DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 24, 2026

Godzilla Raids Again (1955) The Big G died in his first movie, but not to worry, there's a backup. While attempting to rescue a fellow pilot who has crashed on Iwato Island, Shoichi Tsukioka discovers a second Godzilla fighting another giant monster soon to be named Anguirus. Shoichi alerts the authorities, who try to lure the beasts away from any cities by turning off all the lights and sending up flares in the opposite direction. Alas, some idiot thieves attempt a robbery during the blackout and the explosion they set off brings the two monsters straight to Osaka. Godzilla makes swift work of Anguirus, which is helpful, but that still leaves Japan with the problem of finding some way to put the rampaging King of the Monsters on ice. There is no such thing as an unenjoyable Godzilla movie, but this first sequel is a hug step down from the excellent original, with its only claim to fame being it started the trend of introducing a new kaiju in each film for Godzilla to battle.

When the same guys who altered the original Godzilla for American release got ahold of Godzilla Raids Again, they made even more drastic changes, going so far as to change the name of the movie to Gigantis, The Fire Monster in hopes of convincing audiences it was a brand new monster. Producer Paul Schreibman later admitted regretting the decision, as it turned out viewers weren't fooled and would have preferred to have been given the real thing. It's like with the Bible. A study by LifeWay Research indicates that the overwhelming majority of readers prefer word-for-word translations that prioritize fidelity to the original text over those that use dynamic equivalence to paraphrase Scripture. This is because the more literal versions preserve nuances, word connections, and ambiguities in the original Hebrew/Greek while the paraphrases leave too much room for biased interpretation. In Godzilla movies and Bibles, always stay as close to the original source material as possible.

Conquest of Space (1955) Aboard the Wheel, an enormous space station orbiting the Earth, Colonel Merritt is busy training astronauts for an expedition to the moon. Unexpectedly, Earth's government instructs Merritt to ready a small crew to land on Mars instead. Merritt assembles three men, including his own son with whom he has a strained relationship, and blasts off for the red planet. They soon discover they have a stowaway in Sgt. Mahoney, who was deemed too old to tag along but refuses to be separated from Merritt, whom he idolizes. The sergeant's hero worship is quickly tested, though, when Merritt succumbs to space fatigue and begins to sabotage the mission under the misguided belief that their efforts to reach Mars violates the edicts of God. With things turning deadly and no chance of returning to Earth for at least a year, do the men have any hope of ever seeing home again?  While not on the level as other George Pal productions like War of the Worlds or The Time Machine, Conquest of Space gets points for trying to be The Martian of its day.

Merritt's problem is that, in his madness, he has misinterpreted those parts of the Bible that state how God gave dominion of the Earth to mankind to mean that everything else outside our planet's atmosphere is God's only and therefore off limits. Merritt is mostly correct that the "dominion" granted to humanity is explicitly tied to this particular planet as it's the one God created as both humanity's home and the stage for the drama of salvation. However, Merritt's error is that this dominion doesn't preclude traveling to other planets, assuming our actions there are guided by the same rules of responsible stewardship which are supposed to govern how we treat the Earth. As Archbishop Ettore Balestrero noted in an interview, "The Church’s central message is that we must not turn space into a jungle … Space must be explored with responsibility, solidarity, and respect for subsidiarity, for the benefit of present and future generations … We must prevent it from becoming a theater of uncontrolled competition, or worse, conflict." Merritt definitely flubbed that part.

DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 5, 2026

Firestarter (1984) Looking to earn a few bucks, college students Andy and Vicky volunteer to take an experimental drug. The concoction drives many of the other test subjects insane, but Andy and Vicky develop strange mental powers, get married, and have a little girl named Charlie who has the ability to start fires with her mind. This is too good a potential weapon to let hang out in an elementary school, so the secret government organization The Shop eventually comes after Charlie and her family. To gain Charlie's trust while she's in captivity, an assassin named Rainbird poses as a friendly janitor and fills her head full of lies. Will The Shop's scheme work to woo the little girl work, or will Charlie figure out she's being duped and rain hellfire on them all. A bit dated and definitely slow in places, but the performances carry it to the finish line, especially that of the venerable George C. Scott as the cunning custodian with murderous intentions. Also, fans of Stranger Things will quickly notice this movie's DNA running all through the show.

