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

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.