Movie Review: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A superior superhero movie. 

This ranks among one of the best live action Spider-Man movies (even if Spider-Man 2 (2004) still gets the top spot for me). The reason for this is simple. The new Spider-Man movie is full of heart. What has always made Spider-Man stand out with all the superheroes out there is not the superpowers or the villains. Rather it is the person behind the mask. The best Spider-Man stories, whether in comics or film, have always been more about Peter Parker than about Spider-Man and that is easily the case here. Though there are some stellar Spider-Man action scenes here, the heart of the story revolves around Peter Parker's loneliness. This film focuses on Peter's fear to let anyone in and to love him after the passing of his Aunt May. As the film starts superhero-ing is becoming the character's full life as a way to compensate for how lonely his personal life is. As Peter, he spends nearly all his time watching social media videos of his former friends being sad he is not there. Yet as the movie goes on Peter's loneliness and action-packed adventures become quite intwined creating many moments that will truly pull on your heart strings. Tom Holland's previous films as the webslinger have been rather lighthearted, however he proves he is more than up to the more emotionally heavy material given to him here. 

Yet as well as being quite emotional, this movie is also a lot of fun. As mentioned before the action scenes are fantastic. The action-packed climax is truly wonderful. This movie also has some of the funniest post-Endgame bits of MCU humor. Unlike the weakest MCU films, the humor and the drama are balanced out very well. The filmmakers know when to be funny and when to be serious. Neither ever gets in the way of the other. 

Like many Marvel movies, this tries to put a lot of Marvel into a movie that is supposed to be about a specific one. On the bright side all of these characters are entertaining in their roles. On the downside it can make the movie feel a bit overstuffed. However, this is not enough to truly hurt a movie as delightful as this. 

A must-watch for all Marvel fans.  

Video Link: The ANONYMOUS Artist Who Made Donald Duck a Star -West of Neverland

 

Movie Review: Motor City

 

Michael's Movie Grade: C+ 

An enjoyable but very flawed action flick. 

In this film, a man is framed for an illegal drug haul by a criminal who steals his girlfriend while he is in prison. When the man gets out of prison he hunts for the man who ruined his life.  

This film greatly resembles Silent Night (2023). Both are action movies with revenge plots, and both tell their stories without the benefit of dialogue. Yet I personally feel that Silent Night did this much better. In Silent Night the lack of dialogue felt natural, and you almost forgot that there wasn't any dialogue. Here the lack of dialogue feels instead like a gimmick and honestly comes off as a vit distracting. You are constantly aware that the filmmakers are trying to tell this story without dialogue. The filmmakers seem to be trying much too hard to not have the characters speak. There are moments where the actors are doing over the top mugging to have the characters communicate without speaking. In silent films the characters mouths still move, even though we don't hear what they are saying. This feels more authentic and believable because they are communicating like people, even if we can't hear what they are saying. What we have here instead feels forced and gimmicky.

However, there is still quite a bit to enjoy here. The action scenes are exciting and a lot of fun. They are over the top and violent in the most fun way possible. The film has a wonderfully stylistic neo-noir look that gives this film a delightfully atmospheric pulpy feel. The movie also benefits from a very strong soundtrack that effectively uses various 70's tunes in a way that causes the movie to really come to life. 

Despite being overly gimmicky, there is some fun to be found with this stylish action film.  

Full Schedule for Cinecon 62 is Online

 

For true movie lovers, the Cinecon Film Festival is one of the greatest highlights of the year. This film festival is aimed at the most dedicated cinephiles, and you can spend five days living a life that completely revolves around movies. These are not just any movies, but many are films that even the most die-hard movie buffs have never seen. Most of them come from the silent era through the 1940's, though some later films are included as well. For many of these films this is the only way you can see them as they aren't available on home video or streaming. Though these are mostly old films, you are experiencing them with an audience who has also never seen them and doesn't know what to expect. This makes them feel so fresh, new and exciting. 