Obviously, lying to a child so you can turn her into a WMD is morally wrong, but are their times you can skate by with a little fib. Strictly speaking, no. According to the Church, lying is "per se malum" meaning it cannot rightly be done even the end result sought is a good one. Of course, as with many such teachings, there are nuances. Playing along with childhood fantasies such as some holiday traditions is usually given a pass as long as the child is told the truth when they ask. And, of course, if a small child asks an age-inappropriate question like where do babies come from, it's perfectly fine to redirect, put off the answer, or not give the full truth. In certain contexts, ambiguity is not considered lying. As it turns out, with both parenting and religion, verbal dexterity can be a huge asset. 

Night of the Ghouls (1959) Tor Johnson, Criswell, and many of the other Ed Wood irregulars return in this semi-sequel to Bride Of The Monster. Setting up operation in the same house where mad scientist Bela Lugosi met his fate in the previous film, conman Dr. Acula holds fake seances to pilfer the purses of the easily duped. However, once a real lady ghost dressed all in black starts murdering people in the woods near the house while a possibly real lady ghost all in white stands there and shrieks, the bumbling Officer Kelton and ghostbusting Detective Bradford are assigned to look into things. Look, it's Ed Wood, so you know exactly what to expect regarding the budget, the acting, and anything else involving general filmmaking skills. That being said, this is probably Wood's most competent outing, so take that for what it's worth.

Okay, so you don't go to Ed Wood for logic, but the simple fact is, there are no ghouls in Night of the Ghouls, at least not in its original sense. Based on Middle-Eastern folklore, a ghoul is a supernatural being who feeds on the flesh of the dead. Basically, they're what we now think of as zombies thanks to George Romero, who really should have called his film Night of the Living Ghouls. But, I digress. The idea of ghouls  brings to mind Ad Resurgendum cum Christo ("To Rise with Christ"), the Church's instructions on the proper handling the dead. The rules and restrictions within the short document are meant to emphasize hope in the resurrection, protect the faith against secular or superstitious attitudes, and generally ensure the deceased are remembered and prayed for in a fitting way. Unsurprisingly, eating the bodies is not allowed.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 17, 2026

Daimajin (1966) In feudal Japan during the Sengoku period, a remote village is rocked by tremors. Believing this to be the escape attempts of Arakatsuma the Daimajin (giant demon god), villagers from the area gather to perform an ancient pacification ritual. Alas, while everyone is distracted, the evil Samanosuke assassinates Lord Tadakiyo and establishes his cruel rule over the region. There are loose ends, however, as Tadakiyo's two children are secreted away to the Daimajin's hidden temple where they spend their time praying to the gigantic stone statue of Arakatsuma to punish Samanosuke. The god of the mountain takes his sweet time getting around to it, though, waiting until the kids are almost twenty and the villagers have suffered mightily. However, once Arakatsuma has had enough, his spirit enters the giant statue and he goes all kaiju on Samanosuke's stronghold. Like the Daimajin itself, the film takes a little while to get going, but the characters and spiritual musings make Daiei Films' answer to Godzilla worth the wait.

“Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him" says the Catechism, quoting the early Church Father Evagrius Ponticus, "for he desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer.” The Catechism has to remind of us this, because, let's face it, sometimes it feels like our prayers fall on deaf ears, often for a long, long time. One of the reasons the Saints have suggested this might happen is that we might need time to purify our intentions and shift our priorities to humility and trust rather than get immediate answers, which can sometimes foster presumption or instill a superficial faith. Another reason is that what we're asking for might not be the best thing for us at the moment, not in terms of our immediate needs, but for our eternal salvation. Whatever the reason, whenever prayers seem unanswered, the Church encourages us to persevere, examine ourselves for any wrong motives, and pray with trust and abandonment.

