First Poll Results Post!

28 05 2010

I’m trying out some restructuring of the site, particularly in the sidebar and in the categories column.  In respect to the former, I’m working on reordering the boxes.  I moved the subscription box to the bottom of the sidebar and the LAMB logo to the middle.  As always, feedback is appreciated.

But this post concerns itself with the latter of my concerns, the categories.  I’ve made the first big move already; I took the “Marshall and the Movies” category and removed it as a sub-category of “About Me.”  Now, I’m using the category as an umbrella for all the activity on the site that pertains to the blogosphere as a whole.

One sub-category of “Marshall and the Movies” is dedicated to polls.  I run them fairly often but don’t post the results (with the exception of the monthly most anticipated poll).  Since they are a fairly big part of gauging the opinion of my readers, I decided it was time for me to start sharing them more often.

So here goes nothing!  The first polls ran during the Oscar Moment about “Toy Story 3.”  Using the success of last year’s “Up” as a talking point, I posed two poll questions wondering if Pixar could carve a niche for themselves in the Best Picture race.  The results were fairly definitive.

The polls show that most people think “Toy Story 3” will be nominated for Best Picture, and most people think Pixar’s movies always deserve a Best Picture spot (although by a smaller margin).

Onto the next poll, which was on the Oscar Moment for “How to Train Your Dragon.”  After the unexpected box office and critical success, I wanted to see if people thought it had a chance at winning Pixar’s category.  The results gave little to work with.

As you can see, the same amount of people think that it can win Best Animated Picture as think that it can’t.

The next poll ran with the Oscar Moment on “Robin Hood.”  At the time the post ran, a Ridley Scott-Rusell Crowe combination and a Cannes opening seemed to bode well for its Oscar chances.  Clearly you all weren’t fooled by my writing and saw the writing on the wall.

And you all are 99.9% right, barring some sort of a miracle.

You fell for it in the next poll.  In the poll on the “Iron Man 2” Oscar Moment, I suggested that Mickey Rourke could be a contender for Best Supporting Actor.

And you are very, very wrong.  If Mickey Rourke is nominated for an Oscar for this role, the world will come to an end.

I’ll save the “Get Low” results for another post, but in the meantime, vote on the June poll!  2 votes are unacceptable, people!


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LAMB Alert: “Virginia Woolf” Casting

23 05 2010

Another day, another blogging event.  A few days ago, I told you I was committed to being more involved in the blogging community.  In the words of Horton, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.  An elephant’s faithful, 100% percent!”

This time, it’s over at the Large Association of Movie Blogs (LAMB).  Every once in a while, Andrew at “Encore Entertainment” does a little event he calls “LAMB Casting.”  I find the idea fascinating: he takes a classic movie from decades ago and then asks us to recast a present-day remake.  People can submit their own casts, and then those casts are presented to the public for voting.

The latest edition of “LAMB Casting” dealt with Mike Nichols’ 1966 film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” At the time, the movie was incredibly controversial due to its sexual content and language, pushing the boundaries of censorship to their breaking point.  But there was more to the movie than just history being made, as I saw when I watched the movie several months ago.  There is an incredible screenplay based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by one of my favorite playwrights, Edward Albee.  Perhaps above all, there are fabulous performances by all four leads.  Everyone earned an Oscar nomination; Elizabeth Taylor won Best Actress, and Sandy Dennis won Best Supporting Actress.

Knowing “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” fairly well, I felt compelled to submit a cast to the event.  Now, it is one of the six that you can vote for in the poll.  In the spirit of voting for truly the best cast, I can’t reveal which of the six is mine.  But I encourage you to go and vote.  Perhaps you will agree with my casting.

Let the games begin.


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Blogathon Alert: He Shot Cyrus’ “Best Post”

22 05 2010

Hello all.  Hope this post finds you in good cheer.  It most certainly does for me, seeing as this is my 500th POST!!!

Anyways, enough with the pretenses and onto the main event.  I’ve got a stake in a big blogathon over at “He Shot Cyrus;” it’s the first time I’ve ever really gotten involved in one of these things.  Fellow bloggers are submitting a piece that they believe to be either their best or their most underrated.

It’s definitely worth a look; after all, it’s all your favorite bloggers (including myself) presenting their best work.  What’s not to love?

The piece I chose to submit was my feature from a few weeks ago “More Reflections on Avatar.”  I spent a lot of time writing it, and I do think it has a lot of good analysis and some of my deepest thinking yet.  I’d love for you to give it a second glance.  It may not be the best thing I’ve ever written, but I’m sure it’s one of my most underrated.

