This movie involves a young man who is eaten by a whale. He is trying to survive in that whale and escape before he is completely swallowed.
The main reason to watch this movie is Austin Abrams performance. Once again, he is simply fantastic here. He has to spend much of the film being the only person on screen. Yet he holds our attention perfectly and hitting every needed emotional beat. The visuals are also surprisingly good here. The idea seems very visually limited, but the filmmakers find a way to make it feel cinematic. There is a lot of imagination on display in these scenes as well as a real sense of claustrophobia.
Despite its virtues this is far from being a classic. Spending the majority of the movie inside a whale leads to a very repetitive experience and can honestly get kind of boring at times. The father son drama at the heart of the story never truly connects as it just follows typical story beats in a bland and forgettable way. The main problem with the film though is that it takes itself too seriously. The plot is ridiculous and silly. To make this kind of plot work, the film needs to fully lean into this silliness or to embrace a sense of fantasy. However, what we get here treats the story in a completely earnest way, while trying to also present itself as something realistic.
Despite a strong lead performance and great visuals, on a narrative level there is nothing to make this story stand out.
Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing In the Sweet By and By. This song came about because of a friendship between composer, Joseph Webster and poet, Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett. One day Webster was depressed and Dr. Bennett recognized this. Dr. Bennett asked his friend what was wrong. Webster replied, "Oh nothing. Everything will be alright by and by." These words brought up an idea in Bennett and he wrote down three verses and a chorus to this song as soon as he could. He handed it to his friend saying, “Here is your prescription, Joe.” Webster loved the lyrics and wrote music for them in practically no time at all. Dr. Bennett later said, “It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.” The hymn was first published in 1868 and went on to great fame since. This version of the song comes from Roy and Dale's 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet By and By.
This is followed Loretta Lynn with Standing Room Only. This comes from her 1968 gospel album, Who Says God is Dead.
Afterwards is Barbara Mandrell with Have Thine Own Way Lord. This hymn was written by Adelaide A. Pollard. It was partly inspired by how in 1902, she heard an old woman praying at a prayer meeting, "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord -- just have your way with our lives." Adelaide wanted to be a missionary in Africa, but this was not happening as quickly as she would have hoped it would happen. Not long before writing this song, she tried to raise funds to go to Africa but this proved not as successful as she had hoped. This lead her to follow into what she called a "distress of soul." It was then that she attended this prayer meeting, heard that prayer and wrote this hymn. She eventually did become a missionary in Africa, even if it was only for a brief time. This comes from Barbara's 1989 gospel album,Precious Memories: 20 Hymns and Gospel Classics.
Then comes Bobby Bare with Church in the Wildwood. This recording comes 1967 album, A Bird Named Yesterday.
Next is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of The Old Rugged Cross. The song dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually, the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then.
Afterwards is Ricky Skaggs with I'm Ready to Go. This comes from his 1999 gospel album, Solider of the Cross.
Today's musical selection closes with Gene Autry with his 1937 recording of There's a Goldmine in the Sky.
Now for the 29th episode of The Lone Ranger TV series.
Now for a message from the Reverand Martin Luther King Jr.
Book of Jonah
Jonah Flees From the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.
Jonah’s Prayer
17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2 1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion
4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday Morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with our good friend Porky Pig in Porky and Gabby (1937). The credited director on this short film is Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney's former right-hand man and co-creator of Mickey Mouse. However, it is believed that the two credited animators Bob Clampett and Chuck Jones co-directed this film with Iwerks. This cartoon marks the first appearance of Porky's short lived sidekick Gabby Goat.
Next comes the Fleischer Brothers' Animated Antics cartoon, Bring Himself Back Alive (1940). Running from 1940 to 1941 this series of cartoons only lasted for 11 shorts.
