DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 31, 2020

Tales of Terror (1962) Price, Lorre, and Rathbone headline a trio of Poe inspired stories. Fun and creepy outing shows how a horror anthology should be done. TIL: Poe was no fan of atheism, writing of it, "To be skeptical is no longer evidence either of information or of wit."

Dad Rock Daily: Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (1968) Legendary. Cash at his vocal peak and subject matter so dark that goths and death metal headbangers can only listen in awe. Laudable Lyrics: Inside the walls of prison my body may be, but my Lord has set my soul free.

Heads up!  TCM Underground  is showing CHERRY 2000 late, late tonight. In celebration, here's my review from the archives which inexplicably remains the most viewed page on my site. Maybe it's the cat in the jar?

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DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 30, 2020

The Premature Burial (1962) Corman's third Poe adaptation sorely misses Vincent Price, but Oscar winner Ray Milland manages to convey the terrors of  taphophobia well enough. TIL: A number of saints, including St. Castulus and St. Vitalis, were martyred by being buried alive.

Funny Book Philosophy: Funny Animals 059 (1948)

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DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 29, 2020

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) Enjoyable mishmash of Poe tales explores the lingering traumas of childhood via way of sharp pointy things. TIL: Even Wikipedia admits the tortures in Poe's story were never used in the Spanish Inquisition. Don't get your history from movies, kids.

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: The Redeemer Son of Satan (1978) "Childhood has no forebodings; but then, it is soothed by no memories of outlived sorrow." - George Eliot

Dad Rock Diary: Jesse Winchester - Jesse Winchester (1970) Debut gets quite a bit of help from members of The Band, which should tell you if you'll like this or not. Laudable Lyrics: Yes I am lost, but He is leading me home. He's my companion when my friends have up and gone.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 28, 2020

House of Usher (1960) Corman and Price kick off their beloved Poe cycle with this tale of human madness poisoning both people and place. TIL: Genesis says original sin so upset the natural order that the very ground became "cursed." In short, natural evil is mankind's fault too.

Sing A New Song: Czarface - The Odd Czar Against Us (2019) Underground Rap legends flex their flocabulary on rhymes suitable for any guy who grew up watching G. I. Joe and The Herculoids while scarfing Taco Bell. Laudable Lyrics: Ain't nothin' worse than true lies but new lies.

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DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 27, 2020

Specters (1987) Something happens involving Donald Pleasence and evil things lurking in Rome's catacombs, but you won't care enough to remember whatever it was. TIL: What IS in the catacombs is the oldest Christian art in the world, including the earliest known depiction of Mary.

Still Voices - The Ring (2002) "The hair is the richest ornament of women." - Martin Luther

Dad Rock Diary: Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) An album mostly remembered these days for breaking cultural barriers, but the music is darn fine even without the historical baggage. Laudable Lyrics: Just a little lovin, yeah, will go a long way.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 26, 2020

The Beast Within (1982) Tormented teen transforms into a were-cicada. God bless the 80's. Goofy as all get out, but great, gooey effects. TIL: Samuel was only 11 years old when called to be a prophet, priest, and judge. Imagine all that responsibility on top of teen angst.

Sing A New Song: The HU - The Gereg (2019) Who would have thought full-throated Mongolian folk-metal celebrating Ghengis Khan could be so hummable? Laudable Lyrics: Have the intuition to see the evil. Have the strength to endure barriers.

Over at his blog, Catholic Skywalker has a few thoughts on the worst Hollywood had to offer in 2019.

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DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 25, 2020

Hellraser (1987) Demons in bondage gear prey on those who seek pleasure through extreme physical experiences. Set the tone of horror for years to follow. TIL: Per St. Teresa, external sensations are meaningless in true spiritual ecstasy as the activity of the senses is suspended.

Tinseltown Testaments: Night of the Hunter (1955) "You know, when you're little, you have more endurance than God is ever to grant you again. Children are humanity's strongest. They abide."

Things To Come: Blumhouse's new take on Fantasy Island looks to be even darker than the 90's reboot with Malcolm McDowell. I think I know where it might be going, though. We'll see. The key is not messing up Mr. Roarke.

