The World's Greatest Super Friends: Planet of Oz (1979)

 

This is a strange episode but that is just why I love it. 

In this episode, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are sucked up to land of Oz. They find that Mr. Mxyzptlk transported them there. There he turns our heroes into the Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion and Wonder Woman and sends them through various dangers. 

This episode is pure corny superhero fun at its best. I may be biased as Mr. Mxyzptlk is one of my favorite villains, but he is excellent here. As is true in the best Mr. Mxyzptlk stories he is equally threatening and silly. His plan may be silly and corny, but it truly feels like a true threat to our heroes. When we learn what he is really up to, his plan makes perfect sense. That we don't find out exactly what his plan is at first, gives this episode a wonderful mystery element that works very well. All of this makes this corny idea feel like a real suspenseful superhero story. Also, the corniness adds so much to the fun. There is a real charm to how unabashedly corny this story is. It is so gleefully corny that I find it irresistibly fun. The planet of Oz is also a wonderfully atmospheric setting and gives us much of the great detailed and imaginative background art that we have come to expect from this series. The designs of our heroes as the characters from Oz are delightful and well done. I especially like Wonder Woman's Cowardly Lion design. 

This is simply a lot of fun.    

Movie Trailer: Kung Fu Panda 4

Movie Trailer: Dune: Part Two

Michael's Christmas Movie Guide: Die Hard (1988)

 

Note: This film is back in theaters (just in time for Christmas) and I very much recommend you see it while it is still there. 

One of the greatest action films ever made. 

This movie centers around John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York police officer. On Christmas Eve, he goes to California to spend the holiday with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and kids. However, when he goes to visit his wife's workplace, a group of terrorists hold everyone in the building hostage. He then takes on these terrorists to save his wife and as many of the other hostages that he can. 

This movie has everything you could want from an action film. The action set pieces here are as good as they come. They are beautifully staged, exciting and suspenseful. However, what is truly wonderful about these action scenes is just how perfectly paced they are and that each one builds on the last. The action scenes gradually get larger and more exciting as the film goes on. It does not rush into the big action set pieces but instead has the smaller scale action scenes come first. By the final action scenes, you are truly glued to the screen. This masterful way of telling such a story keeps the film from ever become repetitive or boring. It is rare to find action movies that are this well constructed and that is a major reason why this film stands out. The action scenes of course also benefit from how charismatic Bruce Willis is (who proves himself here to be a perfect action hero) and from a wonderfully dark sense of humor. As exciting as this movie is, it also has some real laugh out loud moments. Some of these perfectly play with the mixture of pure violence and the Christmas setting. The juxtaposition of these two things that seem like they shouldn't go together provide the movie with some of it most humorous and memorable moments. This juxtaposition is used expertly not only in the action but in masterful use of Christmas music on the soundtrack. Also adding to the fun of this movie is Alan Rickman's fantastic performance as the villain, as he is simply a joy to watch here. It is hard to believe this was his film debut.

As much as this is a very violent action movie, it is also a heartwarming Christmas movie at the same time. The early scenes of this film play out more as a feel-good Christmas movie than an action film. This works out perfectly as it makes it so that when the film moves into pure action, we already care about John McClane and understand how much he truly loves his wife and kids. This makes the action all the more exciting because we have our emotional connection with everything that is going on. 

This movie is based in a book by Roderick Thorp called Nothing Lasts Forever. He got the idea for the book after seeing the movie, The Towering Inferno (1974) and having a dream involving a man being chased through a massive building by people shooting at him with guns. This book was in fact a sequel to his book The Detective, which as some of you might know was the basis of a 1968 movie of the same title starring Frank Sinatra.

The original screenplay for this film was quite dark and not a lot of fun. Director John McTiernan however felt the movie should be much more fun and even incorporate humor into it. This idea worked perfectly. I think we all can thank him; we got the movie we got. As strange as it might seem today, Bruce Willis was a controversial choice to star in this movie. At the time he was mostly known for the TV show, Moonlighting and many felt that he was too comedic of an actor to make a good action hero. However, his lighter comedic charm is just what made him one of the great movie action heroes. He was actually still staring in Moonlighting while making this movie and one of the later episodes of that show has a Die Hard poster in a video rental store.

This movie of course went on to be a major success and was followed by four sequels, Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). While these sequels are definitely fun movies, none of them could fully capture the magic of this first film. 

And yes Virginia, this is a Christmas movie. 

Resources Used

Christmas in the Movies by Jeremy Arnold 

https://www.imdb.com/?ref_=nv_home

Michael's Christmas Movie Guide: Remember the Night (1940)

 

A simply wonderful Christmas time romantic comedy. 

In this film, a young woman (Barbara Stanwyck) steals an expensive bracelet around Christmas time. She is caught and sent to court. The D.A. (Fred MacMurray) who is prosecuting her is an expert on getting women sent to prison. Since he knows that the jury is likely to let her go around this time of the year, he pulls a trick to get the trial postponed until after the holidays. Feeling guilty about ruining her Christmas, he bails her out. When he learns that she grew up in Indiana, he offers to take her to her family for Christmas on his way to spend Christmas with his family in Indiana. However when they arrive at her mother's house, he finds that her mother (Georgia Caine) is very cold and unloving towards her. Because of this the D.A. invites the shoplifter to join his family for Christmas. Over this time, the two fall deeply in love.

