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CMBA Blog Profile: Once Upon a Screen

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 22:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th of the month. Today we're featuring Aurora from Once Upon a Screen.

The site Once Upon a Screen is like an online film festival, organized and presented by writer and Movies and More co-host Aurora.

Aurora presents a stunning variety of films – plus celebrity bios and classic radio/television shows – with a wealth of knowledge and a delightful sense of humour. Like most people who organize film festivals, she clearly has a passion for movies and the stories behind them.

One example is her recent spotlight on the Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon collaboration.

“The blog posts that are most memorable to me personally are the ones I had the most fun writing, such as ‘The Wilder-Lemmon Affair’,” says Aurora. “They are one of my favorite directors and one of my favorite actors. I enjoyed reading (again) how two people whose work I admire also admired and appreciated each other. Together these two men encompass what I love about film – when the heart and the intellect coalesce to form the perfect whole.”

You can read her post HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Once Upon a Screen: It’s rather strange I think that I was drawn to classic movies on my own, naturally, as a matter of circumstance. I arrived in this country at age five. A relative gave us an old TV and I just gravitated to old movies. I credit them with teaching me the English language much more so than I do going to school. These movies – MGM musicals in particular – were a welcoming to my new home where for a time I thought people actually danced in the streets. It was after I’d discover each movie and actor that I realized my parents knew them also, having seen them in theaters in Cuba. I remember seeing Delmer Daves’ Dark Passage and running to my mother after it was over to ask, “Do you know an actor named Humphrey Bogart?” She replied as she would countless times thereafter with a shout out to my father, “Oh, for heaven’s sake. Did you hear what she asked me?” I had no idea at the time that my parents were slightly cool or that these were old movies. To me, they were of the moment and, in some ways, remain so.

CMBA: What makes a movie a “classic” in your opinion?

Once Upon a Screen: A classic is timeless. It is forever relatable in some way or possesses a level of entertainment that can be enjoyed by all people for all time. A classic is, in my mind, story and character-driven. And yes, there is a year stamp associated with classics although the year is not etched in stone. For me it is approximately 1968. Although I enjoy many movies made after that year, some of them timeless in their own right, “classics” for me are older, made during the studio system and/or its immediate remnants.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Once Upon a Screen: Billy Wilder. Wilder's movies are universally-themed, fast-moving and compelling. From his impressive filmography I’d recommend Double Indemnity, because who doesn’t love getting caught up in the sexy mystery of it all? Straight down the line. It’s impossible not to be affected by all of it. Back-ups would be Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious and Joseph Mankiewicz’s All About Eve. Both of these "dreaded black and white movies" allow for quelling the initial curiosity of a newbie who wants to watch screenland’s biggest stars, while offering interesting stories that grab you from the get-go.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Once Upon a Screen: Film is our greatest, most influential art form. It has – throughout its history – held up a mirror to society in a way no other medium has done. As such, it must be preserved as carefully as all historical artifacts. More importantly, perhaps, is the medium’s ability to transport and entertain us, a value that will never go out of style. I’ll add one more thing: People should care to take a look at classic movies because so many things we see in movies today have already been done before. And they've already been done better.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Once Upon a Screen: By far, the community it has introduced me to and the ever-present opportunities to learn more about movies and Hollywood history in general. Before I started blogging about classic movies, I had no idea so many others loved them as I much as I did. Being a classic movie fan had always been a rather lonesome endeavor until I realized that through my blog, and associated social media accounts, I had opportunities to “meet” like-minded people and learn from them. It’s turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Once Upon a Screen: There are two major challenges. I’d say the first is time. I wish I had more to spend on the blog, to offer something of value. The other is being unique; offering something other than your run-of-the-mill movie commentary, to stand out from the crowd. For instance, I’ve wanted to start a regular series for quite some time, but could only manage the Friday Foto Follies pictorials. While this series offers a means through which I get the images I love out of my system, it does little more than that. Maybe someday I can do something along those lines of greater value.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Once Upon a Screen: (1) Have fun. Blogging can become work all too easily, which can be overwhelming for those of us with full-time jobs, families, etc. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it.

(2) Whatever you share, let it be your voice and no one else’s.

Thank you for joining us, Aurora! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

Hollywood on Hollywood, the CMBA Fall Blogathon!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 23:14:00 +0000

The Classic Movie Blog Association is proud to present its fall blogathon, Hollywood on Hollywood, running from October 17th to 21st. Please tune into the blogs below on the dates listed to read some writers discussing how the movie capital of the world has turned its lens in on itself!

October 17th

24 Frames - In A Lonely Place
Silver Screen Modes - L.A. Confidential
Classic Film Observations & Obsessions - The Big Knife

October 18th

Caftan Woman - Hollywood Story
Old Hollywood Films - Callaway Went Thataway
A Person in the Dark - Hollywood Steps Out
Once Upon a Screen - Bombshell

October 19th

Satin & Shadows - The Player
Film Noir Archive - Sunset Boulevard
Cary Grant Won't Eat You - The Bad and The Beautiful
Speakeasy - After the Fox
Man on the Flying Trapeze - Make Me a Star

October 20th

Another Old Movie Blog - Cartoons Caricature Hollywood
Classic Movie Man - Sullivan's Travels
A Trip Down Memory Lane - Going Hollywood
FilmFanatic.org - Day of the Locust
Blonde at the Film - It's a Great Feeling
Hometowns to Hollywood - Hollywood Cavalcade

October 21st

Silver Scenes - Young and Beautiful
Silver Screenings - The Battle Over Citizen Kane
Pre-Code.Com - What Price Hollywood?

And here are other banners for members to choose from:

This page will be updated as we get closer to the date.

For CMBA members who wish to participate in the eBook for this blogathon, please email the CMBA account with their entries in either plain text or a Word document. Please, no footnotes, links, or images. Entries will be due on October 22nd.

The 2016 CMBA Awards - Results

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 01:08:00 +0000

The 2016 CMBA Awards came and went in a flash this year, but, nevertheless, our members submitted a number of great entries, all of which are available to view and read through the links posted below.

Speaking on behalf of the CMBA board, I would like to thank all of the members who took the time to read these entries and vote for their favorites. And a hearty congratulations to all of our winners!!

Winning entries are denoted with a **.

Best Film Review

Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) - CAFTAN WOMAN **

My Darling Clementine (1946) - ONCE UPON A SCREEN

Laura (1944) - SECOND SIGHT CINEMA

The Damned Don't Cry (1950) - SHADOWS AND SATIN

Star in the Night (1945) - ANOTHER OLD MOVIE BLOG

Best Film Review ( Musical )

His Girl Friday (1940) - OLD HOLLYWOOD FILMS

Ziegfeld Follies (1946) - THE BLONDE AT THE FILM

The Gang's All Here (1943) - SECOND SIGHT CINEMA **

The Pirate (1948) - JAVA'S JOURNEY

Make Mine Music (1946) and Melody Time (1948) - ANOTHER OLD MOVIE BLOG

The Moon is Blue (1953) - CINEMA CROSSROADS

Best Classic Movie Article

Trumbo and the Black List - VIENNA'S CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

The Films of Powell and Pressburger - SILVER SCENES

Hal Roach and the "Lot" of Fun - CAFTAN WOMAN **

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Hitchcock on a Train - ONCE UPON A SCREEN

Jean Arthur and Frank Capra: A Symbiotic Collaboration - CINEMA CROSSROADS

Best Classic Movie Series

History Through Hollywood - THE BLONDE AT THE FILM **

The Treatment of Fascism in Classic Films - ANOTHER OLD MOVIE BLOG
(Entries to Consider: Seven Days in May (1964), Keeper of the Flame (1942), Storm Warning (1951), Address Unknown (1944), The Mortal Storm (1940))

Mae West Moments - CARY GRANT WON'T EAT YOU
(Note: The entries eligible for submission are from "Mae West Schools the Teacher" onward)

The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival - JOURNEYS IN CLASSIC FILM
(Entries to Consider: Ten Movies Worth Screening, My 2016 Festival Must-Sees, Pre-Fest and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)

Katharine Hepburn in the 1930s - OLD HOLLYWOOD FILMS

Best Profile of a Classic Movie Performer or Filmmaker

Harry Carey and Harry Carey, Jr. - CAFTAN WOMAN **

Allyn Joslyn - Pompous but Adorable - SILVER SCENES

The Rotund and Gravel-voiced Ol' Reliable, Eugene Pallette - ONCE UPON A SCREEN

Orson Welles - HOMETOWNS TO HOLLYWOOD

Musings on Clarence Muse - SHADOWS AND SATIN

History Through Hollywood: Esther Williams, Swimmer - THE BLONDE AT THE FILM

Best Blog Event

The 2016 TCM Summer Under the Stars Blogathon - JOURNEYS IN CLASSIC FILM **

Best Classic Movie Blog Design

Journeys in Classic Film

Java's Journey

Cinema Crossroads **

CMBA Blog Profile: The Man on the Flying Trapeze

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 22:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring David from The Man on the FlyingTrapeze.

If you remember the Spike Jones version of the song “The Man on the Flying Trapeze”, you’ll recall the mixture of admiration and humour in the lyrics. The song is kind of a reluctant love letter to a venerated trapeze artist who has stolen the songwriter’s girlfriend.

