Blog a Thon Archives - Page 3 of 5

August 8, 2012 By iluvcinema 16 Comments

Liebster Award

I have been slacking lately … as such I only recently received a pleasant surprise. This evening I noticed I received a ping from my Twitter – that I have been selected to participate in a really cool blogging activity. Thanks Dan of Public Transportation Snob for awarding me such an honor – hope I do ya proud!

The rules are quite straightforward:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.
5. Go to their page and tell them.
6. NO TAG BACKS

Let’s get this party started!

11 THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I am aiming for the “non-participant” Grand Slam

So far I have been to the US Open (home state), Roland Garros (Paris) and Wimbledon (London). Now all I have to do is book my trip to Melbourne. Obviously it will take a lot of advanced planning and resources, but this is definitely on my bucket list.

2. If I got a do-over …

I long for the ability to sing; I love the idea of your being a harmonious instrument.

3. I am a YouTube addict

Whether it is watching clips of things that are likely on the wrong side of the law, watching interviews of some of my favorite stars or reading the often HILARIOUS user comments, I have spent an unnecessary (unhealthy) number of hours on the internets. However the one thing I try to avoid are fanvids, for reasons best known to myself.

4. Twice a year I watch the Twilight Zone marathon

It never fails – I have seen them over and over again and I still cannot get enough of it. I think it is because it is a family tradition passed on from my father.

5. Takes a while for me to get through a book …

As much as I am an appreciator of all things literary, I am NOT the world’s voracious reader. In fact the longest it has taken me to read one book (not-continuously of course) is about 3-4 years and the book was East of Eden. The shortest period of my book reading life came courtesy of J.K. Rowling. I read all seven books in a matter of weeks.

6. Most “embarrassing” song on my iPod (other devices are available)

The Promise by Girls Aloud. There – I said it.

7. I was never a fan of Titanic.

I did not see it when it was released in the cinema, paid $10 for the VHS back in the day and I think I watched it through a total of one time.

8. I LOVE Drew Barrymore

Not only is she a screen presence, but she seems to be enjoying getting her hands into many pots – whether it is producing a film or even directing one.

9. I used to hurdle … way way back in the day

Ask me to do it now and I will end up on the floor in hysterics!

10. I don’t drink coffee

Frankly I cannot stand the stuff. As an alternative, I opt for hot chocolate in the mornings (but not every morning).

11. I love music so much so I plan on learning (at some point) how to play the guitar.

The goal: be able to play some good ole rock and roll!

MY QUESTIONS (COURTESY OF DAN)

1. What’s the best movie of 2012 so far?

Don’t know if I can declare an absolute best so far but the ones that I favored included TDKR and The Avengers each for their own reasons.

2. What’s the worst movie of 2012 so far?

The worst film thus far is a film I screened at the Tribeca Film Festival; it was called Caroline and Jackie. I think it was meant to be a somewhat serious film with the odd plot twist, but most of us in the screening just ended up laughing hysterically at some of the more ‘dramatic’ scenes. What was so disappointing was that I was kinda looking forward to it.

3.What is your favorite band or artist?

Not the most fair of questions because I like so many with great zeal. But I figure if you were to ask my friends and family, they would say U2. But I will put a punt in for Eric Clapton.

4. What’s your opinion on singing karaoke?

LOVE IT.

5. Spike Lee: Overrated or underrated?

I will answer it this way. His best work (25th Hour especially) seem to go unheralded when compared to his more high profiled work, which of course have their merits but there have been the odds bit here and there that I would have excised from the final piece (eg., the end ofMalcom X).

6. Although he won’t admit it, does Tommy Wiseau realize that The Room is terrible?

The only thing I know about this film is that poster – no idea about the film. That is more than enough for me to avoid at all costs.

7. Beyond movies, what is your area of expertise for a trivia team?

Ooh that is a hard one … maybe the Impressionist movement?

8. What’s your favorite brand of cereal?

As a kid, Fruit Loops; as an adult, I love the Vanilla Almond Granola sold at Trader Joe’s.