And don’t just go and look at my piece.  Look at everyone’s stuff because it’s all phenomenal.  It’s a great way to remind yourself of all the talent there really is out there, and I’m proud to cohabit the web with them.  Today is the second day of the three day event, so be sure to head over and do some great reading.  You might wind up discovering some new sites, much like I did.

And a big thank you (or perhaps “muchas gracias” is better) to El Gringo, who wrote some very nice comments about the post and the site in his write-up.


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You like me! You really li – oh, wait.

20 05 2010

I had prepared something like the speech the title referenced (when Sally Field screamed “You like me!  You really like me!” after winning her second Oscar) had I been nominated for any LAMMYs, the awards given through the Large Association of Movie Blogs to exemplary movie bloggers.  Unfortunately, that speech won’t be necessary.

I don’t want to revel in sorrow or even make a scene out of not being nominated (honestly, I can’t because I have finals right now).  Like I said, I don’t blog to get recognition or awards.  I blog because I love to write about movies.

And so, I leave you dedicated readers with this, which will set the tone for the next year of “Marshall and the Movies.”

I am going to strive to do my best, to continue to provide you with what I believe to be exemplary content.  I will fight to keep your readership even harder than I have in the 9 months that I have been blogging.  With your help, “Marshall and the Movies” will continue to soar to new heights.  You will never see a movie blogger work harder (except when he has school, and then he will channel his energies there).

So thanks again for reading, because I think you do deserve a pat on the back every once in a while.  And congratulations to my deserving friends and fellow bloggers who have been nominated.  Give yourselves an especially large pat on the back.


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For Your Consideration: The LAMMYs

4 05 2010

This post is geared more towards my fellow bloggers, but this post will be of interest to any old reader as well!

The big-a$$ movie blog conglomerate that I am a part of, the Large Association of Movie Blogs (LAMB), is hosting awards for the best movie bloggers in multiple categories.  You know me; I love Hollywood’s awards season, so I’m very into the LAMMYs, as they are calling it.

The way it works is that any member of the association gets to nominate whoever they like in the categories.  But here’s my problem with that – we each have our own little sphere in blogger world.  There are over 500 members, but I maybe visit 20 or 30 of them with any sort of frequency.  We are each going to naturally choose among our sphere, and that’s no real way to choose the BEST.  It’s a popularity contest, where the blogs with the biggest readerships will most likely win out.

But I don’t write to win awards, just as filmmakers don’t make movies to win Oscars.  I write because I love movies and love connecting with people over them.  Awards are just a nice bonus (and think how interesting they might be to bring up in a college interview or essay).

This is my FYC ad; yes, I even made one of them.  Just call me Harvey Weinstein – except don’t.  Now let me run you through the categories where I would appreciate your consideration and lay out my case.

Best Movie Reviewer

I didn’t want to become predominantly a movie reviewer, but I see so many of them that it’s hard not to review them.  I review a vast quantity of movies, including every movie I see in theaters and recent releases on DVD.  In addition to both of those, I provide a weekly column designed to promote little-known movies for great moviegoing, the “F.I.L.M. of the Week” series.  I have begun a companion series as well, movies that no one deserves to watch; the series is called “Save Yourself!”

If my sheer amount of reviews or my range of content doesn’t impress you, check out some of what I consider to be my best reviews so far.

Read my review of “Clash of the Titans.”

Read my review of “Avatar.”

Read my review of “An Education.”

Read my review of “Paranormal Activity.”

Read my first review, about the movie “Julie & Julia.”

Best Awards Coverage

Like I said, I love Oscar season.  I still religiously read awards blogs even in dry April and May.  I draw on what I hear and what I know about what has happened in the past to write the periodical “Oscar Moment.”  This year, having the benefit of blogging from the very beginning of the season, I can do more comprehensive coverage.

But last year, I took the frontrunners, analyzed them, and made predictions.  Some of them were right, but the biggest success was that they sparked discussion.  Not to mention I live blogged the 2009 Oscars.  For all those who wonder what runs through my mind on the biggest night of the year, wonder no longer.

Here’s a sampling of some of my best Oscar Moments, both this year and last.

Read my Oscar Moment on “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Read my live blog from Oscar night.

Read my Oscar Moment on “Nine.”

Read my Oscar Moment on “Up in the Air.”

Read my first Oscar Moment, about the movie “Precious.”

Braniac Award

I mean, I figure that I might as well try to thrust myself into contention here.  I try to write smart, thought-provoking pieces when I have the time.  My smartest posts probably come in the “Features” category (although I think I draw on a lot of intellect in the Oscar Moments too).

Read “Adjusted vs. Unadjusted Box Office.”

Read “Define Best Picture.”

