by Sam Juliano
For the first time ever, the much admired and successful Film Preservation Blogathon -the brainchild of Ferdy-on-Film’s Marilyn Ferdinand- has set up camp here at Wonders in the Dark, a few months after this astounding honor was set in place after a series of e mail exchanges with my dear friend from the Windy City, Ms. Ferdinand. Our site replaces the previous third position occupied by the venerated Farren Smith Nehme, “the Self-Styled Siren,” a New York Post film critic, who has written numerous essays for Criterion’s DVD booklets, and has delighted the film community with her lovely personality and incomparable erudition. Those are shoes impossible to fill, but the very idea that we at this six-year-old cinematic outpost have been selected to serve as host for the final day provides us with one of the greatest honors we’ve ever been graced with. The previous four days of the renowned venture were staged at Ferdy and at This Island Rod (with the redoubtable Roderick Heath as host) for two days each. Many banner science-fiction film reviews were linked up on the home posts at both sites, and here at Wonders in the Dark we are really hoping to maintain the torrid pace. Please remember to link up the donation icon (to be found on the sidebar here) at the end of your reviews.
Marilyn Ferdinand beautifully offers these specs: “Our film is Cupid in Quarantine (1918), a one-reel Strand Comedy that tells the story of a young couple conspiring to stay together by staging a smallpox outbreak. The amount we’re shooting for is $10,000 to go to the National Film Preservation Foundation to cover laboratory costs for the film’s preservation as well as a new score for the film’s web premiere. The streaming film will be available free of charge to everyone online at the NFPF website.
Donors, we have a number terrific prizes that will be awarded through random drawing at the end of the blogathon. They include Farran Smith Nehme’s outstanding screwball novel Missing Reels, Mike Smith’s fascinating Flickering Empire: How Chicago Invented the U.S. Film Industry, three DVD sets of American Treasures from the New Zealand Film Archive, a collection of 3-D rarities from Flicker Alley, and more.
According to estimates, at least 50 percent of all films made for public exhibition before 1951 have been lost. Move into the silent era, and the estimate shoots up to about 90 percent. We are very lucky to have this opportunity to restore this irreplaceable part of our history. Please join us in having fun and help us reach our goal by donating today!
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1397805?code=Blogathon%202015
Here are the blogathon entries for today:
At the US Intellectual History blog Andrew Hartmann has posted a superlative piece from guest writer Vared Mehta on “Doctor Who”:
http://s-usih.org/2015/05/long-and-worthy-the-politics-of-doctor-who-during-the-pertwee-years.html
Our friend at 365 Days 365 Classics has posted an extraordinary feature on “Film Preservation and the Archiving of The India Story” that is every sense is a must-read:
“For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon” founder Marilyn Ferdinand has published her second review for the cause, a superlative essay on “Traffic in Souls,” a 1913 silent at Ferdy on Films:
http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2015/traffic-in-souls-aka-while-new-york-sleeps-1913/24783/
The great Farren Smith Nehme (the “Self Styled Sirem”), the writer of Criterion booklets and brilliant writer and film critic has posted her brilliant piece “Did the Talkies Doom Norma Talmadge?” for the cause at her fabulous Self-Styled Siren site:
http://selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com/2015/05/for-love-of-film-iv-did-talkies-doom.html
In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood is now leading up with a fabulous review of the 1920 silent Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde:
At The Culturist Hind Mezaina offers up his second banner contribution to the blogathon with a fantastic review of the 1979 Egyptian film “Sins of an Angel.” http://www.theculturist.com/home/for-the-love-of-film-sins-of-an-angel.html
At Shadowplay, DCairns has posted a stupendous piece framed as follows: “Harry Houdini does a Buck Rogers and reanimates 100 years after his death in THE MAN FROM BEYOND, a film which has barely survived the ravages of time. “Not even Eternity can hold Houdini…””
