Ryan McNeil
What you see there is the first piece of actual mail I have received directed at what I do on this crazy little blog of mine. It was sent to me by Scott from HE SHOT CYRUS. Scott’s been sitting on it for a little while (he told me he was sending it)…but in doing so, he created a happy little accident. He managed to make it arrive during the toughest point in the year for my day job. It’s usually around now that I get grumpy, and snappy for a few weeks…so coming home to find such goodies really brings a smile to this blogger’s face.
As you may or may not know, Fridays are usually the day I turn my space over to my fellow movie bloggers. On one hand today is no different, but at the same time it is. You see, two days ago The Evil Dead Junkie from Things That Don’t Suck tapped me as a Kreativ Blogger. Along with the nod, he gave me this…
Cute eh? Evil gave it to me for the following reason…
(Hatter) writes well about a wide range of films. Giving each due consideration, and generously pointing the way to other works around the web. Though I often disagree, I can’t help but always want to hear the man out. And that’s a gift for a critic. And a reader.
Um…wow. Thank you…very much. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again…comments or not, I swear there are some days I feel like a pretty lonely guppy in this great big virtual pond. So to be reminded not only that someone is reading, but that someone who often disagrees with me is reading is something that really boosts my drive to keep writing. If I may repay the compliment EDJ, it’s refreshing to find a blogger who can disagree while still being intelligent and polite about it.
It would seem though, that such a citation does not come without conditions. They go as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Check)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. (Check Check)
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (Triple Check)
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting. (Coming right up)
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers. (Ditto)
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate. (T’will be done)
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated. (Check x 4)
So let’s tackle that fourth step, shall we?
1. Some might say I’m enthusiastic to a fault – I’ve even been called an apologist. Yes, it’s true that I spend many a minute and many a word gushing over the movies I have seen. I do this because I believe more often than not, we as a film-going society enjoy taking the piss out of movies a bit too much…I’d rather just call a great film a great film.
2. Just yesterday morning I handed my boss a vacation request so that I can take time off work to take in The Toronto International Film Festival. It’s January. TIFF is in September. Yes, I realize asking for something so geeky so amazingly early is kinda sad, but after missing much of it in 2009, I’m antsy.
3. I attend ten-to-twenty Toronto Blue Jay games a year, and have been at Opening Day for ten seasons running. I can usually be found by looking for the guy drinking a lemonade and scoring the game on a scoresheet. While I am old enough to remember the days of the back-to-back championships, there is little in the world that would give me greater joy than another World Series title. Oh, and while he is no longer on my team, Roy Halladay is the most dominant pitcher in baseball.
4. If you listen to my podcast and sometimes hear a “tink-tink” sound, that’s the spoon rattling in my cup of tea.
5. I don’t believe in wasting time on bad movies. I enjoy a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but life is too short to waste eating McDonald’s every night.
6. Every Friday I put up a post in my “Everybody’s Talkin” series. The photos that accompany these posts are all photographs that I have shot myself. When I was younger, I dreamt of being a pro photographer. In a small way, I’m a little happy that didn’t pan out because it allows me to still be able to shoot what I want to shoot, when I want to shoot it, if only to express myself.
7. Besides being a bloggerhead and a cinephile, i’m also a music nerd, a vinyl junkie, a foodie, a comic book geek, a baseball/basketball/hockey fan, a photographer, a foodie, and a bookworm. Suffice to say, I don’t hear the words “You need a hobby” very often.
Now, for my partners in crime…
I must begin with SHANNON THE MOVIE MOXIE. When i started blogging, my readership was made up of people I knew…until she came along. She has introduced me to a lot of equally passionate moviegoers both online and around town. Her passion for film and specifically for The Toronto Film Scene is the stuff of legend, and I wouldn’t have been blogging as long as I have been without her feedback and encouragement.
On the latest podcast, I referred to this guy as my BBF (Best Blogger Friend). His name is Univarn, and his blog is A LIFE IN EQUINOX. Univarn has a very distinctive voice in his writing, and knows always finds the sweet spot between entertainment and analysis. The only thing I value more than his writing is his encouraging spirit of community. The blogosphere needs more people like him.