Next comes a classic and often overlooked Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, More Kittens (1936). This short film is a bit of a sequel to the previous Silly Symphonies short, Three Orphan Kittens (1935) as this movie features the same kittens who were the stars of that cartoon. The voice of the maid in this movie was by Lillian Randolph. Cartoon fans might recognize her as the voice of Tom's owner in the earlier Tom and Jerry films. Fans of classic Christmas movies will know her as Annie the maid in Its a Wonderful Life (1947). Like all Disney cartoons of this time, this film features a wonderful cast of animators. Frenchy de Tremaudan animates the kittens' opening and closing scenes with the maid and them in the laundry. Ward Kimball, who would become one of Walt's Nine Old Men, work on some of the best Disney features and even direct some great cartoon shorts, animates the kittens first meeting the dog. Leonard Sebring, a wonderful animator who spent most of his career doing uncredited work for both Disney and MGM, animates the kittens drinking from the dog's bowl and them with the turtle. Bob Stokes, who worked for a wide variety of studios (Disney, Van Bureun, Warner Brothers, MGM, Ub Iwerks) though mostly uncredited, the scene with the kittens, the fly and the dog together. Bob Wickersham animates the kitten and the fly on the branch and the kittens with the bird. Frank Thomas, who would also become one of Walt's Nine Old Men, animates the fight inside the dog's mouth, the kittens chasing the bird up the clothesline and the dog hiding the kittens. This cartoon premiered at the Majestic in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Christmas day, 1936 with the feature film, Polo Joe (1936, starring Joe E. Brown). It made its TV premier on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on December 6, 1956.
Now for the Talkartoon short, The Bum Bandit (1931). This film stars Bimbo the dog but is notable today for featuring an early version Betty Boop (though the character has a different name and a very different voice).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes Gandy Goose in Spring Fever (1951).
Next is the silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, Burglar Alarm (1923).
Next comes a classic Mickey Mouse film, The Delivery Boy (1931). This short film, like all of the 1930's Mickeys, features a wonderful cast of animators. Johnny Cannon animates the opening scene with Mickey riding the delivery wagon and the scene with the dog playing the accordion. Rudy Zamora, who would later direct many of the Hanna-Barbera TV cartoons of the 1980's, animates Minnie washing her clothes. Jack Cutting animates the underwear washing itself. Norm Ferguson (who as an animator helped define the character of Pluto) animates the first scene of Mickey and Minnie's dance, Pluto getting his feet caught in the tar and doing his little dance and the two workers with the dynamite. Frenchy de Trémaudan animates the gag with the goat. David Hand, who would later be the supervising director on the feature films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942) animates Mickey climbing into the pants, the scene with the hornets and the birds whistling and dancing. Future Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker and Barney Bear director, Dick Lundy animates the second scene of Mickey and Minnie's dance. George Lane animates the instruments nearly falling on the animals and them running away. Tom Palmer, who would later direct a few cartoons for Warner Brothers and Van Beuren, animates Mickey and Minnie on the Piano. Les Clark, one of the best Mickey Mouse animators, animates Mickey and Minnie playing the trombone, trumpet and drum as well as the gag with the turtle and the mule. Future Looney Tunes and Donald Duck director, Jack King animates the ending sequence from when Pluto picks up the dynamite to the end.
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
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman
In this movie, a young psychic who (along with the ghost of her dead sister) helps ghosts cross to the other side is hired by some new homeowners to get rid of a ghost in their house. At first this seems like a rather routine case, but she soon finds herself in over her head as this is a much more dangerous case than she has ever faced before.
The haunted house film is almost as old as cinema itself, yet this movie makes it feel new and fresh. There are plenty of twists to this story that keep making you guess what is going to happen next. Not only do these twists take you by surprise but they also change our perception of what came before. There are no twists here that simply exist to have a twist. Rather they are here to advance the story.
Of course, the most important element of any haunted house film (even more than being scary) is the sense of atmosphere. This film is dripping over with atmosphere. Unlike many modern scary movies, this film doesn't simply give you one scare after another. Instead, it takes its time between scares. There are even decent size stretches here without any traditional scares. This works fantastically as it actually pulls us into why this house is so scary and just how much danger our hero is in. The setting doesn't feel like just another haunted house but rather something that has its own personality. There is also much time setting up how the rules of this world work. This not only makes the world feel more real but also sets up the finale to be as intense as it is.
The scares themselves are fantastic. While they may not be constant, they are no less effective. The ghost, himself is truly terrifying. This is captured perfectly by his look, his demeanor and his horrifying motives. With how much time the film uses building up this villain, he does not disappoint when he is actually on screen. I usually don't find jump scares all that effective but there are a few that got me here. They are very well done and effective. Part of the reason for this is that they are less frequent than in other horror movies, making you not constantly except them.
This is a truly great horror movie that I hope gets the love it deserves.
In this episode, the gang decides to see a popular wresting competition. However, when a monster attacks the wrestling stadium, they have another mystery on their hands.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The mystery is quite good and has some good surprises. The humor hits the mark consistently. Velma actually gets the slapstick highlights here in some very funny moments. All the characters are the charming characters we love, and each gets their time to shine. There is no point where the characters are dumbed down for the sake of a joke (a major flaw of this series).
