanding view of who she was in spite of (and sometimes because of) these flaws. As such this book reads like a great literary tragedy and there are moments when it is hard to keep a dry eye while reading. 

As well as a great portrait of Judy herself this book also paints very vivid imagery of the times and places, Judy lived in. This is true whether the book is discussing MGM during the height of the studio system, Judy's childhood home or the various venues Judy performed on. You can clearly picture these places and times in your mind as clear as if you were watching a movie. Again, this is a quality that is rarely experiences in biographies. 

I also love the critical look Gerald Clarke takes at Judy's work as an artist. It is not afraid to find flaws with some of her work but at the same time it admits that when Judy is at her best, she is one of the greatest entertainers to ever live. 

This is a quintessential showbiz biography.   

Movie Review: The Last Rodeo

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A well-made but familiar faith-based drama. 

There is little in this movie about a bull rider who hasn't ridden in 15 years (after a becoming injured in a bull riding accident) heading back into the saddle to help fun his grandson's surgery, that you haven't seen before. Still the film always has its heart in the right place. You care about these characters because it is obvious that the filmmakers care about them. The movie may get very sentimental at times, but the sentimentality always feels natural and never forced. This makes this familiar storyline, one we actually deeply care about. The acting is also great and Neal McDonough (who also co-wrote and produced the film) is fantastic and completely believable in the main role. He perfectly captures the emotion of the character and makes the film all the more emotionally effective.

The movie also does a good job at exploring important themes about putting aside your pride and letting others help you as well as trusting in God even when things get tough (this film is from the Christian owned Angel Studios after all). Like many Angel Studios films, this movie is not one where the whole film is about Christianity but has Christian themes and talk about God inserted in. These Christian themes (especially when characters talk about their faith in God) are never forced into the movie nor do they feel out of place. People who believe in God will sometimes talk about their own faith to their friends because it is a part of who they are as people. Because of this having a few scenes where Christian characters briefly talk about their faith only seems completely natural. This is not preaching to the audience, it is simply showing them that these are characters of faith and that is part of who they are. 

Despite a sense of familiarity, there is nothing really wrong with this movie. However, at the same time there is nothing spectacular to make it stand out among many similar movies. This does not change that this film makes for a good trip to the movies though. 

 

All-New Super Friends Hour: The Lionmen (1977)

 

This is the third segment of the twelfth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest. 

In this cartoon an alien race called the Lionmen want to carve up the planet Earth to sell its resources to the highest bidder. 

This is a delightful episode. The villains are a lot of fun. Their designs are excellent as they truly feel other worldly and creative. The voice of their leader is also a great and fun super villain voice. The Lionmen also feel like a real threat to our heroes, and this leads to a good sense of suspense and excitement. The scenes aboard the alien spaceship are especially exciting. The action scenes are a lot of fun as well, providing just the type of superhero fun we have come to expect from this series. These action scenes also do a great job utilizing each and every one of the Super Friends. This episode also benefits from some great artwork. The background art is as wonderful as ever, giving the cartoon a great sci-fi feel. The effects animation is especially excellent here, often giving the episode a larger than life feel. 

This is a wonderful episode.   

All New Super Friends Hour: Pressure Point (1977)

 

This is the second segment of the twelfth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest. 

In this cartoon, the Wonder Twins help when a teenage motorcyclist attempts a dangerous jump in order to prove to his friends that he is a good motorcyclist. 

This is another lame Wonder Twins cartoon. This serves as a very obvious and unsubtle PSA about being safe. The dialogue simply comes off as too didactic and the teenagers simply exist to convey this very basic message. The action scenes lack the excitement of those in cartoons starring the more popular DC heroes and the few attempts at humor fell too forced.   

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

 

This movie marked Bryan Singer (who directed X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003)) to the X-Men franchise. The film was originally going to be directed by Matthew Vaughn (who directed X-Men First Class (2011)), but Vaughn backed out in order to direct Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). When Singer was brought on as director, he brought back many of those who worked with him on the first two X-Men films. This included production designer John Myhre (whose only previous X-Men film was the first), costume designer Louise Mingenbach (who had worked on X2 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and composer John Ottman (who not only worked on the first two X-Men movies but composed music for all of Singer's films starting with The Usual Suspects (1995). 

In this film, robotic Sentinels are about to destroy all mutant kind. These Sentinels contain mutant DNA from Mystique (AKA Raven). The only way to stop the end of mutant kind is to travel back in time to 1973, when the DNA was obtained. However, traveling back in time that far would destroy one's body. Because Wolverine's body can regenerate, he is the natural choice to travel back in time. Wolverine must team up with a young Charles Xavier, Magneto and Beast to save the future. 