Funniest Writer

I’m no comedian, but I let a whole lot of humor seep through into my posts.  At least I think it’s funny – you may not feel the same way.

If I had to pick the most humorous section of my blog, I would have to say the random factoids.  I’m often a very trite person, making something out of nothing.  If my life were a TV show, it might be “Seinfeld.”

But anyways, I let my funny flag fly in the random factoids.  I don’t have time to go through all 280 and find the funniest, but here are some that I remember off the top of my head as being particularly funny.

Read about what could have been a heated verbal exchanged with a theater employee in Random Factoid #255.

Read about a particular Sandra Bullock monologue that sticks with me in Random Factoid #239.

Read my rant on cramped theaters in Random Factoid #143.

Read about a caper of mistaken age in Random Factoid #135.

Read my rant on my broken DVD player in Random Factoid #85.

Best Post

Because there are some posts that I really think are THAT good.  These are the posts that I put my heart and soul into, and they get an exceptional reaction because of it.  These are the posts that stand out among the others on my blog.

You may have your own favorites, and I invite you to share them with me.  But here are the posts which I, the author, think are the most exceptional.  My top pick would have to be the first.

My review of “Up in the Air.”

My reflections on “Avatar.”

My interview with Kevin Renick.

My pondering on the importance of the acceptance speech.

My opinion piece “Mindless Moviegoing.”

Best New LAMB / Best Blog

If any or all of this has impressed you, fellow bloggers, I encourage you to remember “Marshall and the Movies” when you are filling out your LAMMY ballot in all categories including Best New LAMB and Best Blog.  But again, my greatest accomplishment would come not from winning these awards.  It comes from knowing that my voice is heard in the moviegoing community and that people accept my insights as valid.


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Comment Contest Closure

3 05 2010

For those of you just dying to know, this was Ripley’s selection of the ten Best Picture nominees as their prize for winning the comment contest:

“A Serious Man.”  Probably my least favorite of the bunch, but to each his own.

And for those of you who want a visual on how many comments there were last month, take a look at this picture I forgot to post yesterday.

And the abbreviation for Comment Contest Closure is CCC, which is also an acronym for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was FDR’s favorite New Deal agency because it gave jobs to young men.  Just have AP US History on the brain, and it seeps through even to here.


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The Winner of April’s Comment Contest Is…

2 05 2010

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the culmination of the commenting contest!

Before I announce the winner, I wanted to thank everyone who helped make April a banner month for “Marshall and the Movies.”  I’ll show you pictures of some fantastic stats.

The daily stats started high and generally stayed pretty high, and this was the biggest month of viewership in “Marshall and the Movies” history!  Thanks everyone!

And as for the comments, which is what I was really trying to boost, there was also tremendous success!  Before April, there had been 355 comments left on the blog.  Last month alone, there were a whopping 160 comments!

All in all, April was a tremendous month, in large part to you, the reader.  Your comments motivated me to write some of what I believe is my best material yet, and I hope I have earned your readership in the months to come.

But now, for the capitalistic exercise of this blog: the incentive.  Hopefully, you commented because you wanted to help a poor blogger out, but I’m sure that couldn’t have been entirely it.  You obviously wanted the big prize: one of last year’s Best Picture nominees.

Who got it?  First, let me explain the process.

I wrote down all the comments (and bonus comments) on Post-It notes, folded them up, and put them inside of my “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” cup.  I figured it could serve as my goblet of fire, and I thought it was fitting to draw from something that I had mentioned in a previous factoid.

But now, the moment you have all been waiting for … the winner revealed.

Read the rest of this entry »


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The Homestretch of the April Contest!

23 04 2010

I have been extremely pleased with the results of my April contest.  It has allowed me to connect with many new bloggers and strengthen previously existing ties.

Now we are in the final week, and I am still not entirely satisfied.  It’s nice to have fellow bloggers commenting, but I want the average readers to comment as well.

So, for this last week, I’m starting a new set of initiatives to get non-bloggers off the bench and into the game.  Non-bloggers will now receive THREE ENTRIES for each comment posted.  New non-blogging commenters will receive FIVE ENTRIES for their first comment and FOUR ENTRIES for all subsequent comments.  The first new commenter will receive TEN ENTRIES for their first comment.

And keep the prize in mind – your choice of one of the 10 Best Picture nominees from 2009.

Happy reading, and thus, happy commenting!


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Explaining the Sidebar, Part 3

14 04 2010

In the final installment of the “Explaining the Sidebar” series, I will explain how to operate the heavy machinery that is the final four boxes of the sidebar.  Consider this your license to explore.  (Gosh, 5 Hour Energy makes me so cheesy!)