As well as being filled with movies, the festival also honors some great special guest stars. And this year has some truly incredible guest stars. Receiving the Cinecon Legacy Awards this year are Lainie Kazan, Nancy Kwan, Barbara Eden (of I Dream of Jeanie fame) and Anna Maria Alberghetti. Each will be interviewed following a showing of a lesser-known film of theirs. For Lainie Kazan they will be showing My Favorite Year (1982). For Nancy Kwan, they will show, The Main Attraction (1962). For Barbara Eden, there will be a screening of All Hands on Deck (1961). That movie features Pat Boone, who will be presenting Barbara Eden with her award. For Anna Maria Alberghetti, there will be a screening of The Starts are Singing (1953). 

Other highlights of the festival include a new restoration of the silent OZ film, The Magic Cloak of OZ (1914), the John Ford directed silent, 3 Bad Men (1926), the John Wayne B-Western, The Lucky Texan (1934), the rarely seen tru-color musical That’s My Gal (1947), a tribute to the George Pal's stop motion Puppetoons and rare Paramount Technicolor shorts. As well as the cinematic treats there will be some rare early live television delights featuring comedians Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason and Sid Ceaser. 

The film festival will be held at the Landmark Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles (11272 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025), It will take place Labor Day Weekend from September 3-7, 2026. 

To view the full schedule and buy tickets for the festival, please go to Cinecon's website by clicking here. 

 

 

Movie Review: One Night Only

 

Michael's Movie Grade: D-

An R-rated romantic comedy that is neither funny nor romantic.

In this film, pre-marital sex has been outlawed in the U.S. However single people are legally allowed to have sex one day a year. A man (Callum Turner) and a woman (Monica Barbaro) go out looking for romance on this night, while everyone around them are simply only interested in sex. 

I can't get over how stupid the concept for this movie is. The premise is completely nonsensical and doesn't even make sense in the context of a raunchy comedy. In the film's defense it never treats this insane premise as some serious commentary but rather just as a set up for the story. Still, to me at least, when such a premise sets the story in motion, I find myself constantly taken out of the movie because the stupidity is simply too distracting. 

Perhaps this could be forgiven if the film was either funny or romantic. However, it is neither. I don't think I laughed once during this movie. It seems to mistake being over the top and very vulgar as being funny. However, it simply tries too hard to be both those things that it never is actually funny. The romance on the other hand feels way too rushed. The romance is never given enough time to be fleshed out in any way. Because of this it never feels like any character believably falls in love with another. Therefore, when such a thing is supposed to have happened it feels completely forced. 

 Don't waste your time with this. 

Cowboy Church #280

 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 the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet (Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Grandpa Jones, Gordie Tapp) with Where the Soul Never Dies. My grandparents watching reruns of the countrified variety show Hee Haw is how I was introduced to and fell in love with country music. Introduced to the show in the mid 1970's (the show premiered in 1969), the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet was a wonderful addition to the show, featuring some of the show's regulars singing classic hymns and gospel songs. 

Afterwards is Flatt and Scruggs with their 1952 recording of Preachin, Prayin, Singin.

Next comes The Charlie Daniels Band with Lay it on the Line. This song comes from the group's 1994 album, The Door. In his memoir, Never Look at the Empty Seats, Charlie Daniels wrote, "I think the most pressure I was ever under as a songwriter was when I wrote the songs for our first gospel album, The Door. It was such a special project to me. I wanted it to be much more than just another gospel album. I wanted the lyrics to have impact and hopefully speak to some of the people who, like me, had such a hard time understanding the gospel message and were falling through the cracks." (Daniels, 260) Charlie worked very hard on each song and rewrote some multiple times. The effort paid off. This fantastic 1994 album shows The Charlie Daniels Band at their best and it won them their first Dove Award.

Then comes Faron Young with My Wonderful Lord. 

Then comes 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. 

Today's musical selection ends with Lary Sparks with When the Savior Reached Down for Me.

Now for the 21st episode of TV's The Lone Ranger. 

Now for a message from the Reverand Billy Graham.

Obadiah 

Obadiah’s Vision

1 The vision of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom—

We have heard a message from the Lord:

    An envoy was sent to the nations to say,

“Rise, let us go against her for battle”—

2 “See, I will make you small among the nations;

    you will be utterly despised.