The blog, The Man on the Flying Trapeze, is an unabashed love letter to classic Hollywood film. David writes with admiration and wit about the films from the Golden Age, especially pre-code films. These he's chronicled in his "Pre-Code vs Post-Code" series.

“I love pre-code movies,” says David, “and I love to dig into how they were ‘cleaned up’ (and usually made worse) to meet a set of silly standards.”

One example compares Grand Hotel to Week-End at the Waldorf. You can read this post HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: When I was a kid, my cousins lived across the street and I was over there a lot. My uncle was a fan of Warner Brothers gangster movies, and in those days (late 1960s) a local TV station showed them every night at 6:00. So instead of playing with my cousins I’d find myself in front of the TV watching people shoot at each other with tommy guns in black and white, and to this day the experience remains magical to me. (Those Warner gunshots have a sound all their own!)

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: A great script, classic dialogue, terrific performances, striking photography or an intangible something that captures the zeitgeist of the moment and yet still seems timeless.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: I don't know if it's his cynical outlook or his contemporary storytelling style, but I've had good luck introducing people to Billy Wilder movies – Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment and Double Indemnity.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: Because it helps explain us as a people and it demonstrates where our storytelling traditions come from. As a culture we are too fascinated with newness for its own sake. New automatically equals cool/good. That people can be reluctant to look at anything considered "old" makes no more sense to me than someone refusing to look at something just because it's blue.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: The illusion that everyone is paying attention to what you post – and the feedback that you get from a dedicated handful of people with the same obsessions as yours.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: I don't know why, but I always have a hard time figuring out what movie I'm going to write about next – sometimes to the degree that I just freeze up and don't write anything. I know this sounds weird, but I honestly think I'd be better off if there was someone standing over my shoulder telling me what movie to write about next.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

The Man on the Flying Trapeze: Don't knock yourself out at first – this is a marathon, not a sprint. Try to post regularly, but not obsessively. And don’t beat yourself up if a few weeks go by between posts.

Thank you for joining us, David! You can visit his blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blog Profile: Spellbound by Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 22:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring Beth Ann from Spellbound by Movies.

Beth Ann Gallagher knows how to "sell" classic film.

Her blog, Spellbound by Movies, is an eclectic collection of all things classic film – filmmakers, film events, and the films themselves. She's one of those bloggers who make classic Hollywood seem fresh and hip.

Her blog is like a vintage boutique that specializes in unique pieces. One example is a look at Alfred Hitchcock and his terriers.

“It remains my most popular one four years after posting,” says Beth Ann. “I love animals, and I'm a Hitchcock fan, so I had a lot of fun writing the piece, and I'm sure that shines through.”

You can read her post on Hitchcock and his terriers HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Spellbound by Movies: As a child, classic film was around me and part of everyday life. It was readily available on TV, and my family watched it with me. On Saturday mornings, a local station called WLVI would run comedies like Our Gang/The Little Rascals, Abbott and Costello, The Three Stooges, and Laurel & Hardy. Comedy is a great entryway to classic film! Later that day, the network would run their Creature Double Feature and show films like King Kong, Universal's horror pictures, Hammer Studios flicks from the fifties, and Toho Studios giant monster movies like Godzilla. My mom would put the Million Dollar Movie on, and we'd watch classics together. I remember watching classics at her parents' place, like Yankee Doodle Dandy. I also grew up in a New England town with a lot of history in and around it. Classic movies don't seem old when your town history includes losing its Revolutionary War naval battle. As I got a little older, VHS and AMC made classic movies even more accessible before TCM came about. There was something wonderfully aspirational to me as a kid about the people in screwball comedies. I loved the glamour of the stars' clothes and stylings and the rapid-fire repartee.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Spellbound by Movies: I see the phrase “classic film” meaning different things in different contexts. There's the classic film era, which stretches from the silent

era to the 1960s. Something like The Torchy Blane film series was made in the era, but it's not well-known outside of film buff circles. Then there are classic films everyone agrees on. These are the movies that everyone agrees are part of the official canon, like Bringing Up Baby, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Wizard of Oz. The final category of classic is personal. They're the movies someone loves and can watch over and over again without diminished enjoyment. These classics might not always have the quality of a prestige picture like Now, Voyager, but they pack as strong an emotional wallop. They may be "contemporary" classics, made outside of the classic film era. A Christmas Story is a great example of that kind of picture. It's become part of people's Christmas traditions due to its subject matter, the feeling of family and the holidays it shares, and how smart it is in depicting kids, their inner worlds, and the scrapes they get into. If a film is going to end up either type of classic, it has to have a strong emotional impact and material that appeals, that will remain of its time yet timeless, and that will endure repeated viewings.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old

movies?

Spellbound by Movies: I would find out what topics or genres of movies people like, and then I'd find a corresponding classic film to recommend to them. For example, if they like fashion or biting dialogue, I'd recommend The Women. If the person was a complete blank, I'd recommend a comedy. People are more open to comedies than other types of pictures. Laurel & Hardy's The Music Box would be a great one to start with. It's short, and slapstick is a universal visual language. If the person was up for something more verbal and anarchic, I'd suggest The Marx Brothers' Horse Feathers.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Spellbound by Movies: Some people are put off by black and white movies or the phrase "classic film", but the best of these films are wonderfully alive and engaging. They may show the people and fashions of their times, but they have a timeless quality. They preserve the culture of that moment which usually has something to say about this moment. People don't change that much at the core however more sophisticated education, media, and technology have made the average person. If you can be open to classic film you can be open to a lot of experiences in life, and you can have a lot of fun at the same time. You'll learn about yourself, too.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Spellbound by Movies: I love learning more about movies from writing about them. That makes me re-watch them more closely, research them, and better understand what works and doesn't work about them and how they affect me and other viewers. Writing is a type of thinking for me. Beyond that, I hope to connect with other people online about movies. I'm a relocatee to California, and my job as a field representative involves travel, so blogging and tweeting about films helps me with my online social life, which has solidified in some face-to-face friendships.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Spellbound by Movies: My job often can take up more than full-time hours in the week. Sometimes I'm travelling and sometimes I'm commuting. Either way that can be a lot of hours stuck in traffic. All of this can be very energy depleting, which affects how much I writing I can produce. I try to write more outside of my job's hectic periods. Another issue is making sure not every post has to be a big, obsessively detailed one. My goal is to fit in more shorter pieces into my blog along with the in-depth ones. I want to make sure my blog reflects more of what I'm watching and festival going-wise and to add some fun features like lists, which can be short and snappy.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Spellbound by Movies: A lot of people can seem like experts on classic film or film in general. That can be intimidating. Everyone started out watching and loving movies. Let that passion propel you into being an active blogger. Get well-versed in films from watching them and start forming your own opinions and reactions. Then read up on the movies and find out the histories behind them. With so many people blogging out there, your blog's biggest asset is what you feel and think, your individual reactions, and how you present them. If you can, never hit the post button the same day you finish a write-up. At least give yourself an overnight to see if any new ideas or changes come to mind. Re-read your posts before they go live. Then you can spot gaps in your explanations, factual errors, jumps in reasoning, or writing errors. Find a friend or family member who's a good at editing or commenting on your writing. No matter how good a writer is, she or he is better with constructive feedback. Join blogathons to get practice writing something you might not have, to meet other bloggers, and to promote your blog. You will grow a lot as a writer and as a person through blogging, but don't forget to have fun with all of this!

Thank you for joining us, Beth Ann! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blog Profile: A Trip Down Memory Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring David from A Trip Down Memory Lane.

David’s experience with blogging likely sounds familiar to a lot of people. You might start a blog with a specific goal, only to have it morph into something else.

“I started my blog in March of 2010,” says David. “I started it so I could put all the information and tidbits of classic Hollywood in one place, but then it evolved into a blog showcasing memories of great entertainment and stars that I enjoyed. My blog was originally called The Great Entertainers Archive, but a year later I changed it to A Trip Down Memory Lane.”

A Trip Down Memory Lane is a valuable resource for those looking for information on celebrities of classic Hollywood. David chronicles lesser-known personalities, too, such as Nedra Sanders Broccoli.

“She was the widow of singer Buddy Clark as well as the wife of James Bond producer Albert Broccoli,” explains David. “Nedra had a lifetime of heartache and disaster. There were no other stories on her anywhere, so I researched what I could find on her for months. I was proud of the reaction I got, and it was used on other websites and publications. I also got emails from her two children who were toddlers when she died thanking me for writing the article on her. Even though her story was a sad one, I felt happy that I had the opportunity to tell it.”

You can read David’s post on Nedra HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Growing up I was very close to my Grandfather, and he instilled in me a love of old music and movies. He has been gone for 13 years now, but the memories of my Grandfather and I crying as we watched the drama Penny Serenade (1940), or singing along to the musical Good News (1947), remains with me to this day as I raise my young children.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: I used to say that a classic film was one that was made before I was born (pre-1974). However, to me a classic film is a film that generations can enjoy and a film that is timeless.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: It has taken me 11 years of marriage to convince my wife that not all old movies are truly “old”. I started off by showing my wife movies that did not really age such as Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and White Heat (1949). Then I moved on to more obscure movies like The Face Behind The Mask (1941). I have watched every genre of movies with her now – except for silent movies. I need a few more years of marriage for that!