Unfortunately, the monster is kind of forgettable. The design is neither that creepy nor memorable. Since the monster or ghost is the main thing people remember about Scooby episode, this can make you forget this one exists.
This was not the first Scooby episode to be titled Wrestle Maniacs. The title had previously been used for a 1990 episode of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
The song used in this episode is All Twisted by the alternative rock band, CIV. This song comes from their 1995 album, Set Your Goals.
Though not the most memorable episode, it is a lot of fun.
In this episode, the gang visits Cyber Gulch, a tourist attraction that uses robots to create a western experience.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The western setting is delightful and helps this stand out from other What's New Scooby-Doo episodes. The idea of a town of malfunctioning robots instead of a person behind a mask, make this feel very unique. The mystery is also very well done. There are quite a few suspects here and all of them would be perfectly believable as the bad guy. The reveal is a bit of a twist, and it is a very good one.
This episode does have the same problem that a lot of episodes of What's New Scooby-Doo have. That is that the humor often falls quite flat. None of the jokes really land here and there is hardly a real laugh to be found.
This episode was written by Ed Scharlach. This was his first time writing for Scooby-Doo. However he go on to write more episodes of this series as well as the direct to video movies, Scooby-Doo! and The Loch Ness Monster (2004), Aloha Scooby-Doo! (2005) and Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy (2005).
The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz, one of the show's producers as well as a director of several episodes.
The song Haven't Been Myself in a While was written and perfromed by the punk rock band, CIV. It appeared on their 1998 album, Thirteen Day Getaway.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection starts with Gandy Goose in Peace-Time Football (1946). Why Gandy is on a team called The Mice that otherwise is only mice is not a question I know the answer to.
Next comes the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (1931). The title song was written in 1909 by lyricists Will M. Hough and Frank R. Adams and composers Joseph E. Howard, Harold Orlob. In 1909 the song was already being recorded by the popular crooner Henry Burr. Over the years such artists as Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Danny Kaye, Ray Charles, Bobbin Darrin, Dean Martin, George Hamilton IV and Anne Murray.
Next is the early Porky Pig cartoon, Plane Dippy (1936). This is the movie in which we learn Porky's full name, Porky Cornelius Washington Otis Lincoln Abner Aloysius Casper Jefferson Philbert Horatius Narcissus Pig. I'm sure you all will memorize that name. As well as Porky this film also has some other characters that also premiered in the Merrie Melodies cartoon, I Haven't Got A Hat (1935) such as Little Kitty (who plays an important role here). Comic fans may also notice that the character of Professor Blotz looks extremely similar to a character from the Mickey Mouse comic strip, Professor Ecks. Though this movie is directed by Tex Avery, don't except the pure insanity of his later cartoons, as this was still early in his directorial career and he hadn't fully developed his style yet. Still this cartoon has many very funny gags in it, I especially love Porky writing his name. The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "PLANE DIPPY: Looney Tune—This is a very comical cartoon. Above the average.—Paul J. Pope, Avon Theatre, Geneva, Ala., Small Town and Rural Patronage."
Now for a Columbia Phantasy cartoon, Polly Wants a Doctor (1943). This short film was directed by former Disney animator and future Hanna-Barbera animator Howard Swift.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Most Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons follow the same basic formula and therefore feel very repetitive. Boo Moon (1954) is a delightful exception and my favorite Casper cartoon. This short film features our hero heading to the moon and meeting and befriending a bunch of tiny men and even becoming their protector. If this sounds like Gulliver's Travels to you, then the similarities were certainly not lost on the filmmakers either. This film uses similar designs (and even reuses some) to the Lilliputians from the Fleischer Brothers' animated feature length movie version of Gulliver's Travels (1939). This was also the first and only Casper cartoon to be released in 3-D, however most of us today know it much better in 2-D.
Now for an early Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, The Faithful Pup (1929).
Up next is the Mickey Mouse cartoon, The Castaway (1931). This was the first cartoon to be directed by Wilfred Jackson who would direct some of the best Disney cartoons of the 1930's. Jackson had become a director hugely through a misunderstanding. He wanted to animate a whole short by himself and he asked Walt if he "could handle a picture" himself. Instead of animating a cartoon by himself he would up directing The Castaway. According to Jackson, "we never did get this misunderstanding cleared up." Walt ended up very unhappy with the finished film and Jackson remembered overhearing Walt and Roy Disney having a conversation about it. Roy said, "But Walt, it doesn't look like a Disney picture. I don't know if we ought to release it." Walt replied, We've got to release it to meet our schedule Roy." Despite this the cartoon is actually pretty good and should delight Disney and movie fans of all ages. This movie also marked the first time Frank Churchill would do a musical score for a Disney film. He would later score music for such Disney features as Snow White (1937), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942)
Now to close with a song.