This is possibly the best X-Men movie and is superhero movie making at its finest. Everything about this wonderful movie works very well. The time travel element is incredibly well used. Writer Simon Kinberg studied such popular time travel films as Back to the Future (1985), The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Meanwhile Singer did some research into string theory and spent much time trying to come up with as plausible a set of rules to how time travel could work to make this feel as plausible as possible. The result is more intelligent and believable than the majority of time travel movies. Yet the film never finds itself being bogged down by the inherent complexities of time travel, as the focus is not on the sci-fi elements but rather on the characters themselves. Thus, this becomes one of the most emotional of all the X-Men movies. Probably the most emotionally resonant part of this film is Charle Xavier's story here. Unlike in the other X-Men films, we see him at his lowest point here. He has been so emotionally broken by the events in X-Men: First Class as well as various events that have followed, that he has given up on all that he once stood for. He has closed the school and is addicted to a drug that gives him the ability to walk but makes him lose his powers. This makes his character feel even more human We can all relate to his pain and his feelings of loss, and we have all felt like giving up. We see so much of ourselves in him that we become even more emotional invested than in the previous films. Meanwhile we can also relate to Wolverine's self-doubt, Magento's desire for justice without caring about the price and Raven's journey to still try and find who she truly is. The film also does a great job of following the themes of prejudice, persecution and whether or not the means justify the ends. This is explored heavily through the villain (played magnificently by Peter Dinklage), who is one of the best villains in these movies. This is because he feels all too real and believable, exploiting people's prejudice to try and bring about what he believes is the greater good, he resembles too many people in the world today. With all these deeper themes and intelligence this movie also has its share of pure superhero fun. The action scenes are the best this series has had to this point and the humor is often laugh out loud funny. 

This film had the worldwide highest grossing opening weekend for any X-Men movie at this time at $262.8 million. By the end of its run, it would gross $747.9 million worldwide, the largest gross for an X-Men film until Deadpool (2016). The critical response was quite positive with many critics feeling that this was one of the best of all X-Men films. It currently holds a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

   

Movie Review: Final Destination: Bloodlines

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+

An enjoyable little horror movie. 

 This newest movie marks my first time seeing a film in this franchise. Honestly, I find the premise so silly and over the top, I find it hard to believe anyone could find this scary (maybe previous films were scarier?). Yet I can also understand the appeal of this franchise. As gory as many of the deaths are, they are also very creative. Much the film almost plays as a silly slapstick comedy, only much gorier. And there is a silly basic fun to this that I enjoyed. 

While I understand that this film stars a new cast of characters, I also quite liked these characters. They may not be complex but there is a surprising touchingness to how this family cares and looks out for each other. This helps make you actually care about this silly plot. 

However, this is still a horror-comedy, that is neither that scary nor funny. The premise is too silly to actually be frightening. On top of this most of the comedic moments simply fall flat. Also, for a movie from such a major franchise, the CGI is astoundingly poor. The early prologue scene goes on for much too long.

This is far from a great movie but there is a certain silly charm to it. 

   

Movie Review: Friendship

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An often-hilarious dark comedy. 

This movie starts with a simple story of a guy who doesn't have any male friends, finally making one with his neighbor. From here the film takes many dark and unexpected turns, constantly keeping you guessing what is going to happen next.

With pure comedies having become rarer in recent years (though I'm glad to say that it looks like they are starting to make a bit of a comeback), it is hard not to love a film that is simply this funny. I saw this film in a packed theatre, and it has been a long time since I have heard a movie audience genuinely laugh this much and this hard. I expected the movie to be funny, but I did not expect it to be this funny. For anyone with a dark and twisted sense of humor, this is a pure laugh out loud delight. Much of the humor comes from the mixture of these situations being incredibly over the top yet instantly relatable at the same time. The movie often makes us feel very uncomfortable as it explores humanity's desire for friendship and companionship but also the dark fear of losing it. However, as we explore this dark delve into loneliness, we are allowed to laugh through our pain and there is something almost beautiful about this, even when the pain gets too uncomfortable. Balancing this mixture of comedy and pain is the performances by Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, who bring all their comedic gifts to the table, while also bringing out the humanity of these characters. 

I do feel that the plot line gets a little too messy in the third act and loses some of its momentum there. However, when a movie makes you laugh this much and this hard that is easy to overlook.

A dark and twisted but hilarious comedy.  

Movie Review: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A fun finale to this long running series. 

Despite this film's flaws, much of why it works hinges on two big action set pieces. These two set pieces are among the best this franchise has ever offered. Of course, Tom Cruise's stunt work is a major reason why. Some of these stunts are truly jaw dropping to behold. How much the filmmakers rely on practical effects also makes these scenes feel more massive and larger than life. As well as just the stunts in visuals, the pacing in these scenes is perfectly calculated to give the maximum amount of suspense. Everything that can go wrong does and this is done so effectively that even if we know how the film is going to end, we still feel on the edge of our seats. These two set pieces are action filmmaking at its finest. 

As well as these two set pieces, the movie has some other things going for it. While I still feel that Ethan Hunt is one of the most boring action hero characters, the supporting characters are much more likable and fun. The humor in this film is also surprisingly pretty funny at times. Also, the various globetrotting settings, give it a fun adventurous feel.     

However the AI plot is incredibly silly, which makes it a shame that the movie takes it so seriously. This type of silly story should have a more tongue in cheek approach, as there is no possible way to take such silliness seriously. There are also too many moments during the first half of the film, where the dialogue is overly exposition heavy and there is too much that is said but not shown. The way this movie tries to connect all eight films into a cohesive story is incredibly messy and clumsy.  

Despite a very messy storyline, the movie is still quite a bit of fun. 