https://dcairns.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/the-sunday-intertitle-not-even-eternity/
Lea S. has posted a fantastic consideration of five obscure science fiction silents at her wonderful Silent:ology blogsite that is essential reading:
Our friend Judy Geater at Movie Classics has posted a fascination pieces on a 1936 film “Trapped by Television” that provides a riveting read for all cinema aficionados: https://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/trapped-by-television-del-lord-1936/
Beth Ann Gallagher at Spellbound has offered up a wholly splendid piece on the Hal Roach comedy “The Tin Man” starring Patsy Kelly and Thelma Todd:
http://www.spellboundbymovies.com/2015/05/17/for-the-love-of-film-blogathon-the-tin-man-1935/
Over at Noirish, the tireless author and very good friend John Grant has posted as grand, exhaustive and wholly riveting review as any blogathon could ever hope for, and it considers 1972’s The Groundstar Conspiracy:
https://noirencyclopedia.wordpress.com/2015/05/16/groundstar-conspiracy-the-1972
Lesley Gaspar at Second Sight Cinema offers up a dandy treatment of Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville in honor of the classic’s 50th anniversary: http://secondsightcinema.com/joyeux-anniversaire-godards-alphaville-at-50/
Jamie Uhler has written a brilliantly argued essay of exceeding scholarship titled “Concerning the Production Value Derived Opinion in the Science Fiction Film” that is surely essential reading for science-fiction mavens. Some of Uhler’s points are eye-opening to say the least, and certainly sobering for genre adherents. The extensive piece is leading the way at Attractive Variance: https://attractivevariance.wordpress.com/2015/05/16/concerning-the-production-value-derived-opinion-in-the-science-fiction-film/
My own review of Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a re-boot offered again for this blogathon:
Allan Fish’s brand new review of the Czech film Ikarie XB-1 (1963) by Jindrich Polak was published today at Wonders in the Dark. Brilliance incarnate:
https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/ikarie-xb-1-1963-jindrich-polak/
WB Kelso has a set of newspaper ads posted for 2001: a Space Odyssey, Destroy All Monsters, a fantastic drive-in double-bill of Fantastic Voyage and Batman, another double-feature of The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas and The Ghost Diver, Tarantula, The War of the Worlds, Beast from 20000 Fathoms, The Thing from Another World, Chaplin’s Modern Times and James Whale’s Frankenstein ready for viewing at Scenes From the Morgue. It is truly great stuff!
https://scenesfromthemorgue.wordpress.com/tag/for-the-love-of-science-fiction/
Jim Clark’s magisterial review of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is a glorious re-boot here at Wonders in the Dark:
My own re-boot of 1956’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” has been published here at Wonders in the Dark:
Bob Clark’s awesome review of “Attack of the Clones” is a re-boot of a review that previously published at Wonders in the Dark:
Clark states: This essay is being reposted both for the Sci-Fi blogathon, and to help promote a documentary I’m being interviewed for, The Prequels Strike Back , whose IndieGoGo funding page can be found here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-prequels-strike-back . My other sci-fi articles can be found in the side-bar, and my ongoing webcomic Neo-Westchester can be found here: www.neowestchester.com
Bob Clark’s astounding, previously published review of “Duel of the Fates” is another in the Wonders in the Dark archives, but is given another go round:
https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/notes-on-the-duel-of-the-fates/
Great line-up of offerings here, Sam. My contribution, a review of the 1936 comedy Trapped by Television, is now up –
https://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/trapped-by-television-del-lord-1936/
It’s not exactly sci-fi but it does feature some technology, as its title suggests! I have included the donation button!
Awesome piece Judy!! As always you bring your A game to the blogathons my friend!! 🙂
Sam, you are too kind, as ever, but thank you! Kudos to Wonders for this event.
Hello! I’ve made my blogathon post visible now. You can find it here:
http://www.spellboundbymovies.com/2015/05/17/for-the-love-of-film-blogathon-the-tin-man-1935/
It’s on the Hal Roach comedy short The Tin Man starring Patsy Kelly and Thelma Todd.