Resources Used
Working With Walt: Interviews With Disney Artists by Don Peri
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier
In the season three premiere of What's New Scooby-Doo, the gang investigates when a ghost of a lighthouse keeper is haunting an old lighthouse. While investigating the gang meets a young sleuth who is a lot like Velma only seemingly even better at her job. Velma naturally grows jealous of this young woman.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The lighthouse ghost is an excellent Scooby villain with a great and memorable design. The character is creepy in a way that perfectly fits the lighthearted fun of this franchise. The mystery of who is behind the mask is quite well done and love how well it uses misdirection. There is a wonderful sense of atmosphere here and the background art is gorgeous to look at. Velma's jealousy of the new young sleuth also adds a lot of fun.
This episode was written by George Doty IV, who wrote quite a few episodes of this show as well as the direct to video movies, Scooby-Doo! and The Loch Ness Monster (2004) and Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy (2005). The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz, one of the show's producers as well as a director of several episodes.
The song in this episode is called High Five. It was performed by the rock band Calibretto 13 and appeared on their 2000 album, Enter the Danger Brigade before its use in this episode. Here the full version of this song below.
In this short, Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy try to stop The Cat Lady Burglar.
There is a lot to enjoy about this short. The villain is a lot of fun. Her design is quite good and her device that allows her to communicate with cats makes her feel like a comic book villain in a good way. Much of the story could have made a good golden or silver age superhero comic book. This gives it a fun and unique feel among Scooby adventures. This episode also has some strong action and chases. The humor is never laugh out loud funny, but it is charming. Scooby trying to volunteer Scrappy by saying Scrappy's catchphrase put a smile on my face for instance.
In this film a writer who has had very little success gets the opportunity to write the next book in a popular series, when the original author is the victim of a car crash. She must live in the house of the famous author and her husband. Though the famous author is supposedly paralyzed, the new house guest believes that she is seeing the author move around watching her. It is then she begins to doubt whether anything is truly as it seems.
Like many thrillers this movie does a great job setting the story up. We quickly grow to care about our main character and her desire to finally get some form of external validation. When she arrives at the house the story seems to get better. There is a real sense of mystery as to what is going on here and the scenes of the famous offer moving, when only our main character can see it are unnerving.
However, as the story really gets underway, it falls apart. There is twist after twist but none of these twists are that good. There is no proper build up to most of them. Because of this we may not see them coming but that doesn't make them feel satisfying. It doesn't help that all of these twists have been done better elsewhere. In better films these same twists have come naturally out of the characters and story, making them very effective. Here the filmmakers just simply appear to be going through the motions with each major twist. This all leads up to an extremely unsatisfying ending.
Yet even in its worst moments the performances from Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson do much to elevate this movie. They give their all here and it shows on screen completely. They are fully engaging and convincing even when the story is not.
Despite a good start and strong performances, this film unfortunately falls far short of what it could have been.
In this movie two girls dream about going to the mystical world of Nakali as little kids. With this dream the two become incredibly close friends. As they grow up and are about to head for college, they are going to have to part for the first time since their friendship started. Before this can happen though they finally find the mystical world.
After the previews, I had little hope for this movie. I thought it simply looked obnoxious and annoying. What I did not expect is that this film would have such a strong emotional core. I grew to really care about these two girls and their friendship. Both of these characters are completely realized and quite well thought out on their own. However together is when the really shine. Each brings out something in the other, making the other feel more whole and complete. Because of this, we can see how these two were meant to be best friends even if on the surface they seem quite different. As their friendship is put to the ultimate test here, the emotional stakes become quite high. There are some very emotional moments here that quite moved me.
The humor is very hit and miss for me though. The character-based humor probably hits the best. This is why the early scenes in the real world are funnier than when they actually reach the magical world. Watching these two play off each other is a lot of fun. Jo's wild antics and her school performances having splash zones is hilarious. However, once they reach the fantasy world the humor becomes less about the characters and more about the absurdity of the setting. This is decidedly less funny. The humor can feel random for the point of being random. The delivery of this humor is not much better. It is so fast paced and loud that it can come off as kind of obnoxious (in the way I feared this whole movie would be).
Despite some weak humor, this film hits very hard emotionally.
