And the Liebster goes to…

I’ll start with a warm message of appreciation to my two tweeting/blogging pals, Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled and Paula of  Paula’s Cinema Club who honored me with a special recognition, the Liebster Blog Award.  It means the world to be recognized by these two talented, social media butterflies.  I sincerely hope they ignore the fact it’s taken me a couple of months to meet the requirements of this recognition.  I assure them the delay is not due to lack of appreciation.  It really does mean the world.

What is the Liebster Blog Award?

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. “Liebster” is German for “favorite”. This award is the “favorite blog award” then.

The rules for this one state that you answer the 11 questions asked of you by the Blogger who gave you this award. In this case I will attempt to answer 22 questions, 11 each for Paula and Kellee.  I honestly haven’t a clue how to make my answers interesting, I’m not that interesting a person but will try my best.

The rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post.
5. Go to their page and tell them. I think letting people know on Twitter is cool.
6. NO TAG BACKS.

Here goes…about me…

• I have, and have always had, a terrible memory.  This is particularly true where people’s names are concerned.  If I’m in a crowd situation – meaning more than two people (:-/) I will rarely do introductions, choosing to go the “introduce yourselves” route.  And this is true even with people I know forever.  Names just don’t stay with me.  If I am discussing or trying to recommend a film to someone it usually sounds like this, “Oh, you have to see that movie with….er…the one where the guy, that great actor…um…where the girl cries…um….”  It’s maddening.  But…er…where was I?
• I was born in Cuba and was reared in Rangoon.  Well, the second part of that is not true but that would have been a hoot – I’ve always liked the way that sounds, “Rangoon” but don’t know where it is or if it exists so please don’t ask me about it.  Truth is I was raised in the Washington Heights section of New York City, two blocks from the George Washington Bridge.
• I have zero patience.
• I have an addictive personality.
• I frequently speak Spanglish.
• My day job is in Higher Ed. Administration.  I also teach Mass Media part-time.
• I’m a television and film junkie and think film is our greatest art form.
• I’m a life-long New York Yankees fan.
• I’m addicted to the J.D. Robb ‘In Death’ series of books.
• I still get nightmares from scary movies.
• Sarcasm runs in my family.

My answers to Paula’s questions:

What is your guilty movie pleasure?

All 23 Rocky movies.

What mediocre classic-era film would you like to see remade?

Meh to remakes.  So I’ll take another Dracula.  The Prince of Darkness is any incarnation is always a treat.

Are there are any modern actors you think could have held their own in the classic era?

Gary Oldman would have been a wonderful, classic Warner Bros. gangster.  Then again, he’d be great in anything.  Also, Jeff Bridges can do no wrong – handsome leading man AND a great character actor to boot.  I’m sure there are more but those two do quite nicely.

What movie(s) do you always, without fail, stop to watch if you happen upon it/them while flipping channels?

It’s a Wonderful Life, The Godfather, Meet Me in St. Louis.

Which actor’s or director’s work do you like in spite of yourself?

Vince Vaughn.

Who would play you in the movie of your life story (classic or modern)?

The great Kate would be my choice for no reason other than her fabulousness.  She’d give me major gravitas.

Mac or PC?

Mac

What’s your (astrological, not traffic!) sign?

Aries

What five people (living or dead) connected with film (modern or classic) would you invite to dinner?

Only five, huh?  I must cheat a bit since I don’t cook.  I will be the sixth guest at Barbra Streisand’s house along with Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon and Judy Garland.  (It actually hurt to choose only a few).

Favorite movie snack.

Popcorn and plain M & M’s.  Salty and sweet.

Craziest G/PG-rated thing that ever happened to you at a movie theater.

The only thing I can think of in this rating category is when I went to see American Beauty in 1999.  I was babysitting a toddler who was fast asleep.  I was sure his slumber would last for the entire movie when, lo and behold, he woke up during a particularly gory scene.  I panicked, turned him around and much to the chagrin of those around me started singing to keep his attention on me and stuffing him with candy and soda.  He never knew what hit him and never saw the bloody mess on the screen.  Of course, neither did I.  And, for the record, that toddler is now an awesome teenager with almost no emotional scar resulting from that event.