Stupendous work Beth Ann!!! Thanks so very much!!! 🙂
Sam, thank you for the compliment and the great write-up! Looking forward to catching up on others’ posts!
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Harry Houdini does a Buck Rogers and reanimates 100 years after his death in THE MAN FROM BEYOND, a film which has barely survived the ravages of time. “Not even Eternity can hold Houdini…”
Here’s my last entry in the blogathon, a tribute to Ray Harryhausen. I’m very happy with this one.
http://21essays.blogspot.com/2015/05/ray-harryhausen-goes-to-heaven.html
As well you should be Lee. It is a magnificent post, and we are proud to have it up here today!!! Many thanks. 🙂
Reblogged this on Noirish.
Excellent John!! Many thanks my friend!! 🙂
Don’t forget my post! 😉 https://silentology.wordpress.com/2015/05/16/ray-guns-and-mechanical-monsters-5-obscure-sci-fi-silents/
So sorry about that Lea. Your post has been acknowledged now, after I sorted out all the mails and comments. It is truly fantastic!!! 🙂
Still waiting for my post to clear comment moderations!
Harry Houdini does a Buck Rogers and reanimates 100 years after his death in THE MAN FROM BEYOND, a film which has barely survived the ravages of time. “Not even Eternity can hold Houdini…”
My bad DCaiarns my friend. I missed the moderation appearance until now. It is up there, and what an awesome piece it is!! Many thanks!!
Here’s my entry for the blogathon
Many thanks my friend!! Awesome contribution here!!! 🙂
Thanks!
Right back at ya my friend! 🙂
Here’s my 2nd entry for this blogathon, a silly look at a silly sci-fi romance musical from Egypt, 1979 called Sins of an Angel
http://www.theculturist.com/home/for-the-love-of-film-sins-of-an-angel.html
What a unique and fascinating choice Hind! Many thanks for your wholly splendid multiple contributions for the blogathon! 🙂
Thank you for the much-too-kind words about my blog. My blogathon contribution is up at last: http://selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com/2015/05/for-love-of-film-iv-did-talkies-doom.html Keep it going! Great work everyone is doing.
To say I am honored to receive your own contribution is an understatement Farren. Needless to say it is magisterial! I was so honored to follow you my friend!! 🙂
Here’s my entry at last, Sam. Thanks for holding the fort down. http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2015/traffic-in-souls-aka-while-new-york-sleeps-1913/24783/
Well Marilyn, thank YOU for once again serving as the driving force of this glorious venture, one you founded and promoted with verve and selflessness. Your fabulous post here brings us to about 20 entries on today’s thread.
I should have thought of this before (doh!) but I’d be happy to donate a signed copy of my film noir encyclopedia to the person who — as adjudged by Ferdy, Rod and Sam — tips the fund over the $10,000 mark.
Thanks so much John! That is a very generous offer indeed!!! 🙂
Did the blogathon make it to $10,000?
John, sad to say it didn’t get anywhere near that, but everything it made will help towards the restoration. 🙂
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that — although of course pleased to learn that our efforts haven’t been in vain!
A couple of my books are being used as inducements in a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of getting it above a certain threshold, which is why I though similar inducements might be appropriate here. Perhaps next year?
Hey, would you consider my post? It is an interview of the Director of Film Heritage Foundation. I hope you do! Very eager to read what others have posted too! Here’s the link to my post, https://365days365classiccinemareview.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/film-preservation-and-archiving-the-india-story/
Many thanks my friend! Your post is is up at the top of this thread! Great stuff!!!
Thank you so much for the consideration! Thanks for hosting this wonderful blogathon!
Thanks you so much my friend. So wonderful to have your great post here!! 🙂
Hi Sam. I finally got through to the last post of the blogathon. Thank you to you and Rod and Marilyn for all the hard work. This was an especially rich blogathon. I learned a lot and I tried to comment on everything I could.