See, it was clear in the original that Roarke was an immortal force for good, even putting the smack down on Satan (Roddy McDowall!). Somehow, though, I doubt the reason for his victory would fly with today's cult of politics.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 24, 2020

True Stories (1986) David Byrne tours the tabloid-like town of Virgil, Texas to discover what makes America tick. Apparently it's eccentricity. TIL: St. Paul urges us to challenge norms, embrace the eccentric unconventional qualities of our faith, and become fools for Christ.

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: The Muthers (1976) "No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints." - Edwin Hubbell Chapin

Dad Rock Diary: The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969) Signals the inevitable end of the Age if Aquarius and the beginning of the seedy, grimy 70's. Laudable Lyrics: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you just might find you get what you need.

STORYBOARDS #027

 

 

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 23, 2020

Rabbits (2002) Bunny people experience angst. So this is what a David Lynch sitcom would look like; weirder than most things on the planet. TIL: Contrary to legend, the domestication of rabbits did not start because Pope Gregory declared fetal bunnies okay to eat during Lent.

Funny Book Philosophy: Mad Magazine #170 (1974)

Sing A New Song: Ceremony - In The Spirit World Now (2019) It's unavoidable. Come within a hundred yards of a synthesizer and your album instantly becomes an 80's mixtape. Laudable Lyrics: I don't wanna be bitter anymore. Bitterness is the sin.

And finally, remember that Tolkien himself called The Lord of the Rings “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work.” Of course, that doesn't mean the same can be said for everything inspired by Middle Earth. The Highway HiFi Podcast takes a look at the often dubious musical legacy of Tolkien fans.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 21, 2020

The Peanut Butter Solution (1985) Bald kid discovers the cure is worse than the curse. Worthy entry in the "Hey, let's make a movie to traumatize kids" genre. TIL: The thing with Jesus in the Gospels is that he healed AND forgave sins, curing the soul, the body, the whole person.

Still Voices - Wild at Heart (1990) "No amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart." - Kevyn Aucoin

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DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 20, 2020

Vice Squad (1982) Wings Hauser is legendarily slimy in this tale of a cop and hooker teaming up to take down Ramrod, The world's most vile pimp. TIL: Ven. Fulton Sheen's 4 steps to overcoming vices; introspection, avoiding sinful opportunities, willpower, and a right philosophy.

Dune (1984) "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration."

Dad Rock Diary: Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground (1984) Christianized, and sometimes creepy, cowpunk runs the range of religious sentiment from Noah to Night of the Hunter. Laudable Lyrics: But where, where, where the heart is true, ya know Lord, your God, will never forsake you.

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 19, 2020

Idiots and Angels (2008) Oddball animated Plymptoon offers a sometimes touching tale of a misanthrope who grows angel wings with a charitable mind of their own. TIL: Humans can become Saints, not angels. Both intercede on our behalf, though, so we got that going for us.

Sing A New Song: Moon Tooth - Crux (2019) Prog-Metal lives, and seems to be doing quite well, especially if these guys from Long Island have anything to say about it. Hard, heavy, yet accessible. Laudable Lyrics: Get loud, get right! Raise cups to the good fight!

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DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 18, 2020

Godzilla (1977) Who needs drugs when you can watch this semi-colorized Italian re-edit of Gojira with added Hiroshima footage and electronic Futurosound? TIL: The Church opposes drug use except on strictly therapeutic grounds because they do grave damage to human health and life.

Funny Book Philosophy: World's Finest Comics 209 (1972)

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: Angels' Brigade (1979) “The world doesn’t need what women have, it needs what women are.” - St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

STORYBOARDS #026

DAILY CALL SHEET: JANUARY 17, 2020

Maniacts (2001) Pitch black comedy in which serial killers meet-cute, escape captivity, and try to live kill-free lives together. Alas, old habits die hard. TIL: Repeated sinful actions soon become second nature. Once ingrained, vices steal our freedom and our power to act well.

Dad Rock Diary: Gerry Rafferty - City To City (1978) Easygoing Scottish pop that keeps improving with age. Plus, pretty sure the 80's owe the sax to Baker Street. Laudable Lyrics: Water of life pour your light down on me, take me out of this darkness, sweet star of the sea.

Thanks to the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome, Tammy and the T-Rex has recently popped up on BluRay, Shudder, and a few cable channels. To honor this gem of 90's insanity, here's my take from the archives.

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