Cowboy Church #219

 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 Chosen Road with Are You Washed in the Blood.  While I believe that water baptisms are important in the life of a believer, nothing matters more than being washed in the blood of Jesus. This means to let Jesus be Lord of your life and to live said life for him. As wonderful as water baptisms are they mean nothing if you are not also washed in the blood of the lamb.

Then comes Ricky Van Shelton with To the Mansion in the Sky. This recording comes from Ricky's 1992 gospel album, Don't Overlook Salvation. 

Afterwards is Johnny Cash with I Won't Have to Cross Jordon Alone from his 1962 gospel album, Hymns From the Heart.

Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1947 recording of The Sea Walker. This song was written by Tim Spencer, one of the group's founding members. Music was a major part of Tim's life from very early on. In fact, when he was only 3 years old, he was already singing at the church he grew up in. His love of things cowboy and western related also began very early as he had grown in awe of western movies and screen cowboys like Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, William S. Hart and others were his boyhood heroes. With this it is no surprise that in 1931, he went to California to see how his talents could be used in Hollywood. Yet music always remained a major passion for him. As he worked in a warehouse, he would spend his weekends and time after working going around to all the country music radio shows, getting to know all the people he could. This is how he met fellow founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers, Bob Nolan and Leonard Slye (later Roy Rogers). The Sea Walker as well as being written by Tim also features him as the lead singer. The great Bass vocals in this song are courtesy of Hugh Farr.

Now for a great old country tearjerker, here is Vernon Dalhart with his 1927 of The Dying Girl's Message. 

Afterwards is George Hamilton IV with I Love to Tell the Story. When recovering from a sickness, Arabella Katherine Hankey wrote a poem about the life of Christ. This poem was broken into two parts the first being called The Story Wanted (published in January, 1866) and the second called The Story Told (published in November, 1866). I Love to Tell the Story comes from this second part. In 1869 William G. Fisher put this text to music and that is the version we know today. Still it is worth noting that Hankey wrote her own music for these words, but her music was seldom used and is now forgotten. 

Today's musical selection ends with RaeLynn with Praying for Rain. This song was released on her 2018 album, Origins. 

Now for an episode from the Gunsmoke radio show. 

Now for a sermon from Martin Luther King Jr. 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Luke 3:8

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus 2:7-8

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #132

 Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.

Today's cartoon selection starts with the first Daffy Duck cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939). Today many cartoon fans associate Chuck with being one of the main people who changed Daffy from his early high energy crazy self into a more vain, jealous and greedy character. This film however features Daffy in his early crazy high energy mode. A review in The Motion Picture Herald even stated, "The gags and situations are appropriately matched to the zany personality of the duck." Another review in The Motion Picture Daily stated, "Leon Schlesinger delivers good color cartoon work in this "Merrie Melody," but the striving for whimsy hits only in spots." The following is an exhibitors' review also from The Motion Picture Herald, "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur: Merrie Melodies—Very few laughs in this one. Not up to standard of most cartoons in this series. Running time seven minutes. - Don Bloxham, Place Theatre, Exira, Iowa, General and rural patronage."

Now we join our friend Honey Halfwitch in Throne for a Loss (1966). Honey starred in thirteen theatrical shorts from 1965 to 1967. This marks the eighth of these films and the second to be directed by Shamus Culhane. 

Next is Mighty Mouse in The Racket Buster (1949). This short film is directed by Mannie Davis, who directed over 200 cartoons (mostly Terry Toons and Aesop's Fables cartoons). His career stretched from the 1920's through the early 1960's. 

Now for Donald Duck in Spare the Rod (1954). This movie was released to theaters on January 15, 1954 and was the first Donald Duck short of that year. This cartoon made its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland TV show entitled, Donald's Weekend (1958). 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

The Old Mill (1937) is far from your typical Silly Symphony cartoon. This short film has no storyline to speak of nor has it any gags. This is instead a mood film, that is much more concerned with creating a sense of atmosphere than telling a story. As such it stands as one of the most powerful and unique short films Disney ever made. The basic idea for this movie had been on the minds of the Disney filmmakers for quite a while. In 1931 an idea for a film called The Old Mill Stream had been proposed. This story was elaborated further in 1934, though at that time the story was planned to be more comedic. This film introduced Disney's famed multiplane camera. This camera would create a three-dimensional effect by moving various pieces of artwork past each other at varying speeds. This would of course play a major role in Disney's later feature length animated films. To help the animators and layout artists Ferdinand Horvath would create a large model of the mill. This cartoon won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and the studio received a special Oscar for the multiplane camera. More recently it received the 14th spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. It is interesting to note that such an unusual movie was the first Disney film that was distributed by RKO. 

Now for a silent short film from French director Émile Cohl, The Puppet's Nightmare (1908). Émile Cohl is best known for having directed Fantasmagorie (1908), which has often been credited as being the earliest animated film. 

Now for the Fleischer Screen Songs short, That Old Gang Of Mine (1931). 

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Maggie's Brain (1987). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the family got its 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

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck

Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman

Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Donald%27s_Weekend

 

  

Movie Review: Lilo and Stitch

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B-

Though flawed this is a marked improvement over recent Disney remakes. 