Rock & Rule (1983) Aging rock star Mok Swagger has discovered a ritual which will simultaneously grant him immortality and unleash a demon that will destroy the world, but he needs the perfect voice to set the forces in motion. That voice turns out to belong to Angel, the lead singer in a small struggling band. Once Mok hears Angel sing, he tries to sway her to abandon her bandmates and join his group. Angel refuses, so Mok just kidnaps her instead. Angel's pals attempt a rescue, but the ritual proceeds as planned and a rather large demon enters our dimension. Music opened the portal to evil, but can it also defeat it? The movie turned out to be too weird for MGM, so they basically abandoned it, which is a shame because this is another one of those off-kilter animated oddities from the '80s that is irresistible to cult movie lovers. Even if you don't find the story all that great, you still get music from Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Cheap Trick.

I'm not sure about opening a portal to some Hell dimension, but certain music can invoke Heaven. The Church recognizes Gregorian chant as especially suited to the Roman liturgy because its serene, flowing, non-rhythmic character creates a sense of solemnity, dignity, and otherworldliness. That's not just the Church's opinion either. Neuroscientist Alan Watkins notes that research proves the musical structure of chant actually has a significant positive physiological impact on the human mind and body. Studies show that hearing Gregorian chant lowers your blood pressure, increases levels of DHEA, and reduces anxiety and depression. Other studies suggest that Gregorian chant can even aid in communications between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, possibly even creating new neural brain pathways in listeners. Basically, not only does Gregorian chant glorify God and sanctify the faithful, it's just plain good for you.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 14, 2025

Edge of Sanity (1989) Little Henry Jekyll receives a severe beating after spying on his father having a rendezvous with a prostitute. This leads the lad to develop sadomasochistic tendencies which he keeps repressed until, as an adult, he accidentally ingests too much of a new anesthetic he's concocted from ether and cocaine. How could such a mix of ingredients possibly go wrong? Anyway, now when night falls, Henry hits his bong and prowls the back alleys of London as Jack "the Ripper" Hyde, doing horrible things to working girls and generally indulging in every desire he's kept bottled up for most of his life. Eventually, Henry's wife begins to suspect something might be going on. This is a prime example of a mesmerizing performance trapped within an otherwise not-so-great trashy movie. Just goes to show, if you want crazy, it's hard to go wrong with Anthony Perkins.

In the years before Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he was an avowed atheist, having rejected the religion of his youth. However, as often happens when a little age and experience settle in, those sentiments didn't last. Writing to his father in 1878, he exclaimed, "Christianity is among other things, a very wise, noble and strange doctrine of life ... You see, I speak of it as a doctrine of life, and as a wisdom for this world ... I have a good heart, and believe in myself and my fellow-men and the God who made us all ... There is a fine text in the Bible, I don't know where, to the effect that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord. Strange as it may seem to you, everything has been, in one way or the other, bringing me nearer to what I think you would like me to be. 'Tis a strange world, indeed, but there is a manifest God for those who care to look for him."

Cat's Eye (1985) A big orange cat named General meanders through two Stephen King tales on his way to save a little girl from a breath-stealing gnome that lives inside her bedroom wall. One story involves a man who has had an affair with a gangster's wife being forced by the enraged cuckold to walk along the narrow ledge of an Atlantic City high-rise. If he makes it all the way around, he can go free. If not, splat. Mobsters play a part in the other story as well, only this time they run a clinic with a 100% success rate in helping people quit smoking. The catch is that if you deviate from their plan and try to sneak a few drags, the escalating consequences for each offense include electro-shock, sexual assault, and death. Cancer-stick addict Dick Morrison doesn't believe these threats… at first. Director Lewis Teague keeps the proceedings much lighter in tone than his previous King adaptation Cujo (who gets a brief cameo), resulting in an enjoyable and fondly remembered horror romp.

