General Comments, Suggestions, and Miscellaneous
Got something you’d like to say? Do you think my blog’s layout sucks? A movie or TV show you’d like to see me review? A meteor is headed towards the planet and you want to alert me? Say it here.
If you say derogatory or offensive things, about me or just in general, I’m not going to publish it. However, you’re certainly more than welcome to say derogatory things about my entries. Thems the rules.
I stumbled across your site a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with it and it now sits on my bookmark bar next to IMDB and IGN. I just have a small question though, are you from St. Louis? There are so many references to the Cardinals I just had to ask. I have lived in St. Louis all of my life, granted that’s only 23 years, and have loved every second of it. Well any way, love the site man keep it up!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
I am indeed in St. Louis- south city. I was raised all over the country but my family is from Missouri and I moved to STL about 10 years ago.
You’re a huge movie fan, that’s ovious. So I was wondering if you ever went to flickchart?
I haven’t but it looks really cool. I recently joined iCheckmovies.com, but I may wind up on FlickChart now. Good tip!
Hey, just started my own blog with you as the inspiration. Found you on IMDB and haven’t looked back. If you have any tips for me let me know and that would be great! Not sure what to make my first post about… hmm…
Ha… I think me inspiring people is one of the signs of the apocalypse.
Back around September, I decided that I really wanted to up my blog traffic because I’m a whore like that. I started reading around and I found some pretty good (and simple) tips, and they’ve definitely helped.
-Update often, or at least on a regular schedule. I’ve learned that people come to expect entries most days so I try to keep up as best as I can. If people know they can rely on your entries, they’ll come back.
-You’ve already checked off one item- you’re commenting on other blogs with a link to your own blog’s URL embedded in the name. If they like your comments, or if you’re friendly, they’ll be inclined to check out your own blog. I know I click on other people’s links all the time to see what type of person is commenting.
-Tags and categories help a lot. The more tags, the better (within reason). Sports and movies and TV are categories that WordPress readers check often; if your entry is tagged with one of those, then people will find you for as long as you’re one of the more recent entries with that tag around WordPress. Also, tags feed your search engine optimization. People find me on Google a lot by searching for, say, “Boardwalk Empire” or “Best French Films” or any other number of things. I think a lot of that comes from tags.
-Visuals are good. The WP interface takes a little getting used to but once you figure out how to plug in images and video, it makes the reader’s experience that much better. Also, when embedding images, be sure to host them on your blog rather than hot-linking the full image. Hot-linking is sort of taboo to begin with, plus it’ll drive traffic to you (and not the originator of the image) if it’s hosted on your blog.
Umm… that’s just about all I know. Social media also helps, though I’m not sure how much. There are also some blogroll type places- Technorati, for instance- where you can register. I don’t think I get a lot of traffic from there (if any) but all it takes is one full-time reader to get you X number of regular hits. Plus, it’s free.
Best of luck!
Hey,
just found your Blog through Edgar Wright’s Twitter-Feed. Like it a lot. I have a question though, regarding the logo on top: this C3PO/Chien Andalou-photo, did you photoshop that by yourself? I instantly fell in love with it and would really like to have that as a poster for my bedroom wall. Do you see any chance that could be going to happen? Thanks in advance (and pardon my choppy English).
Thanks for visiting and the kind words! You’re correct- that is a photoshop job that I’ve done. I affectionately call it “The Andalusian Droid”. I’d be glad to supply it to you, but unfortunately only have it at a very low resolution (about 2 x 2.25 inches, at 100 dpi… if that makes sense to you). It’d be much too small for a poster. Sorry I can’t help more!
Nevermind, I can’t say, I didn’t expect that, but, you know, hope dies last. Anyway, thanks for your reply and keep on keepin’ on. You have a new regular visitor, at least.
Hey,
I need a bit of advise. So after a movie the Coven, which walks a fine line between brilliant, incoherent and not intensionally funny, my wife and I looked at each other and said that we should make copies of this movie and hand out to people. So this turned into a, for lack of a better word, quasi-public art project in which I would make copies of movies that people usually do not see and probably wouldn’t hear about unless they were into a type of movie or told by a friend and have instructions to watch and give to someone else.
I was wondering if you could suggest some movies since you know a lot more than me. The main to requirements are that I want them to be at least 10 years old and be movies that people would not normally see. I would also like them to be a good example of a style of movie and that they make people think but not to the point where they leave most people utterly confused (The Cremator not Daisies).
I want between 10-15 films to start off with. So far I got Breathless, Persona, Festen, Dr Stranglove, pi, the cremator and The American Astronaut is on the border.