In this cartoon, Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy go butterfly hunting in the jungle. However, when the Tarzan-like Nazrat of the Jungle believes that they are trespassing, the trio find themselves in danger.
There is little to recommend about this cartoon. Nazrat of the Jungle is a rather bland and forgettable villain. There is little fun or creativity in this character. He never is either that intimidating or funny. The humor simply falls flat. These are unimaginative and tired slapstick gags that are also poorly executed (with very poor timing). The only thing that really works here is that the background art.
One of the best Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo shorts.
In this cartoon, Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy investigate a mysterious disappearance in cars. While on a stakeout, the Mystery Machine is shrunk along with our heroes inside.
This is a really fun cartoon. The villain, Pistons McGee, is a wonderful villain. He has a great design (that is a bit reminiscent of the Batman villain Hugo Strange) and a great voice. He also feels like a real threat to our heroes and despite not being in a monster costume is a bit reminiscent of classic Scooby villains in being such a threat. A giant rat, who appears here even brings some delightful creepiness into an era that was lacking just that. The gimmick of a shrinking ray allows for a cartoon that feels unique among Scooby adventures. This allows for some very clever, playful and imaginative moments. Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy are all each well utilized here, each having their moment to shine. Plus, the final gag is delightful.
Writer Ron Sellz remembered having great trouble with the shrink ray. He originally referred to it as a shrinking gun, but network censors were dead set against any sort of gun appearing in a cartoon watched by children. Not only could it not be referred to as a gun, but it couldn't look like one either. Sellz remembered, "The animators were given the task of drawing or attempting to draw a shrinking device that didn’t look like a gun. After several drawings were turned down, I was summoned once again. The producers, “Joe Ruby and Ken Spears”, informed me that if a solution wasn’t found, the episode would be scrubbed. Afterall, we can’t have a shrinking device that resembles a gun. When I was a kid, I remembered that the toy company, “Wammo” had a device called an air blaster. It used compressed air to shoot targets., I drew a picture to show them that it couldn’t be confused as a gun, but they said that it looked like a gun, so my idea was thrown out. Back to the drawing board. Anyway, several more secret meetings ensued and a solution was reached. I was sent a drawing of the shrinking device. Would you believe, it looked like a gun! That’s right! It was truly a circle jerk. Back to square one. What a waste of everyone’s time."
The villain was quite similar to actor Lionell Atwill. Some readers of this blog might be familiar with Atwill, who played villains in such classic 1930's horror movies as Doctor X (1932), The Vampire Bat (1933), Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) and Murders in the Zoo (1933). About the similarity Sellz stated, " They kept saying that the car thief was a Lionel Atwill type. I pretended to know who Lionel Atwill was because he was before my time. As it turned out, I saw a picture of him and the car thief looks like him. He always played a mad scientist or something. A good bit of casting."
This episode features the only time Shaggy's uncle Fearless Shagaford appears onscreen. He is mentioned in other episodes but never shown. He is only shown briefly here, but he never talks.
In this episode, Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne and Scrappy go to the Overview Hotel to investigate when the ghost of the previous owner is haunting it.
This mystery can often feel quite phoned in. Despite the presence of a ghost, there is nothing even remotely spooky about this episode. The design of the ghost is quite lazy and completely unmemorable. With so many great ghost and monster designs from this franchise, the ghost here just looks like some guy. The humor is basic and not especially funny. There seems to be little effort for the slapstick gags here. What is very off-putting though is that the voices of the new characters are kind of annoying and don't really work.
The references to The Shining are kind of fun but they aren't enough to save this rather lame mystery.
In this cartoon, Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy visit Shaggy's hillbilly relatives, the Shaggbillies. However, they are feuding with the McGurks because Shaggy's relative Betty Lou won't go to hoedown with him because he won't take a bath.
Like many of the Scooby and Scrappy shorts, this cartoon is enjoyable but not especially memorable. Some of the slapstick here is pretty enjoyable and the ending is chuckle worthy. Still there is a little here that hasn't been done in many other cartoons and this storyline and these gags would work just as well with any number of cartoon characters. There is nothing about this episode that particularly benefits from these characters, especially when the characters take a back seat to the slapstick gags.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with the Fleischer Screen Song cartoon, I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1931). The title song comes was written by lyricist Lew Brown and composer Sidney Clare. The same year this cartoon came out, Bing Crosby sang this song in the short film, One More Chance (1931). In 1926 this song was recorded by Al Jolson. Decades later the song would become a hit for Ricky Nelson.
