The “Love Goes On” Blogathon – Final Recap

Our enthusiastic bloggers made it to the home stretch of our blogathon devoted to movies about eternal love. Click on the appropriate days to read the entries for Day 1 and Day 2. For our final round of entries, click on the name of the blog to read their work.

As always, Movierob captures three movies of different eras and tones: Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, Steven Spielberg’s A Guy Named Joe remake Always, and Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon in Just Like Heaven.

Diary of a Movie Maniac follows up his review of Foxfire with a second Hume Cronyn-Jessica Tandy outing, To Dance with the White Dog.

Musings of an Introvert offers a Robert Downey Jr. double feature of Chances Are and Only You.

And finally, who’s to say you can’t fall in love with a ghost if he’s as suave as Rex Harrison? Pure Entertainment Preservation Society states her case in her review of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

My heartfelt thanks to all readers and participants of this blogathon. I appreciated the respect you paid to the blogathon’s theme, and it took at least a little of the sting of my wife’s death away.

Kathleen Feindt-Bailey, 1960-2020.

Advertisement

The “Love Goes On” Blogathon has arrived!

In honor of my wife, who died in March, I am hosting this blogathon. Stick with us for the next three days, as bloggers contributed their thoughts on movies related to the theme of earthly love extending to the great beyond.

(Some of you might find it peculiar than I am honoring my late wife with something as trivial as a blogathon. My feeling about it is: When you’re trying to cope with something like this, if your coping methods aren’t illegal or immoral, go for them. This blogathon and some of America’s finest pharmaceuticals are what have been keeping me going lately.)

If you are one of the ‘thon entrants, please go to the “Comments” section below, and post the name of your blog and the URL of your entry; we’ll link to you as soon as possible. If you are just here to read, keep us bookmarked; all entries will be linked back to their original blogs, and also we will do a ‘thon recap at the end of each day. Enjoy!

Here is the list of blogathon entries:

Movie Movie Blog Blog II – Birth (2004)

Taking Up Room – Corpse Bride (2005)

Maddie Loves Her Classic Films – Truly Madly Deeply (1990)

Moon in Gemini – Wuthering Heights (1939)

Caftan Woman – Chances Are (1989)

Outspoken and Freckled – Ghost Town (2008)

Realweegiemidget Reviews – Misunderstood (1984)

Movierob – Blithe Spirit (1945), Always (1989), and Just Like Heaven (2005)

The Flapper Dame – Rent (2005)

Tales from the Freakboy Zone – Hairspray (2007)

Dubsism – Heaven Can Wait (1978)

18 Cinema Lane – The Crow (1994)

The Midnite Drive-In – All of Me (1984)

Critica Retro – Orphee (1950)

Silver Screenings – A Guy Named Joe (1943)

Diary of a Movie Maniac – Foxfire (1987) and To Dance with the White Dog (1993)

Musings of an Introvert – Chances Are (1989) and Only You (1994)

Pure Entertainment Preservation Society – The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

Announcing “The Love Goes On Blogathon”!

Don’t things such as the coronavirus just make you want to spit into the face of Death?

Sadly, I currently have my own reasons for death-aimed expectorations. My wife of 30 years died on March 9.

As with anyone who deals with this sad situation, I am finding my own ways of coping…and one of them is

THE LOVE GOES ON BLOGATHON!

What We’re Looking For

Your blogathon entry should be about a movie in which a couple’s love for each other is so strong that it survives the death of one of those partners — perhaps even reaching out from (or into) the afterlife! Your entry can be from any category — comedy, drama, fantasy, etc. If you need inspiration, Google a list such as “Movies about love after death,” and you might be surprised at some of the titles that pop up. Or if you have a choice of your own, as long as it fits our blogathon’s motif, it shall be honored.

(Since there are so many choices in this “genre,” no duplicate entries will be allowed. Check the regularly updated list below to ensure that your choice has not already been taken.)

Instructions

1. In the “Comments” section at the bottom of this blog, please leave your name, the URL of your blog, and the movie you are choosing to blog about. Below are banners you can use to promote your blog entry. Please choose a banner, display it on your blog, and link it back to this blog.
2. The blogathon will take place from Fri., May 1 through Sun., May 3, 2020. When the opening date of the blogathon arrives, leave a comment here with a link to your post, and I will display it in the list of entries (which I will continually update to the beginning of the ‘thon, so keep checking back!).
3. I will not be assigning particular dates to any blog posts. As long as you get your entry in by the end of the day on May 3, I will be satisfied. (That said, the sooner the better!)

