Much to my surprise, I've been nominated for this year's Sunshine Blogger Award. This is an award given by Bloggers to other Bloggers they find creative, talented and entertaining. I've been blogging just over a year and it really floors me that anyone would nominate me for an award at this point in my blogging career.
I wish to thank RealWeegieMidget (https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/) or Gill, as we movie buffs know her, for nominating me for this prestigous award. I'm really surprised and touched. I've been proud to be a part of several of Gill's Blog-a-thons, which I enjoyed greatly.
The rules for nominees are as follows:
- List the award’s official rules.
- Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog.
- Thank the person who nominated you.
- Provide a link to your nominator’s blog.
- Answer your nominator’s questions.
- Nominate up to eleven bloggers.
- Ask your nominees eleven questions.
- Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.
I have cut and pasted Gill's eleven questions and answered them to the best of my ability. Here they are:
1. If you could be in lockdown – and stuck in a house with them for 24 hours a day – with someone famous who would you pick and why…?
At the moment, I am trying to get back to story telling. I think I would like to have either Neil Gaiman or Makoto Shinkai as a house guest. Both know how to tell a great story. Luckly, I have a subscription to MasterClass and am watching Mr. Gaiman give lessons on story telling. Shinkai-san is the director of "(your name)", "Weathering with You", and many other animes. He is brilliant. He makes me cry.
2. A certain streaming service asks you which film franchise to add for lockdown viewing worldwide, which would you pick?
I was lucky enough to watch some "franchises", actually movies series. For instance, thanks to Turner Classics, I was able to see four of the six "Lone Wolf and Cub" films from Japan. I viewed two of the three "The Tag-Along" urban legend horror films from Taiwan. As good as these films were, I would suggest that a streaming service make both Shaun the Sheep movies available. I managed to see "Shaun the Sheep Movie" and "Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon". Both films are hilarious and really brighten one's day!
3. If you could add all films with one particular actor or actress on this same streaming service, who would you pick and why?
W.C Fields. He makes me laugh more than any other screen comedian. Yes, even more than Groucho Marx.
4. If you could delete all films with one particular actor or actress on this same streaming service, who would you pick and why?
I really don't like to single anyone out as being worthy of being removed from streaming. But, if I have to decide, I would go with Kevin Costner. I know a lot of people love him and think he's a wonderful actor. I feel his performances are somewhat stiff. Most of his film choices do little for me, as well. Granted, I love "Field of Dreams", but the film is carried by people like Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster.
5. If you could pick 5 actors and actresses to be put on TV Live, to live in lockdown together for a month who would you choose?
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bruce Campbell, Jamie Foxx , Robert Englund
Jane Lynch, Helen Mirren, Laurie Metcalf, Sandra Oh, Pam Grier
6. What film do you think deserves more recognition?
Loving Anime the way I do, there is a director whose name doesn't always figure in the discussion. We hear about Miyazaki and Shinkai and mourn Satoshi Kon, but Mamoru Hosoda seems to get passed by. He has directed great stories like "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", "Wolf Children", and "The Boy and the Beast." My favorite is "Summer Wars". A computer virus takes on a life of its own and a group of youths have to play the card game Hanafuda to defeat it and stop it from destroying their home and family. The film creates a vivid virtual world along with a real life story. Genius.
7. What’s your favourite so bad its good movie?
I have always been a big fan of the movie "Rubber" (2010). A film about a sentient, murderous spare tire, that cuts a path of death and destruction through the Southwest. The premise is silly, the acting is excellent, and the tire is a perfect monster. The film also breaks the fourth wall at times, which adds to its "charm".
8. If you could give an Oscar to any actor or actress for a lifetime achievement award who would you pick (don’t answer the same person from your #3 answer)?
I think Steve Martin's body of work would be worthy of a lifetime achievement award. He's gone from broad farce (The Jerk), to subtle comedy (LA Story), to romance (Roxanne), to drama (Grand Canyon, A Simple Twist of Fate). He also writes, directs, plays banjo as part of soundtracks, and more. He is an amazing talent.
9. What’s your favourite film find since going into lockdown?
Wow! Is that a tough one! As of this moment, I've seen 113 features and shorts. Above all the films I have seen Taika Waititi's masterful "road" picture "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (2016). Set in the beautiful wilderness of New Zealand, a foster child and a loner bond as they run from social services and the police after the boy's latest foster mother dies. Funny and touching. Waititi has a way with a story that cannot be matched. He is the man behind "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Jojo Rabbit".