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: I think people should care about classic films, because each film – whether a good movie or a bad movie – tell a person of what life was like in that time. Each film is a time capsule to a bygone era.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: The most rewarding aspect about blogging is sharing a love of classic movies and entertainment with like-minded individuals. It is great to meet people who think Gigot (1962) is a great movie or who always wondered what happened to singer Dick Todd.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: It gets discouraging sometimes when you put your whole heart into writing an article and no one comments or you have only a few views. To overcome it, I remind myself that I am writing this blog because I love talking about old movies, and I also remind myself that sometimes I can publish a story on my blog years ago and it just gets discovered. Whatever you publish on the internet never is truly forgotten or lost!

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: What advice I would have for a new blogger is to not get discouraged. Publish a blog for the right reasons, and also be patient. It takes awhile for your blog to be discovered and to build up a fan base.

Thank you for joining us, David! You can visit his blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blog Profile: Journeys in Classic Film

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're toasting Kristen from Journeys in Classic Film.

If you're looking for all-out zeal for classic movies, you'll find it at Journeys in Classic Film.

Kristen, a prolific blogger, podcaster and CMBA Board Member, infuses her website with a fresh, energetic vibe. She offers film and book reviews, news updates, and interviews with classic film biographers and actors – such as actress Jane Withers.

"I still get readers who ask me about getting in touch with [Jane] and mentioning how she shaped their lives or other personal anecdotes," says Kristen. "This was the second interview I ever did and the first with someone directly connected to what I was writing about. Jane was so sweet and funny (and actually wanted a picture of me!). I could have talked to her for hours."

You can read Kristen's interview HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Journeys in Classic Film: I've been asked this several times before and I'm not sure if it was a spark or a slow culmination. I'd always had classic movies on in my house in some form - predominately Disney animated features or The Wizard of Oz. When I was in sixth grade, we did a Tudor history unit where I was the only one who adored the 1969 film Anne of the Thousand Days. If any film could be the catalyst it was that one. For the first time I saw a sumptuousness that I didn't see in current cinema. When I was a senior I took a film class and after watching Singin' in the Rain and Splendor in the Grass I was hooked on classic cinema completely.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Journeys in Classic Film: There are two ways to approach the classic conundrum - time and content. The simplest answer would be, when reviewing films for my site, I limit to the "classic" era of pre-1980. Yes, I know most people only consider studio-era as the true classic, but the 1970s was a landmark decade and an ocean of time separates those films from today. From a content standpoint a classic is a movie that's timeless - that, regardless of changing fashions or technology, you can still appreciate what it sets out to do.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Journeys in Classic Film: Horror is the easiest way to get people into classics since everyone loves a good scare and there's little that time can do to change fear, so I always recommend Bride of Frankenstein or Psycho. Other titles that are good beginner tales are Singin' in the Rain - gives you a nice historic overview of cinema - or The Wizard of Oz.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Journeys in Classic Film: You can only appreciate the cinema of today by looking at the past. So much regarding changing content, ratings, genres, directorial influences all have their roots in classic cinema. There's a reason Quentin Tarantino fills his movies with references to old Hollywood and knowing those references makes you a more informed viewer, better able to appreciate film in its totality. On the other side of the coin, classic cinema can really help you from a personal standpoint. I know I've measured surgeries, sickness, and family issues through the classic films that helped me get through them.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Journeys in Classic Film: The people I've met, and I'm not saying the stars who have graciously agreed to talk to me, I'm talking about the readers. My site started out as experiment just to see if I could maintain it. I never assumed I'd still be running it nearly four years later and that's because people keep stopping by to read it! I've had people stop me at TCM Film Festivals and say they love my work or bring up my weird quirks that I've mentioned on the site (like my undying love for Cliff Robertson). It never ceases to humble me because these people don't have to read my site - I think there are writers far better than me - but they do and that will always be the best reward.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Journeys in Classic Film: I'm a perfectionist so I'm always trying to better my writing. I review a lot so there comes a point where saying a movie is good or bad in words that sound coherent and eloquent just doesn't happen and, I'll admit, some of my reviews are written out of a need to just finish and move on. I always feel that I'm not verbose in my thoughts enough. When I'm hitting that wall I try to watch movies I don't have to write on and just let the thoughts go. Or I'll read film books and look at their word choices and hopefully that'll inspire me. Of course the other challenge is finding the time to write and/or getting all the content out in a timely manner. In those instances all I can do is try to pre-plan as best I can.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Journeys in Classic Film: Other than the tired adage of "If you think you'll make buckets of money you're wrong?" Really I'd say write because you want to and develop a voice that's your own. Readers come back to me because they know what to expect. They feel comfortable agreeing or disagreeing with me because I've clearly stated my opinions. Also, make sure whatever your writing on gives you variety. It's easy to say you'll just be a reviewer but that can cause you to burn-out quickly. Depending on your focus try to include top 10 lists, articles, and other forms of media that'll give your mind a break while engaging readers.

Thank you for joining us, Kristen! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blog Profile: Silver Screen Modes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're celebrating Christian from Silver Screen Modes.

Author and researcher Christian Esquevin has an infectious passion for classic film costume design.

His blog, Silver Screen Modes, presents a thoughtful, fascinating look at Hollywood costume designers and the design process. He's also the author of Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label.

But his interests include more than costume design. He has a true appreciation for film itself, including films that are lesser known or are not widely appreciated, such as Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup (1966).

"The film is not everyone’s cup of tea, but part of the problem is that many people say they don’t understand it," says Christian. "[I want] to explicate the movie to others, or at least to point out that it does not follow a plot that has a neat resolution at the end. It also has a lead character that is not particularly nice to women, but he’s not nice to men, either, and that’s the story/character showing his alienation. On the other hand, it has tremendous vitality and shows swinging London in the 1960s. It’s a mystery where the answer dissolves the closer you look at it – much like life, really. I saw it in the theater in France when it first came out, and it left an indelible impression on my youth."

You can read Christian's review of Blowup HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Silver Screen Modes: My father was a big movie buff and took us to see the new releases (now classics) when I was a kid. My great-aunt had worked as the head cutter-fitter in wardrobe at the RKO studios in the 1930s, and previously at other studios. She fitted Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Barbara Stanwyck, Ann Miller, Maureen O’Hara, and others for their costumes. But it wasn’t until they had gone that I developed a passion for classic film and began researching the background of their making and especially the art of costume design and the designers that worked during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

The RKO Wardrobe Department in the 1930s

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Silver Screen Modes: It takes the passing of some time certainly. And that’s because the opinions of viewers have to go through a maturing process and the stages of a film’s quality changes over time. It never fails to happen that polls of the top 25 or 100 “Best Films” are always skewed toward the newer films. Take the poll again in ten years and most of those newer films will be gone, and a fresh batch will have replaced them. The “classics” are the films that remain. Those classics will have been on umpteen lists including lists of the “classics”. Everyone has different favorite classics, and we in CMBA have a very broad and diverse list. Thankfully our viewing is not just restricted to that small spectrum of human endeavor the studios are now producing.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Silver Screen Modes: That might depend on the age and sex of the person, but generally I would recommend The Magnificent Seven and The Killers (with Burt Lancaster) for young men. Double Indemnity and Vertigowould be other titles with some cross-over appeal, but these have no happy ending. And for women I would recommend Roman Holiday and Holiday (with Katharine Hepburn).

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Silver Screen Modes: Classic films were largely produced when character and story were more important than special effects or computer generated images. People talked, there was dialogue (or they had faces). Not that CGI can’t be an important part of the movie, but today it overwhelms human character to the point that only people with super powers seem to flourish, and then they go on to make sequels as often as super bowls. Classics include comedies and romances, and romantic comedies, not to mention westerns and musicals. These genres are virtually extinct today.

Tyrone Power & Loretta Young in Love is News

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?
Silver Screen Modes: Blogging is a way to share one’s love of the movies we write about, or for me the costumes and how they define character and how the designer had to go about the process of designing them and getting those costumes on the actors and on the screen. My fascination is always with what goes on behind the screen. We watch the movie and get wrapped up in the story (if it’s a successful movie). Even as bloggers we may concentrate on an actor or director. But it’s the whole process and the teamwork that makes such an interesting story, especially during the studio system. But the talent was equally with the craft people – the set designers and costume fabricators and make-up artists and many others. The screenwriter or lead actor or director may have failed to turn out a good movie, but the studio system craft people never failed to do their best. It’s writing about part of that process that interests me. And all the dynamics and interplay of the personalities and studio politics.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Silver Screen Modes: When I first started blogging in late 2009 I thought, how was I ever going to come up with enough ideas to keep going? Well the ideas kept coming. The challenge is finding time to keep the posts going. For my posts finding the images takes as much time as writing, and the research for the images and text is very time-consuming. I know this is the same for all of us. I work at it in chunks. Since I have a full-time job, this is often done at night, I often think I should have called my blog The Midnight Blogger.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Silver Screen Modes: Write about your passion. The typical advice in writing is write what you know – but you can learn as you go. If you have the drive based on passion you can keep going in the absence of much (or any) reward. But you owe it to your audience to know more than they do (most of them) on the topic of your blog post, or else why should they read it? Folks have limited time and they don’t spend a lot of it reading. Make it informative and fun.

Thank you for joining us, Christian! You can visit his blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Strictly Vintage Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're toasting Donna from Strictly Vintage Hollywood.

Donna at Strictly Vintage Hollywood has a thing for Rudolph Valentino.

But let's face it: who doesn't?

