DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 31, 2019

End of Days (1999) Arnie fights Satan to save a girl chosen to conceive the antichrist on New Year's Eve. Goofy as hell, so to speak. TIL: The 'end times' refers to the period in which all God's people are gathered together in the Church. So, pretty much the last 2,000+ years.

Still Voices - Troll (1986) "The ego is that ugly little troll that lives underneath the bridge between your mind and your heart." - Gael Greene

Dad Rock Diary: Roy Harper - Stormcock (1971) One of those musicians other musicians adore. This is probably the best album to listen to find out why. Laudable Lyrics: For here we stand hand to hand, fighting for the Promised Land

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 30, 2019

The Hunting Party (1971) Gunman takes teacher to rape, love, and learn to read; psycho rapist husband hunts them down. As bleak and rapey as the 70's get. TIL: Rape is an intrinsically evil act that wounds the respect, freedom, and physical and moral integrity due every person.

Still Voices - Dreamchild (1985) “I am under no obligation to make sense to you.” – Mad Hatter

Dad Rock Diary: The Move - Looking On (1979) If you're gonna put Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood together, you have to expect some ELO sounding stuff. Laudable Lyrics: How can they keep turning when the overture is burning on the faces of the people in the churches of the land.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 28, 2019

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008) Semi-successfully substitutes the religious right for the original's fascist regime, but nowhere near as clever as Verhoeven did it. TIL: The Church opposes any party or system that disrespects the God-given rights and freedom of persons.

Still Voices - Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) "To sew is to pray. Men don't understand this. They see the whole but they don't see the stitches. They don't see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle." - Louise Erdrich

Dad Rock Daily: Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (1976) Spacey blues/rock tailor made for those who spent the 70's getting blitzed while wearing big ol' headphones. Laudable Lyrics: And I know that it's true that all the things that I do will come back to me in my sweet time.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 27, 2019

Doom: Annihilation (2019) Soldiers meet monsters on Mars. Second shot at adapting the game puts the demons back in, but leaves everything else of interest out. TIL: The best weapons to fight demons are prayer, confession, and the mass, but chainsaws likely make for better movies.

Still Voices - The Gorgon (1964) "If a woman shows too often the Medusa's head, she must not be astonished if her lover is turned into stone." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Dad Rock Daily: Vardis - 100 M.P.H. (1980) Who debuts with a live album? A band who knows they'll never rock harder in a studio than they do on stage, I suppose. Laudable Lyrics: I don't need your money I just need your love.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 26, 2019

The Harder They Come (1972) Wannabe reggae-singer settles for being a celebrity criminal instead. Cool 70's cinéma vérité with a soundtrack to die for. TIL: Once outlawed in the country, Catholicism now claims nearly 3% of the population as members. Can't get rid of it.

Still Voices - Roar (1981) "Familiarity makes the lion more dangerous." - Jocelyn Murray

Dad Rock Daily: Dan Penn - Nobody's Fool (1973) Successful 60's songwriter exits the shadows to do the 70's singer-songwriter thing. And pretty well, at that. Laudable lyrics: Nobody's fool, nobody's one and only. I guess that's why I'm so lonely, I'm nobody's fool.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 24, 2019

Black Christmas (1974) The best Juliet and the best Lois Lane shine in this much beloved proto-slasher from the same guy who made A Christmas Story. TIL: Though their daily wear is all black, priests wear white and gold robes at Christmas as a symbol of God's holiness and glory.

Still Voices - The Addams Family (1964–1966) "Of course there is a Santa Claus. It’s just that no single somebody could do all he has to do. So the Lord has spread the task among us all." - Truman Capote

Dad Rock Daily: Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album (1980) Meco and Bon Jovi (no, really) join forces (sorry) to bring the galaxy tidings of comfort and joy. It's okay to laugh. Laudable Lyrics: And if our wish comes true, we'll spend Christmas Eve with you.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 23, 2019

Mega Time Squad (2018) Enjoyable Britcom has a small time hooligan using an ancient Chinese time travel secret to create a gang made up entirely of himself. TIL: Rather than face the disappointment of relying entirely on own virtues, Christians are called to depend on God alone.

Still Voices - Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) "Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore

Dad Rock Daily: King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) Ever wonder what would happen if the Moody Blues experienced a Pink Floyd level of existential angst? Here you go. Laudable Lyrics: Knowledge is a deadly friend if no one sets the rules.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 22, 2019

Dead Man Walking (1988) Wings Hauser plays chainsaw Russian roulette. Who cares if the rest of this post-apocalyptic thriller is any good? TIL: The Catechism states that games of chance are not in themselves contrary to justice, but alas, potential suicide rules this one out.

Still Voices - Frightmare (1974) "Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection." - Pindar

Dad Rock Daily: Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones (1979) Pretty wonderful Jazz/Folk, but occasionally skirts the fine line between mellow and comatose. Laudable Lyrics: 'Cuz I am in the wrong end of the eight ball black, and the devil, see, he's right behind us.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 21, 2019

Zombie Toxin (1996) Homebrew horror-comedy has Nazis poisoning Britain's yeast supply with zombie diarrhea. Sigh. I'm getting too old for this literal s***. TIL: The Catechism is clear, "Any theory or form whatsoever of racism and racial discrimination is morally unacceptable.”