3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,

    you who live in the clefts of the rocks

    and make your home on the heights,

you who say to yourself,

    ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

4 Though you soar like the eagle

    and make your nest among the stars,

    from there I will bring you down,”

declares the Lord.

5 “If thieves came to you,

    if robbers in the night—

oh, what a disaster awaits you!—

    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?

If grape pickers came to you,

    would they not leave a few grapes?

6 But how Esau will be ransacked,

    his hidden treasures pillaged!

7 All your allies will force you to the border;

    your friends will deceive and overpower you;

those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,

    but you will not detect it.

8 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

    “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,

    those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?

9 Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified,

    and everyone in Esau’s mountains

    will be cut down in the slaughter.

10 Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,

    you will be covered with shame;

    you will be destroyed forever.

11 On the day you stood aloof

    while strangers carried off his wealth

and foreigners entered his gates

    and cast lots for Jerusalem,

    you were like one of them.

12 You should not gloat over your brother

    in the day of his misfortune,

nor rejoice over the people of Judah

    in the day of their destruction,

nor boast so much

    in the day of their trouble.

13 You should not march through the gates of my people

    in the day of their disaster,

nor gloat over them in their calamity

    in the day of their disaster,

nor seize their wealth

    in the day of their disaster.

14 You should not wait at the crossroads

    to cut down their fugitives,

nor hand over their survivors

    in the day of their trouble.

15 “The day of the Lord is near

    for all nations.

As you have done, it will be done to you;

    your deeds will return upon your own head.

16 Just as you drank on my holy hill,

    so all the nations will drink continually;

they will drink and drink

    and be as if they had never been.

17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;

    it will be holy,

    and Jacob will possess his inheritance.

18 Jacob will be a fire

    and Joseph a flame;

Esau will be stubble,

    and they will set him on fire and destroy him.

There will be no survivors

    from Esau.”

The Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev will occupy

    the mountains of Esau,

and people from the foothills will possess

    the land of the Philistines.

They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,

    and Benjamin will possess Gilead.

20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan

    will possess the land as far as Zarephath;

the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad

    will possess the towns of the Negev.

21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion

    to govern the mountains of Esau.

    And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

 

Thank you 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 #290

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Donald Duck in Donald's Garden (1942). In this short film, Donald tries to plant a garden but unfortunately for him a pesky gopher arrives to eat all his produce. This is one of four Donald Duck cartoons spun off from an unfinished storyline called Donald's Roadside Market. In 1939, this cartoon's production was cancelled because Walt felt that the farmyard setting of that cartoon was not being utilized to its best. However, a farm setting was still a great idea for a Donald cartoon. Walt himself stated in a story meeting for Donald's Roadside Market that took place on August 8, 1939, "I think there are a hell of a lot of gags around a farm that could be very funny with the Duck." Other cartoons spun off from this proposed story were Golden Eggs (1941), Old MacDonald Duck (1941) and Honey Harvester (1949). 

Next is the Fleischer Screen Song cartoon, I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze (1936). This cartoon stars the character of Wiffle Piffle, a character who would appear in both solo and Betty Boop cartoons. Though the animators here aren't as well known to animation buffs as the Disney and Warner Brothers animators, they do a great job and deserve to be given attention. Harold Walker animates the scene of the people walking into the restaurant including the revolving door gag. Tom Johnson animates Wiffle Piffle after he enters the restaurant to where he grabs a plate. Dave Hoffman animates the introduction of the opera singer and Wiffle Piffle getting beer for the customers. Tom Johnson animates Wiffle's little dance as he brings the beer out. Dave Hoffman animates Wiffle going through the door and coming out with sandwich. Harold Walker animates Wiffle giving the customer his sandwich as well as the chicken gag. Harold Walker animates Wiffle making the spaghetti. The title song was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel. Lyricist Mack Gordon also wrote lyrics for such songs as Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Did You Ever See a Dream Walking and You Make Me Feel So Young. Composer Harry Revel had worked as a composer for feature films for Paramount studio. 

