The Year in Review: Orphan Posts
Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 8:54AM 
This episode of year in review is super-needy and self-indulgent. You have been warned!
While we can generally count on you, the devoted readership, to comment at least a little bit on everything, mysteriously these written efforts went unloved. At least visibly. Perhaps you loved them in silence? Or maybe you just missed them. If little orphan Annie can get a makeover and third filmed chance to find her sugar daddy (warbucks/stacks) these posts deserve a second chance!
• James Chinlund, Visionary Designer he made the ape forest in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and the tree spaceshipwhatsit in The Fountain. He is genius.
• Hong Khaou on Lilting I suspect this beautifully lensed and touching LGBT film starring Ben Whishaw hasn't yet found its audience because we posted about it a few times and always *crickets*.
• Beloved Sisters Germany's 3 hour Oscar submission is a romantic costume drama about an unconventional love triangle. It actually opened for Christmas just after missing the foreign film Oscar finalist list
• Blow-Up's Best Shots my favorite series to run is "hit me with your best shot" (returning in March!) but I'll admit I never have a clue which episodes will really grip you. I thought for sure this Michelangelo Antonioni episode would be a hit and it was very nearly the least popular Hit Me selection in years.
• and a few posts each from...
Tribeca & Sundance & TIFF & NYFF but, then again, commenting on film festival reviews is always lighter. This might not mean anything since those films are completely unknown entities when they are first written about. Even the ones that later spark much conversation like Obvious Child. Do you like the film festival coverage that we've really amped up the past two years? Please do let me know as it is a budget point for the site and money is always tight.
Finally... sometimes I think these two posts here and here were my favorites of the year which is perhaps not a good sign as to my mental health. But thanks for commenting on them! No, no. I amend: This was actually my favorite post of the year. It shoulda gone viral. *sniffle*
Reader Comments (12)
I, for one, really appreciate the festival posts. They help me take note and keep track of interesting projects that'll hopefully show up in theaters (1001 Grams??). I shamefully missed Liltling when it hit Boston this fall (for a week). Very much looking forward to it!
I may not be the most consistent commentor, but I'm here every day!
I appreciate in Steven!
I second Steven. I usually do not comment much, but the festivals' coverage is indeed important in bringing awareness to movies that otherwise would go under the radar.
I second Steven. I usually do not comment much, but the festivals' coverage is indeed important in bringing awareness to movies that otherwise would go under the radar.
Love the festival posts. Love them, love them, love them.
But often the only response I have is "I really want to see this." and I limit myself to 7 "I really want to see this!" responses a month.
Would it be possible for you to set up a counter of some kind that shows how many people have actually read a post? Doesn't need to be public, but would help you keep tract of which topics are getting most traffic. (Actually would be interesting to most of us I think.) Just a thought.
I don't know how I missed HMWYBS on Blow-Up. It is one of my all time favorites, and so powerful in its imagery in its time.......a story told with pictures not dialogue. Clearly a 60's film. The shots were gorgeous but what I remember so well is the sound of the wind in the trees in the park.
Thanks for bringing it again to our attention
It's been a great year on this site, which I've been reading since...2005 or '06? I really like the expanded coverage that the "team" allows. The Smackdown podcasts were really fun -- a great addition (though I imagine probably a lot of work for you). Ditto the interviews -- the craft of filmmaking deserves as much coverage as the endless awards the industry gives to itself. As for festival coverage, I usually go back and read festival posts after I've seen the film, but don't usually comment because it can be many months later.
Happy New Year!
Please continue festival coverage, I am amoung the many who read it and refer to it all year. But it does feel redundant to comment with something like "yeah that looks like something I want to see". Maybe you could set up a simple vote list where you ask readers to vote on which films they will be seeing first. (monkey polling can provide a template).
I enjoyed seeing your favourite posts, I especially love the pizza top 10.
Well, I am in the minority here because I really don't like the festival coverage. It seems to consume your life for its duration, and we don't get the usual Nathaniel we've come to know and love.
Besides your Oscar predictions and your annual awards, my favorite features are your lists. Just yesterday I went back searching on the old blog to try to find your Actress of the Aughts list. no luck, *sigh. It was your great insights into appreciating cinema that made me a fan of this site. The team does a great job, but it is your inimitable voice that I respect the most. You do a great job at advocating for films (Short Term 12-I love it so much and would never have seen it without your recommendation) as well as pointing out small, but absurd injustices (Please make it an annual tradition to suggest women who should present Best Picture. Also-did you coin the term "category fraud" because I feel like you were the first to talk about it.)
So, for this upcoming year, my dream would be for you to do an Actress of the 10s list and poll for readers. Keep up Yes, No, Maybe So. And I am resolving to participate in Hit Me With Your Best Shot for the first time this year. And I know I am not the only one that was disappointed you never had time to finish your Awards (Memorable Scenes, announcing medalists in character special categories) If festival coverage is what kept you from getting to that, ditch the festivals! Keep your traditions alive!
ahawshank - i have realized that my traditions deserve better than i've been giving them. especially the film bitch awards... i'm not sure what happened to them over the past couple of years. i know i just didnt do them justice.
't you will see a much fuller film bitch awards this year. as well as more announcements in that regard next year.
shawshank - and thanks for the reminder about actresses of the aughts. i actually have a plan about that.
I'm ashamed to this, but please do a post where you have people who are as hawt as that yummy stuntman that you interviewed, and we all will flock there LOL