Again, be sure to leave a comment below and grab our banner, and do your entry proud! Here’s the line-up so far:

Movie Movie Blog Blog II – Birth (2004)

Taking Up Room – Corpse Bride (2005)

Maddie Loves Her Classic Films – Truly Madly Deeply (1990)

Moon in Gemini – Wuthering Heights (1939)

Caftan Woman – Chances Are (1989)

Outspoken and Freckled – Ghost Town (2008)

Realweegiemidget Reviews – Misunderstood (1984)

Movierob – Always (1989)

The Flapper Dame – Rent (2005)

Tales from the Freakboy Zone – Hairspray (2007)

Dubsism – Heaven Can Wait (1978)

18 Cinema Lane – The Crow (1994)

The Midnite Drive-In – All of Me (1984)

Critica Retro – Orphee (1950)

Silver Screenings – A Guy Named Joe (1943)

Diary of a Movie Maniac – Foxfire (1987) and To Dance with the White Dog (1993)

Musings of an Introvert – Hearts and Souls (1993)

Pure Entertainment Preservation Society – The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

THE HONEYMOONERS BLOGATHON is here!

It’s time to celebrate — The Honeymooners Blogathon is here! Keep us bookmarked for the next three days as our participating bloggers look at their favorite aspects of the classic TV comedy series!

If you are one of our blogathon’s participants, please leave your blog’s name and the URL of your ‘thon entry in the “Comments” section below, and I will provide a link to it here ASAP. If you’re simply here for some fun reading, the entry list (below) will be updated regularly throughout the ‘thon. I will also provide daily updates to same on this blog. Here is the list of participants — click on the name of each individual blog to read their entry.

Movie Movie Blog Blog II – “Suspense” (1953), “Head of the House” (1956), and the “Second Honeymoon” special (1976)

Movierob – The Honeymooners movie (2005)

Caftan Woman – Musical moments from “The Classic 39”

The Midnite Drive-In – “The Man from Space” (1955)

Wide Screen World – “Mama Loves Mambo” (1956)

Only five days until THE UNEMPLOYMENT BLOGATHON!

Just a gentle reminder that our blog’s The Unemployment Blogathon will begin five days from now. There’s still plenty of time for you to sign up and find out how to enter the ‘thon with your blog entry about any movie with an unemployment-related theme. Click on the banner above for more information!

Also, three weeks after The Unemployment Blogathon has ended, we will be hosting The Honeymooners Blogathon — and again, there is still plenty of time to enter the ‘thon and write about your favorite aspect of this classic TV series. Click on the above banner for entry information.

Announcing THE HONEYMOONERS BLOGATHON!

If you’re a fan of Ralph Kramden & Co., it’s time to take a trip to the moon (or at least to 328 Chauncey Street) as we present

We want this blogathon to be as inventive and fun as the TV series that inspired it. Therefore, like Ralph in the episode “Young Man with a Horn,”

we have taken stock of this blogathon’s potential and would like to present you with its weaknesses and strong points. (In other words, here’s what you can and cannot write about for this blogathon.)

Strong Points (Do’s)

1. You may write about any incarnation of “The Honeymooners”: The “Classic 39” episodes; the 1950’s “Lost Episodes” that were revived in 1985; the “Honeymooners” musical-based segments of Gleason’s 1966-1970 CBS variety show; and the hour-long “Honeymooners” specials that Gleason did for ABC in the late 1970’s. You can write about a single episode that you like, or you can write about the entire series.
2. Studies and critiques of the individual characters.
3. Facts and anecdotes related to the making of the series. (Just two examples: Leonard Stern was an early writer for the show and went on to produce “Get Smart” and “He & She” among other hit sitcoms. Louis Sorin, who played opposite Groucho Marx in the early Marx Bros. talkie Animal Crackers, appears as one of Ralph’s irritated neighbors 26 years later in “Mama Loves Mambo.” Tell everyone something we don’t already know about this TV show. Research can be fun!)
4. Parodies of the show? Why not? Write about the “Honeymooners” take-offs performed on “In Living Color” and early “Saturday Night Live,” or the three “Honey-mousers” Looney Tunes cartoons produced by Warner Bros. from 1956 to 1960.
5. Yes, if you dare, you can even write about the 2005 movie version of The Honeymooners, starring Cedric the Entertainer.