Next comes another real classic, Falling Hare (1943). This cartoon features one of the few characters to get the upper hand of Bugs, the gremlin. Despite only appearing in this one short, the character has proven quite popular and has appeared in quite a few Looney Tunes spin offs. The original title for this movie was going to be Bugs Bunny and the Gremlin. However, since Disney was working on an animated feature film about Gremlins (a movie that would never be finished), the studio took the word Gremlin out of the title of this cartoon to appease the Disney studio. The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Literally and figuratively, Bugs Bunny, already a prime favorite among current cartoon characters, gets off to a flying start in the distribution season just started. The buck-toothed, long-eared clown meets up with a gremlin, and both find themselves aloft in an airplane, with Bugs or what's left of him being darn glad to get back to earth. There are plenty of laughs throughout. The tough Bunny, if this initial '43-'44 offering of his producer Leon Schlesinger, is any criterion, is in for a further rise in popularity among fans who like humor. Of course, the reel is in Technicolor. It was supervised by Robert Clampett and animated by Roderick Scribner. Warner Foster wrote the story and Carl W. Stalling handled the musical direction." This movie amounts to one of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons, and it is appropriately in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. 

Now for the Terry Toon short, Canadian Capers (1931). This cartoon features our good friend Farmer Al Falfa. Animators on this film include Frank Moser, Jerry Shields, Bill Tytla and Art Babbitt.  Unfortunately, this is an edited for TV version. 

Now for a commercial break.

Now for the Walter Lantz cartoon, Salt Water Daffy (1941). When this cartoon was released in 1941, the United States had not yet entered World War 2. However, most Americans could see that war was likely on their horizons. America's first peace time draft had recently been instated, making this cartoon especially timely. 

Next is 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.

Enjoy the Krazy Kat cartoon, Love Krazy (1932). This film is full of the type of early 1930's cartoon charm that so many of us love. 

Now to close with a song. 

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 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

Movie Review: Her Private Hell

 

Michael's Movie Grae: D-

An incoherent mess of an art film. 

There is no use in me giving any sort of a story summary here because the story is too big of a mess to effectively describe here. The story somehow manages to be too simplistic and incoherently complex at the same time. The result is a movie that constantly tries to prove itself as something artistic yet has nothing to actually say. So do not go into this film trying to find the deeper meaning underneath all incoherent weirdness. There simply isn't any. I love art house cinema and that is why I hate movies like this. They give artsy a bad name and make many movie goers believe art films are a bunch of pretentious slop like this. This may be Her Private Hell but that doesn't mean it has to feel like Hell for the viewers as well. There is only so much visual randomness, poorly defined characters, painfully pretentious dialogue and incoherent storytelling that one can take. This movie may be under two hours, but it felt longer than some four-hour movies I have seen. I kept waiting for it to end but kept being disappointed whenever the story continued. Even the visuals, which even some of the film's harshest critics like, are simply too much. There is too much going on visually that after a while it simply gets tiring to look at. 

A great cast (lead by the always wonderful Sophie Thatcher) and a truly wonderful musical score (by Pino Donaggio) can't even come close to saving this mess of a movie. 

MGM Short Subjects 1930-1931

 A 1930 issue of Exhibitors Hearld dedicated a large section to promotion for upcoming films for MGM. Here is part of that section, which is dedicated to the short subjects that MGM would be making a distributing (including the films from Hal Roach Studios) in 1930 and 1931. It states, "The Greatest Short Product Line Up MGM Has Ever Offered." While this is obviously just publicity, it is hard to argue with a lineup that includes Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang (AKA The Little Rascals), The Boy Friends, Charley Chase and Ub Iwerks' bizarre Flip the Frog cartoons. 

Now enjoy some shorts from 1930 and 1931.

You have seen Burton Holmes in the article. This is a name that you may not be familiar with. So here is a short video about him and his films. 

Movie Review: The Odyssey

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent big screen epic. 

Christopher Nolan has always been a filmmaker who has not been afraid to take chances. However, adapting The Odyssey may be one of his riskiest ventures yet. Still the result paid off with flying colors. While this may not be a fully faithful adaptation, it manages to capture the story's epic scale. This movie feels larger than life. It looks like an old school Hollywood epic in all the best ways possible. It is rare to find a modern movie that truly has this larger than life feel and that is exactly what this film does. That Nolan relies heavily on practical effects of course plays no small role in this. This alone would be reason enough to recommend it. Yet there is still much more to recommend here. The action scenes are excellent, and the best Nolan has done since Dunkirk. There is a strong emotion center here. The scene in Hades as a scene towards the end of the picture hit all the right emotional marks. What surprised me though is how well the horror scenes worked. I did not expect this movie to dip as far into the horror genre as it did and here Nolan proves himself to be an excellent horror filmmaker. The Cerci scene made me feel incredibly uncomfortable in a way that even some real horror films never have.

