Vintage Spotlight: Classic Film Blogs
With SUTS being this month, I thought the Spotlight should be something that goes hand-in-hand with classic movies and the like. Even though the site is supposed to cover all things vintage, there are a couple of categories that I don't mention too often, those two things being movies and music. If I cover a movie these days, it's either for TNT or SUTS. I don't really ever sit and just talk about my favorite classic movies. I didn't know if that would be considered interesting, especially because I lack the eloquence of the people I'm about to talk about. I think my style of blogging in general is very conversational and I struggle with changing that tone as I don't want to lose my voice in trying to relay a subject, so there are some types of posts that I just don't feel qualified enough to cover. Classic movie reviews clearly are not my forte, an opinion that was confirmed as fact when I found these blogs. I never looked for classic movie blogs while I was trying it out, mainly because I wasn't aware that they existed. I probably should have though, or I could have saved myself a year-long hiatus and just figured out another blogging path to take. LOL
Anyway, now that we're in the final stretch of this year's SUTS promotion, I wanted to explore some of the sites that were dedicated to just (or mainly) classic films. And I'm so glad I did. I came across sites that were so intelligent, well-written, and passionate about the subjects being blogged about. The bloggers behind these sites have a love and an appreciation for classic movies that they manage to infuse into every word on the page; I wouldn't describe any of the posts I read as 'throwaway' entries. The level of research and work that went into each entry, whether it was about a classic movie or an actor/actress who starred in it, was evident to me from the minute the page loaded. Some of the sites take on a more scholarly voice, with their posts in the form of informative essays, while others take on a more informal voice and relay facts, most of which weren't widely circulated. Some are informative biographical posts about their favorite actors, actresses and films, others are tribute posts that have a more personal tone. The world of classic film blogging is much more complex--and fun--than I initially thought it would be, with different blogathons centered on various themes and people and organized/hosted by several different bloggers. This was one of the posts that I had to research the most, but I enjoyed it immensely. These blogs aren't listed in any order of importance and all header images are properly sourced. Enjoy!
1. Journeys in Classic Film
This is the first of the movie blogs I found and it almost instantly became one of my favorites of the bunch. Kristen is a classic film buff and writes about both the movies and the actors. She's covering SUTS too, but rather than a daily rundown and featured film like I'm doing, she's actually part of a larger blogathon for the promotion and with each day's post, other classic film bloggers and reviewers' work on that actor/actress are displayed. There are oodles of film reviews on this site, which I found particularly interesting because said reviews have so much depth to them. There's a perception of the characters in these movies, a sense of understanding about the characters, that I wouldn't have had or grasped on my own. They're not long-winded reviews (unlike someone we know, right?) but they're still very thorough and provide a deeper look into the film in question. The genre of the films being reviewed also varies a lot, so if your taste in classic films is widespread, this is one of the sites you should check out. If you like participating in blogathons as a reader, you should check out the site as well; from what I've seen, Kristen's a pretty active member of various movie-related blogathons, which would also expose you to more movie bloggers.
2. Classic Movie Hub
Classic Movie Hub is one of the more extensive sites that I came across for this post; if there was a People Magazine for the classic film industry, this would be it for me. Lists of fan favorite movies, top movies of particular decades, classic actors/actresses that are currently trending and TCM's viewing schedule are just some of the things that adorn the sides, with a treasure trove of information waiting to be discovered in the various category headers at the top. Whether you enjoy the movies themselves, the actors who helped bring the characters to life or the directors who guide everything into their proper places, you'll be able to find it all here. If you're a fan of anything related to the classic film industry, make a stop at Classic Movie Hub.
3. Silver Scenes
Silver Scenes is a thorough site that I enjoyed spending time going through. A unique bit about this site is the Nugget Reviews, where the rating system is given in gold amounts from 24 carat all the way down to Fool's Gold. Both Metzinger sisters have a list of their top 25 favorite movies and it makes me wonder why I don't have a list of my own favorites. lol They're very active in the blogathon world as well, with lots of different blogathon images lining the side of the site. The review archives are also neatly classified, as there are categories for movies, posts for specific actors/actresses, miscellaneous articles, and even home tours, which I'm excited to check out. There is a lot of work put into this site to cover pieces on all parts of the classic film industry, and it shows.
4. Another Old Movie Blog
Another Old Movie Blog is run by Jacqueline, who is both an author and classic film blogger. This is one of the main blogs that I was referring to earlier when I said that the attention paid to detail and the scholarly sound of the posts was what drew me in. This lady knows her stuff, and it shows in every post. Again, the depth of understanding a character in a movie or the type of characters that an actor typically portrayed is explained in a thorough but educated way. The fact that Jacqueline is an author I think gives her posts a little something extra. When reviewing or describing a movie, those descriptive skills come out to play and even if you haven't seen the movie, you feel as though you've seen it by the end of the post. She seems to have a very sharp eye and an equally sharp understanding of a character, because she picks up on smaller nuances, mannerisms and weaves those into the scene or movie being described. She too is not long-winded, but even the longer posts, like the reviews, keep your attention until the end.
