DAILY CALL SHEET: SEPTEMBER 6, 2025

 

Dr. Strange (1978) Extra-dimensional sorceress Morgan Le Fay possesses a young lady named Clea and orders her to kill Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Tom. Weakened by his near death at Clea's hands, the wizened wizard looks for a potential successor, and surprisingly finds him in Clea's psychiatrist, Stephen Strange. Le Fay knows she must take out this new threat, but she also finds Strange's porn-stache and white man's afro oddly appealing. Will Strange succumb to Le Fay's wiles or face her in battle on the astral plane. A must-see for comics fans in the 70s desperate for live-action fare, but let's not kid ourselves, there's good reason this pilot movie never went to series.

TIL: It's pretty clear in Church teaching that magic in the real world can never be used for good, even if the goal is well intentioned like trying to cure an illness or help a loved one. This is because magic is an effort to gain power apart from God by attempting to control or manipulate hidden forces. And, since these forces are outside of God, they can open a person to demonic influence or deception, not something to be recommended. Ah, but what about things like prayer and sacramentals (holy water, blessings, medals, etc.), why aren't they considered magic? Simply because any supernatural help that might come from their use is entirely at the discretion of God and not through human mastery.

Now Showing at a Blog Near You: Review: My latest for Aleteia takes a look at Light of the World, the new animated feature which gives a glimpse into the ministry of Jesus through the eyes of John, the youngest Apostle.

DAILY CALL SHEET: SEPTEMBER 2, 2025

Deathstalker (1983) Musclebound barbarian Deathstalker (who names their kid that?) is tasked by a witch to locate three magic items that will grant their bearer ultimate authority over everyone. However, the evil sorcerer Munkar, who already has one of the items in his possession, convinces Deathstalker to participate in a Mortal Kombat-style tournament to determine who will become the ruler of all. With its ogres, imps and magic weapons, this silly Conan cash-in has just about everything it needs to appeal to anyone who rolled a d20 back in the day. Unfortunately, the fact that every male character-even the hero-has creepy rapist tendencies dampens the fun a bit. What was with Roger Corman and that during the '80s, anyway?

TIL: When the Catholic Church claims that Scripture, tradition and the magisterium grant it authority, she’s able to do so by what the Catechism calls motives of credibility. As it notes, “So ‘that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.’ Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability ‘are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all’; they are ‘motives of credibility’ (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is ‘by no means a blind impulse of the mind.’” In short, the Church doesn't just have authority because she says so. There are proofs.

Bigfoot (1970) A number of women are reported to have been kidnapped by what appears to be a tribe of bigfoot/human hybrids (also known as guys in gorilla suits), but the police are skeptical and don't put too much effort into the case. As a result, it's left to the local motorcycle club and a professional acquirer of freak show exhibits (nice work if you can get it, I guess) to mount a rescue. However, it turns out the women have been taken to provide mates for an actual Bigfoot, and the big guy's not too eager to let his new ladies go without a fight. Bigfoot's a cheap, slipshod production with too much filler, but at least John Carradine seems to be having a lot of fun.

TIL: Arranged marriages are not inherently evil and therefore not expressly forbidden by the Church. However, they are only valid if both spouses give their free and full consent to the union. If either party is forced or coerced into marriage, the sacrament is considered invalid. This applies even to cultures where arranged marriages are common (which apparently includes tribes of bigfoot/human hybrids). While the Church recognizes the cultural value of family involvement in an impending marriage, if one of the intended spouses is not entering the marriage freely and without reservation, it really doesn't matter what the rest of the family wants.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 28, 2025

Incubus (1982) After a number of women in a rural Wisconsin town are assaulted so horribly that their uteruses rupture (sorry, ladies, I'm just telling you the plot), a doctor and a pushy reporter decide the police aren't up to the task of finding the killer and look into the incidents themselves. They not only discover that their town has a history of Satanism (the original kind, not that silly Anton LaVey stuff), but that it's presently being targeted by a demonic shapeshifting sexual predator. John Cassavetes slums it in this grimy and rather mean spirited 80's flick that's not exactly a slasher, but still plays like one since it's 1982 and that's what filled seats at the time.

TIL: The existence of demons is a given in Christianity. However, the specific belief in an incubus, a male demon who seduces or assaults women in their sleep, is arguable at best. There's no explicit mention of incubi in Scripture and early theologians like Augustine were highly skeptical of the idea that demons could sexually interact with humans. By the Middle Ages, though, some Christians were warming to the idea. For the few who might still believe in incubi, old demonology manuals like Malleus Maleficarum note ways to fight an incubus include going to confession, making the sign of the Cross, and reciting a Hail Mary. However, since that pretty much applies to any demon, it really doesn't matter if it's an actual incubus or not.

