Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Quotes on Grief and Loss

Today’s Topic: Book Quotes that Fit X Theme (Pick any theme you want, i.e., motivational quotes, romantic dialogues, hunger-inducing quotes, quotes that fill you with hope, quotes on defeating adversity, quotes that present strong emotions, healing, etc. and then select quotes from books that fit that theme.)

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Last year, someone very near and dear to me passed away. It really hit me hard. Thanks to that loss, I now notice fictional statements on grief and loss whereas in the past, I kind of skimmed over them. It wasn’t something I really related to. Now I do. And I hope that this experience and the ability to relate to fictional character’s journeys of grief are making me a more understanding and compassionate person. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Bookish Quotes on Grief and Loss”

Top Ten Tuesday – Book Titles that Are Complete Sentences

Today’s Topic: Book Titles That Are Complete Sentences

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Well, I originally thought this prompt would be a bit more difficult as I don’t tend to read books with long titles. However, once I started going through my Goodreads, I realized some sentences can be short and still complete a thought.

I did notice one peculiarity, the majority of this week’s titles come from my TBR list, not from books I’ve already read. Maybe I have a subconscious bias against sentence titles? Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday – Book Titles that Are Complete Sentences”

Six Films Six Decades Blogathon

For the last several years, I’ve enjoyed participating in the blogathons hosted by Rick at Classic Film & TV Cafe to celebrate National Classic Movie Day. This year, Rick’s theme is six favorite movies in six different decades.

This may be among the most difficult choices I’ve yet made for his blogathons. Only one favorite film per decade? Gahh!! I’m not known for being particular about favorites and always have a hard time narrowing down for lists like this.

Hence why I decided to focus on favorites which may not be as famous as others I might have featured. Continue reading “Six Films Six Decades Blogathon”

My Silent Film Favorites – 1920’s Centenary Blogathon

As an avid fan of classic films, one would think I would have discovered silent movies, long before I finally did. However,  as someone who loves the nuances of language and appreciates great dialogue, I was under the mistaken impression that a silent picture couldn’t possibly hold my interest, especially for the length of a feature film.

God bless Buster Keaton, because he was the one who finally broke through the prejudices I had formed.  Fortunately, my affinity for comedy was too great. I took a chance on this legendary comedian and watched his much praised film The General. I was enthralled and began to seek out all of his films I could find. This led me also to discover the other two comedians of the silent film comedy triumvirate, Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd and then the genius shorts of Laurel and Hardy.

My first memorable experience with a silent romantic drama was Frank Borzage’s Lucky Star. I was dazzled by the narrative, the performances of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, the cinematography. The fact that I could sit spell bound for almost two hours was proof that despite their differences from “talkies” silent films were just as powerful a story telling medium and just as addicting in entertainment factor.

Since then, I have continued in my personal discovery of silent films. I’ve sought out those by actors whose sound pictures I love, and also those whose popularity and success was greatest in film’s early decades. I’ve mostly watched silents featuring those with star power behind them; names like Norma Shearer, Pola Negri, Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino, Greta Garbo and John Gilbert among others. I’ve discovered pictures I love and those I didn’t (I’m looking at you Salomé and Battleship Potemkin).

I’ve learned a new appreciation for this art form that changed significantly with the advent of sound. And yet even now, I still sometimes find them  intimidating, especially the longer ones. Which is why I’ve only recently watched The Big Parade and Wings and still haven’t seen most of Lillian Gish’s most successful pictures. But whenever I bravely venture back into the world of silent films, I’m rarely disappointed.

To celebrate this overlooked and oft misunderstood period in cinema, I want to share with you some of my favorite and more memorable discoveries; from pictures to actors and even a director. Continue reading “My Silent Film Favorites – 1920’s Centenary Blogathon”