Without a doubt, one of the most intelligent writers I know is Fandango from FANDANGO GROOVERS MOVIE BLOG (or as I have taken to calling him lately “Number Six”). If my writing is the little pink spoon, his is the whole delicious sundae. he always seems to express thoughts I can’t and does so in ways I never could He has a rare wit about his posts that I always look forward to reading.
Sometimes it’s more fun to have someone disagree with you, but as I mentioned earlier – there has to be intelligence to the argument. If there isn’t, it’s not conversation – it’s just noise. Few disagree with me quite as much as Bob from ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF A LOGICAL MIND. His taste in movies is impeccable, and there are few people whose approval I seek more. Bob is an insightful movie goer, one whose cinematic appreciation seems limitless. He pushes me to be a better blogger and always does so with a smile on his face.
Another source of great encouragement has been Blake from BITCHIN’ FILM REVIEWS. He has constantly pushed me to get more and more involved with activities over at the LAMB. I am a better blogger for it, and through it have found a lot of the writing that I enjoy reading most. The guy is a great writer, has a fantastic attitude, and might well be the blogger I most want to go for a beer with.
One blog I look most forward to reading is M.Carter’s blog M.CARTER @ THE MOVIES. She mixes her ideas well, always has something intelligent to say, and seems to turn the comment section of every post into an amazingly long discussion forum. Such activity is only possible when a writer engages with their readers, and in this way few bloggers spark interaction better than Carter herself. Her blog is an absolute joy to read…now maybe one day I’ll find out what the “M” stands for.
My last award winner is a bit of a special case. It goes to Cheshire Cat of THE UNTEMPERED SCHISM. TUS is a Dr. Who blog, which has actually just started up…seems like an odd award recepient, right? Well the truth is that Cheshire has been one of my very best friends since we were kids, and has always been one of my most devoted readers. He’s been there for me through thick and thin, and has pushed me to keep going many times when I felt like giving up. TUS marks his beginning on a passion-dedicated blog of his own, and I plan on making it my mission to be as supportive of him as he has been of me.
That about wraps it up folks. have a great weekend, and as always – thanks for reading.
HEY! Why did you block out your address? 🙂
I second Scott's sentiments.
You list foodie twice, so I guess you're really a foodie. Even though I'm here in Guyana and we have a huge amount of British customs I cannot stand tea.
Great post. Glad I've got some free time this afternoon to add all the blogs you tagged to my FeedDemon – I'd just cleared reading everyone's posts from over Christmas/New Year and my un-read pile was looking sad and empty 🙂
I like your photography a lot, my old man is a photographer. Ever considered sharing a bit more of it? Another blog perhaps? You'd certainly have one reader here.
Congrats on your blog and on your award!
I'm with Andrew what's with the address block out!? How am I going to send you random pictures of evil leprachauns now!? I don't really have them… but still. Anywho…
major thanks for the mention though! I'll be sure to get on passing this along right away!
Thanks for the kind words.
Wow, those are all your photo's Hatter? They look awesome! I shouldn't be surprized though I've seen your camera!
Gratz on the well deserved nomination and thank you so much for the nomination and your kind words, it's been great to see each other's blogging journey's over the years!
I always request Oscar night off work, well in advance, like as soon as the date is set.
And it's hard to argue with the staggering might of a Boston Red Sox staring rotation that reads Beckett, Lester and Lackey. 🙂
@ Andrew… My building management handed me a complaint letter. Seems as though my dozens of fans were clogging up pedestrian traffic in the lobby. (As if).
Never knew you were in Guyana – that's cool! My tea-drinking tendencies are part of what led to the Mad Hatter handle.
@ This time… Always happy to point the arrow towards some other badass bloggers. Musch of my photography is online at Flickr. Drop me an email and I can point you towards my work (madhatterdot21athotmaildotcom)
@ TFC… Thanks a million, your blog is pretty darned spiffy too. Keep the good work coming!
@ Univarn… Didn't want you going all SINGLE WHITE FEMALE on me.
@ Number Six… Anytime.
@ Shannon… Yep, my trusty camera sure can produce some nifty shots. Pretty much makes it worth the extra weight in my bag. I can't believe we've been at this blogging thing for more than two years…where does the time go?