Blog Posts

This is another sidebar box that is of questionable importance, but I think it has served its purpose quite well.  I feature these five posts (more will be added later) because these are the columns that I have put the most time into.  They are usually very personal or meaningful in content, and I really want everyone to read them.  But if this is seen as just taking up space and not having much use, I’d consider taking it down.

Fellow Bloggers

If you are looking for other average joes and janes who love cinema and foist their love onto the world wide web, then click any one of these links and be transported to another fantastic blog.  For those who blog, the quickest way to get on this list is by commenting enough for me to really notice you – but I also creepily express my admiration here too.

The Pros

I’m not going to pretend like I have all the answers to every movie question.  Try asking me about any movie made before 1990.  I’ve seen maybe 50 of them.

But I know people who do know the answers, and I want you to find the answers.  So, I have included a box that will direct you to some professional movie sites that I visit very frequently.  Some are databases, some are real critics’ blogs, and others are speculations from those close to the industry.  Hopefully between all of these, you can find anything you could ever want (except maybe the meaning of life).

F.I.L.M. of the Week

The anchor of the sidebar highlights the movie I featured as my F.I.L.M. (First-Class, Independent Little-Known Movie) of the Week.  I like having it there because it’s an additional way to feature my selection, and it promotes a movie that is undoubtedly good in my mind.  Clicking on the poster will take you to my article explaining what makes it so great.

The box seemed a little awkward to me at first, so I posted a poll to gauge the reader’s opinion.  The vote was 6-2 in favor of keeping it, so I have.

And thus concludes the “Explaining the Sidebar” series.  I hope this has proved both educational, entertaining, and informing for you – but it won’t be the latter of three for me if you don’t comment and let me know how I can make the sidebar better for you.


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Explaining the Sidebar, Part 2

13 04 2010

In the second part of the “Explaining the Sidebar” series, I will further explore the untapped beauty and simplicity of the sidebar.  All hyperboles aside, here we go.

What's Going On at "Marshall and the Movies"

The “What’s Going On” box is my personalized “most popular” section.  WordPress offers a “most popular” section, but I don’t really like the way they pick the posts.  In this box, I link to the pieces that I think are the most exciting and the ones that I am the most proud of writing.  It’s the best that “Marshall and the Movies” has to offer, so give one of the links a click.

The Poll

This is the newest and most flimsy section of the sidebar at the moment.  In an ideal world, I could get the actual poll in the sidebar rather than the actual link (see Cut the Crap Movie Reviews for what I would really like to do).  But for now, click the link and cast your vote in my movies-related poll.  For the overwhelming majority of you all who don’t COMMENT, at least do me the favor of taking the poll.  It’s an anonymous way for you to share your opinions with me.

Categories

Categories

Pretty simple stuff. If you want to compartmentalize your reading experience, pick a category and you will see only posts falling under that topic.

One thing has changed since I took this snapshot: the deletion of the “Mini-Reviews” category.  I just didn’t see anything that distinguished them from normal reviews.

Recent Comments

Many people have dreamed of having their name in lights.  I can offer you something close if you comment: your name on the sidebar.  Yet another incentive to comment!

Sorry if I’m being really terse in this post; I’m just insanely tired right now.  But again, I’ll open the post up to comments and suggestions about the sidebar.


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Explaining the Sidebar, Part 1

12 04 2010

I think that the sidebar is a very integral part of “Marshall and the Movies.”  It has not come to my attention that anyone has had any problems with it, but nonetheless I felt like it deserved some ‘splainin (Lucy and Ricky style).

So, in this three-part series, I will dissect the sidebar and how you, the reader, can optimize your experience by using it.

The "Search" Box

Pretty self-explanatory, I think.  Type in anything you want, and you’ll find anything that has ever appeared on the site with those words.  For example, if you want to find all the times that I have talked about “Avatar,” just type it in.  You’ll find my review and plenty of other posts where I referenced it.

But say you want to find the last movie I described as dreadful.  Type in dreadful, and you will see my review of “Clash of the Titans.”  The word is hidden somewhere in the post; from there on it becomes a seek-and-find on your part.  (NOTE: The search tool doesn’t pick up negation, so I could have said “Clash of the Titans” was not dreadful.  I didn’t, but it could happen for some other movie.)

The "Subscribe" Button

The subscribe button is a relatively new addition to the sidebar; I added it on the suggestion of other bloggers who say that it’s a great way to encourage traffic and reader loyalty.  It looks intimidating, but let me explain it for you as simply as possible.