The casting is often excellent but sometimes misses the mark. Matt Damon is perfect as the lead, making this character feel larger than life and yet still human at the same time. Elliott Paige is fantastic in a smaller but important role. He is very much responsible for the film's most emotionally impactful moments. Anne Hathaway is great as the queen, and you forget you are watching a well-known actress. Samantha Norton is terrifying as Cerci. However, Tom Holland and Robert Patterson seem out of place here, like their characters don't belong in a period epic but instead in a modern-day story. There is nothing wrong Zendaya's performance. However, she is too recognizable as Zendaya, and the script gives her too little to actually do. Since most of the time when she is on screen, there is no opportunity for her to stretch her acting muscles, we are always aware we are looking at Zendaya instead of seeing the character. 

With so many characters, there is little time to flesh many of them out. This can make some characters feel more like plot devices than actually people (especially Robert Patterson's bully). The movie can also feature bits of clumsy dialogue that are disappointing in an adaption of a classic work of literature.  

This may not be perfect. However, it is a great movie going experience, especially if seen on a big IMAX screen. 

Aladdin: The Return of Jafar (1994)

 

Aladdin: The Return of Jafar marked the first of many direct to video movies for the Disney studio. 

In this movie, the villainous Jafar, now a genie, concocts a plan to get revenge on Aladdin and his friends.  

As well as being a sequel to Aladdin (1992), this is also essentially a feature length pilot for the Aladdin TV series, which premiered the same year. The directors (Toby Shelton, Tad Stones, Alan Zaslove) and writers even worked on that TV series. With its lower budget animation and villain of the week story, the movie itself feels more like an extended episode of a TV series than a proper sequel to a Disney classic. However, it feels like a pretty good extended TV episode. The best part of this movie is Iago's character arc. This movie takes a comedic sidekick and makes him into a much more interesting character. He at first attaches himself to Aladdin for selfish reasons but ends up actually caring for them. This is done completely convincingly, and you actually end up caring for him in an unexpected way. Also, even if the storyline is very villain of the week, Jafar as a genie is an incredibly big threat to our heroes. There are even some good suspense scenes here as we wonder just how our heroes are going to make it out alive. While obviously on a smaller budget and scale the final action scene is quite exciting.

 This movie does have its flaws though. Unlike the great and memorable Alan Menkin songs from the first film, the songs here are completely forgettable and bland. If you try to remember any of these songs a couple days after watching the film, you will forget them. On the other hand, you can go years without watching the original Aladdin and still find the songs randomly getting stuck in your head. The humor here is also significantly weaker than that of the first movie. Part of this is naturally not having Robin Willaims as the genie. Dan Castellenta (best known as the voice of Homer Simpson) does a fine job providing the voice but without the improvisation of Willaims, the character simply isn't as funny. The basic slapstick gags involving the other characters also fail to get the laughs they should. Part of Jafar's evil plan is to use an incompetent thief, who gets a hold of his lamp, to help him get revenge on Aladdin (who they both hate). Unfortunately, this character can get rather annoying at times, and his incompetence is never as funny as the writers seem to think. 

This is not a great movie by any stretch, but it is an enjoyable enough watch for Disney fans. 

Video Link: The Animator & The Dancer Who Gave Tinker Bell Her Soul - West of Neverland

 

All Quiet on the Western Front (1929)

 

Upon its release this book was hailed as the greatest novel ever written about war. All these decades later, this book may still hold that honor. 

The central figure of this novel is Paul Bäumer. This young man, who along with many of his classmates joins the Imperial German Army at the start of WW1. He learns how dehumanizing war actually is and becomes disillusioned with all he was brought up to believe. 