In shorts, filmmaker Marc Roussel alerted folks on Facebook about the release of "Quarenstein" on Vimeo. The short contains the work of 21 different filmmakers, each taking a piece of the Frankenstein story and putting it together in isolation. Often, the film is hilarious! It is a masterpiece of lockdown filmmaking!!
10. What’s your favourite TV find since going into lockdown?
It would have to be Disney's "The Owl House". A human girl, Luz, crosses over to the Boiling Isles, a land of myths, magic and witches. She meets Eda, the most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles, and King, the cutest demon in the world. She asks to stay at the Owl House instead of going home. Luz wants to be a witch.
The show is about not fitting in and carving your own path. All the characters are misfits and "weirdoes" that don't fit the norm. It is fun, and uplifting, to see them embrace their difference from the world.
11. Have you binged on any series or franchise since going into lockdown? Which ones?
Quite a few series were binged, which is odd for me as I don't usually binge. They were:
The Hollow (season 2) Netflix
The Last Kids on Earth (season 2) Netflix
Outlander (most for five seasons. couldn't help it. I was in the same room as the Good Lady Wife binged it) Starz
The Owl House (season 1) Disney XP
Gravity Falls (season 2/3) Disney XP
The Last Kids on Earth (season 2) Netflix
Outlander (most for five seasons. couldn't help it. I was in the same room as the Good Lady Wife binged it) Starz
The Owl House (season 1) Disney XP
Gravity Falls (season 2/3) Disney XP
Parasyte: The Maxim (season 1) Netflix
Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts (season 2) Netflix
Upload (season 1) Amazon
My nominees are taken from the folks I follow on Twitter, who I've found to be engaging, well-spoken and enjoyable! They have made my time on Twitter more than I could have imagined.
As I am relatively new to blogging and, at times, really mystified by the process, my questions trend to lean more to the art of blogging. I hope you don't mind. I'm also keeping it to the general subject as there is a mixed bag of bloggers here!
My Questions to my Nominees are:
1. What topic do you blog most about?
2. Do you only blog about one topic, or do you blog about other things, even occasionally?
3. Do you have someone or something you love to write about more than others? If so, why?
4. Is your blogging by a schedule, or done as ideas come to you?
5. What subject would you never blog about? Why?
6. Do you get comments from your readers?
7. How do those comments affect you?
8. Was there a time when you considered giving up blogging? Why?
9. Has blogging led to other writing activities? Or is it the other way around?
10. How important are pictures to your blog?
11. Do you have any wisdom that you'd like to pass along about blogging?
So, there it is. My first foray into the world of online awards. Thank you for your participation. Thank you for the insurrection!
1. What topic do you blog most about?
ReplyDeleteFor the last few years, Ed Wood has been the main topic of the blog -- his life and career, including his films and books.
2. Do you only blog about one topic, or do you blog about other things, even occasionally?
I blog about all kinds of things -- movies, books, TV, music, comics, etc.
3. Do you have someone or something you love to write about more than others? If so, why?
I've gotten away from it this year, but I love to write about newspaper comics because I find them inherently funny.
4. Is your blogging by a schedule, or done as ideas come to you?
Kind of both. Ed Wood Wednesdays is a weekly column, but generally the blog is done on a haphazard basis -- whenever inspiration strikes.
5. What subject would you never blog about? Why?
I tend not to cover politics or current events, just because other people can do those better than I can.
6. Do you get comments from your readers?
I used to, but I shut comments off a few years ago because it was mainly people promoting themselves or some scam.
7. How do those comments affect you?
In the days when I got comments, a positive note could be very encouraging. And, even though I didn't like getting negative comments, I would change things based on reader complaints, e.g. if someone felt I'd gotten my facts wrong or left something important out of an article.
8. Was there a time when you considered giving up blogging? Why?
Many times. Usually when I think no one reads the blog or cares about it, so it's not worth the effort.
9. Has blogging led to other writing activities? Or is it the other way around?
I think that I've occasionally been offered writing assignments because of the blog. I have a book coming out soon, for instance, and it happened because of the blog.
10. How important are pictures to your blog?
Extremely. When you're talking about movies or comics, those are visual media. The blog wouldn't work without pictures.
11. Do you have any wisdom that you'd like to pass along about blogging?
Write the kind of stuff you'd like to read.
Thank you, kind sir, for the nomination, and congrats on your well-deserved award! These are great questions. I need to give them some thought. This was a pleasant surprise. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ernie. I'll have to ponder your excellent blogging questions.
ReplyDeleteI would totally watch your acting talent choices for a reality show! The hilarity would be a wonder!
Oh, and I hope you enjoyed Gravity Falls. It is one of the most imaginituve series I've seen.