Are you one of those people who so longs for an e-mail just so you can hear the ping?  Or to have that great feeling of importance of getting an e-mail?  Subscribe to “Marshall and the Movies,” and you can get that feeling all the time!  Because I publish a random factoid daily, you are guaranteed at least one e-mail a day.  And most days, I publish some additional content, so that’s up to two e-mails a day!  Are you feeling stoked yet?!  Just type in your e-mail address and hit “Yes! I want updates!”

The LAMB (Large Association of Movie Blogs)

To the normal reader, this strange photo is probably the biggest unknown on the sidebar.  What is it?  Should I click it?

Yes, I would LOVE for you to click it.  Here’s how it works: I’m a member of a very large conglomeration of movie blogs, called the LAMB.  It’s a nice community for movie bloggers, and I’ve been unfortunately limited in my interactions with them due to my hectic life.  However, by directing traffic to their site, you can put me on the “LAMB Leaderboard,” a prominently featured part of the site which would in turn bring flocks back to “Marshall and the Movies.”  It’s a win-win situation for clicking, so why not do it 7 or 8 times?

My note to every reader.

I have made no efforts to keep my commenting problems secret (taking the reverse Sandra Bullock approach, if you will).  So I have left any old reader a note imploring them to comment.

Please, non-blogging readers, I really NEED your comments!  Unlike most bloggers, I don’t write for the blogging community.  I write for the average moviegoer who deserves to hear an average person’s take on cinema.  So help me out here – please (yes, again with the nice manners).

Do you, as readers, have any suggestions on the sidebar?  In particular, I’d like to know what you think about the order that the boxes are arranged in.  Is it really as easy to use as it can be?


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A “Marshall and the Movies” Contest!

1 04 2010

You all know my struggle. I can’t get consistent commentary from the many people who read this blog – for those of you who have commented, ignore this part of the message.

I have a vision for the ideal way “Marshall and the Movies” would operate.  I’ve heard two descriptions of how to run a blog: an interactive community or a teacher-student setting.  I feel like at the current moment, I’m running a teacher-student operation with the occasional student input.  I don’t mind being a “teacher” of sorts, but if that’s the way it has to be, I want to learn as much from the “students” as they learn from me.  Ideally, we could have an interactive community here, but I’ll settle for an interactive classroom.  Right now, it’s just a classroom.

But as Natalie Keener says, “It’s only a problem if you have a solution.  I stand before you today with a solution.”  Readers of “Marshall of the Movies,” I type for you today with similar resolve.

In the month of April, I will be sponsoring a contest.

If you leave a thoughtful and relevant comment that contributes to intelligent discussion of movies or any other topic I bring up here, you will be entered into a random drawing for a prize.  The more you comment, the better chance you have of winning.  My hope is that you will be get in a habit of commenting that extends beyond the end of the contest.

What is the prize?  Well…

Read the rest of this entry »


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Random Factoid #242

27 03 2010

With my review of “Whip It,” I have officially marked 100 reviews.  Wow.  It’s hard to believe I’ve cranked out that many.

While I’m at it, I thought I might list a few other amusing stats just because I don’t call them random factoids for nothing.

  • 11,445 views
  • 355 comments
  • 8 subscribers
  • 1,180 tags
  • 975 spam comments deleted (thanks, spammers!)

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10,000 and Counting

27 02 2010

Dear Readers,

Thank you for visiting my site and making me a part of your life in some small way, be it by observing my neuroses or taking my advice about what movie you should see tomorrow.

By reading, you have made an impact on my life.  On Thursday, Marshall and the Movies got its ten thousandth hit.  This may seem like just a number, and indeed it is.  But it reminded me again to be thankful for this wonderful outlet I have to share my thoughts and insights about one of the things that I love the most, and it wouldn’t succeed without you.  I don’t write these just for my own pleasure; I write for you.

So here’s to 10,000!  This is only the beginning; I plan on racking up many more tens of thousands and celebrating each and every one of them with you.

Thanks again!

Until the next reel,
Marshall


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Another Great Honor!

4 02 2010

Despite what I often infer from the lack of comments on the blog, people are actually discovering “Marshall and the Movies.” A few days ago, I saw a link to a post on British film site Total Film called “600 Film Blogs You Might Have Missed.”  The purpose was to highlight blogs

I didn’t even click on it the first time I saw it.  I assumed it was for the big wigs, and I would be nowhere near contention for the list.

But then something inspired me to go back and look over the list.  Maybe by some strange stroke of luck I did make it.

Sure enough, on page 2, I found myself!

I am so tremendously honored to be listed amongst some of these amazing bloggers! If you ever get tired of reading me, head over to this list to find another blog. There is literally a blogger for every sort of strange movie quirk you might want to read about.


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