9. Is The Tree of Life a brilliant movie, a self-indulgent mess, or somewhere in between?

No clue – STILL have not seen it.

10. Are you excited about the Olympics? If so, which competitions?

Yes I am; especially the tennis, soccer, and track and field events.

11. What’s the last movie that you watched?

Beasts of the Southern Wild. Review coming soon 🙂

Now it’s my turn: first, here are my questions:

LOTR or Harry Potter?
What’s the longest you have waited in line for a movie?
Have you ever fallen asleep in a film? If so, which one?
What was your first concert experience?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Any hidden talent(s)?
Subtitles: Yea or Nay?
What book would you like to be seen made into a movie?
What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Have you ever snuck into a film without paying for it?
What is your favorite silent film?

Exposition is encouraged but not required; feel free to be as brief as possible.

Lastly, here are the lucky 11 who I would like to answer those questions:

Yvette of In So Many Words …
Sati of Cinematic Corner
Sergio of Tipping My Fedora
Pete of I Love that Film
Diana of Aziza Picks
Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club
Jaina of Time Well Spent
Michael of It Rains … You Get Wet
Ruth at Flixchatter
Jack Deth (not sure if you have a blog; feel free to respond in the Comments section)
Nostra of My Film Views

Sorry if you have already received such an invite; if so I still encourage you to participate no matter which set of questions you answer 🙂

May 24, 2012 By iluvcinema 11 Comments

Future Classic Movie: Hunger (2008)

First, I would like to thank Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club for asking me to take part in the blogathon, Future Classic Movies. Here is the Rule of Engagement:

The job is to predict at least one movie from 2000 to the present that will endure 30-40+ years into the future, much like CASABLANCA or GONE WITH THE WIND have done today. Bonus predictions could be who will be hosting on this channel and how will movies be delivered to the consumer (hologram, chip in the brain, etc.).

After much deliberation and back and forth, I have decided on Steve McQueen’s 2008 feature film debut Hunger. I have only seen it once and the experience had such an impact on me that I cannot imagine that this film will be forgotten by any and all who see it.

Simply stated this is an amazing debut for the Turner Prize winner; he handles the film with a level of confidence that you would expect in someone very experienced. For me this is a perfect example of cinema as an art form. Hunger features Michael Fassbender (in his breakthrough performance) and Liam Cunningham (The Guard).

The story is a very controversial one that centers on IRA member Bobby Sands (Fassbender), who along with his fellow imprisoned IRA members embarked on a hunger strike. This series of events would lead to Sands’ demise.

Not to diminish the political impact or significance of the events surrounding the film, but this is part of the reason that I feel the film will continue to be a source of debate in the decades to come.

As a work of cinematic art, McQueen uses very few words to tell us an emotionally charged story, often in disturbingly graphic detail, about the conditions the inmates placed themselves under. On a more esoteric level, the piece is on a statement on the lengths an individual (or group of individuals) will go to for a set of convicted beliefs. McQueen also manages to tow the fine line of not necessarily taking sides with the issue. In fact, in the film’s only dialogue – heavy scene between Sands and Liam Cunningham’s priest’s demonstrates the fine line between passion, conviction and irrational fervor.

April 15, 2012 By iluvcinema 22 Comments

My Movie Year (Another Movie Meme)

Courtesy of the folks over at Fandango Groovers, I have been presented with the following challenge – pick a year, any year, since the birth of cinema that I consider “the best” and select my top 5 from that year.

NARROWING DOWN …

… was a difficult task. I figure that, outside of the silent cinema era, I can pick at least 5 films from almost every year that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

So I have devised a rather random calculus – first, I went to my list of 100 Must See Films (in real need of being updated, BTW) and focused on the years which cropped up most frequently on the top part of the list (numbers 1-60). The following years appeared most often: 1995, 1959, 1955, 1948, with each year producing three titles.

So for the tie-break, I looked at the wider list of films released in each respective year and counted the number of films seen in that year. 1995 produced the longest list of films of note in my opinion.