Not only does she curate a well-researched blog, she's written a book on Valentino, entitled Rudolph Valentino The Silent Idol: His Life in Photographs. She's now hard at work on a second book, tentatively titled The Films of Rudolph Valentino - A Chronological History.

"I have collected and studied Valentino for decades," says Donna. "I am still researching and learning; enjoying the process of research that I hope will result in an entertaining second book, my magnum opus on Valentino."

You can read more about Valentino, and his unique friendship with screenwriter June Mathis, HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: I like to say I was born loving movies. My parents instilled in me the love of what are now referred to as classic films because we shared going to movies when I was a child; both at the Drive-In (how I miss that, Disney films in my jammies) and going to see first run films at Century 21 Dome (dressing up in our Sunday best the process). We also shared time watching classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Portrait of Jennie on television. For my parents, these were the films of their generation and they became mine.

I also learned to love classic films by seeing them on television, late night television such as TV 36 in San Jose and KBHK where classics from 20^th Century Fox, MGM, RKO, Paramount and Warner Brothers were on regular rotation. Once I got my library card and discovered the film history section, a whole new world opened up for me with film bios and film history.

Once I could drive, I became a loyal patron twice weekly at my local revival movie house (The Vitaphone). There I experienced familiar favorites, except they were Three Strip Technicolor prints newly struck from the camera negative. To seem them on the big screen changed my life. Films on television never looked like this! Gob smacked is a good word to describe the feeling. For a film geek, it’s like a drug.

Getting to know the owners, working at the theater over a summer and learning how to run the large 35mm projectors; that was a thrill. It was also a thrill to stand in the back of the theater and watch the chariot race from the 1959 Ben-Hur six nights in a row. To see Random Harvest, a pristine new print, so clear you felt you could walk into it. The Garden of Allah, Dietrich and Boyer, impossible silly romance, in glorious Technicolor.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: Literally, to me a classic film is anything from 1900 to about 1965, the dawn of film to the end of the studio era in Hollywood. This would include foreign films, too. To me, a classic does not even really have to have the best script or acting. It is a film that stands the test of time and repeated viewings.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon, Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly’s Singin’ in the Rain, just about any Laurel & Hardy film and the same for Buster Keaton, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Now Voyager, The Heiress, The Mark of Zorro (silent and talkie versions), The Son of the Sheik, North by Northwest, Rear Window, and Sunrise. (I could name a dozen more!) It is inconceivable to me that someone could actually say they “hate” old films. For those that do, I can only imagine that they have not really seen any. So many genres, gangster, musicals, comedies, drama, women’s pictures, adventure films, romance, sci-fi, you name it, there really is something for everyone if they could be introduced to seeing a film as it was meant to be seen, i.e. on the big screen. At the very least, on television without commercials, like TCM.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: In today’s world of instant news, the 24-hour news cycle and endless tweets and Facebook posts, sometimes I think people need to care about classic films as a way to let go, lose themselves and enjoy 90 minutes (or two hours) of solid entertainment. Any classic film is a reflection of the era in which it was produced, but, the bottom line is all are human stories. They can touch you, empower you and make you feel great just when the real world has got you down. In other words because they are so very entertaining.

Why should they care about preserving them? Cinema is the most American of art forms. Film can be a snapshot of the period. Once lost, they likely remain so and a part of our history is gone forever, except stills and lobby art. Can you imagine a world without Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz?

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: The best thing I have found in blogging and writing about film is the people I have met. I mean, I follow several blogs and I love to read other viewpoints and learn about films I have not yet seen. I enjoy writing, and blogging is a tool for me to improve my writing and to share about films I love. If I get one comment telling me they’ve loved a film I’ve written about, that’s the best icing on any cake, metaphorically speaking. This takes me back to seeing films with my parents. Blogging and classic film is a shared experience, and it’s wonderful. I’ve met some of my best friends this way.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: The biggest challenge is finding time, and trying to be regular in posting. A challenge especially now as I am researching and writing a manuscript. I am trying to be proactive this year and get in the habit of a weekly post, even a small one. For the manuscript, I'm taking inspiration from my friend over at Backlots, Lara, to write something every day on the manuscript no matter how small.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Strictly Vintage Hollywood: Write about what you love. That, to me, is the biggest motivation. Be receptive to constructive criticism and ignore the trolls.

Thank you for joining us, Donna! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Movies Silently

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're celebrating Fritzi from Movies Silently.

Reading the blog Movies Silently is like visiting an amusement park. If you plan to drop by, it's guaranteed you'll end up spending the day. Better bring a lunch.

Fritzi's site is an adventurous look at silent film, as explored through reviews, Top 10 (or Bottom 5) Lists, amusing silent film gifs, and even vintage recipes. It is a celebration of silent film in all its forms – the serious, the witty, the tragic.

It's also a groundbreaking site that isn't afraid to attack cherished misconceptions.

"My review of The Cossacks is an example of what I most want to accomplish on my blog," says Fritzi. "It represents six months of research culminating in an epic takedown of a reasonably beloved film and an expose of its shameless plagiarism. Looking below the surface was rewarding in this case because it allowed me to both dig deep into film history and expose an injustice that has been ignored for almost eighty years."

You can read Fritzi's review HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Movies Silently: My parents were very anti-TV and we lived in a rather rural area because of my father's job so if we watched movies, they were VHS tapes from my parents' collection and they preferred the classics. Pretty much every movie I saw, except the original Star Wars trilogy, was at least three decades old so I don't really think of classic movies as odd. Modern movies are the weird ones, I tell you!

I particularly loved cliffhanger serials from the 1930s and 1940s. Flash Gordon, G-Men vs. the Black Dragon, Nyoka and the Tigermen and Buck Rogers are still among my favorites. They resembled Star Wars and I was addicted to their kitschy style. I also loved Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Katharine Hepburn, Our Gang, Charley Chase, the Marx Brothers and Laurel and Hardy.

As for silent film, I was in my teens when I realized that my movie knowledge pretty much ended at 1930. I decided to remedy that and got a few silent films, one of which was a Charlie Chaplin feature. I was hooked! My favorite discoveries in my first year of silent film were Mary Pickford, Harry Langdon and Cecil B. DeMille. I was familiar with DeMille's cheesy sound epics, of course, but his tight, fast-paced silent films were a revelation.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Movies Silently: That's open to interpretation but I consider the classic era to be from the birth of projected cinema (1895) to the fall of the Code with the introduction of the modern ratings system in 1968. As to whether or not an individual movie is a classic, I think it's a matter of how memorable it is, even if the film itself is obscure.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Movies Silently: For silent films, I recommend shocking people with something like The Penalty or The Mystery of the Leaping Fish, which both contain rather extreme content. The latter film is a Sherlock Holmes spoof with a hero who powders his nose with cocaine. In 1916. I have also had good success with Ernst Lubitsch's quirky comedies, from The Oyster Princess to The Shop Around the Corner.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Movies Silently: For the same reason they should care about history, classical music and fine literature: it expands the mind while giving us a glimpse into the past. All modern movies owe something to the classics and it's always worth it to look and see what they have to offer.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Movies Silently: First, it really opens my mind and makes me watch silent films that I might have otherwise ignored. I like to hold reader request events and I am always thrilled with the wide variety of selections that my readers come up with. Second, blogging about silent films has put me in touch with producers, accompanists, authors and other silent film professionals whose work I have admired for years. I consider it a huge privilege to get to know them.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Movies Silently: The biggest challenge is that silent film scholarship tends to be a bit calcified. It is taken for granted that D.W. Griffith invented everything, all British silents are awful and that hardly any women were powerful behind the camera. All that is changing, of course, and I want to be part of the change. I consider it a duty to start smashing idols, questioning unimpeachable sources and generally raising hell. Of course, this can lead to a certain amount of resistance in some quarters but the tide is turning.

I always try to come up with a fresh perspective, a new angle for every film I review. I mean, what's the point of reviewing a film if I am just going to echo what everyone else says? If I can't find that angle, I put the film aside for a while and wait until I can think of one. This can take years but the wait is worth it. For example, I handled my review of the 1925 version of Ben-Hur by attempting to write the most comprehensive behind-the-scenes story possible.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Movies Silently: 1. Look at your writing objectively and determine your strengths and weaknesses.

2. Have someone whose opinion you respect read your writing and tell you whether or not it is interesting and fun.

3. Write about what you love with passion, don't just pick a topic because it seems popular. If your writing is entertaining, people will come.

4. All my favorite bloggers have this thing in common: they write highly subjective, highly opinionated content and they clearly articulate what they do and do not like.

5. If you are planning to blog about films, read, read, read and read some more. Read what? Film criticism and theory from every era. Study the critics, find out what makes their writing smart or amusing.

6. Don't take shortcuts. Don't just parrot what other people write. Step off the beaten path and try to share obscure picks. It will give your blog texture and variety.

Thanks for joining us, Fritzi! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Classic Movie Hub

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're toasting Annmarie from Classic Movie Hub.

The tagline for Classic Movie Hub is "The Classic Movie Cheerleader!"

Indeed it is. The site includes contests, classic celebrity birthdays and Top 100 movie lists – truly a hub of classic movie information. (Psst! It's also a great place to advertise your classic film blogathon.)

Classic Movie Hub features an intriguing blog that delves into a number of eclectic topics. Annmarie, the site founder, is a dedicated researcher who delights in the "odd things you can discover when you're blogging."

