Despite the title this is not a typical romance film in any way. In fact, this movie is often less about romance then it is about living life even after something very painful. In this movie an older woman (Dale Dickey), after the painful loss of her husband simply hides herself in her trailer, isolating herself from the rest of the world. After years of living like this she decides to meet with a childhood friend (Wes Studi), who she has not seen in a very long time. Unlike what most movies would do this film is not focused on the idea of this woman finding a new romance. Rather the point of the film is her need to stop going through the motions and enjoy herself again. I feel this is a much more important moral. Sometimes what people need is not something external or a new romance, because if they don't take care of what they internally feel, this all means nothing.
The style of this film will turn many people off very quickly, but once you think about it this to tell the story. The movie is quite slow moving and very quiet. This may turn off those used to more action based and faster moving films. Yet without this slow pace, the film would not have the same impact. In the early scenes you simply see a woman doing repetitive everyday tasks without talking to many people or having much of an emotional reaction to what she is doing. Without much exposition the story is perfectly set up. We understand that this woman is hurting and isolating herself with few friends or family. To tell so much by doing so little is pure cinema and the kind of art that only movies can create. As the film moves along we see her interacting with her childhood friend and some of the blanks are filled. Yet this remains a slower moving and quieter movie. There is little focus on any big romantic scenes between the two but instead the focus of the film is on the smaller scenes with the two of them. This is important as while we may overlook these smaller moments when they happen, when we feel lonely or miss people it is these moments that we look back on with the most fondness. That can make these scenes the most charming and beautiful parts of the picture.
Just as well as this movie knows how to use silence it knows how to use music. Music is this film isn't just something the characters listen to in this film. It is something that helps them express how they feel much more eloquently than they can say normally. Our main character has a radio that she claims that if you just turn the dial the perfect song will play, even if sometimes you don't know why it is the perfect song at the moment. Every song used in this movie perfectly fits the internal emotions of the character and there is no doubt the film would lose something without its soundtrack (for a fan of country and folk music, I especially loved the songs chosen here). One of the most joyous scenes in the picture involves the two childhood friends play and sing a song together. This movie perfectly illustrates the power of music and why it is so important.
With how incredible the filmmaking is it is hard to believe this is director, Max Walker-Silverman's first feature film.
Over the course of its long run, Super Friends changed formats and titles many times. Probably the most famous and popular format was an hour-long format featuring two half hour segments. The first of these segments was called The New Super Friends and featured only Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, Robin and the Wonder Twins (a pair of characters created specifically for this series) and they would most of time fight one-off villains created specifically for this show. There was also the Wonder Twins' pet monkey Gleek but more about him later. The second segment would be called Challenge of the Super Friends and would feature a wider variety of heroes and have them fight the legion of doom (a group made up of some of the greatest super villains from the comics. Rokan: Enemy from Space marked the first The New Super Friends segment.
In this episode a giant dinosaur-looking monster attacks a city leaving destruction in its wake. The Super Friends come to the rescue but seem to be useless as the creature is as powerful as Superman. Superman soon realizes why this is. The creature comes from Krypton just like Superman.
This episode is pure corny fun. Though this episode may seem too corny and dated for many modern superhero fans, I have always embraced and loved the sillier aspects of superhero stories making this a lot of fun. Also there is a certain charm to such a simple unpretentious story, that does not try to be anything complicated or epic.
This episode certainly benefits from a great villain design. While this villain is simply a force of nature and has no personality to speak of, he is still quite memorable. He has a powerful and threatening look and one that simply looks how a child would imagine such a character looking. There is also something that is always satisfying about seeing superheroes face off against a giant monster.
While Super Friends has often been criticized for its characterizations of the characters being bland, this episode really gets the character of Superman right. When it seems like the only way to defeat Rokan is to risk his own life, Superman has no problem doing this stating that they should do things according to "the greater good for the greater number of people." The fact that Superman never even hesitates to say this and shows little fear of what could happen to him, shows why he is such a great character. Superman is a character that should represent who we aspire to be and be someone we can always look up to. That is something that can perfectly be said about this version of Superman here.
