THE B-LIST: SIX MOVIES TCM WON’T BE PLAYING THIS MEMORIAL DAY

St. Augustine was no fan of war, but understood it was sometimes necessary, ironically as it may sound, in order to obtain peace. There have been plenty of good movies made about those who made the heroic sacrifice to fight for that peace, and a lot of them are on TCM today. But, you know, there are some maybe not so great flicks you might be interested in as well. Here's a recap of six war movies we've covered that will probably never make Turner Classics' Memorial Day schedule.

Okay, okay, it's fine to have a little fun, but let's not forget what Memorial Day is all about. Join me, will you, in a prayer for all those who fought for others who couldn't...

All Powerful God, we honor today those men and women, our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, who have laid down their life for their country. Whether weary or emboldened, quiet or defiant, vulnerable or ready when you called them home. Their sacrifice is too humbling for words except these uttered in prayer. Loving Lord, bless them forever in Your eternal peace. Cherish their spirit, honor their commitment, send them our love, and will never forget the service that they gave. Amen.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 29, 2021

Pretty Smart (1987) It's outsiders vs. mean girls until a common enemy arises. One of the few 80's teen flicks not focused on horny teenage boys. TIL: The Bible's biggest female rivalry? Sarah vs. Hagar, believed by many to still have repercussions in the Middle East to this day.

Dad Rock Diary: The Smashing Pumpkins - Gish (1991) Is "heavy mellow" a thing? It is for this mesmerizing debut. Ushers in the 90's just as much as Nevermind. Laudable Lyrics: 'Til we're safe from the wounds of desire and pain, you must rise from the mounds of desire and change.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 27, 2021

Atragon (1963) Super-sub protects the surface world from the undersea kingdom of Mu's giant snake. Basically a Godzilla film if the Big G were a submarine. TIL: Unlike Mu, Atlantis, El Dorardo, etc., archaeologists have discovered evidence for most places mentioned in the Bible.

Sing A New Song: St. Vincent - Daddy's Home (2021) Nothing here is quite as good as the songs being remembered, but it's always fun when someone decides to hang out in the funky 70's for awhile. Laudable Lyrics: You got to pay your way in pain, you got to pray your way in shame.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 26, 2021

Terror on Tour (1980) Someone's slaying groupies at a KISS knockoff's shows. Nonessential unless you're compelled to see every rock themed slasher. TIL: Once accused of being "Kings in Satan's Service," KISS actually made a decent cover of Argent's God Gave Rock And Roll To You.

Dad Rock Diary: Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles (1959) Some folks doth protest to much. Sure, it doesn't live up to the title, but this dabbling in big band and balladry is still perfectly pleasant. Laudable Lyrics: You only live but once and when you're dead you're done.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 24, 2021

The Ghost Dance (1980) Maniacal medicine man gets murderous. Least effective entry in the oddly crowded possessed-by-a-Native-American slasher subgenre. TIL: The Church is considering canonizing Lakota medicine man Nicholas Black Elk. He would be the second Native American saint.

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: Dawn Of the Mummy (1980) "A contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not." - Akhenaton

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 22, 2021

Idle Hands (1999) A teen's hand gets possessed in this 90's stoner horror comedy. Take away all the weed and it might have made a good Abbot & Costello setup. TIL: "Idle hands are the devil’s tools" isn't actually in the Bible, though the sentiment is. Chaucer coined the term.

Funny Book Philosophy: Thor 154 (1968)

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 18, 2021

The Comedy of Terrors (1963) Short on clients, a mortician decides to proactively drum up business. Price, Lorre, Karloff , Rathbone, and Rhubarb the cat. No more need be said. TIL: Having given Jesus a proper burial, Joseph of Arimathea is now the patron saint of undertakers.

Still Voices - Sunshine (2007) "Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." - Benjamin Franklin

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 17, 2021

Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) Toughest female reporter in town snoops around while Fay Wray shrieks. Two-strip Technicolor adds an otherworldly quality. TIL: When Padre Pio's body was exhumed for veneration, a wax face mask was used "to protect the sensibilities" of pilgrims.

Tinseltown Testaments: The Conjuring (2013) "These forces are eternal, and they exist today. The fairy tale is true. The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow."

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 16, 2021

Guns Akimbo (2019) With pistols bolted to his hands, an internet troll is forced to participate in an online death match. And find a way to use the bathroom. Silly, but watchable if in the right mood. TIL: The Glock 17 is the gun of choice of the Vatican's private police force.