Even as a huge Disney fan, I admit that many of the recent live action Disney remakes, have been very poor. That is why I went into this movie not expecting much of anything. Perhaps this is why despite this film's obvious flaws, I actually enjoyed this movie. While obviously the 2002 movie is superior, this is a fun movie in and of itself. 

The best part of this film is the sister relationship. This remake actually expands on this part of the movie, and it does a very good job at it. You can feel the love between these two sisters throughout the film, even when they are fighting. This sister relationship never feels anything less than completely believable. Maia Kealoha and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong have great chemistry that makes the scenes between them all the more poignant. This leads to some surprisingly effective emotional moments. Director Dean Fleischer Camp brings a lot of the same low-key charm to these scenes that he did to the wonderful Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022). Stitch is also very well handled here. His character is the perfect mixture of maniac energy and good-hearted likability. After the horrible CGI dwarfs in Snow White (2025), I am happy to report that Stitch's conversion to CGI is much smoother and does a better job capturing the character. Also helping is that Disney brought back Chris Sanders (who not only voiced Stitch in the 2002 film but also co-directed and co-wrote that movie) to voice Stitch again. The humor with Stitch often hits the mark very well. 

While Dean Fleischer Camp did a great job of bringing a low-key charm to the smaller scenes, the more action packed and sci-fi heavy scenes lack the excitement and fun that they did in the original. Though this has much to do with that it is impossible to capture the energy and imagination of the classic animated movie in a live action film. Some things just work better being animated. I also felt that though the humor with Stitch was often times very funny in this remake, the humor involving the other aliens almost consistently fell flat. I don't want to give away any spoilers but some of the changes to the story aren't always for the better. 

This may not be a Disney classic (like the 2002 film is) but I had a good time watching it and that is more than I can say for some of the other recent Disney remakes. 

The Wolverine (2013)

 

Before X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), completed production, that film's director Gavin Hood was thinking of a sequel featuring Wolverine in Japan. This film would be inspired by a 1982 limited comic book series starring the character by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman loved the idea as he had read that comic book series and was a fan of it. After opening weekend of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this sequel was confirmed. However, Gavin Hood would no longer be in the director's chair. The job was offered to Bryan Singer (who directed X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003)) but he turned it down. For a while Darren Aronofsky (who previously directed such artistically inclined films as Pi (1998), Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010)) was set to direct. That such a director was even considered to direct a superhero movie, shows the direction it was planned for this film to take from even its early stages. This was not planned to be your average lightheartedly fun superhero film and would go even further away from this direction than the previous X-Men films had. However, Aronofsky would back out of the project after realizing that it would keep him out of the country and away from his family for more than a year. Eventually James Mangold would be put in the director's chair. Mangold had already proven himself to be a very versatile and talented director by this time with a filmography that included Cop Land (1997), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Kate & Leopold (2001), Walk the Line (2005), 3:10 to Yuma (2007) and Knight and Day (2010). Mangold would go on to direct the next film in the Wolverine trilogy, Logan (2017), which many consider to be one of the best superhero movies ever made. 

Taking place after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), in this film Wolverine comes to Japan to visit an old friend, whose life he saved a long time ago. However, once he gets there, he finds himself in for more than he bargained for, especially when his mutant powers get stripped away from him. 

This second entry in the Wolverine trilogy is a marked improvement over the first. That is because unlike the first film, this movie actually does a great job delving into who Logan really is. We get to see a really vulnerable and troubled side to the character here. We get a look into what it truly means to be immortal and the internal pain it has caused Logan. There are times when the story slows down to truly meditate on death and the fear of death as well as the emptiness of a life where you outlive everything you ever loved and cared passes away long before you. These moments are truly intelligent and thought-provoking. Also incredibly effective is exploring the guilt that Logan feels over having had to kill Jean Grey. These scenes are very emotionally resonant and draw you into the psyche of the main character. Hugh Jackman continues to be a great Wolverine with this being one of his finest performances as the haunted and often reluctant superhero.  Adding to this is that many of the supporting characters are quite likable and the performances from Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima really help sell their characters. This movie also features some pretty good action scenes, and the Japanese setting gives it a great atmosphere. 

This movie does have one major problem though and that is the villain.  Svetlana Khodchenkova does her best in this role, but the character is incredibly underwritten. The Viper turns out to be one of the most boring and bland villains in any of the X-Men movies. This may be one flaw (it is not the only flaw but the only truly major one for me), but it is such a major one that it really hurts this otherwise excellent movie. 


The writers of this film were Mark Bomback and Scott Frank. This is the only X-Men film Mark Bomback worked on, though Scott Frank would later be a writer on Logan. Other movies Mark Bomback wrote for include Live Free and Die Hard (2007), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Unstoppable (2010), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War of the Planet of the Apes (2017). Scott Frank's other credits include Get Shorty (1995), Minority Report (2002), The Lookout (2007) and Marley & Me (2008). 


While the movie outgrossed X-Men Origins: Wolverine at the total box office and failed to do as well in the U.S. Critical reviews were decidedly mixed with many praising it for its darker and more complex story, while also feeling that its action packed third act felt out of place after the more serious and slower paced first two acts. 