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My answers to Kellee’s Questions:

1. What is your earliest classic film memory?

Since my memory is terrible (see above), my classic movie memories are mostly a mish-mash of MGM musicals, dance routines, Universal monsters and the like.  But I do have two distinct memories, one is related to Donen and Kelly’s, On the Town (1949), memories I shared in this previous post.  And the other is related to George Stevens’, Penny Serenade (1941), the wonderful melodrama starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne that seems to have been on my television constantly when I was a child.  Yes, I always cried watching it but credit the film and the nostalgia it evokes for being one of the ones that made my love of the classics blossom.

2. Who are your top favorite directors (modern or classic)?

WOW – a few favorites that come to mind in no particular order – Hitchcock, Wilder, Chaplin, Scorsese, Cukor, Lumet, Hawks, Capra, Ford, Eastwood, Wyler, Curtiz, Kazan, Mankiewicz.

3. How has your love of movies (classic or modern) influenced other areas of your life?

Immeasurably.  They are always present – a comparison, a reminder, a memory.  Classic films have played significant roles in bridging the generation gap in my family, they gave me appreciation for art.  And on and on.  It is rare when they don’t seep into conversation on a daily basis.
4. What film/s (classic or modern) do you think has the best music score?

An impossible question to answer.  My goodness.  Gone with the Wind, Jaws, Psycho, Doctor Zhivago. WHEW!
5. Who are your favorite character actors (modern or classic) and why?

So many greats in this category but I have to go with the incomparable, Thelma Ritter.  See why here.
6. Which films have made the most impact from a fashion perspective in your opinion and/or are simply your favorite/s from a fashion/style/design perspective (modern or classic)?

I’m at a complete loss with this one.  I have zero fashion sense.  Here are a few stars that I believe have been very influential in fashion through the years (and note my no-brainer choices):

7. Who are your favorite villains (modern or classic)?

The two best villains ever happen to be played by the same actor.  The men are evil incarnate, Harry Powell, and hatred personified, Max Cady in The Night of the Hunter (1955) and Cape Fear (1962) respectively – both played by fearsome, force of nature, Robert Mitchum.

Those are the two best “worst,” as in despicable.  But in case anyone else reading this may ascribe another type of description to villain then I must also give a shout out to my Capt. Louis Renault.

8. If you were in a classic film, who would play you, your best pal and your significant other?

Margaret Dumont would play me, Harpo Marx would be my best pal and Zeppo my significant other.
9. If you could choose any television show (modern or classic), which show would you do a remake of and feel free to add who would star (modern or classic/dead or alive) in it.

I don’t like the idea because I’d much prefer the classic shows are aired for today’s audiences.  But, for fun…

The Big Valley with:  Helen Mirren, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Gerard Butler and Elle Fanning (in a few years).
10. What’s your favorite sassy/snarky come-back line from any film?

Here’s the one that comes to mind – a line delivered masterfully by the great, Eve Arden as Ida in Michael Curtiz’, Mildred Pierce (1945):

“Personally, Veda’s convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young.”
11. Who are your favorite comedy actors?

The Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Kate Hepburn.  To name a few.

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Now I must get to the toughest part of this endeavor, choosing bloggers to whom I must pass the Liebster Award torch to.  There are certain guidelines to adhere to, but I am foregoing those guidelines for several reasons.  So let me just say that I am choosing 11 bloggers from a long list of fabulous film sites I visit quite often and that I know others would enjoy visiting.  Some of my favorites I know for sure have received this award recently so I’ve left them out.  Although there is no obligation to participate, I would love to know their answers to my questions, which follow this list of honorees.  It’s all in good fun though and everyone’s busy so be it as it may.

And the Liebster Award goes to…

Classic Movie Hub

Cinematically Insane

Andy Watches Movies

Speakeasy

Furious Cinema

Movie Star Makeover

goosepimply allover

Silver Screenings

Classic Cinema Gold

The Baz

The Great Katharine Hepburn

MY QUESTIONS:

1.  Name a popular, classic film star you think is overrated.

2.  All-time favorite classic film performance male and female.

3.  Gotham City or a galaxy far, far away?

4.  What question would you ask your favorite film director, living or dead?

5.  Why did you start a blog?

6. You woke up this morning and are living in a classic film noir.  Who are you and in which film?

7.  One skill you wish you had.

8.  Most underrated film actor.

9.  What is your all-time favorite book character?

10.  If you can go to any year, when would you go to and why?

11. How different would our classic film community/experience be today without Turner Classic Movies (TCM)?

Cheers!