Next is Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote in Compressed Hare (1961). This movie marked the fourth time Bugs and Wile E. would be pitted against each other. Unlike in the Roadrunner cartoons, in these films, Wile E. talks quite a bit. There would be only one more theatrical cartoon pairing the two characters, Hare-Breadth Hurry (1963). However, in Hare-Breadth Hurry, Wile E. would not speak.
Now for Dinky Duck in The Orphan Egg (1953). Despite being released in the 1950's, this film feels more like a 1930's cartoon, along the lines of the Silly Symphonies or especially Happy Harmonies shorts. There is a cute moralistic story and even a chorus singing the narration. This is a far cry from the fast paced, gag filled cartoons that Warner Brothers, MGM or even Disney were making or the experimental and graphically daring films UPA was making.
It is time for a true classic with the Disney Silly Symphony short, The Tortoise and the Hare (1934). This was an especially important cartoon in the history of American animation and is often credited with bringing a real sense of speed that had not previously been seen in cartoons. Director Wilfred Jackson once told in a 1939 studio lecture that this was their first film where "we depicted speed on the screen. Before that time nobody dared to move the character across the screen in five frames." However, unlike future fast paced cartoon this film was not simply a quick procession of gags. Animator Dick Huemer told film historian Joe Adamson, "If [any other studio] had done The Tortoise and the Hare it would have been a series of assorted gags about running one after another. Not all this clever, boastful stuff like stopping with little girls and bragging and being admired and showing off how he could play tennis with himself." The character of Max Hare perhaps has a greater significance to cartoon history rather than just starring in this great film. Tex Avery and Frank Tashlin (both of whom had directed cartoon for Warner Brothers) have stated that Bugs Bunny was greatly inspired by Max Hare. Animator Ham Luske also stated that Mortimer in the Mickey Mouse cartoon Mickey's Rival (1936) was based off of Max Hare (Ham animated on both cartoons). Such a cartoon however would not have the effect it does now if not for the top-notch group of animators working at Disney at this time. They were the ones who made not only the speed work but made these characters feel more real and full of personality here. Louie Schimdt animates the opening scene with the crowd at the starting line. Dick Lundy (who would go to direct cartoons for both MGM and Walter Lantz) animates the introduction of Toby Tortoise and Max Hare and Toby running with the snails, dodging branches and passing Miss Cottontail's school. Milt Schaffer animates the crowd in the bleachers and at the finish line. Frenchy de Trémaudan animates the starter. Ham Luske animates Max running, tricking Toby, showing off for the girls and playing tennis and baseball with himself (some of the tennis animation would later be reused in the Donald Duck cartoon, The Hockey Champ (1939). Future Disney legend and one of Walt's Nine Old Men was Ham's assistant animator. Larry Clemmons animates the trees being uprooted. Eric Larson (another of Walt's Nine Old Men) animated Max passing the picket fence and crane. Les Clark (another of Walt's Nine Old Men and one of the finest Mickey Mouse animators) animates the little girls. Dick Huemer animates the finish of the race and of the film. A song was written for this cartoon called Slow but Sure. This song had music by Frank Churchill and lyrics by Larry Morey. While the lyrics are never heard an instrumental version is used as Toby's theme music. About the music in this film Wilfred Jackson would state in another 1939 studio lecture, "We tried to phrase it so the peaks of the siren [used as a repeating sound effect] would fall naturally on the peaks of the music and still give us time to cut back and forth." This cartoon would make its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland TV show entitled From Aesop to Hans Cristian Anderson (1955). Max and Toby would later star in a sequel film Toby Tortoise Returns (1936) and would appear in the opening of TV's The Mickey Mouse Club.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is one of my favorite Walter Lantz produced Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons, Wax Works (1934).
Now for Herman and Katnip in Frighty Cat (1958).
Next comes an excellent Daffy Duck cartoon, A Coy Decoy (1941). This film was part of a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies in the 1930's and 1940's that featured books coming to life at night. The first of these was I Like Mountain Music (1933) and the last was Book Revue (1946, also starring Daffy Duck). This cartoon features the early Daffy Duck meaning he is not yet the greedy and attention seeking duck he would be later. He is just simply crazy which works perfectly with this crazy short. As much as I love the later Daffy, I have a special fondness for this early crazy duck. A review in The Motion Picture Daily states, "The net result is moderate amusement." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "COY DECOY, A: Looney Tunes Cartoons—A dandy black and white cartoon.—C. L. Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa, General Patronage."
Now let us 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
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