It might be pushing it but a few surrealist films you might try are Un Chien Andalou (even if it turns them off, it’s only 15 minutes long) and Guy Maddin’s “My Winnipeg”, which I think is his most accessible. I don’t think I’d recommend other Maddin films, though.
There’s also New German Cinema- Fassbinder, Herzog, et al. “Aguirre: Wrath of God” seems to be the standard starting point.
You can never go wrong with starting people off on some film noir. It’s not my strength, but a lot of the roots of film noir are found in things like “M”. Also, “The Asphalt Jungle” seems like a ready-made easy starting point.
There are the exploitation films out there, with blaxploitation being the most obvious (“Shaft”; “Superfly”; perhaps “Blacula”).
You could try a handful of off-the-wall 70′s comedies that are fun and hard to find- “Putney Swope” and “The Groove Tube”, which are both (IMO) very funny films.
Giallo is a good category if people enjoy horror. You can never ever go wrong with samurai films. Since Kurosawa’s films are easy enough to find, maybe try the six-part Japanese series for “Lone Wolf and Cub”.
I hope that helps. Let me know how it works out. I’m very curious about your project.
thanks. i added some of them to the list and put them out into the world. can’t wait to see what happens.
I had a friend in college that was on a Robert Downey Sr kick for awhile and actually saw Putney a few years back.
Thanks for reminding me of Kurosawa, i totally blanked on him. i’ve only seen a few of his films, but thought they were great.
Hi, great site you got here… Anyway this is going to sound completely random and stupid however you once talked about a movie and I want to check it out.
The movie was really old and it was some obscure art film, I think you were saying you really liked the director or something. You supplied an image of the film which was black and white and a birds eye view of a fancy garden (with hedges, pyramid shaped rocks or plants, paving) covered in shadows. I think there were people in the picture but they didn’t have shadows.
So sorry about this stupid question and you can totally ignore it but I have been looking through your site for ages to find it.
Not at all! The film is “Last Year at Marienbad”, directed by Alain Resnais. I hope you enjoy it if you watch it.
Thanks so much
Hello from Brazil! My name is Fernanda and I own a cinema blog too, and I’m also a journalist. Your blog is my favorite one about movies, really. Do you know brazilian cinema? If so, I would like to do a quick interview with you, what do you think? Mail me.
Regards in portuguese: abraços! Até mais!
I think my dad could kick their asses too.
Not that your daily traffic will check this…But I am going to speak for all your subscribers and fans when I say “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!” For all of your time, effort and hard work. Great job Droid, your mix of funny and actual film analysis is a terrific blend. Keep up the good work!
Thanks duder!
(I accept all forms of Wisconsin beer as payment)
Hi there!
Not sure if this would have been better suited to a private message rather than a comment, but I’ve been having a look at your blog and your blog is really great! Well-written with the right amount of humour and wit. I’m just getting started with my blog, and to be honest, I’m a bit overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. I have lots of idea about things to write about. But I want my blog to stand out and be visually appealing (like yours). I’m a novice when it comes to things like html and those like and subscribe buttons you have.
I was wondering if you had any advice on where to start etc. Is there any software that you use to create the cool banners and graphics titles? Cheers!
Thank you for the kind words!
To be honest, I know next to nothing about HTML. A lot of the stuff you see is done using what’s available in WordPress- the like buttons, the subscribe buttons, etc… It was a little awkward to figure out their interface at first, but you’ll get it down over time. The “Appearance” tab on the far left of your Stats page will help you find a lot of what you’re looking for. Specifically, the Widgets section will have a lot of stuff. Familiarizing yourself with the stuff WordPress already offers will help you a lot. Keep in mind, you can always preview things to see how they look before applying them to your article or your main page.
As for the specific images- like the article banners and the “Subscribe” photo on the far right- I create the majority of those in Adobe Photoshop. That might not help, as it’s a bit pricey. But I definitely get my usage out of it.
I’d also add that clean and simple is good. There’s a lot to be said for not having a ton of images or extra large images distracting from the important thing- namely, what you’re writing. Think of the images as the spice that seasons everything, and the stuff you’re writing as the main dish. The Mac website is a really great example of less being more. You don’t find a lot of color or flashy graphics, and yet it’s still really visually appealing.
I hope all of that helps, and good luck to you!
