Holy Cow! It’s the Liebster Award!

Though I’m quite late in acknowledging this (3 months late, actually, and I know it’s shameful!), I was nominated by Paul from Silver Screen Classics for my very first Liebster Award! I’m truly grateful to Paul for this honor and it couldn’t come from a nicer blogger. Paul is a blogger who is both creative and has a knack for the written word so his posts are always a treat. He has also just announced his first hosted blogathon on a topic I’m excited about and will no doubt elicit some interesting entries: The 2020 Classic Literature on Film Blogathon. Please check it out (and maybe sign up!) if you get a chance.

To quote Paul: “The Liebster Award is thought to have originated around 2011 and ‘is a way to be discovered but also to connect and support the blogging community.’ After receiving a nomination, you earn the award by following a series of steps.”

The Steps are:

1. Thank the nominator in your award post.
2. Place the award logo somewhere on your blog.
3. You must state up to 11 facts about yourself.
4. Complete the questions that your nominator provided.
5. Nominate as many bloggers as you’d like (11 is the maximum).
6. Ask your nominees a series of questions (11 is the maximum).

 

My 11 Facts:

1. I collect biographies and autobiographies of classic film stars. They are, in all honesty, my favorite thing to read and I own around 180 of them so far.
2. I can’t type with all of my fingers and only use the pointer ones. I’ve done it so long that I do it without looking at the keys, which seems to baffle people.
3. I have an extremely high tolerance for caffeine. I can’t actually tell when I’ve had any and have been known to drink 4 red bulls or 6+ shots of espresso in an evening and then promptly fall asleep on the couch.
4. My ethnic makeup (aside from American) is English/Swiss/German/Italian/Yugoslavian with a dash of Irish
5. I  think the 1990s was the most perfect decade in music, not only because of the actual quality of the music, but the diversity in what was considered popular (rock/pop/ska/rap/r&b/electronic/country were all played alongside each other on the popular radio stations)
6. I can’t bring myself to eat greek yogurt because it smells like actual garbage.
7. I taught myself Italian in high school, since it wasn’t offered as a school course, with a good deal of help from Puccini’s operas and The Godfather.
8. I used to read Tarot cards, but stopped when a couple of the readings got too accurate and I spooked myself. I haven’t done it since, though I still have my cards.
9.  Green is my favorite color (and has been for as long as I can remember).
10. Right after graduating college, I won $1000 for writing a poem. It funded my 2 week trip to Europe, the one and only time I’ve been abroad. I almost didn’t accept the money because I initially thought it was a scam.
11. I was a Psychology major in college. I decided on this path after reading The Minds of Billy Milligan and becoming intensely interested in Dissociative Identity Disorder.   The only film I’ve seen that ever understood this disorder and portrayed it properly was Split (2016).

 

The 11 Questions From Paul:

If you could star with a classic film actor and classic film actress, who would they be and why?

Vincent Price and Joan Blondell. Price blows me away as an actor, but also would be quite fun to talk to (about art, food, etc.) in between scenes. As for Blondell, I’d be her Glenda Farrell any day of the week. She seemed like a generous and fun gal to be partnered with.

Who is your favourite director?

It used to be David Lynch and I love Howard Hawks, but recently I’ve been blown away by Taika Waititi and his range. These days, and especially with the Academy Awards looming, I’ve been less impressed by directors who just do the same thing over and over (ahem, Scorsese). I get that you can label that as “style,” but it makes me wonder questions like: do I really need to see The Irishman to know exactly what it’s about and who it will be starring? Taika was already big on my radar because of the gorgeous artsy nerd masterpiece which is Eagle Vs. Shark and also What We Do in the Shadows, a hilariously innovative take on vampire films, both offerings more for the indie crowd than the mainstream. Then he surprised the heck out of me when he joined the Marvel universe and directed two Thor films (you can’t get more mainstream than that)! Now his latest film Jojo Rabbit is up for an Academy Award and is touted as the “arthouse offering” by Academy watchers. He keeps you guessing and is definitely one of the most exciting directors out there, in my opinion.

London or Paris? Why?

Too difficult to choose, but maybe Paris because they have brie and violet flavored ice cream and that trumps almost everything.

What has been the most challenging blog post you have had to write?

Any in the Wampas Baby series. Loads of research put into those and it’s been hard to find that kind of time.

What is the next book you plan to read from your reading list?

In Pieces, Sally Field’s autobiography, though there’s quite literally a stack by my bed.

Describe your perfect day (within the bounds of reality).

Sitting outside in the sunshine with an iced coffee and a good book until I’m just shy of a sunburn, lunch somewhere new with friends, a swim in the pool, dinner theatre and a chocolate martini, finishing the night dancing in a club that plays drum n bass (several Red Bulls/ leopard pants/we wouldn’t arrive before 11) and staying out until dawn (this is only slightly within the bounds of reality, because these days I can’t seem to stay up past 11).

Who had the greatest influence on your developing a love for classic film?

My dad. We watched TCM a lot together when I was a kid and he taped a bunch of films on to VHS. After he passed away, I watched them quite a bit and it was another way to stay connected to him. I have him to thank for initiating my love of Bringing Up Baby and Desk Set (still two of my favorites today) and anything Raymond Chandler.

What iconic car from a classic film would you love to own?

The one David and Susan fought over in Bringing Up Baby. That’s MY running board!

List your favourite quote from a classic film and why you love it so much.

“You’re maudlin and full of self-pity. You’re magnificent!” – Addison DeWitt (George Sanders) in All About Eve. I think it’s quite clever and it always seems to surface first in my mind when someone mentions memorable quotes.

Name a classic film villain you love to hate and why.

Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) in The Crow. That voice! He’s sinister, but magnetic.

If you could possess a super power, what would it be and why?

Teleportation would be quite handy…plus it would save me money on gas.

 

My Nominated Bloggers and Questions for Them:

This is an attempt to nominate bloggers in the film community who I truly enjoy while also trying to pass the torch and nominate those who I know I hadn’t already nominated. I know these acceptance posts take some time to write so accept or don’t, but please know I think you are wonderful either way!

1. The Classic Movie Muse
2. Maniacs and Monsters
3. Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies
4. Noirish
5. 18 Cinema Lane
6. Once upon a screen…
7. The Old Hollywood Garden
8. Realweegiemidget Reviews
9. Silver Screenings
10. Poppity Talks Classic Film
11. Maddy Loves Her Classic Films

 

1. What is the strangest or most off-brand topic/thing you’ve blogged about?
2. Who or what inspired you to start blogging?
3. Recast one of your favorite classic movies (pre 1970s) with modern actors
4. Recast one of your favorite modern movies with classic actors
5. What is a book that you would love to see adapted into a film and why? 
6. What do you consider the biggest misstep behind the scenes in the cinema world (i.e. not casting someone for a role, a specific directorial choice, a remake that shouldn’t have happened, an interview that went on to haunt someone, etc.)
7. What do you consider the most fascinating film community scandal (past or present)? 
8. Which actor or actress do you think died way too soon and where would you have liked to see their career go had they lived?
9. Which actor or actress missed their calling in a specific genre and why do you think they would or would have excelled in this vein? 
10. Which 6 guests would you invite to your Hollywood party and why these specific 6? 
11. Which onscreen outfit would you wear everyday if you could and why did you pick this one? 

 

Happy blogging & I can’t wait to see your posts if you choose to accept!