   

Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-traordinary Adventure (2003)

 

After the success of the TV series Muppet Babies in 1984, those in the cartoon industry wanted to compete with this success by producing shows featuring classic cartoon characters as small children. This brought such shows such as The Flintstone Kids, Yo, Yogi!, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry Kids (my personal favorite of these shows). Tiny Toon Adventures both bucked and followed this trend by having a cast of younger versions of the Looney Tunes characters that were being educated in the art of cartoons by the original Looney Tunes characters. Premiering in 2002, Baby Looney Tunes was a more traditional version of this trend actually featuring baby versions of the classic Looney Tunes characters. Unlike previous Looney Tunes shows and films (which were aimed at the widest possible audience), Baby Looney Tunes was aimed squarely at young children. Because of its ultra sweet and cutesy tone, many cartoon purists hated and still hate this series with a passion. Yet the show was extremely popular with its intended audience. Many who were kids at the time remember that this is what they used to watch when they stayed home sick from school. The series remains quite popular to this day and still airs on TV almost daily. With this popularity it was only natural that a feature length movie would be made. The result was the direct to video Easter movie, Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-traordinary Adventure.       


In this movie, Granny tells the babies the story of the Easter Bunny. The babies, especially Taz, get very excited about the Easter Bunny's visit the following day. This is except for Daffy, who doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny and tries to tell the other babies that there is no Easter Bunny. 

With my quest to review every feature length Looney Tunes movie, this film proves to be the hardest to review. As an adult cartoon fan, I am not the intended audience. Yet I admit that this movie has its charms. It is very cute and sweet. The ending is especially cute and charming. Its message about the importance of childlike faith and imagination as well as accepting the beliefs of others is very important for kids and one that adults can appreciate as well. The characters are also very likable and relatable. We can all relate to Bugs' reluctance to believe in something that he has never seen but being afraid to ruin the day for others with his lack of faith. All of us have also gone through a period of wondering whether or not there was an Easter Bunny (or Santa Claus), wanting to believe but simply not being sure. We can also relate to how Lola, Sylvester and Tweety want to prove to that there is an Easter Bunny. We have all also known a kid like Daffy who doesn't believe in the Easter Bunny (or Santa Claus) and delights in making fun of the kids who do believe. 

This movie has a few flaws though. Even at only an hour long, this film feels like a half hour TV episode padded out to feature length. There are some moments that don't really contribute anything to the story and just seem to be there to make it longer. The couple song numbers here are also bland and forgettable. 

I didn't laugh at any of the humor here but then again, I am not the intended audience. There is nothing embarrassing about the gags here and I can't say whether or not a small child would laugh at them. 

The director of this movie is Gloria Yuh Jenkins, who was the supervising director for many episodes of the children's cartoon show, Dragon Tales. She is most prolific as a storyboard artist she has worked on such TV series as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, The Batman, Word Girl and Care Bears Welcome to Care A Lot. She also worked as the producer on the first three seasons of Baby Looney Tunes.

The credited writers are Tim Cahill and Julie McNally Cahill. The husband-and-wife team of Tim Cahill and Julie McNally Cahill have worked on such shows as Animaniacs, The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, Histeria, Baby Looney Tunes and The Tom and Jerry Show. They are credited as developing the TV series Littlest Pet Shop as well and they also worked on the direct to video movies Tweety's High-Flying Adventure (2000) and Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (2001). 

The DVD for this direct to video movie also includes a couple episodes from the TV series (Flower Power (2002) and The Magic of Spring (2002)) and two song numbers from the show (D-A-F-F-Y and Mary Had a Baby Duck) as well as an interactive challenge called Granny's Activity Day. 



This is a charming movie for little kids and is a decent time passer for adult Looney Tunes fans. 

The Great Movie Comedians (1978)

 

Well written and well researched Leonard Maltin's 1978 book remains essential reading for all fans of classic movie comedy. 

The book starts with an introduction that discusses the work of silent film comedians that do not receive their own chapters later in this book. This introduction is just as much essential reading as what follows. Offering a brief history of some of these forgotten clowns and how they contributed to the broad history of screen comedy, while also explaining what keeps them from entering into the pantheon of "Great Movie Comedians" like those that receive their own chapters here makes for compelling reading. Quotes for those who worked with these comedians firsthand provide even greater insight to who these comedians were and what comedy filmmaking was like in the silent era. This is one of the rare books where I wish that the introduction had gone on longer. 

The actual chapters cover 22 of the best comedians (or comedy teams) to ever grace the silver screen. These are Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, Raymond Griffith, Marie Dressler, Laurel and Hardy, Will Rogers, Joe E. Brown, The Marx Brothers, W.C. Feilds, Mae West, The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Red Skelton, Jerry Lewis and Woody Allen. Each of this chapters provides a brief history of the comic's career, some critical insight and a filmography. The critical insight truly shows Maltin's talent as a critic and a writer. He has great admiration for the talent of each of these performers, while also allowing himself to critique the flaws in some of their work. While I may not agree with all his critical opinions (I have a much higher opinion of Harry Langdon's self-directed efforts), they are all well written and insightful. Naturally the history may not be as in depth as what you might read in an entire book dedicated to one of these comics, but for the brevity of these chapters, they are surprisingly insightful. The quotes from those who worked with these comics are invaluable even to film buffs, who may know the majority of the information in this book. Though today, we may take the filmographies for granted it is important to remember how in the pre-internet days, how valuable a simple list of each of these performer's films was to any film buff. 

