Another Contest, Another Good Time

Well, here's how the story goes.  Earlier this Summer I came across a website called FilmClassics, and saw that they hosted a regular series of contests.  So, I went and entered said contest.  My mission (should I decide to accept it - and I did) was to write a review on any classic screwball comedy.  My choice was the little known Barbara Stanwyck vehicle, The Mad Miss Manton.  The piece I wrote really wasn't one of the best things I have ever written, but enter it I did.  To make a long story short, I won said contest and received a snazzy, shiny gold cyber-ribbon which I have placed on the sidebar of this very site.

Cut to earlier today.  My contribution to FilmClassics new review contest, this time on classic film noir (my choice was Detour, and I am much happier with this entry than the last aforementioned screwball entry) was named the winner.  A close race indeed (102 votes to 98 were the top two totals - and let's face it, the voting of course, sadly enough, just comes down to who has the most friends willing to click on the vote button) but squeak it out I did. Of course winning is not the important thing as they say.  Watching and writing about the films is what it is all about.  Winning is just incidental I suppose.  And speaking of writing about films, my entry can be read HERE.  As for my stalwart close competition, it was from a young woman (seventeen I think) named Rianna over at Frankly, My Dear (her piece can be read HERE). From what I read - she does a very nice piece on the genre as a whole - she definitely has a thirst for learning about film history (how many teenagers are into movies from the 1930's and 1940's? Bravo for her!) and will probably grow into quite the film nerd as she ages - and take it from this 44 year old film nerd, there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

Anyway, my new snazzy cyber-ribbon has been placed in the sidebar (a larger version placed at the end of this post) and I await the next review contest at FilmClassics.  For this next contest I will probably write a piece, but enter it "out of competition" (in other words, post it at my site with a mention and link to the contest) in an attempt to give the growing film knowledge of others a chance to bloom.  This may seem a somewhat arrogant and/or egotistical thing to do (and knowing me, it probably is on some level) but is truly meant as a benevolent gesture on my part, as I want those still just getting into cinema (and the love thereof) to be able to compete without some old fuddy-duddy who has spent the majority of his adult life watching and studying film mucking up the works.  Anyway, I wish great luck and good fortune (and all that proverbial jazz) to all those who enter the future contests at FilmClassics.  And to Rianna - keep up the classic film watching no matter how much it perplexes your less enthusiastic peers.  That's it for now.