DAILY CALL SHEET: NOVEMBER 23, 2022

Hell Squad (1986) Combat trained showgirls take on terrorists. Unquestionably awful, but as pure an 80's Cannon Film as you'll find. TIL: After the Israelites slaughtered their wives, the Benjamites kidnapped hundreds of Israeli dancing girls to replace them. Life... finds a way?

Dad Rock Diary: King Harvest - Dancing in the Moonlight (1972) The title track is excellent; the rest sounds like demos from a band trying to find its sound. Laudable Lyrics: We like our fun and we never fight. You can't dance and stay uptight. It's a supernatural delight.

DAILY CALL SHEET: NOVEMBER 20, 2022

Shaolin Soccer (2001) Spiritually renewed monks take on soccer's souless corporate champs. Looney Tunes plus kung-fu equals pure fun. TIL: Vatican City's national football team is eligible to join FIFA, but remains amateur to retain the game's message of friendship and love.

And speaking of soccer, here’s a little something I did from ages past to help get into the spirit of the day for World Cup 2022.

DAILY CALL SHEET: NOVEMBER 14, 2022

The Beach House (2019) Deep sea organisms make things icky for a troubled couple. Fairly effective mashup of indie drama and Lovecraftian goo. TIL: Matthew Maury, the "father of modern oceanography," insisted that to study the deeps was to perceive the evidences of God's design.

Now Showing At A Blog Near You: Even Saint John Paul II wasn't created ex nihilo. My latest for Aleteia takes a look at the new film "Prophet" which details the life of Stefan Wyszyński, the Polish cardinal whose works laid the groundwork for JPII

DAILY CALL SHEET: NOVEMBER 12, 2022

The Black Scorpion (1957) Giant pests emerge from a volcano. A bit slow, but the effectively creepy Willis O'Brien scorpions are worth the wait. TIL: Middle Eastern scorpions account for half the world's fatalities. No wonder Scripture uses them as symbols of pain and punishment.

The Professionals (1966) Hired guns search for a millionaire's kidnapped wife. Holy cats, this cast! Look 'em up. Enough testosterone to power a city. TIL: Mercenaries, sometimes armies of them, are all throughout the Old Testament. It was considered a respectable profession.

Funny Book Philosophy: Marvel Super Special 001 (1977) Apparently even a guy who calls himself a demon knows Mephisto's offers are B.S.

DAILY CALL SHEET: NOVEMBER 11, 2022

The Hidden (1987) Human detective and alien lawman track a psychotic body hopping slug. Sounds dumb, but it's a legitimate late 80's treat. TIL: Invasive parasites are a common analogy for sin because both kill their host if left unchecked, one physically, the other spiritually.

The Cyclops (1957) Rescue party gets trapped in a cave by a one-eyed giant. Bert I. Gordon's test run for Colossal Man is watchable, but certainly no Odyssey. TIL: Depending on the Bible translation, the giant Goliath was between 6'9" to 8'9" tall. He had both eyes, though.

Dad Rock Diary: Virus - Thoughts (1971) thoughtful, bluesy, Hammond heavy hard rock from Germany. Like... really, really Hammond heavy. Not a complaint at all, just saying, there's definitely Hammond here. Laudable Lyrics: I've only one question. Mankind, where do you go to?

DAILY CALL SHEET: NOVEMBER 4, 2022

Hand of Death (1962) Chemist John Agar turns into a sort of Ben Grimm with poisonous mitts. Back end of a double-bill for sure, but dig that kerrazy score. TIL: While helping found organic chemistry, Michel-Eugène Chevreul also vociferously defended Catholicism from materialists.

Still Voices - Fantastic Four (2005) "The burned hand teaches best." - J. R. R. Tolkien