DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 31, 2019

Curse of the Headless Horseman (1972) Plodding mystery at a wild west tourist trap run by hippies. Basically a shoddy Scooby Doo knockoff except almost everyone is Shaggy. TIL: I'm sure most hippies were okay, but they did give us guitar masses, soooooo... Purgatory at least?

Still Voices - Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) "Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them." - Aristotle

Dad Rock Daily: Misfits - Walk Among Us (1982) Punk classic never falls below ramming speed. Besides, where else are going to get songs that name drop drive-in fodder like The Brain Eaters and Astrozombies? Laudable Lyrics: Evil is as evil does.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 30, 2019

Crowhaven Farm (1970) Couple moves to the country where p-o'd Puritans demand they give the devil his due. Obligatory John Carradine adds a touch of class. TIL: Do idiots who make deals with Satan think all that talk about him being the Prince of Lies is just fake news?

Still Voices - The Black Cat (1934) "It is the duty of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them." - Tiberius

Dad Rock Daily: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message (1982) Bigger than life braggadocio with a surprising mellow sweetness at its center. Laudable Lyrics: And everyone might not do the right thing in the father's eyes, but our father's very forgiving.

STORYBOARDS #005

  

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 29, 2019

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) Another Corman flick very loosely inspired by Poe. Price's hammy inquisitor makes it all worthwhile. TIL: Slight comfort to those found guilty, but most historians agree those accused preferred the more moderate Inquisition to the secular courts.

Still Voices – Bride of Frankenstein (1935) "Better a dish of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it." - Proverbs 15:17

Dad Rock Daily: The Rascals - See (1969) Meandering travelogue through the musical landscape of the late 60s hits a few bumps in the road, but also has a few nice stops along the way. Laudable Lyrics: Know if you seek you'll find.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 28, 2019

Low Blow (1986) Middle-aged martial arts master clashes with a cult run by a mostly checked-out Cameron Mitchell. Pretty dismal. TIL: Old age is an integral part of the spiritual journey that can give meaning to the whole of one's life. Why spend it making movies like this?

Still Voices - What Dreams May Come (1998) "The world is a work of art, set before all for contemplation, so that through it the wisdom of Him who created it should be known." - Basil

Dad Rock Daily: Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure (1980) Can you smell the leather jackets and pomade? 50s inspired rocker out-struts even the Stray Cats. Laudable Lyrics: Girl, you let a knife and fork dig your grave, you eat every kind of food you ain't nothing but a slave.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 27, 2019

eXistenZ (1999) The Matrix minus the wire-fu but with plenty of body horror equals... Cronenberg, who else? Not his best, but still worth the time. TIL: Living in a simulation might affect our relationship with the physical world, but not at all with the creator of all worlds.

Still Voices - Metropolis (1927) "One who winks at a fault causes trouble, but one who frankly reproves promotes peace." - Proverbs 10:10

Dad Rock Daily: David Ackles - David Ackles (1968) Moody singer/songwriter isn't quite Cohen, but if he's good enough to be a favorite of Elvis Costello, he's good enough for me. Laudable Lyrics: Do you wonder what to give or only what's for taking.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 26, 2018

Octaman (1971) Bipedal cephalopod looking for its babies gets distracted by a woman. Guess an octopus' arms aren't its only members with minds of their own. TIL: Actually, as a rational soul is required to "lust", it must be the man part of the creature causing the problem.

Still Voices - The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) "Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others." - Aristotle

Dad Rock Daily: Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (1982) Yes, it opens with a 14-minute history lesson about land development along a stretch of highway, but Knopfler's guitar work makes it a class worth taking. Laudable Lyrics: Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 25, 2019

Cruise Into Terror (1978) TV all-stars at sea take on the tiny entombed spawn of Satan. Why are these idiotic movies of the week always so enjoyable? TIL: Actually, according to scripture, anyone who does not do what is right or love his brother is a "child" of the devil. Ouch.

Still Voices - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) "The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." - Flannery O’Connor

Dad Rock Daily: Tavares - Sky High! (1976) The onetime Chubby and the Turnpikes deliver some smooth soul vocals with just enough disco to dance to, but not become obnoxious. Laudable Lyrics: The mighty power of love has got more force than any shove.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 24, 2019

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) The Big G spars with a monster spawned from mankind's waste. Mixed-media entry in the series is sometimes boring, always bizarre . TIL: Of course pollution is a problem. Once reverence for God is lost, respect for the world he created isn't far behind.