Now I have to get on to what will be my major complaint for many of these episodes. That would be Gleek the monkey. This character is a waste of space and often times just gets the Super Friends into more trouble. In this episode just as the Wonder Twins are going to help Aquaman, Gleek ruins their plan to. Gleek is in a long line of comedic animals to be featured in Hanna-Barbera action shows. The idea of having a comedic animal sidekick is not a bad one, but Gleek is never funny. There has never been a joke with this character that has made me smile once and when he ruins things for the Super Friends, it simply annoys the audience. Luckily He doesn't get much screen time in this episode but it is still too much.
All in all (and despite Gleek), this episode is quite a bit of fun.
This film is a lot like a Hallmark movie on the big screen. It has a charm to it and is a pleasant watch but there is little you are going to remember about it in a few days. This movie has a simple but charming premise involving a 30-year-old woman, who is exhausted from trying to fit in with her same age friends, when she feels she has more in common with an old lady. When she decides to do a past life regression, she then finds herself as a 70-year-old woman. This all leads to the typical romantic mishaps and a nice lesson about being yourself. The romance here is actually done quite well. There seems to be a real connection between the characters and how the relationship evolves is very well done. Our main character is very likable and relatable. Her character arc is also very relatable and her progress through this arc feels very natural. Diane Keaton of course shines here like she always does. Though many movies with her are not as good as she is, she is always wonderful in any film. Though she plays many scenes for broad comedy, she also brings a lot of heart and humanity to the role. Yet Elizabeth Lail, who plays the younger version of the character is also very good and charming in her role.
Despite being advertised as a comedy, this movie is not that funny. If you are excepting to get some big laughs, this may not be the film for you. The jokes are not really bad, but they are ones you are more likely to smile at then laugh at. This movie also is very predictable and familar. Many scenes will make you think, "where have I seen this before," and anyone who has ever watched a movie before knows how this film will end.
This film provides a pleasant trip to the movies but little more.
Note: This is the newest of DC Comics series of animated direct to video movies.
Michael's Movie Grade: B
An excellent superhero adventure.
What really makes this movie work is how well it presents the characters. John Stewart is one of my favorite Green Lanterns and this film perfectly shows why. He is never defined by the ring or the powers it gives him. In fact as the film starts he is strongly opposed to the idea of being a Green Lantern. This movie also goes into the PTSD he has suffered from his years in the military, which often pushes him to dark places in the middle of battle. This subject is treated very respectfully, and the film does a great job of having this be a part of his character but not something that defines him either. What does define him is what is most necessary for a Green Lantern. His ability to push on through anything and his sense of duty even when what he knows is the right thing isn't the thing he would choose. His character arc over the course of the movie is well realized and you truly believe his growth as a person and as a Green Lantern. This movie also does a great job with it handles Hawkgirl and Green Arrow. This is the tough no nonsense Hawkgirl that I have been a fan of since I was introduced to her through the wonderful Justice League cartoon show. She is hard and rough on the outside and willing to go further than most of the other heroes, yet she is still clearly a hero and is always seeking justice and what is right. I love how Green Arrow despite being a superhero with no powers, he never lets himself take a back seat to any of the other heroes.
While the storyline of this film may not be especially original, it is very engaging. All the main characters go through arcs that make perfect sense and help us understand better why we love these characters. This movie also benefits from some wonderful action sequences that are simply a lot of fun.
This film has the main fault of many of these DC direct to video animated movies. That is that it feels quite rushed. This movie serves as an origin story for John Stewart, a look into his PTSD, his reluctance to be a Green Lantern, his meeting of some Justice League members, a story about the disappearance of Hal Jordan, a story about Green Arrow dealing with what happened to his best friend, a story of Hawkgirl learning to trust others and an action film about a huge intergalactic war. A movie with all this going on shouldn't be less than an hour and a half. Because of this shorter length some of these plot points don't receive the time to be as fleshed out as they should be, and a few seem to be dropped at times as the movie goes on. This movie also has a big twist that I could see coming much too soon.
