DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 31, 2018

The Legacy (1978) Supernatural force tries to put the whammy on Katherine Ross while Roger Daltry does his best to look manly next to Sam Elliot. He fails, as would we all. TIL: Morally, the most dire effect is not on the person who is cursed, but on the one who does the cursing.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Rage (1972) - "There is no sin or wrong that gives a man a foretaste of hell in this life as anger and impatience." -Saint Catherine of Sienna

And finally, the time has come to get back into the reviewing business. This week for Aleteia I take a look at The Apparition, the new drama from Xavier Giannoli which revolves around a reporter's inquiry into an alleged appearance of the Virgin Mary.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 30, 2018

Psych-Out (1968) Deaf runaway hangs out in Haight-Ashbury with Nicholson, Stockwell, and Dern. Not a lick of authenticity, but man, that cast. TIL: Can't help but notice that while the hippies liked the "love thy neighbor" verses, they skipped over the "go and sin no more" parts.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Grim Game (1919) - "No man is sane who does not know how to be insane on proper occasions." - Henry Ward Beecher

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 29, 2018

Eyes Of Fire (1983) Pioneer preacher and his cult run afoul of Shawnee and evil spirits. Eerie precursor to 2015's The Witch is a forgotten gem. TIL: The 1537 papal bull Sublimis Deus declared that "Indians" were not to be deprived of liberty or property. Not everyone listened.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Tenement (1985) - "The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people" - G. K. Chesterton

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 28, 2018

I Drink Your Blood (1970) Boy feeds rabies infected meat to the hippie Satanists who raped his sister. Cannibalism ensues. Rabid hippie satanist rapists; all the early 70's fears rolled into one. TIL: Actually, you can drink blood at every mass. To different effect obviously.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Supersonic Man (1979) - "Our heroes are men who do things which we recognize, with regret, and sometimes with a secret shame, that we cannot do." - Mark Twain

And finally, though there’s nothing really religious in the story, here’s something cool anyway. The legendary super-8 film, Shortcut, a stop motion homage to King Kong made by a bunch of kids back in 1980, has been unearthed and is available to watch for free. Check it out.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 27, 2018

Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge (1989) Torched teen takes up residence in the local shopping center. I guess revenge is a dish best served with an Orange Julius and some pretzel bites. TIL: People really need to be more discerning about what "angels" they go to for help.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Rubber (2010) - "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." - Martin Luther King Jr.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 26, 2018

To Catch a Yeti (1995) Harry and the Hendersons, except Bigfoot is played by a Monchichi and Meat Loaf is in every other scene. Ouch. TIL: A 2008 Baylor University study concluded that that the less likely you believe in God the more likely you will believe in... other things.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Cleopatra (1913) - "The real ornament of woman is her character, her purity." - Mahatma Gandhi

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 25, 2018

Sleepwalkers (1992) Goofy Stephen King tale has incestuous catpeople terrorize Madchen Amick with corn on the cob. Can good kitty Clovis save the day? TIL: Huh, seems King agrees with the Catechism. "Incest corrupts family relationships and marks a regression toward animality."

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Hellcats (1968) - "A man who has never made a woman angry is a failure in life." - Christopher Morley

And finally, Catholic Skywalker discusses the death of movie and TV franchises that is King Krusty Syndrome.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 24, 2018

Kuso (2017) Purposely gross and off-putting sci-fi/horror meant to be watched with your art school pals. Be prepared to groin punch the first person who claims to understand any of it. TIL: Art should be an echo of the mystery of God's creative act, not just a mystery.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Silent Running (1972) - "Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade." - Rudyard Kipling

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 23, 2018

Of Unknown Origin (1983) Overworked Peter Weller wages a one-man war against the rascally rodent invading his remodeled home. SOOO much better than it sounds. TIL: Theoretically, when Acts did away with the ancient dietary laws, rats could be on the menu. Think I'll pass though.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Super Dude (1974) - "Thoughts are the gun, words are the bullets, deeds are the target, the bulls-eye is heaven." - Douglas Horton

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 22, 2018

The Spider Labyrinth (1988) This is what you might get if Lovecraft lived in Italy and had a thing for spiders rather than fishmen. Deserves rediscovering. TIL: The problem is not that God, or "gods" in Lovecraft's case, is indifferent. The problem is that man too often is.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962) - "Retreat, hell! We're not retreating, we're just advancing in a different direction." - Gen. Oliver P. Smith

And finally, as long as we’re bringing up Lovecraft, here’s an old article from St. Corbinian’s Bear on What Catholics Can Learn From Cthulhu.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 21, 2018

Death Spa (1988) Silly supernatural slasher full of spandex and leg warmers. It's like injecting the 80s straight into your veins. TIL: Vanity isn't just about looks, it's the inordinate desire to manifest one's own excellence or to show others what you have achieved.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) - "In everything truth surpasses the imitation and copy." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 20, 2018

The Refrigerator (1991) Satanic fridge gobbles up people and sends them to Hell. Worst movie ever? Debatable. Best idea for a weight loss ad ever? Absolutely! TIL: Got a man-eating refrigerator? Sounds like a good time to remember fasting isn't just for Lent.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Hurricane Heist (2018) - "The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 19, 2018

