I am not particularly religious, so that might be why I generally find rock bands that bill themselves as "Christian" to be underwhelming. That is NOT the case with Canadian band Thousand Foot Krutch.
"War of Change" is a fabulous, hard-rockin' song with a visually interesting video that takes full advantage of the black-and-white film. This is a solid Ten out of Ten Stars!
We've been having a little late-night fun with 'Flapper Fanny Says', with the viewers/side-chatters of my YouTube Channel coming up with the jokes to go with some Ethel Hays and Gladys Parker drawings. Going forward, we'll be sharing the results as an extra post on every other Fanny Friday!
In addition to the post here, you'll be able to vote for your favorite of the jokes on the YouTube Channel's Community Page, here. (And if you like what you see, please subscribe to the channel, and come by and hang out with us some night!)
This is the cartoon (selected for today, because it's almost fitting for Mermay):
Here are the five best of the jokes the YouTube viewers came up with:
"There are plenty of other fish in the sea... like blobfish."
"Is that a harpoon in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"
"You get we your way, I'll get wet mine."
"Oh, I don't come here to swim. I'm here to show off my suit."
Ker-Choo (1933) Starring: Bonnie Poe and Gus Wicke
Director: Dave Fleischer
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars
It's the Grand Prix, cartoon-style, with all the craziness you'd expect!
"Ker-Choo" is one of those cartoons where almost anything I might say about it will ruin the fun of watching it for the first time. While it remains funny if you watch it more than once, the biggest enjoyment will come from watching the race (as well as the cartoon animals watching it in the stands) for the first time; the wacky bizarreness of it all will bring joy to even the grumpiest soul!
This is one of the Betty Boop-headlined cartoons where the entire gang is here -- with Bimbo and KoKo the Clown being among the drivers competing against Betty -- and each gets their moment to shine. In fact, I think Bimbo and KoKo between them deliver two of the funniest gags in the film, with KoKo even turning what might have just been a simple transition scene into a moment of hilarity.
While there are many reasons I think you'll enjoy this cartoon if you're into Pre-Code Era animation, the most important one is the unique place it has cinematic history: It was the first tale (and perhaps the only tale so far) of a race being won through germ warfare! Further, this cartoon may also be the true origin of "twerking"!
One word of warning: The race music may get stuck in your head for a day or so after watching this!
Well... sort of. It's Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" filtered through the stylings of 1940s western swing by There--I Ruined It. (It's a lotta fun, and it'll kick off your work-week in just the way you need!
I've failed to find the original version of the cartoon embedded below, so I can't give proper credit nor do I even remember the actual title... but I found this short cartoon featuring an indignant mermaid and her attempts to defeat a statue of a little boy peeing hilarious when I first saw it many, MANY years ago and I find it hilarious today. I hope you do, too!
And if anyone out there knows the original source and creator of this animation, please let me know, so I can give them proper credit and put a review header on this video. (It's an easy Nine of Ten Stars, by the way.)
Barnacle Bill (1930) Starring: Billy Murray and Margie Hines Director: Dave Fleischer Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
Barnacle Bill (voiced by Murray) has a girl in every port--and nothing's going to keep him from getting it on Nancy (voiced by Hines!
"Barnacle Bill" is an early appearance of the characters that would eventually evolve into Bimbo and Betty Boop--the second for Betty, actually. You can see hints in what both characters would eventually become, but Nancy Lee/Betty is equal parts grotesque and cute in this iteration. (She still is an anthropomorphic dog, like Bimbo, but it's downplayed more here than it is in her third appearance in "The Mysterious Mose".)
Historical trivia aside, "Barnacle Bill" is worth checking out for its non-stop stream of sight gags and nifty twists on cliches that were old even at the dawn of the 1930s. It also shines as a mini-operetta, with Barnacle Bill and Nancy hilariously singing their way through their romantic interactions. Other highlights include Bill escaping his ship for shore leave against his captain's orders, the surprising love game Bill and Nancy end up playing, the gossiping neighbors, and a very cute surprise finale.
This classic cartoon is only some 8 minutes long. Check it out for the fun, or check it out to see the origin of one of the most famous cartoon characters to ever be created... but check it out!
.jpg)