This movie is a pure delight. With a script by Preston Sturges (who would become a director later this same year), naturally this is a laugh out loud funny film. There are scenes here that are truly just as funny as anything in the wonderful screwball comedies he would go on to direct. The court scenes are some of the funniest moments in any Christmas movies and if you see this film with a large audience, the scenes still make an audience roar with laughter throughout. Just as laugh out loud funny is a scene involving some cows, which is simply wonderful. Many wonderful laughs also come from Sterling Holloway (a wonderful character actor who would go on to voice many characters for Disney including Winnie the Pooh), who is truly wonderful in a supporting role. Yet this film also mixes this zany comedy with a real sense of sentimentality and some scenes that really pull on your heartstrings. The romance is very well done and believable here. You truly care about whether these two will be able to live happily ever after. Yet the most emotional scene in the film is the one involving our heroine's mother. This scene is heartbreaking and if you didn't care about her beforehand, you will deeply care about her after this scene. Not only this but the scene sets up every emotional moment that will come after. The Christmas setting is also perfect for this movie. Even the scenes that don't revolve around the holiday are very much in the spirit of what Christmas is about. Forgiveness, redemption, love, family and caring for those less fortunate are what this film is all about. These truths also perfectly embody the spirit and meaning of Christmas. The film also has a scene that perfectly gives one the warm feeling of Christmas, when Barbara Stanwyck's character is at the piano. 

What really makes this movie so great though is Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. This was the first of four movies that these two made together. It would be followed by Double Indemnity (1944), The Moonlighter (1953) and There's Always Tomorrow (1956). It is easy to see why they would be teamed again as they are simply wonderful together here. Both of them bring out the best in the other. In their romantic scenes, you can feel the chemistry between the two, making these scenes much more touching and heartfelt than they would have been otherwise. Both also deliver the comedic moments absolute perfectly. The looks on Barbara Stanwyck's face during the first trial scene make it even funnier. 

This was the second film that writer Preston Sturges and director Mitchell Leisen collaborated on. It was proceeded by Easy Living (1937). Though these two films are both delightful, Preston Sturges was unhappy with what Leisen did with this movie. Leisen trimmed many and cut out many scenes in Sturges' screenplay, which upset Sturges.  David Chierichetti, who wrote the Mitchell Leisen biography Hollywood Director, would write about these cuts stating, "Tailoring the script to fit the personalities of MacMurray and Stanwyck drastically changed Sturges' original concept of the characters. Reading the script, one gets the impression that it is the attorney who dominated the story. Sturges gave him many lengthy and clever speeches which made him assume almost heroic stature. Leisen felt that this was a bit theatrical, and the wordiness of the dialogue demanded a certain articulate quality on the part of the actor that MacMurray simply didn't have. Cutting MacMurray's lines down to the minimum, Leisen played up the feeling of gentle strength MacMurray could project so well. It was a far cry from Sturges' dashing hero." Wanting to have control over his stories is what led Sturges to become a director soon afterwards. 

One thing both Leisen and Sturges agreed on though was that they both had great respect for Barbara Stanwyck. When the film was completed 8 days before schedule and $50,000, Mitchell Leisen credited this to Stanwyck. He would state, "She never blew one line through the whole picture. She set that kind of pace and everybody worked harder, trying to outdo her. Barbara had a bad back, and when we were shooting the barn dance sequence, the corset she had to wear under the old-fashioned dress was very painful for her. I'd say, 'Look, you've got two hours until your next scene, why don't you just take it off and relax?' and she'd say, 'Oh, no, you might need me,' and she sat on the set the whole time. She was always right at my elbow when I needed her. We never once had to wait for her to finish with the hairdresser or the make-up man." Preston Sturges was equally impressed. Stanwyck would later remember, "One day he said to me, 'Someday I'm going to write a real screwball comedy for you.' Remember the Night was a delightful comedy, swell for me and Fred MacMurray, but hardly a screwball, and I replied that nobody would ever think of writing anything like that for me - a murderess, sure. But he said, 'You just wait.'" She wouldn't have to wait long. The very next year, Sturges directed Stanwyck in The Lady Eve (1941), which is still one of the most popular screwball comedies of all time. 

Despite its Christmas setting this movie was released in January of 1940. It received good reviews from critics, and it was a hit with audiences as well. Unfortunately, though it is still not as well-known as it should be. However, for many film buffs, it has become a Christmas tradition. 

Modern Screen, 1940

 

Motion Picture Herald, 1940

Resources Used

Christmas in the Movies by Jeremy Arnold

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/87956/remember-the-night#articles-reviews?articleId=150479

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

Cowboy Church #254

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

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Star of Hope. This recording comes from Roy and Dale's 1967 album, Christmas is Always. 

This is followed by The Blue Sky Boys with their 1939 recording of The Royal Telephone. Too often we take for granted how blessed we are to be able to talk to God anytime we want. The fact the creator of Heaven and Earth actually wants to listen to us is still mind boggling. 