Thanks for your list, you have good taste. I recommend Jean Renoir’s “The Rules of the Game” – 1939 where there are no rules. When I watch it, I feel free but then again it’s all subjective. Peace out
I think I should be added to the coolest movie tattoos. I have the word “Drive” tattooed on my inner left arm. It’s written in the hot pink script used in the movie “Drive” with Ryan Gosling, Carrie Mulligan and Bryan Cranston. It’s pretty f’ing sweet if I do say so myself. I haven’t seen anyone with any tattoo related to this BRILLIANT film. It’s my favorite film and the soundtrack is stunning!!
I’ve enjoyed browsing your blog, and I admire your eclectic taste, and it’s heartening to see you provide equal attention to both “art-house” fare and more “mainstream” cinema, a practice I feel is lacking these days, since the schism between “highbrow” cinephiles and more casual film buffs seems to be wider than it ever has been, but that’s just my opinion and how I perceive things from my vantage point. Many cinephiles, as far as I’m concerned, tend to neglect and take for granted films they feel already receive enough attention, such as those of Kubrick, Bergman, or Coppola, in order to prop up films they feel are neglected. I feel it to be a potentially harmful practice, since the currently neglected filmmakers will eventually become those receiving the attention while someone such as Kubrick or Bergman will eventually find himself ignored. I was wondering if this issue ever crossed your mind and if you have any sort of an opinion on it.
Thanks and Regards,
RAR
You raise a great question. I haven’t thought about it much in terms of other directors, but I know Bergman has taken a hit over time. I get the feeling that a lot of people view him as some sort of art house cliché. And that cliché exists… but it exists BECAUSE of Bergman. It’s great to enjoy and give attention to the more obscure filmmakers out there but you can’t lose sight of the titans, the forerunners who made it possible for those obscure directors to ply their craft.
Unfortunately, a lot of folks I run into think of Kubrick as the guy who made that creepy sex scene in Eyes Wide Shut, and little else. I’ll even cop to struggling with him at first but I eventually found my stride and I couldn’t be happier that I did.
I agree with you regarding the gap between the hardcore cinephiles and casual film buffs. It’s a damned shame because both groups are missing out on a lot. I’ve been both of those people at various points in my life but a comment from the incomparable Film Crit Hulk in one of my articles completely changed the way I look at it. The gist of it is that you should never hate a film, or genre, because nothing can be gained from it. You learn a lot more by actively trying to watch and enjoy as much as possible.
I’d be lynched for bringing this up in a thread on the website previously known as The Auteurs and now called Mubi, but there’s certainly this notion among hardcore cinephiles that one grows out of Bergman and Kubrick as they branch out into “unchartered waters”. I also think many cinephiles feel a need to distinguish themselves from the broader public, which they perceive as not taking film seriously as an art form. Thus, any film a more casual viewer can appreciate they instinctively become ambivalent towards or take for granted. Of course, in such a situation you would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater, since in many cases the films may be great works of art but have qualities that make it palatable to a wider audience, even if the film’s ‘high’ artistic qualities don’t register with such an audience. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great films that certainly wouldn’t transcend cinephile crowd in this day and age, such as Antonioni’s Red Desert or Celine and Julie Go Boating, but that doesn’t necessarily imply that an “art-house” film that manages to appeal to a wider audience is inferior. The 400 Blows and The Doublie Life of Veronique would certainly appeal to a larger crowd than the former two, but that’s not a reason for hardcore cinephiles to take them for granted. Beethoven’s 5th and 9th symphonies, for example, don’t get taken for granted to quite the same extent by classical music lovers. Another thing I find odd is there seems to be more enthusiasm for select mainstream films the cinephile community has chosen to embrace, such as those of Hitchcock and Jean-Pierre Melville, than for “art-house” films that dare to be somewhat mainstream friendly. I wouldn’t know how to explain this paradox other than to propose that perhaps Truffaut and company made it acceptable for cinephiles to embrace Hitchcock, whereas Cahiers du Cinema has never really stood behind someone like Kubrick. Then again, Cahiers did admire Bergman, Perhaps it’s just a bit of cognitive dissonance. Who knows?
I’m very familiar with Mubi, mostly thanks to the fake Criterion threads.
I would imagine The Artist would fit in the category you’re talking about. It’s not even close to being as “art house” as Celine and Julie, The 400 Blows, etc… but it really resonated with mainstream audiences, while doing more than the average mainstream film. I had to laugh at the inevitable backlash as it was gaining steam towards the Oscar.
At least in the case of Hitchcock, I can see the appeal that he has to both categories- the hardcore cinephiles as well as the mainstream. The one thing I’ve always admired about Hitchcock is that he made films that were as entertaining (and accessible) as they were artful. You can enjoy his films on the most basic level, and you can enjoy them even more peeling away layer after layer after layer. The same goes for Truffaut to a certain degree. For all of his experimentation, he was never off-putting with it, and he never sacrificed the people in his films who made the story “go”, so to speak.