The Catechism reminds us that "the virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine." So, it's the abuse of tobacco that's a sin, not its moderate use. That's likely good news to all those Catholic apologists out there who like to end their day with a sniffer of bourbon and a cigar. However, there are other Church teachings to consider, such as the one against forming addictions that enslave the will or waste resources/time that should be directed toward higher goods, as well as the one against doing things that run a high risk of causing grave harm to one's health. With the increasing medical evidence regarding the severe health and addiction risks of cigarettes, some Catholics have begun to see even their moderate use as imprudent. That's why Pope St. John Paul II banned smoking inside Vatican City and Pope Francis banned the sale of cigarettes within its walls.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 11, 2026

Mister Frost (1990) After gleefully admitting he has 24 bodies buried in his garden, the mysterious Mister Frost (no first name on record) is arrested and confined to a mental institution for the rest of his life. Following two years of complete silence, Frost finally opens up to new doctor Sarah Day, nonchalantly informing her that he is, in fact, Satan himself, and that he plans to have the good doctor murder him. Day dismisses Frost's ramblings as delusions (he is in an asylum after all), but unexplainable occurrences begin to happen with Frost as their apparent cause. Soon, Sarah must decide if Frost really is insane, or if she needs to give the Devil his due and end his life. This is a nice little film that manages to keep the suspense of its premise going for the most part. Let's be honest, though, the main attraction here is watching Jeff Goldblum play the Devil. That alone is worth tracking the film down.

As could be expected, Jeff Goldblum’s take on Satan is a bit offbeat. While we often hear that the devil’s greatest trick is how he convinced the world he doesn’t exist, Goldblum’s fallen angel is far too much of a narcissist to allow that sort of ignorance to go on for too long. With too many atheists cluttering the modern era, the titular Mr. Frost thinks it’s time to remind the world just who it is that 2 Corinthians calls “the god of this age [who] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” The two notions don't have to be mutually exclusive. A strategic narcissist can take both approaches; hide when it helps foster general disbelief, then take the spotlight for a bit of cultural cache with the doubters. Basically, Satan will do whatever helps his agenda, which is dragging as many people away from God as possible. Disbelief helps with the masses; but open defiance or subtle influence can work better on certain individuals.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) Struck with a bad case of emerging conscience, professional hitman Martin Blank returns to his home town of Gross Pointe to perform one last job. Reluctant to begin his assignment, Martin decides to attend his ten-year high-school reunion and look up his old sweetheart Debi, the girl he ditched on prom night to join the army and start on his path to becoming an assassin. Things get complicated when competing hitmen and psychotic NSA agents show up, all gunning (literally) for Martin. Just how is a well-meaning sociopath supposed to find redemption and rekindle a lost love when he has to kill every other person in the area? Gross Pointe Blank was a modest success when released, but with its winning cast, sharp writing, dark-dark humor, and outstanding alternative 80's soundtrack, the film has deservedly developed a growing cult over the years.

As part of its understanding of the Fifth Commandment, the Church condemns the secret, treacherous, or extrajudicial assassination of any political or public figure. This includes any legitimate ruler, even if they're unjust or oppressive. As usual, though, there are some qualifiers. The Church allows for the rare, proportionate use of lethal force when it is the only way to stop an unjust aggressor, and the intention is to protect life, not just to kill. In that sense, targeting individuals, even legitimate leaders, can be morally permissible. However, the assassination can't be preemptive and it must be only as a last resort. Obviously none of these exceptions apply to private assassinations, especially not those for profit.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 5, 2026

The Thing from Another World (1951) Scientists and soldiers stationed at the North Pole investigate reports of a crashed aircraft only to discover a flying saucer and its frozen occupant. Everyone is excited at the find of the century, but only until the visitor thaws out and proves to be literally bloodthirsty. To make matters worse, severe weather has cut the outpost off from any chance of reinforcements. It's up to a few overwhelmingly outmatched humans to find a way to stop an alien invasion that could end all life on the planet. Those coming to this film straight from John Carpenter's remake or John W. Campbell Jr.'s original novella may experience some disappointment in the changes made to the story. Taken on its own merits, though, The Thing from Another World is inarguably one of the best sci-fi films of the 50s, chock-full of producer (and sometimes shadow director) Howard Hawks' patented lightning-paced dialog and straight-to-the-point action.