For example, Annmarie found buried treasure while working on a post about Kathleen Howard for the 2013 Funny Lady Blogathon.

"I chose Howard as my subject simply because I adored her in It's a Gift," says Annmarie. "Imagine my surprise when I started my research and learned that she was successful in three distinctly tough and impressive careers: opera singer, fashion editor, and actress. It was like hitting pay dirt -- finding mp3s of her voice, newspaper articles about her career moves, and a book she had written about singing. Such wonderful discoveries about an actress that I only knew as W.C. Fields shrewish wife!"

You can read Annmarie's post HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Classic Movie Hub: Well, to tell you the truth, it all had to do with my parents. I was very lucky in that both of my parents loved classic movies, and each shared their favorite films and stars with me. I can distinctly remember watching It Happened One Night and Wuthering Heightswith my mother when I was a little girl, while she explained the overall stories to me, and told me about the actors. Of course I was too young to understand some of the implications, i.e. the 'Walls of Jericho,' but I loved the films just the same. My dad, on the other hand, introduced me to the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields and Charlie Chaplin. I can still remember laughing at the 'porch scene' from It's a Gift with him, as well as the hilarious 'cabin hanging on the edge of the cliff scene' from The Gold Rush(incidentally, my very first Charlie Chaplin film). As far as the Marx Brothers go, they were a staple for us, so I grew up with a deep appreciation for their slapstick, witty dialog and impressive musicianship. My love of classic films grew from there, but those early memories are still very special to me...and were the foundation for what was to follow.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Classic Movie Hub: For me personally, the film must stand the test of time, whether that means through message, plot, performance, innovation, craft or art -- and it must also somehow emotionally resonate with me (smile, laugh, cry, scare, anger, feel compassion, think, astound, etc). However, I also abide by the classic film definition as films belonging to the classic-era of film-making (up through the mid-to-late 1960s) although I can certainly understand why many fans would consider some later films 'classic' as well.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Classic Movie Hub: That's a tough question. I think it would have to depend on the person and their interests, as well as their open-mindedness. But some of my recommendations would be Casablanca, Some Like It Hot, It's a Wonderful Life, City Lights, How Green Was My Valley, Double Indemnity, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, North by Northwest and The Bridge on the River Kwai.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Classic Movie Hub: Well, because everything comes from something -- whether it's film, music, art, science, math, you name it... So, when you take the time to understand context and evolution, it makes everything much more exciting and interesting! How wonderful to be able to learn about the pioneers of film and their innovations, the studio system and its evolution, and all of the technical and artistic advances throughout the years -- and how they ultimately impacted contemporary films and film-makers. I can't help but think of this in the context of George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, and how his seemingly 'small' and 'uneventful' life impacted so many others; in the same way, a seemingly 'small' or 'uneventful' film or innovation (at the time) could have contributed to a chain of events that shifted or advanced the course of filmmaking in some small (or great) way.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Classic Movie Hub: For me, it's two things... First, I always learn something new when I'm doing research for a post, and that immerses me even more into the classic movie world, which is always fun. Secondly (but not less important), I've met so many wonderful film-fan-friends during my years of blogging, and I am fortunate to count some of them as true friends now. And, of course, it's always great to have a support group that really understands your passion and what you're trying to accomplish.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Classic Movie Hub: Honestly, it's tough to find the time. But, once I get started...well, I just can't stop.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Classic Movie Hub: Don't be too critical of yourself and don't wait for the right time to write. I think it's more important that you just start writing, do your best with what you've got, and learn as you go. Over time you will find your style and your sweet spot...

Thank you for joining us, Annmarie! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: The Movie Night Group's Guide to Classic Film

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and 15th. Today we're featuring Patricia from The Movie Night Group's Guide to Classic Film.

Patricia of The Movie Night Group's Guide to Classic Film is a dual-purpose film historian.

Not only do her posts include behind-the-scenes history of classic movies, she also records the discussions of her movie group – a group that's been meeting for over 20 years. (Patricia gives more detail on this in the discussion below.)

Her blog reads like a classic film catalogue, which covers several film genres. However, if there is one subject that resonates with Patricia, it's female doctors in classic film.

"Years ago, I became interested in the image of the woman doctor in classic film," says Patricia, "and I've actually presented a paper about it several times. For instance, Strange Lady in Town is a wonderful example of the trend I'd been seeing in earlier films. Plus, it stars Greer Garson, who is always wonderful."

You can read Patricia's post HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: My parents were both classic film fans, and I was pretty much raised on "old movies". I recall being fascinated by That Lady in Ermine when I was very tiny (like three years old). The Wizard of Oz was an annual event in our household – I'd watch it on a black and white TV, and was totally awed when I saw it many years later on a big screen, and watched the sepia turn to color. Another big event was going to see Gone With the Wind with my mother at Radio City Music Hall for an anniversary re-release. It hadn't been on TV yet, so it was a very exciting experience.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: A classic is a film you can watch over and over again, and always find something new in it. A classic is a film that generations can relate to – the people in it may dress differently, or speak differently, but the emotions, the reactions are the ones we feel as we live the story with the characters.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: I don't think there is a "magic movie" that will convert someone to loving classic films. I think it is often a case of finding something they already like, and recommending a film in the same genre. That being said, I often recommend things like North by Northwest, The Searchers, The Enchanted Cottage, Singin' in the Rain, The Thin Man.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: Classic films are our history; they are the story of what people loved (and cared about) in the past. But they also tell us about ourselves now. Movies in general show us we aren't alone in the world – classic movies show us that what we feel now is not unique to just this generation – it's universal.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: My blog started because of our weekly movie group meetings. We started over 20 years ago watching movies together in a group. That group has changed with the years, but now we do it remotely. We all watch the same movie, and we talk about it. I then blog our discussion of the films. They are, of course, colored heavily with my opinions – what I took from the discussion, but it provides us a record of what we watched, and also, I hope, introduces someone else to films we really loved.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: The biggest challenge is getting the time to write them. When I look at my older posts, I see that they are much shorter than they are coming out now. So, given that it seems we have more to say, it takes several days for me to put the post together. But I enjoy doing it.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

The Movie Night Group's Guide: My advice would be to find your own voice. Don't be too narrow in what you blog about, or you'll be bored. The thing about blogging is that you need a new topic every week or so. Don't box yourself in – find your comfort zone in your own writing. But I would also advise that you observe the niceties – spelling, grammar, the appearance of your blog are what make people come back to it. If it's hard to read, they won't revisit you.

Thanks for joining us, Patricia! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Virtual Virago

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 May 2016 12:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month – on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're honoring Jennifer from Virtual Virago.

Virtual Virago is one of those blogs that helps you see films a little differently.

It's no wonder, considering Jennifer Garlen taught English at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for several years. She is also the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching.

Her blog offers thoughtful analysis of films you thought you knew, and she explores delightfully surprising territory such as Classic Movies for Cat Lovers and Southern Voices on the Silver Screen.

"One of the most successful posts on Virtual Virago is about Laird Cregar, one of my favorite actors," says Jennifer. "I think Cregar had tremendous talent, and he deserves to be remembered and more widely known. His story is so tragic and utterly Hollywood that it really ought to be the basis for a book or a film."

You can read Jennifer's post on Laird Cregar HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Virtual Virago: Like a lot of classic movie bloggers I grew up watching old films with my family, but I really became invested in them when I started studying film as part of my literature courses in college and graduate school. I remember watching Easter Parade in my senior seminar on comedy at Agnes Scott College and really being blown away by the treatment of films - especially older ones - as "texts" to study and think about seriously. I like movies of all kinds and from all eras, but something about classic film continues to draw me back to it. Partly it's the stars, but it's also the stories and wonderful dialogue. I especially love the films of the 30s and 40s.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Virtual Virago: It depends on the audience or the kind of conversation I'm having with someone. I generally think of classics as films made before the end of the studio era, but at this point a lot of pictures from the 80s could very fairly be said to have stood the test of time. Bringing Up Baby might be a classic in a somewhat different sense from, say, The Muppet Movie, but both of them have special places in my heart, and I think both of them deserve love and attention from future generations.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Virtual Virago: Gosh, I worry about people who say that! I used to teach film units to college freshmen, and I had great luck luring them in with classic film noir. Noir is sexy, violent, and often pretty short, and the stars have such smoldering appeal. It's hard to resist Mitchum in Out of the Past or Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd.Other good starter films are the Chaplin and Keaton silents, Some Like It Hot, and, again, Bringing Up Baby. If you don't laugh at those you just don't have a sense of humor.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Virtual Virago: Like all narratives, films offer us a sense of what it means to be human, not only to be someone else but also to be ourselves. That's tremendously important. All art matters, but classic movies shed so much light on both the good and the bad about our past, sometimes unintentionally. I also love the way classic films rely on language and suggestion to convey complex, nuanced themes and concepts. So many modern films are tailored for the international box office and keep dialogue to a minimum in favor of big set pieces and explosions.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Virtual Virago: It's really reassuring when I have proof that someone actually read and liked a post, but sometimes I do it just because I enjoy putting my own thoughts together. I like writing. Getting a post up always feels like an accomplishment (and it's so much easier than finishing the most recent book project!).