Even if someone were to dislike a film for being more mainstream, it’s simply not fair to hold every film to that sort of standard. When the art house fans talk about Celine and Julie, or Bergman, or Godard, or pick any director you want… they’re talking about the very tip-top of cinema. Who cares if some other film doesn’t reach that pinnacle? That certainly doesn’t mean it can’t be good, or enjoyed. Each and every film deserves to be judged on its own merits, and appealing to a mass audience is a merit.
Just out of curiosity, do you have any thoughts on the revised list of the “greatest films of all time” released by Sight & Sound?
I saw that Vertigo leapfrogged Citizen Kane. As much as I appreciate both, I agree with that choice. Vertigo is amazing. It’s a movie that everyone can watch and enjoy… and at its heart, it’s about necrophilia. Only Hitchcock could pull that off.
Just to play devil’s advocate I thought I would point out that the sentiments of many cinephiles are twofold. Firstly, many may feel the so-called ‘titans’ don’t necessarily deserve to be considered titans but that they’ve garnered that status partially because a lot of viewers ‘like’ their films more than they do other less popular films. In other words, some would argue the titans are simply more popular than other filmmakers who are just as good, if not better. The next point, which goes hand in hand with the first, is many cinephiles feel there are other more obscure films and filmmakers that deserve to mentioned alongside the titans and have failed to receive the same level of attention for reasons arguably unrelated to their artistic merits. At the crux, many would argue the titans are merely the most popular ‘serious’ and/or ‘artistically respected’ filmmakers and that there are others who are neglected who happen to be just as talented. Thus, they also deserve requisite attention. In some ways, I can honestly sympathize with these sentiments provided you don’t open up a pandora’s box where people start bringing down the more popular filmmakers to elevate a ‘neglected’ one. In some instances, however, you kind of have to ask yourself why someone like Pialat always seems to play second fiddle to guys like Truffaut and Bresson even though I would argue he’s equally significant, and perhaps moreso than Truffaut.
Just some thoughts.
I think there may be some truth to that, and I like your Pialat example. I do think that if someone makes enough tremendous art, they’ll eventually be discovered. I guess it really comes down to what qualifies as obscure. I don’t ask to be obtuse or anything. I’m genuinely curious, because it’s such a hard to define term in relation to cinema. Some people might view even Truffaut as obscure, but you can find a lot of his films through Criterion, Netflix, etc… Then there’s someone like Vigo, whose films were extremely hard to find until the Criterion release last year. Seeing a Vigo film prior to that could easily qualify as obscure (actually, even now, I think he’d qualify as obscure with most audiences other than the most fervent film fans, like you and me).
The sad part is I’d argue Vigo is one of the two or three most important filmmakers of all time.
You’ll get no argument from me. Vigo was a master.
Hey John! I just came back from The Dark Knight Rises and I can’t express in words how much I love it. I just wanted to see your review and what you thought of the film. I don’t know if that’s your thing or not. Thanks.
I have to admit, I liked it less than the first two. If I did a review, it would’ve been 3.5 out of 5. I liked it quite a bit, but I thought it was a little flawed. The very ending felt like a cop-out (if a certain character had died, I’d probably feel a lot differently about the film in general). I also thought the twist with… another character, who I won’t name because I don’t want to spoil things… was out of left field and kind of unnecessary. The film had done more than enough at that point and didn’t need that particular plot point. Though I can understand that it helped tie this film back to the first one.
I liked Bane a lot. Conceptually, he’s a GREAT villain. Tying the demagoguery and socio-economics into the film was a nice touch.
The irony in all of this is The Avengers might have spoiled me a bit. 9 times out of 10, I’d take the darker film, but The Avengers was so overwhelmingly fun, and TDKR could’ve used a little dose of that.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. No matter my opinion of this particular installment, the trilogy on the whole is something I’d like to see more of in the right context, and I still hold The Dark Knight (2007) as my favorite popcorn movie.
I understand every one of your points but this was my favourite of the three. The Joker was absolutely no doubt the better villain but this I believe was the better movie. Not saying that The Dark Knight was in any way bad. Thanks for the review!
I would love to hear your thoughts on Georgia vs Mizzou. Also are you a fan the Ben Best, Jody HIll, Danny McBride and David Gordon Green gang? Personally i think they are putting out some of the funniest comedies out right now. Eastbound and Down, Observe and Report and The Foot Fist Way is so so so underrated!