John Carpenter continuously idolizes Howard Hawks in interviews, praising his concise storytelling, genre versatility, and modern American sensibilities. One thing Carpenter cribs from Hawks again and again is the tight-knit group-under siege scenario which allows for intense group dynamics and highlighting each character's individual competence. You know, thinking about being under siege, you'd think with Christians making up approximately 31–32.5% of the world's population, they wouldn't feel like they were under attack all the time. However, you'd be mistaken. Groups like Open Doors World Watch and Pew Research Center consistently name Christianity as the most persecuted religious group in the world. They estimate that roughly 1 in 7 Christians worldwide face high or extreme levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Anecdotally, the other 6 in 7 just face constant ridicule and lies. So, regardless of their numbers, Christians feel under siege because they are.

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) The brilliant Dr. Forbin has developed the supreme defense system, a computer system buried within the Rocky Mountains that independently controls all allied nuclear weapons. It's meant to function as the ultimate deterrent as it will function and retaliate even if an enemy destroys every human in charge. Once Colossus is turned on, though, it immediately detects a similar system named Guardian tucked away in Russia and the two A.I.s decide to start talking to one another. Before long, they conclude it would be best to merge and take control of the world. When the Americans and the Soviets try to sever their link, the computers launch a couple of nukes to show who's in charge. As Colossus/Guardian broadcasts a message promising planetary peace in exchange for total obedience, the scientific community struggles to find any way to preserve mankind's freedom. Arguably more prescient today than when it was released, if Colossus: The Forbin Project isn't at the top of the list of early 70s sci-fi flicks that relied on intelligence over action to keep audiences enthralled, it's pretty darn close.

In 1983, the U.S. Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter called The Challenge of Peace in which they reluctantly accepted the idea of nuclear deterrence s a regrettable necessity in the face of Soviet threats, but with strict conditions. No matter whether its nuclear weapons or something like Colossus, the deterrent must serve only to discourage nuclear attack by others, it must aim for sufficiency rather than superiority, and it must be a temporary measure leading to progressive disarmament. By the time Pope Francis came along, though, thinking on the subject had evolved. Following Francis' lead, many in the Church these days teach that not only is the use of nuclear weapons wrong, but even the mere possession of them is immoral, and that reliance on them as nuclear deterrence is no longer morally justifiable as a long-term strategy. This teaching is not binding as infallible dogma yet, but it is to be considered authoritative under the ordinary magisterium.

DAILY CALL SHEET: APRIL 3, 2026

Jabberwocky (1977) During the Middle Ages, the territories of King Bruno the Questionable are being terrorized by the titular monster, but this is of no concern to Dennis Cooper, who has just been disinherited by his father. Dennis only cares about getting to a city so he can get a job which will allow him to marry his beloved Griselda Fishfinger, not that she's in any way interested in such an arrangement. Dennis makes the trip to town, which leads to a series of misadventures and brings him to the attention of the princess, who mistakes him for a knight, as well as a cult who mistake him for Satan. Eventually, despite his overwhelming cowardice, Dennis ends up coming face to face with the Jabberwocky. Terry Gilliam's first solo outing as director has its moments, but it's a bit too rough around the edges and nowhere near the level of his films which would follow.

Although many scholars have made valiant attempts, Lewis Carroll's poem, Jabberwocky, purposely defies deep interpretation. In fact, Lewis would likely scoff at such efforts. His intention was to pen pure balderdash just for the linguistic fun of it. He would laugh at the notion of trying to find meaning in nonsense. Of course, some people carried this notion too far, declaring life itself nonsense, and therefore devoid of meaning. Albert Camus noted, "“The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need [for meaning] and the unreasonable silence of the world.” Naturally, the Church disagrees with this sentiment. She teaches that true meaning comes from orienting our entire life toward God—through worship, love of neighbor, living one’s vocation faithfully, and ultimately aiming for eternal communion with the Trinity. Without this relationship, human life can feel meaningless, but it doesn't have to.

Now Showing at a Blog Near You: Just in time for the Triduum, Scorsese' saints series takes up Mary. My latest for Aleteia at the link.