There are plenty of great anti-war stories written but few hit as hard as this book does. This is a book that will move you greatly and stay with you long after you finish reading. 

Much of the reason for this is the first-person narration of the story. Rather than simply telling the horrors of war, this is a deeply personal story of the effect it had on one individual. This makes the story feel all the more urgent and personal. By reading this from a first-person point of view, you see the dehumanizing effect of war firsthand. Our main character is instantly relatable being a person who is not that different from us. His normalness is at the heart of the story because at one time he is a simple relatable protagonist, while also being a stand in for all the young men who have been sent out to war and forever changed by it. This is especially shown during the scenes with Paul on leave. He returns to a world in which he once belonged and fit in. Only now, he finds himself no longer belonging or fitting into this world. By making him a bit of an everyman, you see how war changes even a normal person. 

Erich Maria Remarque had fought in WW1, and he brings much of his own experiences to the main character's narration. Many have even referred to this book as semi-autobiographical. This makes all the difference. Even to those of us who have never fought in a war, this can easily be felt. It is obvious that there is a real feeling of authenticity and raw, honest emotion throughout the whole book. Though this is technically a fiction book, it is easy to forget that fact as you read. Because of this, the book here feels startlingly and terrifyingly real in a way that most anti-war stories don't. Remarque does not tone down or hide any of the horrors of war. They are all on full display here in a way that will make this story a haunting and emotionally exhausting way. 

This is one of the all-time great literary masterpieces. 

Cowboy Church #279

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing a medley of Whispering Hope and Star of Hope. Whispering Hope beautiful hymn comes from the pen of Alice Hawthorne (the pen name for poet Septimus Winner), who is best known for her contributions to children's music with songs like, Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? and Ten Little Indians. This lovely medley comes from Roy and Dale's 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By. 

This is followed by Jim and Jesse with If We Forget God.

Then comes Porter Wagoner and the Blackwood Brothers with The Family Who Prays (Never Shall Part). This cover of a Louvin Brothers classic comes from Porter Wagoner and the Blackwoods Brothers' 1966 gospel album, The Grand Old Gospel.

Country music has often focused more on the singers and the lyrics than anything else. That is why it is surprising that someone like Chet Atkins could make it as big as he did in Nashville. Chet Atkins was a guitarist rather than a singer and most of his output was purely instrumental. Yet his talent on the guitar can hardly be denied and he rightfully earned the nickname, "Mr. Guitar." His playing is a soulful and expressive as the voices of any of the great country singers. In 1962 Chet put out what I view as one of his finest albums, Chet Atkins Plays Back Home Hymns. This album is made up of instrumental versions of classic gospel songs. In this Cowboy Church post I have included his lovely version of Amazing Grace from this album. 

Afterwards is The Louvin Brothers with O Who Shall Be Able to Stand. This self-penned song comes from the duo's 1963 gospel album, Keep Your Eyes on Jesus. 

Now for the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet (Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Grandpa Jones, Kenny Price) with Keep on the Firing Line. Though they countryfied variety show first aired in 1969, the Hee Haw Gospel Quartet first appeared on the show in the late 1970's. Featuring regular members of the cast, this gospel group was one of the show's highlights for decades. 

Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887. Tim Spencer sings lead on this recording. 

Now for the 20th episode of The Lone Ranger TV series. 

Now for a message from the Reverand Billy Graham.

The Book of Philemon

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

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

Super Mario Brothers Wonder (2023)

 

A wonderful 2D Mario game.

After the great Super Mario Odyssey, it was hard to image where the video game franchise could possibly go for a follow up. Somehow it was followed up by a game that was just as good, if not better. 

The basic story of this Mario game is very simple. Bowser gets a hold of a magical wonder flower, that turns him into a powerful fortress. Mario and his friends (old and new), team up together to stop the evil Bowser. 