Surf II (1984) Vengeful Eddie Deezen turns grody grommets into zombies with his poisoned pop. Lyle Waggoner and Ruth Buzzi wonder how they got here. TIL: Reverend Christian Mondor, the surfing padre, was the first Catholic priest to be honored in the Surf Hall of Fame.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of The Catman of Paris (1946) - "When my cats aren’t happy, I’m not happy. Not because I care about their mood but because I know they’re just sitting there thinking up ways to get even." - Percy Bysshe Shelley

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 18, 2018

Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) Artsy sci-fi/horror lambastes the 60's drug culture, 70's new age nuttiness, and 80's detachment. Weird and nearly impenetrable, but undeniably pretty. TIL: Every age has its passing idiocy, that's why eternal, unchanging truths are so important.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of he Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918) - "To the timid and hesitating everything is impossible because it seems so." - Walter Scott

And finally, via way of Aleteia, Catholic cartoonist Philip Kosloski’s new comic series, Finnian and the Seven Mountains, is finally out. If you’re interested in comic books, Celtic spiritualism, and Catholic superheroes, it may be worth a look.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 17, 2018

America 3000 (1986) Women rule the post-apocalyptic world until the dudes rediscover guns. Whatever your position is on the 2nd amendment, that sentence probably reinforces them. TIL: There are no doctrinal statements on gun ownership so, you know, follow your conscience.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Evil Eye (1963) - "Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it." - Hans Selye

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 16, 2018

Atomic Blonde (2017) Not Scarlett Johansson stars in Not The Black Widow movie and it's not that great. Finally, women can star in mindless action films too. Hooray. TIL: Ladies, the concept of complementarity means you don't have to do the same stupid things as men.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of One More Time (1970) - "One great piece of mischief has been done by the modern restriction of the word Temperance to the question of drink. It helps people forget that you can be just as intemperate about lots of other things." C.S. Lewis

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 15, 2018

Carnival Magic (1981) An abusive tiger trainer, an aging floozy, a talking chimp with a two pack a day voice? Yep, it's an Al Adamson kids movie. TIL: The Circus and Carnival Apostolate was established to ensure traveling show people full integration into the life of the Church.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Village of the Damned (1960) - "Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." - Robert Fulghum

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 14, 2018

Gun Crazy (1950) Newlyweds/firearm enthusiasts go broke and take up crime. The results are deadly and disastrous. Classic Noir sets the template for everything Tarantino treasures. TIL: See, there's a good reason the Church insists on discussing finances during marriage prep.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Mysterious Island (1961) - "A man should have duties outside of himself; without them, he is a mere balloon, inflated with thin egotism and drifting nowhere." - Thomas Bailey Aldrich

And finally, with all the dreadful news of the day, Church related and otherwise, couldn’t we all use a little cuteness break? Well, it doesn’t get much more cute than the kids over at Darwin Catholic and their shot-for-shot remake of the trailer for The Last Jedi. Drop by and have a smile. You’re welcome.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 13, 2018

The Car (1977) You can hear the pitch. Don't just rip off Jaws, throw some Exorcist in there as well. Oh, and make the monster/demon a car! Amazingly, it's actually enjoyable. TIL: Some theologians posit that the protection of human life is the best argument for driverless cars.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) - "There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 12, 2018

Cathy’s Curse (1977) Dead aunt possesses her niece to wreak havoc on the family that wronged her. Absolutely nobody says this is a good movie, but everybody seems to like it anyway. TIL: The family should constitute a specific realization of ecclesial communion. Should.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Terror at Red Wolf Inn (1972) - "I guess when you turn off the main road, you have to be prepared to see some funny houses." - Stephen King

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 11, 2018

Expect No Mercy (1995) That's not a movie title, it's a warning to viewers. Watch, if you can, Billy Blanks punch video game ninjas and grimace like there's no tomorrow. TIL: Martial arts that do not involve anger, hatred, or weird spiritualities are not contrary to moral law.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Rats: Night of Terror (1984) - "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." - Lily Tomlin

And finally, over at deus ex magical girl, D. G. D. Davidson yakes a look at the manga that inspired the hit cult movie, possibly The Hunger Games, and the unavoidable Fortnite and PUBG…  Battle Royale.

DAILY CALL SHEET: AUGUST 10, 2018

The Beast Must Die (1974) One of his guests is a werewolf and wild game hunter Calvin Lockhart is determined to put a bullet into whoever it is. Mediocre Amicus is still fun Amicus. TIL: For what it's worth, the Theodore Psalter of 1066 depicts Jesus preaching to dog-headed men.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Squirm (1976) - "The early bird gets the worm but the late bird doesn't even get the late worm." - Charles Schultz

CatholicSkywalker is back, this time discussing the Academy’s recent decision to add one or two rather suspect categories with his article The Kids' Table at the Oscars.

And finally, The Curt Jester points the way to the Catholic Weird and Mysterious.