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Virtual Virago: Finding time to watch and then write about the movies can be a challenge. I have a family, I do other types of writing, and I have a lot of irons in different fires. I'd love to have time to sit down with the really long films to watch them, take good notes, and put together thoughtful reviews, but sometimes I just have to go with the 90 minute picture because I know I can get through it before I'm interrupted!

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Virtual Virago: Think about the films you watch. Don't just summarize them or do play-by-play posts. Critical thought is more original, but it's also harder. A lot of other classic movie bloggers have already seen the movie in question, but they want to know what you think is going on in it. That might just be the English professor in me, but I really love to read thoughtful pieces about why a movie works or doesn't work for a particular viewer. I like to know how a writer sees a film; it might really be different from my own reading of it, and I learn something from that. Engage your text!

Thanks for joining us, Jennifer! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Another Old Movie Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month – on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're celebrating Jacqueline from Another Old Movie Blog.

Reading through Another Old Movie Blog is like sneaking into a film historian's library.

Here you'll find reviews and film history on subjects and actors not often discussed. Once you click on this site, you might as well get comfortable – you'll likely be perusing it for the rest of the afternoon.

In addition to her blog, Jacqueline is also the author of the recently released biography Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. This is the first published comprehensive biography of Ms Blyth. Jacqueline says the idea of a book began with the "Year of Ann Blyth" series on her blog.

"It prefaced a year-long fascinating journey for me," says Jacqueline, "and led to the publication of my book on Ann Blyth. That post started it all–where readers left comments suggesting that I write a book."

You can read the series introduction HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Another Old Movie Blog: I’ve always watched classic films, from my earliest memory. There were four TV channels when I was a child, and old movies were a common filler on all networks. My parents and older siblings watched classic films, so I grew up in an environment where they were a normal part of my life. At some point I began to perceive that the things happening in the movie happened a very long time ago, and that intrigued me. I became aware this was a window to the past, and with every movie, I was a time traveler.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Another Old Movie Blog: Movies made before 1965, preferably before 1960. The “classic” in classic films, to me, has nothing to do with timeless quality. It is merely a time-stamp. There are classic films and post-classic films, just as there is the Renaissance and the Regency Period, the Antebellum years, and the Great Depression. Eras. That’s all, no judgment call as to whether one was better than the other. It’s just a category to define studio-era films.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Another Old Movie Blog: People who say they hate old movies should be kicked in the teeth.

Bawh-ha-ha-ha. There, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest. I suppose I would show them The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), because it appeals to both men and women, and reaches anyone from whatever perspective they carry. From the first moments when we see those prosthetic hooks on Harold Russell, the movie is gutsy and full of heart in an honest and forthright way. We are taken in by Dana Andrews’ post-traumatic stress, by his failure to fit in with the America he returns to after the war; with Frederic March’s restlessness and heavy drinking; with the women of the story who are real and torn, and brave. It breaks your heart. It’s romantic, and frank, and sentimental, but always unblinkingly serious and never asking for pity. I think anyone can relate to it and become interested. You get sucked into the story from the first moments, and the hold it has over you lingers long after fade out.

Actually, I remember years ago, probably 30 years ago now, a woman I worked with told me about the plot of a movie she had seen very late the night before. She didn’t know the name, but she was up because she couldn’t sleep, and then the movie had her so riveted she just couldn’t get to bed until she’d seen the end of it. I listened, enjoying her description, watching the expressions change on her face as she told me the story. Then I replied,

“The Best Years of Our Lives. 1946.”

The thing that was so terrific was that she seemed overjoyed that I knew about the movie. She wanted to share it with someone in a way that was more than just talking about it. She wanted me to feel it the same way she did. She wasn’t a classic film fan, but we connected over a movie that was made before either of us was born, was in black and white, and had everything to do with our parents’ generation and not with ours. But that didn’t matter. It belonged to us now.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Another Old Movie Blog: Classic films are the primer on our history and our pop culture. I discuss this, and how I feel classic films should be taught in school, in my post from January, the first in my monthly year-long series this year on the current state of the classic film fan. I go into it more in depth there, but the upshot is we need to know who we are, and classic films show us a big part of who we are.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Another Old Movie Blog: Connecting with other film fans, or even newcomers to classic film. It’s a joy to read comments and to communicate through the blog and through email. I learn a lot.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Another Old Movie Blog: The biggest challenge is a lack of time. I blog once per week, and sometimes it’s difficult to get that in, especially when I write the longer, more in-depth posts. But there is no lack of subject matter. I have enough to write about for the next million years. I just need the time.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Another Old Movie Blog: Take care not to repeat “facts” that are not true, and not to treat tired old rumor as gospel. Check your facts, verify them. Classic film bloggers are replacing film historians as the chroniclers, even the arbiters, of film history. Take your responsibility as such seriously. Your words are going to bounce around the Internet forever. Make sure you’re right.

Thanks for joining us, Jacqueline. You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

5 Movies on an Island Blogathon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 09:44:00 +0000

Monday, May 16th marks the second annual National Classic Movie Day. As part of this year's festivities, the Classic Film & TV Cafe will host the 5 Movies on an Island Blogathon.

As it name implies, the intent is for participants to write about the five classic movies they'd want to have with them if stranded on a deserted island. (Yes, you can assume you have electricity, a projector, big screen, and popcorn!) These might be your all-time five favorite movies. Or, you might mix in some "comfort films" to give your tropical habitat that desired "homey feel." Just be sure to describe your criteria when you list your five films.

If you wish to participate, please send your blog's name and web address in an e-mail to: rick@classicfilmtvcafe.com. Do not send your list of five films; Rick will publish a link to the list on your blog. Please ensure that your list of five films is published no later than May 15th. Thatwill give Rick a day to add all the links.

Hope you can participate! You can view the continually updated schedule at

http://www.classicfilmtvcafe.com/2016/03/5-movies-on-island-blogathon.html.

CMBA Blogger Profile: All Good Things

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month – on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're celebrating Monty from All Good Things.

Monty from All Good Things has been building relationships in the classic film community for quite some time.

In fact, he began a Be My Guest series on his blog in May, 2010 that ran until October, 2013. In this series, he interviewed fellow classic film bloggers about their favorite actors and films, as well as their classic movie experiences.

"I started the series as a way of getting to know my fellow bloggers and classic movie lovers," he says. (Read one of these interviews HERE.)

Monty also features his famous Famous Actress Tournaments on his site. Click HERE to join the fun and cast your vote.

But he's also a dedicated and passionate film fan, especially when it comes to his favorite actress, Carole Lombard. You can find out why she's his favorite HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

All Good Things: I first got hooked on classic films back in the early 80's when this channel called Nick at Nite would air classic movies late on night, and it took me to a whole new world. I was like 12 years old then, and have been a classic movie fan ever since.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?
All Good Things: I believe a film is a classic if it presents a strong plot and writing along with excellent characters that you become invested in, and you really watch every scene with anticipation.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?
All Good Things: I would recommend pretty much anything with Carole Lombard and Cary Grant, my two favorite stars of all time. But not wanting to be biased, I would recommend watching such classics as The Lady Vanishes, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Sunset Boulevard, The Big Sleep, The Best Years of Our Lives and lots more.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?
All Good Things: Because classic films represent history and have really important significance in when and how they were made and the subject matter on hand.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?
All Good Things: Oh, that you can share your love of classic film with people from all over the world.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?
All Good Things: Probably my biggest challenge of late is finding the time to write on my blog.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?
All Good Things: Be patient and just let your thoughts flow from your mind and heart and everything will just come together.

Thanks for joining us, Monty. You can visit his blog by clicking HERE.

It's Time for the CMBA Spring Blogathon - Words, Words, Words!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 08:48:00 +0000

The Classic Movie Blog Association is proud to present Words, Words, Words!, running from April 11th to 15th. Please tune into the blogs below on the dates listed to read some writers writing about writers and writing in classic film!

April 11th

Old Hollywood Films - The Third Man
Silver Screen Modes - The Postman Always Rings Twice
Caftan Woman - Full of Life
Classic Film and TV Cafe - The Prize and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella

April 12th

A Person in the Dark - Theodora Goes Wild
Silver Screenings - All The President's Men
24 Frames - The Front
Satin & Shadows - Sunset Boulevard

April 13th

Film Noir Archive - The Girl Hunters
Speakeasy - The Chase
Cary Grant Won't Eat You - The Razor's Edge
pre-code.com - The Famous Ferguson Case
Century Film Project - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea & Stuart Paton

April 14th

Once Upon a Screen - Murder, My Sweet
Silents Please! - The Film Explainer by Gert Hoffmann
Another Old Movie Blog - Letter writing in movies
Man on the Flying Trapeze - Adam's Rib
Hometowns to Hollywood - Libeled Lady
Blonde at the Film - My Sister Eileen
Mildred's Fatburgers - Meet John Doe

April 15th

Stars and Letters - Margaret Mitchell correspondence on the making of Gone with the Wind
Classic Movie Hub - Robert Riskin
Silentology - Elinor Glyn and her novel Three Weeks
Silver Scenes - Bertram Milhauser
Outspoken and Freckled - Deathtrap
Second Sight Cinema - Citizen Kane

Several of these pieces are also available in a special eBook! You can get it for free over at Smashwords or buy it at Amazon for $0.99, with all profits going toward the National Film Preservation Fund.

CMBA Blogger Profile: FilmFanatic

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're toasting Silvia from FilmFanatic.

