DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 31, 2022

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022) Dad devoted to scientism freaks when Halloween decorations start to come to life. Passable kiddie fare. TIL: Now dismissed, Conflict Theory was an Enlightenment era idea that there's an intrinsically hostile conflict between religion and science.

Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952) Film's first big drag star bugs Bela Lugosi, who only made this so he could afford a plane ticket home. TIL: Scripture frowns on crossdressing for sexual kink or blurring of the sexes. For entertainment or Joan of Arc reasons, it's arguable.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 28, 2022

HauntedWeen (1991) College kids throw a Halloween fund raiser in a not-so-deserted house. Slasher fanatics may find something in this homemade regional horror. TIL: Sorry neo-pagans, but even the site History For Atheists recognizes Halloween is not pagan in origin, but Catholic. (Link to History For Atheists for the doubtful)

Miracles for Sale (1939) Magicians and spiritualists try to solve a locked-room murder mystery. Lesser Tod Browning, but a nice diversion. TIL: Since the 16th century, the Vatican's "miracle commission" has investigated, often debunking, alleged miracles by potential Saints.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 25, 2022

Terror Train (2022) Someone's picking off college kids on a train. Near shot-by-shot remake, but definitely misses Kubrick's cinematographer, who elevated the original. TIL: Vatican City has the shortest railway in the world, 300 metres long, which is used mostly for freight.

The Ghost Ship (1943) Stoic authority-obsessed captain may be a madman. Misleading title, but still a neat little psychological thriller. TIL: The Church teaches it is legitimate to defend against the abuse of authority within the limits of natural law and the Law of the Gospel.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 21, 2022

Deadstream (2022) A live-streamer's stay in a real haunted house is good for views but bad for his health. Humorous, occasionally inventive found-footage flick. TIL: In case you get the urge, Vatican Media Live on YouTube lets you watch a 24/7 livestream of St. Peter's Square.

The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976) Childhood abuse victim snaps; many men suffer. Not sure drive-in arthouse is a genre, but if it is, this belongs in it. TIL: Evil loves to hurt the young. As Matthew 25:40 notes, when it does so, an image of Jesus Himself is assaulted.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 14, 2022

Halloween Ends (2022) After the movie, some guy in the restroom starts talking and we end up having a brief discussion on natural evil vs. moral evil while standing at the urinals. Love or hate what they do with Myers here (fans will definitely be split), it does make you think.

Dad Rock Diary: Andromeda - Andromeda (1969) A little Psych, a little Proto-Prog, a little Pre-Metal, a little... well, you get the idea. Laudable Lyrics: Waves of mercy, constantly changing. But all they're meant to be, will I ever see? Well, there's a reason, what does it mean?

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 12, 2022

Fright Night (1985) Teenager seeks help from a skeptical horror host after ticking off the vampire next door. Creepy, funny, and (yes, ladies) sexy. TIL: Chesterton noted the Bible tells us to love our neighbors AND love our enemies because they're all too often the same people.

Dad Rock Diary: Free - Fire and Water (1974) Even if you take away the hit single All Right Now (as if you could ignore Paul Rodgers' vocals), it's about as solid as blues rock gets. Laudable Lyrics: A worried mind makes it so hard to bear, hard to live, and hard to care.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 9, 2022

The Monster (1925) Mad scientist Lon Chaney makes life hard for a cowardly amateur detective. No classic, but a fun little OG horror comedy. TIL: The detective story is yet another genre the Bible dabbles in, as when Daniel interrogates the accusers of the innocent Susanna.

The Craft (1996) Outcasts take witchy revenge on school bullies. Overrated? Maybe, but it's still the faces that launched a thousand goths. TIL: Without acknowledging whether witchcraft's real or not, the catechism condemns any attempt to gain supernatural power over others.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 9, 2022

Sole Survivor (1984) Death pursues the only survivor of a plane crash. Less gruesome, much more atmospheric forerunner of the Final Destination flicks. TIL: The idea of a scythe wielding Angel of Death originated in the Talmud. However, he couldn't bring evil to the righteous.

Funny Book Philosophy: Werewolf by Night 003 (1972) Written by Gerry Conway and no doubt influenced at least a wee bit by his Irish Catholic upbringing.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 3, 2022

Carnival of Sinners (1943) Man jokingly sells his soul only to discover the devil is real and keeps receipts. Moves nicely between light-hearted and serious. TIL: It's said Satan has two lies. Before we sin, he says it's no big deal; after we’ve sinned, he tells us it's hopeless.

Sylvia and the Ghost (1946) Wistful kindhearted comedy has a father hiring three men to play the spirit his daughter's in love with, much to the chagrin of the real spook. TIL: Pope Leo XIII said if you want to learn to love the Holy Spirit, start out by talking to him every day.

DAILY CALL SHEET: OCTOBER 1, 2022

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) The Sanderson sisters set their sites on Salem one more time. The old cast's fun, but the new kid Sandersons steal the show. TIL: Most historians say it was local laws and customs, more than religion, that determined how severe penalties were for witchcraft.

One Sheet Words of Wisdom: Hang ’em High (1968) "Most people approve of capital punishment, but most people wouldn't do the hangman's job." - George Orwell