Weaknesses (Don’t’s)

1. No mini-biographies of the series’ stars or backstage personnel, except as such information relates to the TV show (see my Leonard Stern example, above).
2. No personal anecdotes such as “I was 10 years old when I first came across ‘The Honeymooners’ on TV.” We already know we all like “The Honeymooners,” or we wouldn’t be participating in a blog about them.
3. No duplicate entries. We will continually update the list of blogathon entries that is shown below. Please check back on it to ensure that your idea is not already taken.

If you have your own idea for a blogathon entry, let us know. If it fits in the “Strengths” category, we’ll allow it.

Instructions

1. In the “Comments” section at the bottom of this blog, please leave your name, the URL of your blog, and the movie you are choosing to blog about. Below are banners you can use to promote your blog entry. Please choose a banner, display it on your blog, and link it back to this blog.
2. The blogathon will take place from Fri., Oct. 25, through Sun., Oct. 27, 2019. When the opening date of the blogathon arrives, leave a comment here with a link to your post, and I will display it in the list of entries (which I will continually update to the beginning of the ‘thon, so keep checking back!).
3. I will not be assigning particular dates to any blog posts. As long as you get your entry in by the end of the day on Oct. 27, I will be satisfied. (That said, the sooner the better!)

Again, be sure to leave a comment below and grab one of our banners, and have fun with your blog entry! Here’s the line-up so far (and away we go…):

Movie Movie Blog Blog II: “Suspense” (1953), “Head of the House” (1956), and the “Second Honeymoon” special (1976)

Movierob – The Honeymooners (2005)

Caftan Woman – Musical moments from “The Classic 39”

The Midnite Drive-In – “The Man from Space” (1955)

Wide Screen World – “Mama Loves Mambo” (1956)

Announcing THE UNEMPLOYMENT BLOGATHON!

Moviemakers know that getting and keeping a job is always on everyone’s mind, as countless movies dating back to the beginning of film have looked at this subject. Let’s look at the wide variety of angles from which this topic has been explored, as we present

THE UNEMPLOYMENT BLOGATHON!

What We’re Looking For

Your blogathon entry should be about a movie whose main plot, or at least a prominent subplot, concerns unemployment for one or more of the main characters. Please do not write about a character who is simply unemployed for his own sake.

(For example, Charlie Chaplin started out many of his movies with his Tramp character not having a job — but that in itself was not always the focus of his movies. For this blogathon, if you write about Chaplin, we’d prefer you write about one of his movies where his seeking employment furthered the plot, as in City Lights or Modern Times.)

That said, if the movie concerns not having, getting, or keeping a job, you can choose from any genre, from comedy or drama to musical or animated film. Also, no duplicate entries, please. The listing (below) of blogathon entries will be continually updated; check it to be sure your intended entry isn’t already taken.

Instructions

1. In the “Comments” section at the bottom of this blog, please leave your name, the URL of your blog, and the movie you are choosing to blog about. Below are banners you can use to promote your blog entry. Please choose a banner, display it on your blog, and link it back to this blog.
2. The blogathon will take place from Fri., Oct. 4, through Sun., Oct. 6, 2019. When the opening date of the blogathon arrives, leave a comment here with a link to your post, and I will display it in the list of entries (which I will continually update to the beginning of the ‘thon, so keep checking back!).
3. I will not be assigning particular dates to any blog posts. As long as you get your entry in by the end of the day on Oct. 6, I will be satisfied. (That said, the sooner the better!)

Again, be sure to leave a comment below and grab our banner, and have fun with your blog entry! Here’s the line-up so far:

Movie Movie Blog Blog II – Hallelujah I’m a Bum (1933)

The Midnite Drive-In – Falling Down (1993)

The Stop Button – Mondays in the Sun (2002)

Outspoken and Freckled – That Touch of Mink (1962)

Caftan Woman – Gold Diggers of 1933

Movierob – Lost in America (1985), Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), and Everything Must Go (2010)

A Shroud of Thoughts – Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Moon in Gemini – Bridesmaids (2011)

Taking Up Room – The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Pure Entertainment Preservation Society – All This, and Heaven Too and The Shop Around the Corner (both 1940)

Only one week until AN ALAN SMITHEE BLOGATHON!