And, in honor of the feast day of St. John Nepomucene, known as the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, here's some questionable cartoons on the sacrament form the archives.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 14, 2021

Next of Kin (1982) Ozploitation centered around murders in a rest home is patience testing at times, but bonkers ending makes the wait worthwhile. TIL: Briefly booted from the Church after clashing with higher-ups, Mary MacKillop became Australia's first canonized saint in 2010.

Dad Rock Diary: Nirvana - Nevermind (1991) Punk made palatable. A nuclear bomb dropped on the rock landscape when it was released and, despite the current trend to give it hate, it holds up. Laudable Lyrics: And I'm not scared, light my candles, in a daze, 'cause I've found God. NOTE: My original cut-off date for Dad Rock Diary was 1984, the year of my high school graduation, but with my oldest child firmly entrenched in her 30's, it's past time for 90's kids to admit their music is now... oldies.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 13, 2021

Alligator (1980) Grumpy, balding Robert Forster pursues a roid-raging reptile through Chicago. John Sayles' script is much, much better than any Jaws rip-off deserves. TIL: In 2013, the Archbishop of New Orleans confirmed that it's quite okay to eat gator during Lent. Yum?

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: Wicked, Wicked (1973) "A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding." - Eric Hoffer

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 12, 2021

Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) The Godfather of Gore more than earns his title in this tale of Southern redneck ghosts eviscerating Yankee tourists. TIL: Pope Pius IX chose no side in the Civil War, but did offer to mediate a peace treaty that would include gradual emancipation.

Still Voices - Braindead (1992) "Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." - Mark Twain

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 11, 2021

Bad CGI Sharks (2019) Endearing mashup of Clerks and SyFy has two bros contemplating life choices while running from the talking self-aware title characters. TIL: There were three sets of bros among the Apostles, all whose choice to follow Jesus led to their exile or martyrdom.

Dad Rock Diary: Elton John - Honky Château (1972) Sure, Rocket Man overshadows everything else on the disc, but c'mon, Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters? Brilliant. Laudable Lyrics: It's gotta take a lot of salvation. What we need are willing hands. You must feel the sweat in your eyes.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 10, 2021

Day of Reckoning (2016) Monsters who wrecked civilization 15 years prior return for more mayhem. Remove the 1990's quality CGI and there might be something here. TIL: Isaiah 10 asks who you will flee to for help when the day of reckoning comes. (Hint: He ain't in this movie.)

Now Showing at a Blog Near You: Word on Fire's Thomas J. Salerno ponders 'How “Godzilla vs. Kong” Tracks with Pope Francis and Laudato Si’

And finally, there’s this…

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 9, 2021

Ginger Snaps (2000) Two sisters deal with changes after one is attacked by a werewolf. Who knew lycanthropy would turn out to be the perfect allegory for female puberty? TIL: Legend says St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, preached to a tribe of werewolves known as the Neuri.

Also, here’s a little something from the archives in honor of the day. THE B-LIST: FOUR MOVIE MOMS WORTH MENTIONING

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 7, 2021

The Psychotronic Man (1980) Dollar store Scanners is objectively bad, but may have enough weirdness for fans of homemade regional horror. TIL: The Church does not rule out telekinesis, but if it exists, insists it abide by the same moral obligations as all other human actions.

Also, Fatima is back in theaters for Mother's Day. Here's my original review for Aleteia.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 6, 2021

The Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982) Watchable enough no-bucks Raiders ripoff, but definitely falls within the 'poster is better than the movie' category. TIL: The bronze serpent raised by Moses is an early example of a sacramental and proof that God approves the use of images.

Dad Rock Diary: The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971) Probably the first album to give to newbies who need to know what the Stones are all about. Laudable Lyrics: I have prayed that you're safe in the arms of a guy who will bring you alive, won't drag you down with abuse.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 4, 2021

Tinseltown Testaments: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) "In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way."

And also, here’s a little something from the Storyboard archives in honor of May 4.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 3, 2021

Blood Vessel (2019) WWII castaways discover a derelict Nazi ship has a nosferatu problem. Almost a century later, the shadow of Max Schreck still looms large. TIL: Until 1870, the Vatican had its own navy which performed rescues, convoyed merchants, and guarded against invasions.

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: Blood Beach (1981) "It is impossible to stand upright when one plants his roots in the shifting sands of popular opinion and approval." - Thomas S. Monson

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 2, 2021

Silent Predators (1999) Decidedly non-silent rattlers get angry. Apparently John Carpenter wrote this but threw the script in the trash. Watch and know why. TIL: The "snakes" St. Patrick drove out were probably symbolic for pagan practices. Oh well, driving out either is fine.

And then there’s this…