If I were to find fault with any of these chapters, it would be the one about Harry Langdon. This is the rare occurrence where Maltin gets his film history wrong. He gives too much credit to Frank Capra and too little to Langdon himself for the creation of Langdon's screen character. However, this is not completely Maltin's fault. One must remember that at the time this book was written there was still a lot of research to be done on Langdon, and his films were not easy to see. Because of this it is easy to have believed Frank Capra's claims to have been instrumental in the creation of Langdon's character. I can't say that I wouldn't have made the same mistake at the time. Today one can see that Langdon's character was already on his way to being formed by the time that Frank Capra began working on Langdon's films. Yet even with this, I am very grateful to Leonard for calling attention to Langdon at this time period. 

This is a truly excellent book.         

   

Movie Review: The Ruse

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C

An enjoyable but forgettable haunted house flick.

I must confess, the reason I saw this film was because it starred Veronica Cartwright, who I have long been a fan of. Starting as a child actress in the late 1950's, her decades-spanning career has included such classic movies as The Children's Hour (1961), Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Alien (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), Disney's Flight of the Navigator (1986) and The Witches of Eastwick (1987) as well as such TV shows as Leave it to Beaver, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Daniel Boone and The X Files. She did not disappoint here turning in a performance that ran away with the show. 

Though this is a haunted house movie, it leans more into the mystery genre than horror. Pretty early on you get the feeling that there is more going on here than meets the eye and as in a Scooby-Doo episode, your job is to figure out what is really going on. Director/writer Stevan Mena provides constant twists and turns that keep you guessing the entire time. You never quite know what direction this film is going in and that is the fun of it. It is rare to find a mystery film that actually keeps you guessing today and I respect this movie for that even if the final conclusion is a little too convoluted to be completely believable. Just Veronica Cartwright is wonderful here, Madelyn Dundon is also great in the other leading role. She brings a real likability to this character and helps make her feel believable. 

This movie's main flaw though is simply that for a haunted house flick, there is a lack of atmosphere. The movie never makes the house seem creepy enough to draw us into the main character's fear. To create a creepy tension the movie relies on tired jump scares, none of which are the least bit effective. The stock shots of the seaside area are also too obvious and look like the belong in a Hallmark or Lifetime TV movie rather than a theatrical release.  

This may be far from a classic but it does gives us an enjoyable trip to the movies.   

Video Link: Annie Get Your Gun (1950)- Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better

All-New Super Friends Hour: Forbidden Power (1977)

 

This is the first segment of the twelfth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.

In this cartoon Batman and Robin team up with Wonder Woman team up to save Professor Zarkov from mutants from outer space. 

This is a fun little sci-fi episode. The outer space setting is delightful and allows the artists to be very creative. The background art is not only wonderful to look at but feels completely other worldly. The designs of the alien creatures are also excellent. They are very creative and add delightfully to the other worldly feel to this episode. The storyline is simple but there is something charming in its simplicity. There is something simply quite satisfying about watching superheroes deal with a sci-fi environment and sci-fi creatures and this episode takes full advantage of this.  

This is simply a fun little superhero adventure.

Movie Review: Hurry Up Tomorrow

 

Michael's Movie Grade: F

All style and no substance. 

This movie stars the pop singer The Weekend (who is also a co-writer) as himself and much of the film comes off as a complete ego trip. In one scene he is told that he is like a superhero to his fans and in another a different character talks about how many of his fans don't understand how deep his songs really are. It is amazing that a film which is very obviously a pure vanity project found its way to the big screen. Meanwhile the actual song performances come off as glorified music videos that seem to go on forever. These essentially music video scenes throw so many bizarre visuals at us that it simply becomes overwhelming. These visuals have no real meaning to them and add nothing to the film's story or characters. They are simply there to make this film appear to be deeply artistic without actually having any real artistic merit. The same can be said for a dream sequence later in the movie. This sequence tries to trick audiences into thinking they are something artistic while instead being completely shallow and pointless. 

The Weekend himself is not that great of an actor. This becomes all the more obvious when you compare him to Jenna Ortega's performance (how does such a talented actress find herself in such bad movies (with a few exceptions)). However not even a talented actress can make her character even remotely interesting. Every character in this film is very bland and completely unlikable. Because of this it is hard to care about anything that happens. 

The problem is that the storyline of a pop singer having a one-night stand with a young woman that becomes something much more dangerous could have made for a fun little B movie. If the filmmakers didn't take the story so seriously and played it with a bit of tongue and cheek, I could see this being a fun little movie. However, with a self-serious script, unlikable characters and pretentious visuals, there is not one second of enjoyment to be minded out of this film. The disappointment in this film only increases when you realize that the director, Trey Edard Shults has previously proven himself to be a strong filmmaker with such movies as Waves (2019). Hopefully this is just one miss and that the filmmaker gets himself back on track with his next film. 

Video Link: Bride of Frankenstein: The Secret to Immortality -Universally Me

Cowboy Church #218

 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 Chosen Road with Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. In 1876 Robert Lowry visited Ocean Grove (in New Jersey) to minister the summer crowd there. As well as giving a sermon, he also introduced this hymn to the crowd. The song had a major effect on audience and a revival broke out around that time.