Afterwards is Emmylou Harris with O Little Town of Bethlehem. The lyrics to this hymn were written by Phillips Brooks in 1865. He wrote the words this hymn after taking a group of Sunday school children on a pilgrimage to Bethlehem. The music was written by Louis H. Redner, the church organist. There was originally another verse to this hymn, "Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child. Where misery cries out to thee, son of the undefiled; where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door, the dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more." However, Redner objected to the words "son of the undefiled." Brooks briefly changed the line to "son of mother mild" before dropping the verse all together. This hymn appeared on a small leaflet in 1868 and in The Sunday School Hymnal in 1871.

Next comes Carrie Underwood with Away in a Manger. Away in a Manger has also been called Luther’s Cradle Hymn. The reason for this is that it was once believed to be written for Martin Luther, who would have sung it to his children. This proved to be false. It was in fact written for a collection that was meant to celebrate Luther's 400th anniversary. Some think that this rumor was started to help sell the song. It is unknow who actually wrote this hymn. 

Then comes Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith with His Love Takes Care of Me. Though there are many things that we can't be certain of in life, one constant is God's love for us.  This is from a 1970 gospel album the two country singers did together that is called Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith. This was the second album that the two made together. The first was 1969's Young Love. The idea to pair the two come from the record company, as both had recently had major hits and the company believed that their two voices would blend very well together. 

Next is Gene Autry's 1947 recording of Here Comes Santa Claus.  Gene wrote this song's lyrics (the music was written by Oakley Haldeman). He was inspired by a time when he rode, Champion Jr. in Hollywood's Santa Claus Lane Parade. He rode in front of Santa Claus and heard a small boy shout, "Here comes Satna Claus." He knew that this would make a perfect Christmas song. This song became such a hit that many Christmas recordings followed as well as songs for other holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving. 

Now for The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1951 recording of The Lord's Prayer. The lyrics of this song come directly from the Bible (specifically Jesus himself). The music was written by Albert Hay Malotte in 1933. 

Today's musical selection ends with Loretta Lynn singing O Come all Ye Faithful. This hymn was originally written by John Francis Wade, who wrote the song in Latin under the name Adeste Fiedeles. Much later Frederick Oakley and William Brooke credited an English translation of this hymn. Instead of just directly translating the hymn, they also added some new stanzas. This version of the hymn first appeared in 1841 in FH Murray's Hymnal for Use in the English Church.

Now for Johnny Cash's 1977 Christmas TV special. 

Now for a Christmas message from Billy Graham. 

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Psalm 119:114

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40

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

Movie Review: Eileen

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent modern film noir. 

This movie is first and foremost a character study and this is where it works the best. Eileen is a fascinating character. Through much of the first part of the film, she seems like a sweet, nice and shy young woman. Sure, it is obvious from the start that she has repressed sexual urges (this is emphasized in the very first scene). Yet other than these desires, everything else about her seems so sweet and caring and a world apart from the darker world that surrounds her. Yet as we spend more time with her, we discover that her mind may even be more twisted than the dark world that surrounds her. This is first shown through some scenes where we see her fantasies play out before us. There is no transition to these fantasies, instead they come as sudden and shocking acts of strong violence, only to be followed by a quick snap back to reality. While this is a filmmaking technique, we have seen many times, it is still incredibly effective here. It provides a bit of shock value but in a way that perfectly fits the story and character. The deeper we delve into the dark side of Eileen, the more fascinating she becomes. We may have questions about whether she simply is a dark and twisted soul or if she has been pushed around and/or ignored too many times. However, these questions just make her all the more fascinating. Equally as fascinating are her relationships with two of the other main characters, her alcoholic and cruel father (who literally tells her she is someone who just lives in the background) and a new prison psychologist (Eileen works at a prison) who she develops her first meaningful friendship with and gets an unhealthily obsessive crush on. Both these relationships are very complex and reveal so much about these characters. All of this is added to a simply wonderful performance by Thomasin McKenzie, who is simply incredible as the titular character. This performance adds a real humanity to this dark and complex character. Because of her personality the character, for most of the film, comes off quite sympathetic and very human, despite her dark thoughts. Also wonderful is Anne Hathaway as the psychologist she becomes obsessed with. Her performance is magnetic and draws us to her, the same way Eileen is. The storyline like the characters has many dark and unexcepted turns that really keep you guessing but are still always in service to who the characters are. The dialogue is often very clever and intelligent. The Christmas time setting is also wonderfully used with the use of snow and Christmas lights (and similar decorations) being used not to create a bright and shining look but a dark and unforgiving one. This is excellent done, especially as the snow creates a certain feeling of isolation. 

However, this film does have some problems. Chief among them is that the last act seems to be very rushed. This is strange as the rest of the movie moves at a slower pace. However, with this last act the movie takes an even darker turn that I wish was explored more or given more time to be fully fleshed out. As such it works but it could have packed a much stronger punch. 

Despite any flaws though this is a film that truly keeps you on the edge of your seat, presents us with an incredible main character and features truly great performances.