Still Voices - Full Metal Jacket (1987) "The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment." - Elbert Hubbard

Dad Rock Daily: Bauhaus - In The Flat Field (1980) Dark, distorted, and dismal; which is about all you can really ask of Goth music, isn't it? Laudable Lyrics: In nomine patri et filii et spiriti sanctum. In nomine patri et filii et spiriti sanctum.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 20, 2019

The Two Popes (2019) Good cinema, great writing, excellent acting, but poor history and ultimately wishful thinking on the part of those who really, really want to believe there are no unchangeable teachings in the Church. TIL: Some Church teachings are unchangeable. Look'em up.

Still Voices - Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) "The greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person." - Alexander Pope

Dad Rock Daily: Witchfynde - Give ’Em Hell (1980) More pseudo-satanic NWOBHM with oddly anti-evil lyrics from back in the day when such stuff was just for show. Laudable Lyrics: If the powers that be tell you there never were three wise men, then you'd better believe it's true.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 19, 2019

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Tepid intro to the often brilliant series. Ahsoka's subsequent growth over the years makes her annoying presence here much more bearable. TIL: The spiritual life is a call to transformation, to become our true selves, an often sloooow process.

Still Voices - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." - Yoda (Yeah, he's fictional, but it's still true.)

Dad Rock Daily: Meco - Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk (1977) Disco may be dead, but trust me, every kid in 1977 lived by the radio waiting for this to come on. Laudable Lyrics: None, it's all instrumental. But as Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, sometimes it's just time to dance.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 17, 2019

Rollerball (1975) Athlete takes on the soul-crushing corporatocracy which controls the dystopian future of 2018. Corny and cool at the same time. TIL: According to Pope Pius XII, sports can help us to learn the importance of wisdom and perseverance in the struggles of daily life.

Still Voices - Black Mama, White Mama (1973) "Conformity goes to the fourth-remov'd, I wear my hat as I please indoors or out." - Walt Whitman

Dad Rock Daily: Gordon Lightfoot - Summertime Dream (1976) Nice collection of folk rock, but alas, nothing else on the album can escape the shadow of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Laudable Lyrics: The house you live in will never fall down if you pity the stranger who stands at your gate.

And finally, in h9nor of the soon to be released Episode IX, Catholic Skywalker presents his ranking of all the films that have come before in the series. It’s not the way I would rank them, but what are lists for if not to argue over?

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 14, 2019

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) Slasher setup morphs into something entirely unique including, oddly enough, a treatise on the necessity of sacrifice to save the world. TIL: For Catholics, the voluntary sacrifice represented by the crucifix is the most powerful image of God’s love.

Still Voices - Sugar Hill (1974) "Let the clean air blow the cobwebs from your body. Air is medicine." - Lillian Russell

Dad Rock Daily: The Undertones - The Undertones (1979) Shiny, happy punk people? Yep, it's true. Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it. Laudable Lyrics: I can't understand the way things are. This is the wrong way. You'll have to change someday.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 13, 2019

Dead or Alive (1999) Insane epic has a cop and gangster wearing sunglasses at night while taking down the Yakuza. You won't see the ending coming. TIL: Speaking of endings, in 2014, the Pope warned members of organized crime that Hell "awaits you if you continue on this path."

Still Voices - Brides of Dracula (1960) "The only place where you can find equality is in the cemetery." - Evan Esar

Dad Rock Daily: Sam Cooke - Night Beat (1963) Whoever broke Sam's heart in 1963... thanks. I mean, too bad for poor Sam, but still... thanks. Laudable Lyrics: If you get there before I do, oh, oh yes Lord. Don't forget to tell all my friends I'm coming too, whoa, oh yes Lord.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 12, 2019

The Crawling Hand (1963) Technically it's an astronaut’s entire arm flopping around and killing people, but that only makes this MST3K staple all the more silly. TIL: In Scripture the “right hand” is a reoccurring symbolic image denoting closeness, authority, honor, and power.

Still Voices - The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) "No one can ever excel in great things who does not first excel in small." - St. Francis Xavier

Dad Rock Daily: The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (1976) Proto-punk for people who would rather smirk at the world than gob in someone's face. Laudable Lyrics: I don't want just a girl to ball, no what I want is a girl that I care about or I want nothing at all.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 10, 2019

The Mutations (1974) Silly 70's stuff has Donald Pleasence creating freakish plantmen, much to the chagrin of the local sideshow performers. TIL: Per Aquinas, a plant's vegetative soul has only three attributes – nutritive, augmentative, and generative. Plantmen, up for debate.

Still Voices - King Frat (1979) "The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give." - Howard Cosell

Dad Rock Daily: John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973) Literate stream of consciousness inspired by Dylan Thomas and backed by Little Feat? Yeah, it's pretty great. Laudable Lyrics: The prayers of all combined take down the flags of ownership, the walls are falling down.

DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 9, 2019

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) Most folks seem to prefer whichever version of this story they were first exposed to. Alas, this isn't mine. TIL: Rather than '42', The Church teaches the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is to share in God's blessed life.

Still Voices - Blood Freak (1972) "They say that hens do cackle loudest when there is nothing vital in the eggs they have laid." - Ambrose Bierce

Dad Rock Daily: Esther Phillips- From a Whisper to a Scream (1972) Jazzy soul for people who've seen some ****, but are still managing to find some way to get by. Laudable Lyrics: I took kindness for granted, as if it came with the wallpaper.