Saturday, March 18, 2023

DAILY CALL SHEET: MARCH 18, 2023

Demon Squad (2019) P.I. investigates the paranormal. Bascially, Cast a Deadly Spell if remade by an amateur dinner theater troupe. TIL: Famed exorcist and conga drummer (look it up) Fr. Cándido Camero confirmed that, yes, ala Legion, squads of demons can possess a single person.

Freeze Frames 004: "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." – Andy Dufresne (The Shawshank Redemption)

Friday, March 17, 2023

SHORT FEATURE: THE SPUD BROTHERS

Many, many Lents ago, I was lurking in the back of my parish's social hall watching in amusement as a number of Southern Baptist converts undergoing RCIA fell into a gape-mouthed paralysis worthy of a possum caught in headlights. The cause of their consternation, a table full of snacks which included, among other things, a tub full of six packs on ice. Beer! In a church! Our education director, not too long off the boat from The Land of Saints and Scholars, chuckled a bit then leaned over to me, whispering, "Do you know what de oirish definition av drunk is? It's w'en you fall down and can't get back up." Hey, the Irish guy said it, not me.


Irish stereotypes not withstanding, the Church does teach moderation and condemns drunken excess. Still, it also recognizes that the Bible itself allows for social drinking if that's your thing. I mean, come on; the guy we worship as the incarnation of God on Earth performed as his first public miracle the turning of water into wine to help keep a party going. And we're not just talking a cup or two. John's Gospel notes Jesus filled six stone water jars, each holding 20 or 30 gallons, all the way up to the brim. That's somewhere between 120 to 180 gallons, or approximately 1,000 bottles of wine. For a single wedding reception. No wonder the Irish converted to Christianity so easily.

What!?! It's a joke, one my old Irish pal would have appreciated. He would have also recognized the real significance of Jesus' decision to refill the keg, so to speak. In the Bible, wine, especially the abundance of it, is often used as a sign of God’s blessing. What better demonstration to kick off the public ministry of the world's savior than to produce an abundance of blessings so voluminous that no wedding party could possibly consume them all. Not even an Irish one.

What!?! It's a joke! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sunday, March 12, 2023

DAILY CALL SHEET: MARCH 12, 2023

Wheels of Fire (1985) Mad Max with a flamethrower. These Road Warrior ripoffs blur together after a while, but if you're in the mood for one.... this is one. TIL: The shining wheels in Ezekiel's vision which can move in any direction represent God's omnipotence and omnipresence.

Dad Rock Diary: Poobah - Let Me In (1972) Just old school hard rock. Bet somebody wore this 8-track out while cruising in their Chevelle. Laudable Lyrics: Take what you want while you can, show us all that you're a man. You stupid fool, you'll never see what it means to be free.

Saturday, March 11, 2023

DAILY CALL SHEET: MARCH 11, 2023

One Body Too Many (1944) Bela and the Tin Man goof around an old dark house. Meager entry in the genre, best for Bela completists only. TIL: The Church teaches that all who have been justified by faith in baptism (yes, even you, Protestants) are part of the one body of Christ.

Freeze Frames 003: "The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest." - Seneca the Younger [Not a movie still; actually took this through the window of an office building in downtown Atlanta.]

Wednesday, March 08, 2023

DAILY CALL SHEET: MARCH 8, 2023


Threads (1984) Grimmest of the grim from the 80's life-after-nukes genre. If this doesn't make you want to die quickly in the initial blast, nothing will. TIL: Compline, the Church's formal night prayer, instructs us to ask God for "a restful night and a peaceful death."

Thursday, March 02, 2023

DAILY CALL SHEET: MARCH 2, 2023

 

Moonchild (1972) Recognizable oldsters weigh the fate of a reincarnated man's soul. Overwrought nonsense but groovy as only a 70's student film can be. TIL: One reason the Church rejects reincarnation is that it sees the soul as the whole person and treats the body as disposable.


One Sheet Words of Wisdom: Moonchild (1972) "You cannot run away from what’s in your heart." - Helen Simonson