5. Immortal Ephemera
This is another blog that is very extensive in the content available to readers. Reviews are classified by specific era (pre-Code, horror, etc.), and the reader can search for films released by year or actor/actress. One unique item that set Cliff's site apart because I hadn't seen it before was the section about his bookshelf, which is full of all kinds of biographies and classic novels. What I found the most interesting was that instead of going to the Internet for all of his information when researching a post, he still kicks it old school by consulting novels and written information first. He also sells movie cards, still photos and other types of classic memorabilia, something else that I thought was pretty cool. Photo galleries are neatly classified by decade, and if you'd like to purchase any of the cards or photos you see, a handy purchase link is available on the page as well. Cliff has a more conversational tone, which I appreciate as it doesn't make me feel quite so stupid when either reading or thinking about the tone of my own posts, but that same depth of understanding a character or his/her motivations is still present. The tone doesn't belie the information being relayed.
6. CineMaven's: ESSAYS from the COUCH
When I mention blogs that are eloquent, descriptive, or captivating in terms of word play, I can't mention any other blog without mentioning CineMaven's series of essays in there somewhere. From what I gathered, this is a newer blog, but she clearly isn't new to the world of writing. Her essays speak of experience, of a deep understanding of a character, and in the larger picture (no pun intended), a deep understanding of the direction a movie takes. I think in order to be a movie reviewer, classic or otherwise, said understanding should be a prerequisite. Or if nothing else, your perception of what you see in a film should at least make sense when you explain it. LOL Theresa is another with a sharp eye and the ability to pay attention to details in scenes, character mannerisms and the like. I appreciate the photos in the posts and her efforts to bring the reader into the moments she writes about.
7. A Classic Movie Blog
What I liked about this site was that in addition to covering movie reviews, behind the scenes on some of our classic films are also covered in-depth. KC helps paint a picture of whatever it is that she's reviewing, whether it be a personal experience, a rundown of a novel or a movie review. Everything is explained in a way that places you in the experience. The movie reviews are, like the others, detailed and true to the film but of a decent length. They're not overwhelmed with bias and personal opinion to where the tone of the review changes, for those who prefer an objective review. I'm also digging the hell out of that header. LOL A unique bit about this site I really like is the Quote of the Week, which are usually inspiring, yet simple quotes from some of our vintage stars.
8. The Hollywood Revue
The Hollywood Revue is a site dedicated to nothing but movies. Angela is a fan of many types of classic films and will blog about them all. Her archives section is also quite long, with a bunch of different kinds of movies, from B-movies to silents, cult favorites to dark horses, that she's already reviewed. I think if you're a newbie to classic films and just want a list without having to read (although I encourage you to read the reviews), this is an excellent starting point to use. I didn't see a few of my favorites, like Some Like it Hot or Operation Petticoat, but I can deal. lol The range of movies reviewed is a wide one, which is why I suggested using that as a reference point if you'd like to start watching classic films. In addition to providing a review on the film itself, there is also an underlying point to educate the reader, which I have noticed with all of these sites, on the actors playing the roles. There is usually some behind-the-scenes information on the impact these roles may have had on their careers or just random notes on public reception of the film. I like those little blurbs. Angela is very informed on the films she reviews, but doesn't come off as stuffy or uptight, even when she wasn't very fond of a film, and I like that.
9. Classic Movie Ramblings
Even though the site refers to posts consisting of rambles, I didn't get that tone at all from reading through the various posts. The author is quite the busy chap; in addition to Classic Movie Ramblings there are five--yes, 5--other sites that he also runs and updates regularly. And I thought I was busy with just my two little sites. lol There is a site for B-movie and cult flick aficionados, another for cult tv shows, yet another for vintage pop culture and all related material (books, tv adaptations, etc.), yet another to focus on the work of various artists, and another for conservatives (wasn't a fan of that one at all but I digress). The reviews aren't long but again, thorough and unbiased in the tone that they are reviewed in. If you're a fan of any of the things I listed above, then dfordoom has a site for you to express it.
10. Classic Film Freak
The archives of this site are varied and arranged very neatly (unlike someone else's archives section) by year so that you can start from the beginning. Just as the name of the site suggests, Orson DeWelles (love that name btw) is a film freak of many genres, but prefers the '30s through the '50s. Those are my favorite decades in film as well, so there'll be no complaints from me. Some of these reviews are longer than others, but they aren't so long that they lose their focus; the reviews remain on-topic and aren't weighed down by bias, and as I mentioned earlier, I really appreciate that.
There are tons of other classic film blogs out there in the interwebs, but this is a small collection of the ones that I came across. I didn't give myself a lot of time to look since I've been doing the daily posts for SUTS and trying desperately to post on my review blog at the same time, and I also didn't want to make this too long for comfort. I do that enough, don't ya think? lol The longer the posts are, the longer it takes me to get them published and since we're already working on four days past the time I said (partially because of the length of the post, partially because of personal/health issues), I condensed the original number of blogs I was going to feature so that I could get this up. If you're interested in seeing more lists of movie blogs though, let me know and I'll make another list. Anyway, I've really had a blast going through these movie sites. I loved what I found, I envied appreciated the effort and the attention put into every element of each site, and I found myself inspired to do more movie-related posts. No more movie reviews; that hasn't changed. lol But I don't have to review movies in order to discuss them and talk about some of my favorites so I thank these owners for unintentionally helping me brainstorm new posts that I'd like to do sometime. I hope you enjoyed this Spotlight and I'll see you tomorrow!
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