FilmFanatic has some of the most organized film reviews on the internet. This is because Sylvia's approach to film is orderly and methodical.

"I incorporate a bit of production history (citing sources so readers can go find out more)," she says, "and include relevant stills, link to my own review of an earlier version of the film (as well as other critics’ reviews), and comment on various aspects of what makes the film so great – including cinematography, script, performances, and more."

Sylvia has been reviewing film for ten (!) years, and she's reviewed a lot of terrific movies. One of her favorite posts, though, is her review of George Cukor's A Star is Born (1954).

"It’s not only a personal favorite, but is representative of how I write most of my reviews," she says. "I quote heavily from Peary’s Guide for the Film Fanatic – and other Peary books (like his Alternate Oscars and Cult Movies series) – but add my own commentary and thoughts throughout."

You can read Sylvia's post HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

FilmFanatic: I grew up in the 1970s and watched classic movies on television whenever they would air – yearly favorites were TheWizard of Oz and The Sound of Music. I also found myself drawn to early television shows like The Little Rascals and I Love Lucy, and would watch them in marathon fashion. As a teenager, I found a book at the library by Danny Peary called Guide for the Film Fanatic that fueled my desire to expand the scope of what I’d seen so far. I enjoyed the checklist nature of his book, with 4,300 titles he believes all film lovers should see.

The advent of VCRs and the American Movie Classics channel helped tremendously; I became a serious taper, and had drawers full of movies to pick from. I often did “thematic” marathons and would watch all movies featuring a certain movie star, by a certain director, etc.

As I grew up and learned more about history and the world, I found that classic movies from different countries – i.e., Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali series – helped to ground my understanding of humanity on a broader scale.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

FilmFanatic: This is a question I grapple with continuously! There’s the whole genre of “cult classics” – like Rocky Horror Picture Show or Pink Flamingos – that wouldn’t fit most people’s criteria for “classic movies”, but I consider these titles must-see for anyone truly interested in the breadth of cinema. There are also lots of classic movies made in other countries and other languages. With that said, “true” classics could be defined as movies that have stood the test of time (let’s say at least ten years) and remain enjoyable to audiences of any era and age. I just showed The Wizard of Oz to my kids (7, 5, and 3) last month and they were all riveted.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

FilmFanatic: I don’t hear that comment very often, since I think I tend to chat mostly with movie lovers! But some guaranteed feel-good classics include The Wizard of Oz, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Miracle on 34th Street. I also like to recommend shorter B-movie classics that keep you glued to your seat – like The Narrow Margin (1952).

I don’t think I would recommend lengthier and/or more controversial films like Gone With the Wind, because younger viewers who are new to classic movies may be turned off by the overt racism. “Veteran” classic movie lovers tend to gloss over some of the darker, more dubious choices made by Hollywood in previous decades – not to say that we excuse it (because of course most of us don’t!), but we’ve seen so much that we’re able place it in historical context and celebrate the advances that have been made since then.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

FilmFanatic: For the same reason they should care about any artistic and cultural legacy, including books, visual art, clothing, etc. Classic films are movies that have stood the test of time and remain worthy viewing years later – either for pure enjoyment, and/or to provide us with a glimpse of a previous era.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

FilmFanatic: I love getting to articulate my thoughts about a movie through writing. I tend to think while writing, and blogging is the ultimate way to think and reflect! I also love having an archive of my own summaries and opinions about movies, since it’s easy to forget several years later how a particular film impacted you (or not), especially if you’ve watched hundreds of others in the meantime.

I also met my Film Fanatic doppelganger through my site – hi, David Csontos in Lincoln, Nebraska! I never would have “met” David (we still haven’t met in person) if I hadn’t started the site.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

FilmFanatic: I’ve faced two primary challenges. One is with spammers: when I first started my blog, I created an accompanying discussion forum, and we had a healthy set of relevant discussions going. It was fun. Then I realized how much time I was wasting each day deleting spam accounts and comments. I’ve experimented with various ways to prevent spamming on my site, but haven’t found a time-efficient one yet, so I’ve limited comments on my blog to people who write to me personally and request permission to become members. This means there aren’t the type of rich discussions on each post that I would ideally like, because people understandably don’t want to go through that hassle.

My other challenge is lack of time, which I know most of us face! I have three young kids, a full-time career (non-film related), and a healthy love for books and watching newer movies that don’t fit the criteria for titles I’ll cover on my blog – all of which means I don’t blog as much as I’d like! I started FilmFanatic.org back in 2006, and am only halfway through reviewing the 4300 titles listed in Peary’s book. It will take at least another ten years before this experiment is complete! At that point, I’ll either go back and re-watch titles to provide an updated perspective, or return to working on my (on-hiatus) ModernFilmFanatic.org site, where I plan to discuss must-see films released after 1986.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

FilmFanatic: I have a few pieces of advice. First, as others have suggested already, I highly recommend determining a “niche” for your blog. With so many film-related blogs available to enjoy (and so many movies to watch!), why should a film lover return to yours? Brand it and set discrete goals. Second, set a writing goal for yourself that you can realistically keep, and stick to it – i.e., at least one post per week. You’ll need to deliberately schedule the time for this and make it a priority if you want your blog to thrive and last. Third, take your time with crafting a post before publishing it. The quality of writing and clarity of your ideas is key to luring people in. There are plenty of people on the internet sharing their thoughts about movies, but the ones whose sites are worth visiting have taken the time to do plenty of research and revise their thoughts before making them public.

Thanks for joining us, Sylvia! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Backlots

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're celebrating Lara from Backlots.

If you like a researcher's perspective on classic Hollywood, Backlots is the blog for you.

As a classic film researcher, Lara's blog covers many aspects of film history, such as film and book reviews, coverage of film festivals, and profiles of people and places associated with the industry. In her own words, she offers "pieces on the history, theory and culture of film as it relates to the study of classic cinema."

One impressive article is the 2013 interview she conducted with actress Joan Fontaine in honour of her 96th birthday. "She is very objective in her answers," writes Lara in response to a comment on her site. "It was very nice of her to take the time to answer my questions, it is so incredibly rare that she grants interviews, I feel so honored."

You can read Lara's interview with Joan Fontaine HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Backlots: When I was little, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who lived in nearby San Mateo County. My grandmother had aspired to be a film critic when she was younger, but had never been able to make it work due to societal restrictions on what a woman could do for a living in the 1940s. She made her career as a nurse, but always retained an intense passion for the movies. My earliest memories involve watching movies like Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, An American in Paris, and The Red Shoes with my grandmother, who knew everything there was to know about all the stars. When she showed me Lili, I was sold! I wanted to watch it over and over again, until my grandmother decided she would take the reins and show me another movie I would like just as much. That movie was Meet Me In St. Louis, which turned me into a die-hard Judy Garland fan. I read everything I could get my hands on, and saw all of Judy Garland's movies by the time I was 11. From there I branched out, and now I'm a huge fan of all kinds of classic film and am currently working on my first book.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Backlots: Classic is a subjective term. For many, a classic film is one that has shaped culture in some way, regardless of its era. For others, it's almost a synonym for "old." My personal definition is vague. Not all classic movies are old, and not all old movies are classic. My blog tends to focus on movies from the silent era up to the fall of the production code in 1968, but that's not a hard and fast rule.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Backlots: I like to recommend movies from the pre-Code era – from the time sound became industry standard in 1929 up through the stricter enforcement of the production code in 1934. Many people have a certain perception of old movies as being corny or predictable, and this perception almost always comes from the days when the Code dictated what could be shown and what couldn't. The pre-Code era gives people a new lens through which to view classic cinema.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Backlots: Classic film, to me, is living history. It can give us perspectives on what people were thinking and feeling in some of the most formative points in our history. In addition to that, something was lost in the art of filmmaking when the fall of the studio system and the production code happened. Classic film is a lens to another world!

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Backlots: The opportunity to share opinions, analyses, and ideas with a wide audience. Also, I have had the opportunity to cover some of the great classic film festivals for the blog, have interviewed some fascinating people, and have met some of the most interesting people I know through blogging!

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Backlots: Sometimes it's difficult to keep up with posting regularly, especially when you have other endeavors that take you away from it (at the moment, it's my book project). I monitor the amount of time that has passed since I have made a post, and never go more than a month without writing on the blog. It's important to maintain consistency, even if the post is minimal.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Backlots: Don't give up! It can be slow-going at first trying to build a reader base, but you WILL build that base, and it will be so rewarding.

Thank you for joining us, Lara! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: Tales of the Easily Distracted

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 01:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're featuring Dorian from Tales of the Easily Distracted.

If you like witty commentary with insightful reviews of classic film, Dorian from Tales of the Easily Distracted has created the perfect website. Dorian's playful enthusiasm is infectious; she has a way of "selling" a movie, whether it's a Marx Brothers comedy or an Alfred Hitchcock film.

"For me," writes Dorian, "my fascination with Alfred Hitchcock first started with my sister having the flu. My big brother let me stay up with him to watch Strangers on a Train—half of it anyway, once Mom put me back to bed. But it was like a 'gateway drug' for movie fans, and the biggest score of all was North by Northwest!"