It’s not too late to enter our upcoming An Alan Smithee Blogathon that “pays tribute” to the film director who exists only when a real film director wants his name taken off the project! Click here to read more about the blogathon and how to enter.

Announcing AN ALAN SMITHEE BLOGATHON!

We figure it’s long past time to pay tribute to Hollywood’s most ubiquitous director with

AN ALAN SMITHEE BLOGATHON

Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him. From 1968 to 2000, Smithee presided over some of the most notorious movies ever made. The only thing that would have further enhanced his legend is if he’d been a real person!

Actually, “Alan Smithee” was the pseudonym used by the Directors Guild of America whenever a movie director, dissatisfied with the final product, claimed that he or she had not been allowed to exercise complete control over the movie. So let’s have some fun with this, and investigate the wide varieties of movie stories and styles used by Mr. Smithee!

(We think you’ll be surprised at some of the big names involved here. Directors and actors as varied as John Frankenheimer, Dennis Hopper, and Kiefer Sutherland have resorted to the “A.S.” technique.)

However, before you commit to this blogathon, please carefully read the rules below. The name “Alan Smithee” has been applied to an awful (and I do mean awful) lot of Hollywood projects. So if we don’t establish some ground rules, we could be writing about Alan Smithee all year!

Do’s and Don’t’s

1. Please, write only about a theatrical, direct-to-video, or TV movie in which Alan Smithee is credited as the main director. No Second Unit Directors, no music videos, no TV network- or airline-edited movie versions, and no other media such as video games or comic books. (And frankly, the only reason I’m allowing any exceptions to be reviewed is that I’m just dying to read someone’s review of The Birds II: Lands End.)
2. If you need a starting point to find an Alan Smithee movie, click here to go to Wikipedia’s listing about Alan Smithee, or here to find a similar listing at the Internet Movie Database. Or Google “Alan Smithee movies,” and a listing of them will appear at the top of your computer screen.
3. No duplicate entries, please. The listing of blogathon entries is below and will be continually updated. Be sure to check the list so that you don’t choose an entry that is already taken.

Instructions

1. In the “Comments” section at the bottom of this blog, please leave your name, the URL of your blog, and the movie you are choosing to blog about. The one and only banner for this blogathon is at the top of this blog entry. Please display it on your blog, and link it back to this blog. (Sorry, I didn’t see much point in creating elaborate banners since Alan Smithee is not as familiar a director as, say, Alfred Hitchcock.)
2. The blogathon will take place from Fri., Aug. 30, through Sun., Sept. 1, 2019. When the opening date of the blogathon arrives, leave a comment here with a link to your post, and I will display it in the list of entries (which I will continually update to the beginning of the ‘thon, so keep checking back!).
3. I will not be assigning particular dates to any blog posts. As long as you get your entry in by the end of the day on Sept. 1, I will be satisfied. (That said, the sooner the better!)

Again, be sure to leave a comment below and grab our banner, and have fun with your blog entry! Here’s the line-up so far:

Movie Movie Blog Blog II – An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)

Movierob – Death of a Gunfighter (1969) and Solar Crisis (1990)

The Midnite Drive-In – Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991)

Realweegiemidget Reviews – Catchfire (a/k/a Backtrack) (1990)

THE HOTTER’NELL BLOGATHON is here!

Happy summer solstice! Join us for the next three days as bloggers share their thoughts about their favorite movies related to summer or heat waves.

If you are one of our blogathon’s participants, please leave your blog’s name and the URL of your ‘thon entry in the “Comments” section below, and I will provide a link to it here ASAP. If you’re simply here for some fun reading, the entry list (below) will be updated regularly throughout the ‘thon. I will also provide daily updates to same on this blog.

Here is the list of participants. Click on the individual movie names to link to the blogathon entries. Have fun and stay cool, everybody!

Movie Movie Blog Blog II – Body Heat (1981)

Movies Silently – His First Flame (1927)

Realweegiemidget Reviews – Vacation (2015)

Caftan Woman – Heat Lightning (1934)

The Stop Button – Heatwave (1982)

A Shroud of Thoughts – Rear Window (1954)

Outspoken and Freckled – Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun (1982)

Silver Screen Classics – The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The Midnite Drive-In – Jaws (1975)

Moon in Gemini – The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood – Julie (1956) and North West Frontier (1959)

Taking Up Room – My Father the Hero (1994)