Still Voices - Dawn of the Dead (1978) “There are two ways of waking up in the morning. One is to say, 'Good morning, God,' and the other is to say, 'Good God, morning'!” - Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Dad Rock Daily: Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman (1970) Stevens comes into his own with this reflective and quietly religious effort. You can almost hear the maturing in the music as it happens. Laudable Lyrics: Kick out the devil's sin, pick up, pick up a good book now.

And finally, The Trousered Ape has penned a poetic tribute to a classic movie star… The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 23, 2019

Satan’s Triangle (1975) Made for TV fun has a skeptical Doug McClure Scooby-Dooing supernatural goings-on aboard a boat where someone isn't what they seem. TIL: Well, the Bible does warn about false prophets in sheep’s clothing, but I guess they could wear polyester as well.

Still Voices - The Company of Wolves (1984) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:15

Dad Rock Daily: Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star (1973) Everybody's favorite pop-rock auteur delivers another mishmash magnum opus that barely avoids incomprehension. Great, but not for the uninitiated. Laudable Lyrics: Save all your money, go confess on Sunday, sweet boy.

STORYBOARDS #004

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 22, 2019

Trick or Treat (1986) Beset by bullies, an unhappy headbanger gets help from his dead rock idol. Basically it's Carrie for morose metalheads. TIL: The sign of the horns hand gesture is actually not satanic, just superstitious. It's the Malocchio, meant to ward off the evil eye.

Still Voices - This Is Spinal Tap (1984) "For 15 minutes I got to be a rock star, the 15 minutes is great! It turns into Spinal Tap after 20 minutes." - Mark Mothersbaugh

Dad Rock Daily: T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971) Trippy, not so hard rock from the Grand Poobahs of Glam. Lots more to listen to here than just Bang a Gong. Laudable Lyrics: O God, high in your fields above earth, come and be real for us.

And finally, I’m going to be spending the evening ruining what’s left of my hearing with my son and Metallica (those tickets were no doubt his favorite Christmas gift). While some bands purposely lean into Heavy Metal’s satanic reputation, Metallica has always been somewhere in the middle. With ex-Christian Scientist and vaguely deist lead singer James Hetfield writing most of the lyrics,  the band delivers some songs with positive messages and some others that definitely lean in the other direction. Either way, as Jon Sorensen notes at Catholic Answers, they probably shouldn’t be your go-to source for Church history. They sure can rock, though.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 21, 2019

Nightmare City (1980) Crazed Umberto Lenzi effort has armed radioactive rage zombies waging war on the army and aerobic dancers. Now this is what I'm taking about! TIL: Why the dancers? The Church has no problem with most types of dancing. Who knows, maybe zombies are Puritans.

Still Voices - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) "Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated." - G. K. Chesterton

Dad Rock Daily: Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968) A perfect storm of the right people, place, and time coming together to make a truly unique and mesmerizing masterpiece. Laudable Lyrics: I'm nothing but a stranger in this world. I got a home on high in another land.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 20, 2019

Daughter of the Mind (1969) Is a scientist being contacted by his dead daughter, or is it just those rascally Russians pulling a con? Solid TV fare. TIL: While it does not prove an afterlife, a 2011 Oxford University study showed that belief in such is inherent in most humans.

Still Voices - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” - Victor Hugo

Dad Rock Daily: Grobschnitt - Rockpommel's Land (1977) Semi-serious concept album filters the Neverending Story through early Yes and Genesis. Not for everyone, definitely for me. Laudable Lyrics: When you touched your feather he perceived your pain, and came to help you again.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 19, 2019

Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things (1971) Deranged drag queen and his psychotic boy-toy arouse suspicions in a suburb. Yep, it's weird. TIL: Love our neighbor as ourselves assumes we love ourselves correctly, as persons endowed by God with dignity and called to holiness.

Still Voices - House on Haunted Hill (1959) "Then a spirit passed before me, and the hair of my body stood on end." - Job 4:15

Dad Rock Daily: Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (1973) Former Zappa sidemen visit New Orleans. Goes down like an aural version of Southern Comfort. Laudable Lyrics: It's high time that you found, the same people you misuse on your way up, you might meet up, on your way down.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 18, 2019

Nightmares (1983) Lance Henriksen as a doubting priest locked in a grueling face-off against a satanic truck? What other reason do you need to watch this anthology? TIL: Unfortunately, about the only way to master the cardinal virtue of Fortitude is on the job training.

Still Voices - Arnold (1973) "The obvious effect of frivolous divorce will be frivolous marriage." - G. K. Chesterton

Dad Rock Daily: Heart - Little Queen (1977) The Wilson's can write some really good Led Zeppelin fan fiction when they put their minds to it. Laudable Lyrics: You need a whole lot more than money, you need more than to survive, you need to keep your Love, keep your Love alive.