Life of Brian (1979) Though born just one manger down from Jesus, Brian Cohen is now an unassuming and insignificant nebbish growing weary of living with his domineering single mother under the oppressive Roman occupation of Judea. Through a series of increasingly ludicrous events, Brian finds himself a member of the Roman resisting People's Front of Judea (not to be confused with the Judean People's Front, those tossers), a very confused passenger aboard an alien spaceship, and a very, very reluctant false-messiah. The Monty Python boys decide to take some pot shots at what they see as the sillier side of religion and the results, while not all the way up there with their Holy Grail, are almost always absurdly funny.

TIL: While the Vatican did not officially condemn it, lots of other religious groups did come out against Life of Brian on its initial release under the assumption that it would be blasphemous. This caused Python member Michael Palin to publicly admit the group was originally going to satirize Jesus, but after reading through the Gospels for material, they couldn't find anything about Him to mock. Instead, they went after those who blindly follow religion without evidence or reason, which the Python's considered to be anybody who adhered to any kind of religious belief. If only they had done a little more research beyond the Gospels into the likes of Augustine, Aquinas, Bonaventure, etc., they might have realized they were once again working under a common atheist misassumption and were not, in fact, the smartest people in the room.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 16, 2025

 

After Hours (1985) I lose a lot of movie reviewer cred when I confess I don't enjoy most Martin Scorsese films. Oh, I absolutely admit most of them are brilliantly made, but I just don't like them. After Hours is one of the exceptions. It's the story of a bored out of his mind businessman who decides to break his monotonous routine and head into downtown New York to hook up with a woman he just met earlier in the day at a café. He then proceeds to have one of the weirdest and worst nights anybody could possibly have. It's a dirt simple premise, but full of pitch black humor that really works if that's your thing. Plus, it's Scorsese, so it's brilliantly made.

TIL: Boredom's not necessarily a bad thing. Take the origin story of St. Ignatius of Loyola, for example. After being hit by a cannonball (that's not the boring part), Ignatius found himself stuck in bed for a long time recuperating. With nothing else to do, he requested some books, preferably romance novels (I don't know why, you'd have to ask him). Unfortunately for him, but quite fortunate for the world, the only available reading material that could be scrounged up was a book on the lives of the Saints. Ignatius wasn't thrilled at this, but with no other choice, he gave it whirl. Needless to say, that bout of boredom put him on the road to founding one of the most important religious orders in Church history. Boredom is like anything else, it all depends on how you use it.

Escape from the Bronx (1983) It's been years since the events of 1990: The Bronx Warriors and our hero Trash has spent most of that time trading in illegal ammunition and shooting helicopters down with his pistol. That changes when an evil corporation (is there any other kind in movies) decides to jump start some gentrification by setting all of the Bronxites on fire, starting with Trash's parents. In response, all of the gangs in the borough unite with Trash as their reluctant leader and put in action a plan to abduct the President of the United States. Second verse same as the first, so if you liked the first movie, you'll find the sequel a hoot.

TIL: There are at present 68 Catholic churches in the Bronx and, as befits the eccentricity of the borough, there are some odd stories surrounding some of them and their related institutions. These include tales of miraculous healings and priests with mafia connections. The most storied spot, though, appears to be the Jesuit run Fordham University. There you'll find mentions of the ghostly construction worker who bangs on the walls, the shade of a theater patron who hangs out in the balcony, and the usual assortment of cold spots in the basement. Some claim the place is haunted because it was built over Rose Hill Manor and a former hospital/morgue. However, one also suspects that parts of the Exorcist being filmed at the school might have sparked a few imaginations.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 13, 2025

 

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) Poor Sinbad. The princess he intends to marry calls off the wedding until the legendary sailor can find a cure for her brother the prince, who has been turned into a baboon by their wicked step-monster. Since the princess is Jane Seymour, Sinbad quickly agrees to the mission, but his efforts are hindered by ghouls, a giant walrus, a mechanical minotaur, and a saber-toothed tiger. Fortunately , Sinbad gets a little help from a one-horned troglodyte helpfully named Trog (no relation to Joan Crawford's pal). Arguably the least of Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad movies, but it's still Harryhausen so that's like saying it's the least donut out of a dozen Krispy Kremes.

TIL: Though nobody knows exactly where the original stories of Sinbad came from, once they were added to the One Thousand and One Nights near the end of the Islamic Golden Age, the Sinbad stories spread worldwide. One of the odd places they showed up was in a 17th century manuscript written by a monk of the Syriac Orthodox Church at Saint George in Aleppo. Along with various prayers, homilies, and a noncanonical version of the Apocalypse of Peter is the complete Seven Voyages of Sinbad. Weird, but as Dr. David Calabro notes, "Rather than propounding a specific religious doctrine, most Arabian Nights tales either teach general moral values or aim simply to entertain. Thus, they flow easily between religious traditions."

In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Insurance investigator John Trent is hired to track down Sutter Cane, an uber-popular writer whose books are beginning to outsell the Bible. As the search for the missing Cane intensifies, the super-skeptical Trent is horrified to discover that reality is starting to merge with Cane's Lovecraftian fiction, a result of the sheer number of people who choose to believe in the author's work. As society crumbles and insanity rules, Trent begins to worry that even he might be just another one of Cane's creations. Almost anything John Carpenter is fun (yes, even some parts of Memoirs of an Invisible Man), but most fans rightfully consider In the Mouth of Madness to be the last of his truly great theatrical releases, due in no small part to Sam Neill's completely committed performance.