Afterwards is Henry Burr with his 1920 recording of Beautiful Isle of Somewhere. 

Then comes Ricky Van Shelton with I Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey. This recording comes from his 1992 gospel album, Don't Overlook Salvation.  

Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. Though it may be simple doctrine that we have heard since Sunday school, I hope we never forget how much power there truly is in the blood of Jesus. No matter what temptations and struggles we may face in life, Jesus' blood spilled on Calvary's cross has overcome all of it. With man something may be impossible but with God all things are possible. 

Afterwards is Johnny Cash with You'll Never Walk Alone. This recording was made in a church using a real church pipe organ. Playing that pipe organ was Benmont Trench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fame. There was a plan for Johnny Cash to make a whole album in a church with an organ before John passed away. In the liner notes for the Unearthed box set, producer Rick Rubin remembered, "Yes it was one of our future plans. We have a whole lot of stuff that was still left to do. This was one of two songs we recorded in a church in L.A. with Johnny singing live -because we wanted it to sound like he was in a church - and Benmont Trench from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers playing the church organ. He played the hands and the feet and the church organist pulled all the stops because it was a complicated instrument and unique. We decided to use just one of the songs on The Man Comes Around, and Johnny preferred the other one, 'Danny Boy.'" Tench remembered (in the same linear notes), "It was a really remarkable experience, because the way the organ is set up is so you can see the preacher through a mirror for your cues. I could see Johnny sitting in the chair the preacher sits in when the choir is singing, and he was in the center, facing the congregation, with headphones on. It's hard to paint into words, but the record will tell you what it was like. Indescribably moving." 

Now for a liver performance of Bob Dylan and Joan Beaz singing Dylan's With God on Our Side. This performance happened at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. 

Today's musical selection ends with The Lindsey Family with Love Lifted Me. This hymn was written in 1912 by James Rowe and Howard E. Smith. Rowe's daughter would later state, “I can see them now, my father striding up and down humming a bar or two, and Howard E. playing it and jotting it down…The two huddled together, working line by line, bar by bar, composing this hymn in tandem.”

Now for an episode of The Lone Ranger radio show. 

Now for a sermon from S.M. Lockridge. 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11

The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Working Kid: A Memoir of a Child Actor of the 1950s and 1960s (2021)

 

Though many of you have probably never heard the name Mimi Gibson, if you are a fan of movies and/or TV shows of the 1950's and 60's, you have seen her. As a child actress she has appeared in such films as The Wings of Eagles (1957), Houseboat (1958), The Ten Commandments (1956), The Three Faces of Eve (1957), The Children's Hour (1961) and much more. She even provided the voice of Lucky in Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). She was just as prolific in TV appearing in episodes of shows like Climax!, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Jimmy Durante Show, Leave it to Beaver, My Three Sons, The Red Skeleton Show and The Jack Benny Program.

 Looking back at her time as child star in this memoir, she does not wear rose colored glasses. Throughout this book she is often brutally honest and never afraid to speak her mind. Not only does she admit that this isn't the job she would have chosen, but she writes frankly about some of the abuse of child actors she had seen firsthand (if you are a fan of Lorretta Young or Miriam Hopkins, you might quickly become disillusioned reading this book). Her words about casting directors are especially biting. She heavily advocates for better treatment of child actors on and off set. This is something she has truly taken to heart and over her adult life, she has done much to make sure child actors see the money they rightfully earned. Due to her writing, it becomes easy to understand why many child actors had their lives turn out so bleak (though thankfully that was not the case with Mimi). 

Yet this book does have its lighter parts as well. She doesn't paint her childhood as without it joys. She speaks very kindly of those who treated her well, including Sophia Loren, John Wayne, Red Skelton, Ben Cooper, Fred MacMurray, Anothony Quinn and interestingly enough John Ford. And she tells some great stories of the fun she was able to have during her childhood and her love of the costumes. 

For me the highlight of the book was the last two chapters where she wrote about nearly every movie and TV show she worked on. This gives us a wonderful first-hand look at the good, the bad and the ugly in the life of a child actor. It is equally honest in talking about the moments of joy as it is about some of the hardships. 

Though this is a brief book, it does still provide great personal insight into a part of the movie and TV business that is often overlooked. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #231

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoon. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Porky's Pooch (1941). Though all the classic Charlie Dog cartoons would be directed by Chuck Jones, this Bob Clampett short clearly sets up the template that all of those later cartoons would follow. In fact the first Charlie Dog cartoon, Little Orphan Airedale (1947), would be a remake of this film. The backgrounds in this film are live action photographs. A year later Bob would use a live action opening for Eatin' on the Cuff or The Moth Who Came to Dinner (1942). The following is an exhibitor's review from Motion Picture Herald, "PORKY'S POOCH: Looney Tunes Cartoons—Right up my alley for my patronage. Running time, 7 minutes. —Vic Stephano, Grove Theatre, Groveton, Tex. Small Town Patronage." A review in The Motion Picture Daily called the film, "Good for a few laughs." The Showman's Trade Review gave advice to movie theater owners on how to advertise this cartoon, "Play it up to all Porky fans and make some new fans to win over some of the dog lovers in your community by staging a pet show, prize contest for best snapshot of a pet or prize contest for a brief essay on 'why my dog is the best in town.'" 

