The 7x7 Link Award

Well, the weather's been cold and wet where I am, but what does that matter when the sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love? The acid bath of disappointments and despair known as Oscar season is finally over (For the record, I had no special horses in that race, but I was pleased to see Christopher Plummer finally get his Oscar). I don't know about you guys, but I know I breathe a little sigh of relief when the Academy Awards are over and movie criticism can go back to being fun again.

But just because the film industry's award season is fraught with more tension than the tape holding up some of those starlets' dresses doesn't mean that awards can't be fun. The brilliant and beautiful Karen over at shadowsandsatin has nominated me for a 7x7 Link Award! Anybody who follows this blog knows that I am shamelessly happy to win anything and to get it from someone like Karen, who writes so beautifully about noir, pre-Codes, and film performance, well, that's a special treat. I would apologize for responding late but since Karen herself took a month, I figure it can't be wrong to follow my hostess' fashionably late lead.

That said, let's take a look at this award.

The rules of this award are as follows:

• Tell everyone something that no one else knows about
• Link to one of my posts that I personally think best fits the following categories: Most Beautiful Piece, Most Helpful Piece, Most Popular Piece, Most Controversial Piece, Most Surprisingly Successful Piece, Most Underrated Piece, and Most Pride-worthy Piece
• Pass this award on to seven other bloggers

Well, I'll do my best.

Something that no one else knows about: And we jump right into Truth or Dare territory. Huh. Well, okay. It took me a full year to work up the courage to start writing my own blog. I lurked around for quite a while, pouring over other people's reviews and discussions before finally saying to myself, "Look, you're already writing this stuff in your head, just go ahead and do it."

Now, for the linking!

Most Beautiful Piece: In terms of visual beauty (which is a whole lot easier to judge than the beauty of the prose), I think my screencap-heavy post on Letter to Three Wives for the Fashion in Film Blogathon wins that prize. That post was an anomaly for me as I usually don't rely so much on images or on plot summary but it was incredibly fun to do. You can't argue with about twenty different views of Linda Darnell, can you?

No you can't.

Most Helpful Piece: Helpful? I'm a little confused. I can't think of much on this blog that's helpful as opposed to simply entertaining. Err, my news posts, I guess.

Most Popular Piece: According to my hit count and by a very wide margin, my hasty and not very planned-out post on Veronica Lake is the one that's pulling in the viewers. That was one of my earlier posts, an attempt to sort out a muddled fascination with an unhappy but unforgettable star. And as always happens, whenever I write about a performer, I always end up feeling incredibly fond of them. I'll have to test the limits of that someday and write about Wallace Beery or Rex Harrison.

Most Controversial Piece: Now, you've really stumped me. I'm a classic film blogger, how much controversy could I possibly attract? I suppose for lack of an alternative, I'll put up my post on Citizen Kane because well, it did heat things up to the level of a polite debate in the comments section.

Most Surprisingly Successful Piece: I was a little surprised at how much response I got for my post on great screen teams that never were. I guess I'm not the only one that enjoys thinking about what might have been.

Most Underrated Piece: It's one of the quirks of blogging that many times the more you say, the less you'll get in response. My review of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman was one of my wordiest and most difficult-to-write movie reviews. Yet reader interest was...lacking. Still, it's a piece I'm proud of.

Most Pride-worthy Piece: I think I will give the nod to my review of I Walked with a Zombie. Not because it's my best piece (not by a long shot) but it was the first post I ever did for this blog. The first step's always the hardest.

And now for the fun part, tagging seven other bloggers! Hopefully, this will lead to more traffic for each of these brilliant blogs. If I tag you and you'd rather not participate, I won't feel offended. My tagging is meant in a spirit of fun and affection, not obligation. If you do accept the award, great! 

Krell Laboratories: I am in continual awe of Vulnavia's ability to write thoughtful, creative posts every time. I've been reading her blog for over a year now and I've yet to catch her ever phoning it in.

Who Can Turn the World Off With Her Smile?: Laura's one of my favorite bloggers. Witty, whimsical, and always original. If you aren't following her, then what are you waiting for?

Forgotten Classics of Yesteryear: Nate, any time you want to organize another blogathon, I'll be there in a shot.

In the Mood: I thought I was a Barbara Stanwyck fan, but Natalie leaves me in the dust. But she's more than a fan, she's also an enthusiastic and generous writer. Always look forward to her thoughts.

Sittin' on a Backyard Fence: It's probably a good sign when you start reading someone's blog and your first response is, "Wow, where have you been all my (blogging) life?"

Tales of the Easily Distracted: Dorian's one of the funniest and smartest reviewers out there, as well as one of the kindest commenters I've ever had.

Garbo Laughs: Welcome back, Caroline! We've missed you.