There is so much fun to have with this game. Most every Mario 2D platformer has been a lot of fun (even if some are even better than others), yet this manages to stand as one of the best. The main complaint about other fairly recent 2D Mario games was their familiarity. As much fun as The New Super Mario Bros. games were, there is nothing in them that was new to the franchise. This game however is full of creativity. The levels themselves are imaginatively designed and tons of fun. Nearly every level also has a Wonder Flower which when touched changes the level or gameplay in some way. Each of these ways are incredibly creative and keep most every level feeling fresh and new. There are also badges you can collect. Like in the Paper Mario games, each of these badges gives you a different ability. However, you can only choose one badge to wear at a time. Adding this to a Mario platformer is a great idea and adds a bit of fun strategy to the game. There are also some new power ups (including one that makes you an elephant) that are very creative yet feel right at home with the classic powerups. Beyond the new additions here, this game also has lots of good old-fashioned platforming. 

One thing that doesn't work here however are the Search Party levels. Advertised as puzzle levels, they really are anything but. In each of these levels there are hidden tokens around a small stage, and you have to find them all. This would be a great idea, if this game actually provided puzzles for you to solve to find each token. This is not the case here. You just jump around randomly until by chance you find something. This is not fun and can honestly get rather annoying. Luckily there are only four of these levels. The boss battles can also get repetitive as you simply fight Bowser Jr. over and over in similar fights. However, Mario fans have grown to accept things like this. 

A modern Mario classic. 

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #289

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with the classic Disney short, Donald's Camera (1941). Bob Carlson animated much of the footage of the woodpecker. Studio publicity stated that Bob Carlson was an avid birder, making this a perfect casting choice. A review from an issue of The Film Daily (Dated October 24, 1941) called this "One of the best." The same review went on to say, "Packed with laughs this Disney Donald Duck short hits the mark for hilarious entertainment." This short film made its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on November 22, 1956.

Next comes the Fleischer Screen Song cartoon, Show Me the Way to Go Home (1932). The title song was written in 1925 by the songwriting duo, Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly. Other songs by the duo include If I Had You, Goodnight Sweetheart and Try a Little Tenderness (which they co-wrote with Harry M. Woods).

Now we join our friend Scrappy in The Pooch Parade (1940).

Next is the Columbia cartoon, The Merry Mouse Cafe (1941).

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

I love of the cartoons of Chuck Jones from any period but there is something special about his films from 1942 and 1943. At this time, he was fully getting away from his slower paced cuter output of the late 1930's but had not yet gotten to the style of films he would make in the 1950's that everybody is familiar with today. So, what we get from output during these two years are cartoons that experiment with what you can do in an animated short. It doesn't hurt that he worked with such experimental artists as layout man John McGrew. Chuck gave McGrew plenty of freedom and what John accomplished in these movies is nothing short of amazing. This is especially shown in The Case of the Missing Hare (1942), where experimentation is seen in every moment. Just watch the abstract backgrounds that show a mixture of two colors at a time, but the colors change when there is a strong action in the foreground. This is something someone may not notice on their first watch, but it is something they can feel. A review in The Film Daily stated, "Here is another hilarious, the Leon Schlesinger creation that keeps growing in comic strength with every new release." I think anyone watching this cartoon today will recognize that the antagonist is not Elmer Fudd, but one reviewer from The Exhibitor didn't as in his review he stated "...this has Elmer, as a magician..."  A review from the same magazine less than a month later stated, "Elmer isn't in this." The latter is right. A review in Variety called this "One of the better Bugs Bunny subjects."

Now for the Color Rhapsody cartoon, Ye Olde Swap Shoppe (1940). The following is a 1940 review from The Exhibitor. "A pretty good little entry in the color cartoon handicap. 'Ye Olde Swap Shoppe' lacks that certain something that would give it ranking with the top subjects. Three little mice frolic in and on various doo-dads in the barter shop. Good. (1511). L.S. M." 

Next, we join Daffy Duck in Scrap Happy Daffy (1943). This short film marks Daffy Duck's last appearance in a black and white cartoon. It is also simply a delightful film. The short is directed by Frank Tashlin, who would go on to direct many live-action feature films. His Looney Tunes are some of the most cinematic and feature wonderful filmmaking. The use of editing and montage here are excellent and holds up quite well to many of the great live action films of the time. Yet this is also simply a very funny cartoon, including one of the funniest fade-out/fade-ins in the history of cartoons. This cartoon appears in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes.

Now to close with a song. 

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 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck

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

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

https://mediahistoryproject.org/