You can read Dorian's post HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?
Tales of the Easily Distracted: A late-night viewing of Strangers on a Train opened my eyes to decades of films that were literally Before My Time.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?
Tales of the Easily Distracted: More than simply being old, a film has to be a cut above the average to be more than just a Great Old Film.
CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?Tales of the Easily Distracted: Well, Star Wars is 40 years old, and not too many people say they hate it…

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?
Tales of the Easily Distracted: The same reason they should care about Shakespeare or old books epic poems – people have told amazing stories, amazingly well, for decades in film, and for centuries in other media. And some are better than we’ll ever see again, for many reasons.
CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?
Tales of the Easily Distracted: Getting a real audience for my work. Time was I was in various APAs and fanzines where no more than a few dozen people could ever see my writing – now there’s a nearly limitless potential audience, and a lot of them are actively looking for people who write stuff just like you do.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?
Tales of the Easily Distracted: Time – I’m always convinced I’m not working hard, or long enough on my posts.
CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?
Tales of the Easily Distracted: Write about what you like, not what you think people want to read about.

Thank you for joining us, Dorian! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

Coming Soon - The CMBA Spring 2016 Blogathon!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 01:47:00 +0000

Good news, everyone! The subject has been selected for the 2015 CMBA Spring Blogathon, open to all members: Words! Words Words!. This blogathon covers movies about writers, books, librarians, publishers, and even screenwriters. Expect a lot of writing about writing!

The blogathon will run from April 11th through the 15th.

(If you're a member of CMBA and wish to participate, please email classic.movie.blog.assoc@gmail.com with your subject by March 31st. Any eBook entries should be turned in by that date as well.)

CMBA Blogger Profile: Twenty Four Frames

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 01:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're toasting John from Twenty Four Frames.

Twenty Four Frames is the hipster of the classic movie blog crowd.

Because he's a photographer and a classic film blogger, John of Twenty Four Frames brings a unique perspective to his blog. He covers a wide variety of films, including foreign classics, short films, and a few current releases.

In his reviews, he often discusses what was significant about the film to audiences of the day, but in doing so, he shows us why they're pertinent today.

"I like to find films that may be 30 or 40 or more years old and yet they say something about our lives today," he explains. "An example, which I will use, is Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives. As most know, it's about returning soldiers trying to readjust to civilian life after the horrors of war. The film addresses the situation after World War II, but with war sadly an ongoing part of our lives today, it's just as relevant today. I like to tie that kind of thread into what I write when I can. Does not happen always, but its a great discovery when it does happen."

You can find John's review HERE.

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Twenty Four Frames: As far back as I can remember, I always liked movies. As a kid, I watched Abbott & Costello movies which were on TV every weekend along with The Three Stooges, The Bowery Boys and others. Sunday afternoons were a treasure chest of movies on TV in New York City. One station always showed Warner Brothers films, and I discovered Bogart, Cagney and others. In movie theaters I discovered then-current actors like Newman, Lemmon and Peter Sellers. It was around this same time that I started, unintentionally at first, paying attention to a film's credits. I noticed some films that I liked were always directed by the same filmmaker. Names like Blake Edwards, Billy Wilder and Hitchcock. I began paying attention to who directed the film. At the time, I didn't quite understand what a director did (lol), but there was this correlation between the director and what I liked. From there I began to read books about making films, books about directors and serious film criticism from the likes of writers like Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael and others.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Twenty Four Frames: That's a tough question. Everyone seems to have a different thought, which is fine. For me, not every film, just because it's from a certain period, is "classic." The Hollywood studio system put out a lot of garbage. Classic films can come from anywhere and any time period: England, Italy, France Poland, Japan, etc. A film, like wine, may have to age a bit, but there are films from later periods that are "classic." For example, the Coen Brothers' Fargo or Scorsese's Goodfellas just to name two. I like films from all time periods and places.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Twenty Four Frames: If it's a silent film I would go with Chaplin, either The Gold Rush or City Lights. Otherwise, I would suggest White Heat, Hitchcock (Psycho, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Notorious), The Maltese Falcon, Some Like it Hot, Double Indemnity and His Girl Friday.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Twenty Four Frames: Because at their best, they are art, and life without any art is emptiness.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Twenty Four Frames: Getting to 'meet' so many people with a passion or love for film. There were times I felt I was the only one out there.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Twenty Four Frames: It's always what to write next and how to make it stand out. Surprisingly, something always comes to mind and then you just hope others will find it interesting enough to read.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Twenty Four Frames: Write about the films you like at first, but at some point challenge yourself to write about films that you are not crazy about.

Thank you for joining us, John! You can visit his blog by clicking HERE.

CMBA Blogger Profile: A Person in the Dark

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 01:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're celebrating Marsha from A Person in the Dark, who is also our current CMBA Chairperson.

Classic movie bloggers have a great sense of humour, and no one demonstrates that more than Marsha of A Person in the Dark.

Marsha's blog will make you laugh out loud, but she also writes with great empathy about some of classic Hollywood's tragic figures. One example is this profile of actress Alma Rubens.

"I do not consider myself a critic, only a fan," says Marsha. "I love the movies and I love the stars of old Hollywood. I especially like to write about them from a fan's perspective and am always happy if I can collar a convert along the way."

Marsha's twin passions for classic film and Cary Grant is evident in this post HERE. She's sharing it because, she jokes, "the restraining order has expired."

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

A Person in the Dark: At around age 11 or 12, I was too lazy to get up and change the channel after a showing of the Bowery Boys on NY WNEW on a Sunday afternoon and was seduced by James Cagney in The Public Enemy. Who was this man? Who were these people? I had to know. From there, it was endless trips to the library and endless viewings of whatever might be showing all week on WOR’s Million Dollar Movie.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

A Person in the Dark: I think a classic film is one that speaks the same language to many hearts, no matter what the era.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

A Person in the Dark: I have never known anyone NOT to enjoy Singin’ in the Rain, Double Indemnity or Casablanca. And – if you can get someone to give silent films a try, City Lights usually gets thumbs up from even the most resistant viewer.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

A Person in the Dark: Did Woodrow Wilson really say that Birth of a Nation was like writing history with lightening? Probably not, but the cultural and historical significance of film is precious. Watching a film from the early 20^th century is our only way to see, in motion, how people looked and lived, and what our country actually looked like so long ago. Watching films from the 30s and 40s not only shows us the styles of the time, but it gives us the slang, the lingo and trend factors of the day. All of these reflect the basis for our shared dreams and fantasies. Sometimes it is fun, sometimes it is frivolous, and sometimes it is art.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

A Person in the Dark: You know, if you are passionate about football, chances are there are lots of people in your life you can share that with. But finding people to share an interest in classic film with is not so easy. The very best thing about blogging is discovering a community that shares my love of film and finding a way to express that passion.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

A Person in the Dark: I think most bloggers would agree that finding new topics and new angles after you’ve exhausted your repertoire is a challenge. It’s very hard to write something fresh about a great film that has been analyzed and reviewed by tip top writers.

Sometimes it helps to just take a breath and step back. Conversely, it also helps to sign up for blogathons, because they force you to meet a deadline and stop fooling around.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

A Person in the Dark: Write your passion and be generous with your comments and praise to other writers. Getting to know other bloggers and forming a mutual admiration society is a great thing.

Thank you for joining us, Marsha! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.

Love is Blind

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 00:55:00 +0000

Watch Love is Blind Movie Online

Description:

The full trailer of the upcoming romantic comedy “Love is Blind” has released by Regal Films. “Love is Blind” stars Kiray Celis, Kean Cipriano, Solenn Heussaff, Chynna Ortaleza, and Derek Ramsay. Written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. The film is set to open on February 10, 2016, in cinemas nationwide.

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CMBA Blogger Profile: Caftan Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 01:00:00 +0000

The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th. Today we're paying tribute to Patricia from Caftan Woman.

Remember when you were a kid and you had that one relative who really understood you? When it came to special occasions, that relative always gave you gifts you couldn't wait to show your friends.

Patricia from Caftan Woman is just like that relative. Her blog covers many films that don't receive a lot of love these days, and her reviews make you want to watch these films and immediately show them to others. This is because her well-researched posts shine with a passion for classic film.

"John Ford is my religion," she writes in her profile, and says she has a "particular fondness" for westerns, screwball comedies, musicals, B mysteries and film noir.

An example of Patricia's fondness for film noir – that is also an example of her shrewd powers of observation – can be found in this post on Claire Trevor's fashion decline in Born to Kill (1947).

CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?

Caftan Woman: Bonding moments with my movie buff dad and three younger sisters. TVOntario's (public television) Saturday Night at the Movies hosted by Elwy Yost, produced by Rise Schuman. A double bill each Saturday of uncut, commercial free classic films with interviews and an educational component. It made reverence for the films acceptable. Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide and other books which inspired a personal stewardship toward the movies I loved.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?

Caftan Woman: A classic film is a window into the artistry of its creators and the heart of the viewer.

CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?

Caftan Woman: I have had success introducing "haters" to 12 Angry Men, The Set-Up and Winchester '73.

CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?

Caftan Woman: I have found that most people who don't care about classic film also don't care about history. A civilization that forgets its history is shallow.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Caftan Woman: Sharing my love of classic film and learning from and being inspired by fellow film bloggers.

CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?

Caftan Woman: My biggest challenge is being lazy, and I overcome that by signing up for the imaginative blogathons that come our way.

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?

Caftan Woman: Don't wear yourself out. Write about what moves you passionately. Don't compare yourself to others.

Thank you for joining us, Patricia! You can visit her blog by clicking HERE.