While this may not be the best of these movies, this film is a really fun and well-made superhero adventure.
An enjoyable suspense film with a few good scares.
This movie has an incredibly simple premise (in fact too simple for its runtime). Two young women climb up an abandoned TV tower in the middle of nowhere, but it does not go as planned and the two get stranded up there. Movies featuring characters being suspended in a very high place have a long history, think of Harold Lloyd in Safety Last (1923). There is a reason this premise still exists today and that is because it still has the ability to frighten and excite. This movie is proof of that. Even if you aren't afraid of heights, some of these scenes will keep you on the edge of your seat. Part of the reason for it is that even in today's movie savvy world, this film looks quite real. You really believe that these characters are about to fall to their deaths at any moment. The shots looking down from the tower are truly terrifying. This movie also benefits from there often being the slight moment of suspense that makes one wonder if the film is going to follow the cliché's or do something different. The main characters are also quite likable. There is little to no depth or subtlety to these characters, but they are likable, and this makes any scene with their lives in danger more suspenseful. There is also a twist towards the end that while done quite a few times before works better than should of. All of this means the most important aspect of the movie is its strongest asset.
However, there is quite a bit that doesn't work about this movie. This is definitely evident in the dialogue. Much of this dialogue seems to be trying too hard to sound like how two hip young women would talk. There is some soap opera type drama that happens between the two main characters and it seems completely forced and unnecessary. The humor in this film is quite bad and I can't think of one time a joke made me even smile. However the main fault is the film is longer than it needs to be. While this may be strange to say of a movie less than two hours in a time when many movies ran well over two hours, the length is simply too much for this simple of a story. After a while there are too many attempts to get down and too many contrivances that make things more difficult that the film can feel a bit repetitive.
This may not be a great film but it does provide a fun trip to the movies.
Whether she is in a mainstream movie or an art house film, Aubery Plaza never fails to impress me in pretty much every role she takes on. She is an incredibly gifted actress and always shows incredible range. I also respect how she is not afraid to take on incredibly challenging roles (like the one here). Therefore it is a large statement when I tell you, I think in Emily the Criminal she gives perhaps her finest performance. This is a film that if the right actress was not cast, simply wouldn't work. Luckily Aubery Plaza is exactly the right actress. Because of her we can find ourselves relating to this mostly unlikable character. That is because her performance gives a bit of humanity behind the character's morally terrible decisions. There are times when we actually find ourselves wanting this character to get away with her crimes. Yet despite her adding humanity to this character, the actress knows not to go too far in this direction. Like the other characters in the film, we are never supposed to fully know this character and what she does next is supposed to be a mystery to us. Aubery understands this perfectly and though we can relate to and believe this character, we always know there is something underneath the actress is just not telling us.
Yet this movie does not rest solely on the wonderful performance of Aubery Plaza. Writer and director John Patton Ford knows how to keep us the edge of our seats and always guess what is going to happen next. Despite this incredibly being his feature length debut, this film feels like the work of an old pro. There is not a second of film wasted and everything is so wonderfully designed to keep us on the edge of our seats. The film never moves too quickly to lose its feeling of suspense or too slowly that it might lose our interest. He knows when to give us a strong suspense scene and when to give us a breather. He also knows how to incorporate social commentary without ever stopping the film to sermonize to us. The premise of this film is very simple and not that different from similar suspense movies. A young woman is stuck in dead end job without enough money to pay her student debts. Yet John Patton Ford knows just how to make this premise feel new and fresh. I cannot wait to see what this director does next.
Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Dwelling in Beulah Land. Dwelling in Beulah Land was written by C. Austin Miles (who also wrote the gospel classic In The Garden) and was first published in 1911. C. Austin Miles once said, “It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my Master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.” Roy Rogers (at this time Leonard Slye) sings lead on this song. This was his last year with the Pioneers before he would leave to start his solo movie career.
Next comes Randy Travis with The Unclouded Day. This song was written in 1879 by Josiah Kelley Alwood. Alwood would later write about the creation of this hymn. “It was a balmy night in August 1879, when returning from a debate in Spring Hill, Ohio, to my home in Morenci, Michigan, about 1:00 a.m. I saw a beautiful rainbow north by northwest against a dense black nimbus cloud. The sky was all perfectly clear except this dark cloud which covered about forty degrees of the horizon and extended about halfway to the zenith. The phenomenon was entirely new to me and my nerves refreshed by the balmy air and the lovely sight. Old Morpheus was playing his sweetest lullaby. Another mile of travel, a few moments of time, a fellow of my size was ensconced in sweet home and wrapped in sweet sleep. A first class know-nothing till rosy-sweet morning was wide over the fields. To awake and look abroad and remember the night was to be filled with sweet melody. A while at the organ brought forth a piece of music now known as 'The Unclouded Day.' A Day and a half was bestowed on the four stanzas.”
Now we join Ernest Tubb with his 1936 recording of The Right Train to Heaven. Ernest wrote this song himself. Though he recorded the song in 1936, it would be released as a single in 1942. This is because there was a musicians strike in 1942, that made it hard to get new recordings so the label released this old recording that didn't receive a proper release. This recording was part of Ernest's first recording session on October 27, 1936.
Next comes Bob Dylan with Gospel Plow. Though Bob Dylan is praised today hugely for songwriting at the beginning of his career, he was often an interpreter of old folk songs. His 1962 debut album only contained two original songs and all the rest were covers. He would return to the role of an interrupter of folk songs for his 1992 album, Good As I Been To You and his 1993 album, World Gone Wrong. Gospel Plow comes from Bob's self-titled debut album. It is unknown who actaully wrote this song but it is believed to be an African American spiritual. It was most likely inspired by Luke 9:62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
This is followed by Johnny Cash singing That's Enough. This recording is from John's 1958 album, The Fabulous Johnny Cash. This album was John's first album at Columbia Records after leaving Sun Records. Sam Phillips, his producer at Sun, did not want John to record much gospel music as he felt it would not sell as well as country or rock and roll. This was disheartening to John, who wanted to sing gospel more than any other type of music. Naturally for his first album away from Sun, John would include a few gospel songs. His next album for Sun would be a full gospel album entitled Hymns by Johnny Cash.
Next comes Hank Williams with Thirty Pieces of Silver. Though none of us have done what Judas had done to Jesus, we have all let Jesus down at times when we chose not to follow him. So many have turned down the wonderful gift of Jesus for much less than thirty pieces of silver. Yet we must remember that Jesus loved Judas and knowing all along what Judas would do to him, still wanted to be a part of Judas' life. In the same way he wants to be a part of our lives regardless of what we do. If Judas were to have repented and turned to Jesus as his Lord and savior, there is no doubt Jesus would have welcomed him back with open arms. In the same way, no matter how bad our sins are, Jesus is always waiting for us with open arms.
Today's musical selection ends with Roy Rogers singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
Today's movie trailer is for Destry Rides Again (1939), starring James Stewart and George Marshall. During the silent era Marshall had directed films with some of the biggest movie cowboys of that time, including Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson. He would also make a name for himself as a fine comedy director, especially in the talkie era. He directed such great movie comedians as Laurel and Hardy, Will Rogers, Bob Hope and W.C. Feilds. Perhaps that is why he did such a great job combining the two genres in this movie.
If you have trouble reading the following page click on it and then use your touch screen to zoom in.
Showman's Trade Review, 1939
Next is C.S. Lewis' essay, What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Acts 16:30-33
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18
So we do not lose heart. Though our other self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Thanks for joining me come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