@ Mike… Good to know my geekery isn't a rare and precious snowflake.
The BoSox have one of the best rotations, but none of 'em have Doc's command and durability. Philly has no idea what sort of awesomeness they are in for.
Yep, I'm in Guyana. You say that like you know where it is :P. I've gotten so tired of explaining where[what?] it is to people [not in Africa] that I just refrain from telling them now, unless they specifically ask.
Thanks for the nom and the vote of confidence, Hatter, not to mention the plug!
Now the tricky thing is posting this to my blog. I'm not following enough blogs to give such accolades to just yet, but I'll se what I can do.
Way to go, man. Any accolades that come your way, you deserve 'em. Keep on keepin' on!
Hey Hatter thanks for the kind words. But like I said you earned them.
If two people can disagree over The Box and part friends I'd say the other is well worth reading. : )
Mad Hatter, you are a rock star. Anybody who says different will have to answer to me!
Many, many thanks for the mention in your blog. Doing this for free makes you wonder sometimes if the effort's worth it, and you reminded that it was, that people read and listen and appreciate what I have to say. Right back you; your blog is one of the ones I'm excited to read.
And just for the record: the "M" stands for Meredith.
Thanks Hatter, you're bitchin'!
I'd love to buy you a beer sometime.
I'll be posting a reply soon.
My post of this will go up tomorrow at 8am (and I'll pester everyone at some point later). Though out of curiosity, if I'm a BBF does that mean we'll be getting bracelets with BBF on it, start texting each other, and talking in valley girl speak!!!!?
So lik I wuz readun dah blog dee oder day and it was like OMG dat muvee wuz whack, end I wuz lik nut uh it was awzum!!! u kno?
hehe 😛 <3
Looks like Mad Hatter started a new trend.
Congrats Hatter! I'm a newbie at this so it's been great learning from great movie bloggers like you, M. Carter and Fandango. I enjoy reading your posts, but most of all I admire the community of bloggers you have. It's cool that you recognize your fellow bloggers on Fridays, and I thank you for your comments/tips you leave on my wee blog, too. It's such an encouragement. Keep on bloggin', the blogosphere is a better place because of the likes of you!
P.S. Aren't you lucky you get to go to TIFF every year. That event will have a special place in my heart as the first festival I attended, hope I can go there again in the near future!
@ Andrew… I actually went to high school with a guy whose family was from there, so I saw that flag a lot as a teenager (thanks for the memories!).
@ Cheshire… Anytime man – just keep bloggin'. Worry about passing along the love later.
@ Aiden… Thanks!
@ Evil Dead… Thanks again for thinking of me with this. I had a lot of fun talking about THE BOX – just 'cause I didn't like the movie, doesn't mean I have to be rude to you, right?
@ Carter… Meredith!!! Knowing that brings me a huge amount of joy. I'll do my best to retain my rock-star status.
@ Blake… Gettin' called bitchin by you feels like Ebert giving me a thumbs up. Keep up the good work.
@ Univarn… OMG! I think you might have just created a monster LOL!
@ Castor… I'm merely passing the blogospheric dutchie on the left-hand-side…I started nothing.
@ RTM… Wow – it's cool being a role model. Community is the best part of doing this. I mean, getting a soapbox to spout off my ideas is swell, but it's infinitely more fun finding more and more people to converse, argue, and virtually pal around with. Thanks for being one of those people, and keep your own good work coming.
Hatter, my sincere thanks my good man…It's greatly appreciated. In the end, it's all about sharing our passions with each other and learning new things, finding new movies and discovering different perspectives. From that point of view, I'd say my time in the, ahem, blogosphere has been a huge success for me.
I got that same package in the mail by the way. Don't think I'll get to it this week, but I'm really curious to give it a look.
Hatter, just don't know if it means anything getting a second nomination but consider yourself nominated, again…couldn't think of anyone else I follow who deserves it more. Please enjoy this second spin!
Oh and BTW I watched Blade Runner the Final Cut and though I still have my problems with the film, I think I am starting to get into the hype just a bit. Thanks for the suggestion. Next up, giving Citizen Kane a second chance:)