I have to admit, I’m a little uninitiated with the David Gordon Green gang. Forgive me.
Georgia-Mizzou… oy. Mizzou has to get their offensive line fixed and healthy. That’s the biggest barrier I see right now. If they can get a working o-line, they’ll win 9 games. They hung with the #7 team in the country right up until their all-world linebacker took over the game.
Basically, I feel a ton better about Vanderbilt, Kentucky, UCF, Syracuse, even Texas A&M and Tennessee… but I feel a lot worse about South Carolina because Clowney will eat their lunch. And Alabama’s pretty much a loss barring something crazy.
I’d also say I’ve adopted Georgia as my other SEC team. As long as they aren’t playing Mizzou, and as long as they don’t keep Mizzou from doing well, I’m pulling for Georgia. UGA is the best mascot in the world and Mark Richt is the least slimy guy in the SEC.
I’m also sort of pulling for Tennessee. Or at least, I respect them. We’re only one week in as Mizzou/SEC fans and I’m loving the hell out of the SEC.
You’re forgiven! He’s a pretty unique voice in the independent world, but his recent comedies, “Your Highness” and “The Sitter”, have nothing on “Eastbound and Down”.
As for Mizzou i will be tickled pink for every win we get after becoming bowl eligible, i think we will get 8 or 9 no problem, maybe win a game we aren’t suppose to, Gamecocks, i’m calling it! The SEC is amazing and it’s defiantly a process, because as you said our o-line needs to be fixed, which in my opinion is going to take great recruiting and big time depth. Which is a strength for the top SEC teams and a big time weakness for the Zou. I do think this weekend they will take care of ASU and get above .500.
Now if the Cards can come home from this current 7 game road swing at .500 or above, i will be uber happy!
I’d love to grumble about the Cardinals, but I can’t. I just can’t. Every time they make me mad, I think of last October and everything is right with the world.
I had to stop by and say…. Are you kidding me?????!!!!! Go Redbirds! Is there anything better than being a Cardinals fan?
Nope. There is nothing better. I believe in Kozmagic. And Dirty Dan. And all the dumb little things that make up a win like that.
Dirty Dan and Kozmagic did it again tonight and the bullpen was nastier than a dookie stain! I am hoping to make it to St. Louis for game 3, i hope to see the Rally Squirrel and a starter go past the 5th inning.
Hey John, have you seen Looper yet? I’d like to read your thoughts on it.
Not yet. I’ll probably end up seeing it once it hits DVD/Blu-ray.
I just read your article from a couple years ago about screenplays that need to be written. No. 1 on your list was a biopic of Ted Williams. I strongly agree.
I am a huge baseball fan and of Williams … as someone (Bob Costas, I believe) said, “Ted Williams was the real-life John Wayne.”
I saw somewhere that John Underwood was working on such a screenplay. He was one writer Williams respected and liked, and they became good friends.
I do internet searches, but have found nothing recent regarding Underwood and a Williams screenplay.
This would make a terrific movie, one begging to be made for sure.
The late Robert Ryan could have played the Splendid Splinter. Don’t know about a current actor … except maybe Daniel Day-Lewis, and of course he has become Abraham Lincoln.
I enjoy your stuff.
First off… MIZ! Second, I have decided to have themes for the remaining months of this year. March is Spaghetti Westerns. Could you name a few of what you think are the essentials and hidden gems? Thanks!
Z-O-U!
Let’s see… I’m a little limited with spaghetti westerns, but I’d say for sure Once Upon a Time in the West; Django; Duck, You Sucker!; the Man with No Name Trilogy (of course); and God Forgives, I Don’t. I can vouch for all of those.
I have seen Django. Loved all the Django references in Django Uncained, especially the Franco Nero cameo. Also watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I plan on devouring Leone’s filmography over the next year.
There’s a really good chance you’ll pass me, if you haven’t already. I’d be very interested to hear your own list, actually, once your excursion is done.
(and by then, it’ll be football season and I can wash the taste of that 5-7 season out of my mouth)
So I got super side tracked on my spaghetti western adventure. But I did just finish Bergman’s “Hour of the Wolf” instantly became my favorite Bergman film. Is it just me or is Liv Ullman incredibly beautiful? Another note I watched “Sinister” I had high expectations which is something shouldn’t do with the state of today’s horror film output. I actually liked it, but not as many shit your pants moments as I would have liked. I watched “The Master” directly after, now that has some shit your pants moments. What’s your favorite Bergman film? PTA film? And horror movie made after 2010?