Up next is the Fleischer Screen Song short, I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark (1929).

Now we join our hero Mighty Mouse in A Fight to the Finish (1947). During this period many of the Mighty Mouse cartoons were operatic melodrama parodies. Like many cartoon fans, I have a real fondness for the Mighty Mouse films of this period. 

I have also mentioned before that I am also a fan of the cartoons Jack Kinney directed for Disney. These were some of the studio's funniest, often providing an almost Tex Avery like sense of humor that I find irrespirable. Next comes one of those great cartoons, Motor Mania (1950). Despite this film being such a comedic tour de force, it also had a successful life as a safety film. This film received the National Safety Council Award. This cartoon was even used in 1953 in Oakland, California as a mandatory part in its Traffic Violator School. No need to look at this film as an educational experience, it is just as fast paced and funny as any of Jack Kinney's great cartoons for Disney. The cartoon is narrated by John McLeish, who had previously done the narration of other Goofy cartoons including, How to Ride a Horse (1941). Jack Kinney would later remember, "We were sitting around, chewing it over, trying to think of someone to do the narration, and I had just said, 'Gawd! I wish John McLeish was in town. He'd be perfect,' when as if on cue, the phone rang. It was John calling from New York. 'McLeish!' I shouted into the phone. 'I wish you were here!' 'I shall be,' he intoned, 'If you've got a job for me.' 'You got it.' 'I'll be there Monday.'" 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Today's cartoon selection continues with a delightful Woody Woodpecker cartoon, Chew Chew Baby (1945). This movie was directed by Shamus Culhane, who had previously been an animator for Disney, the Fleischer Brothers and Warner Brothers. Culhane proved to be one of the finest directors to work at the Walter Lantz Studio (where the Woody Woodpecker cartoons were made). The cartoons he directed for this studio were some of the finest cartoons to come out of it, including one of the most praised Woody Woodpecker cartoons, The Barber of Seville (1944).







   

Now it is silent movie time with the Out of the Inkwell short, No Eyes Today (1929). 

Next is the Columbia Color Rhapsody cartoon, Bon Bon Parade (1935). This a cute and sweet little film and the rare sentimental cartoon from Columbia that kind of works. Despite this sentimentality the highlight is the caricatures of The Three Stooges. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in The Money Jar (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. Happy trails to you until we meet again. 

Resources Used

Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters by Jack Kinney.

Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

  

   

Super Mario Kart (1992)

 

Though flawed, Super Mario Kart was a strong start to this spin-off series of games. 

I am sure most anyone reading this has a basic familiarity with Mario Kart. However, if you don't this is a kart racing game where you can play as a Nintendo character and race across a series of cartoon-y racetracks and using various cartoon-y items such as turtle (or koopa) shells, mushrooms (which may you go faster) and banana peels (to make other racers slip) to help you win. you compete in cups (tournaments featuring five courses each). 

While later games in these series are more advanced when it comes to the graphics and mechanics, this first game is still a lot of fun to play. The very concept of kart racing in these very cartoon-y courses and as your favorite Nintendo characters is still a heck of a lot of fun.

Yet this game does have a unique feel among the Mario Kart games. There is a greater emphasis here on the actual driving. There is a rare chance that you might lose a race because you were hit by an item. However there is a much great chance that you might lose a race because you missed a turn. On the courses which have grass (or something similar) off the track, if you go off the track you are severely slowed down. Before you get yourself back on the track, you may have several other racers pass you. On the courses when you can fall off the track a Lakitu will pick you up and put you back on. However, he will take long enough that several racers will pass you before you are put back on the track. This can be especially frustrating on the ghost valley courses and, on these courses, I have lost several races after being in first place for the majority of the race. There is also the great challenge of if you finish after fourth place, you have to start that race again. You are given a few tries and if you run out of tries then you get a game over. This feature (which was not revived for any of the later games) both makes the game more difficult in some ways and easier in some others. If you have one course that you are especially bad at (the ghost valley courses for me), it can sometimes make it, so you aren't even able to complete the cup. On the other hand, if you simply have one bad race, it will not affect your overall end score the way it would in later games. I kind of which Nintendo had kept this feature around as for me it actually increases the fun of the game.  

The visuals on this game are definitely dated. The graphics have a very flat look and though they looked great for their time, they feel very dated today. I also felt that there was a lack of variety in these courses, and each cup has courses that are incredible similar to courses we see in the other cups. There are a couple of visual features in this game that I love though. If you are playing single player, you receive a split screen. The top focuses on you as you're racing. The bottom features a map of the course that allows you to see where each racer is. I can't tell you how many times this has come in handy, while I have been playing this game. Another visual treat in this game is that each character receives a different animation for when you win as them. These is a treat and makes you want to win as each character to see the animation that follows. 

If you are playing multiplayer the battle courses are tons of fun. These course simply are unlike the racecourses, a free for all item battle. I do wish this game a single play option to battle against computers for when you are by yourself though. 

This is a dated but still fun video game.