TIL: It's a well-worn trope in fiction that God (or anything else for that matter) only has any real power because people believe in Him, and should enough folks cease to believe, then God (or whatever) would be powerless. Some even try to claim this is biblical, pointing to Mark 6 where it says Jesus couldn't perform many 'deeds of power' in his hometown of Nazareth because there was little belief to be found there. Alas, that interpretation, which basically make humans the real God, is wishful thinking. In the Bible, Jesus has the power to heal anyone regardless of their belief, but he never coerces anyone into being healed. Instead, those who seek such from the Lord submit to healing willingly, while those who reject Him are allowed to go their own way. It's the same way as when God offers his love, but allows people the choice to reject it and be separated from it for eternity.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 9, 2025

Snoopy, Come Home (1972) Snoopy's life is turned upside down when he receives a letter from his sickly first owner begging the beagle return to her. Believing his presence will help the little girl regain her health, Snoopy breaks the bad news to Charlie Brown and hits the road with Woodstock, but only after a tearful farewell party with all of his friends… and Lucy. To Snoopy's consternation, however, he discovers the world outside his old neighborhood is unjustly prejudiced against dogs… and birds. Among the better Peanuts movies and one that might just bring a tear or two to all pet owners.

TIL: What would do without pets? Even popes have had them. Pope Benedict XVI had his cat Chico, of course, who received his own book. Pope Pius XII had a goldfinch named Gretel which he rescued from the Vatican Gardens after the bird was found with a wing injury. Pope Pius II had a dog named Musetta whom he mentioned frequently in his memoirs. Pope Leo XIII kept a whole menagerie in the Vatican gardens which included ostriches, gazelles, and goats. The oddest, however, was probably Pope Leo X's pet elephant, Hanno. A gift from King Manuel I of Portugal, Hanno was much loved by the Holy Father, who was at his side when he passed in 1516. 

Mothra (1961) Scientists discover the supposedly uninhabited island they've been using for atomic tests actually houses a tribe immune to radioactivity, a jungle full of mutant plants, and two singing women the size of Barbie dolls. When the diminutive duo are kidnapped and taken to Tokyo to serve as entertainment, their gargantuan guardian, Mothra, arises to rain destruction on the Land of the Rising Sun until her charges are returned. Sure, a giant moth doesn't really strike terror into the heart the way Godzilla and Rodan did, but this lighthearted effort from Toho is a blast anyway, and Mothra herself is an irresistible sweetheart.

TIL: Perhaps moths aren't the most fearsome of monsters, but they do have their dangers. Speaking during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus advised, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." It's a pretty clear warning to eschew the material in favor of the spiritual. Given her good nature, Mothra would likely concur.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JULY 25, 2025

Maximum Overdrive (1986) After Earth passes through the tail of a rogue comet, everything mechanical on the planet comes to life with a singular purpose… kill all humans. Eventually, a small group of survivors hold up in a diner where they are besieged by an army of vehicles demanding that their gas tanks be kept full. The people soon realize they must escape to a technology-free island or spend the rest of their lives as slaves to the machines. Poorly directed by Stephen King, excellently scored by AC/DC, and memorable mostly for a truck with the Green Goblin's head on it, this is notoriously bad and simultaneously beloved. In short, it's from the 80's.

TIL: As it turns out in the movie, the machines aren't actually alive, but the idea still raises questions about whether they ever could be. Dr. Mariele Courtois of Benedictine College says no. When asked what is it that makes human beings different from machines, she answered, "An interior life… the idea and awareness of the personal destiny that God awakens in the individual when he creates a unique person. Machines using artificial intelligence can’t have an interior personal life where they are able to offer themselves as self-gift.” Or put another way, machines have no soul, and therefore can never be truly alive.

The Gumball Rally (1976) Upon hearing the word "gumball" declared, adventurous drivers from all around the country drop whatever they're doing and assemble in their fastest vehicles to participate in a totally illegal, rules be damned, coast-to-coast race across the United States. It sounds crazy so, naturally, Gary Busey shows up. One of the first of many films based on the real life Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, this is neither the funniest nor the most memorable of the batch, but Raúl Juliá and some cool 70's rides make it worth the while.

TIL: On March 9th of each year, drivers from all over The Eternal City assemble at the Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana to honor the woman to whom the church is dedicated, St. Frances of Rome, the patron Saint of all those who pilot vehicles. Born in 1384, she would go on to found the Olivetan Oblates of Mary, an order still in existence today. What St. Frances is most known for, though, is the visions she had of a guardian angel who would light her way so she could travel safely. That was sufficient for Pope Pius XI, the first pope to travel by car, to declare her the patron of drivers.