For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon

Have you heard?  It's that time of the year again.  The time for all good film writers to come to the aid of cinema.   The time to help out in the ever so important job of film preservation.  In other words, it is time for the third annual For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon.  Well, it's almost time.  We still have a few months to go but it never hurts to get prepared.  And what exactly are we getting prepared for you may ask.  Well not to worry oh faithful readers, please allow me to let you in on all the festivities.  Coming May 13th through the 18th, will be a six day orgy of cinematic writings from all the best and brightest across the cinema loving blogosphere.  And it will all be for the benefit of one of the most needed causes in film history annals, the cause of film preservation.

Once again this great event will be hosted by Farran Smith Nehme, aka The Self-Styled Siren, and Marilyn Ferdinand of Ferdy on Films, and this year this Dynamic Duo will be joined by that stalwart cinephile from Down Under, Roderick Heath who calls This Island Rod his online home.  I contributed a piece to last year's blogathon (a piece on Stranger on the Third Floor) and will again write something up for this one.  Last year the theme was film noir, and a lovely theme it twas.  This year the theme's hero will be that eponymous Master of Suspense, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock.  Maybe you heard of him?  Any and all who have their own film site and/or blog (whatever you like calling your place) are invited by the fine aforementioned trio of hosts to contribute anything you wish to write on Mr. Hitchcock.

But what of all that talk about film preservation you spoke of in your opening paragraph?  Glad you asked.  You see, this blogathon is connected to the great work they are doing over at the National Film Preservation Foundation.  Film preservation has always been important, but now, with the digital age coming upon us and the horrifying thought of no more movies being made on celluloid, it is even more crucial to get these older films saved and restored and played to an anxious public.  Granted, most of today's multiplex moviegoers do not give the proverbial rat's ass about older films (and by older, sadly I mean anything prior to about two years ago, let alone something from 80), but even if one person is persuaded to give classic cinema a whirl after seeing something new like The Artist and/or Hugo (of course Mr. Scorsese is in on such things), then it is a brighter day in cinema.  But I digress.

Actually, what all the hoopla is about, and the reason for the Hitchcockian theme, is the fact that a long lost film from 1924 called The White Shadow (no I do not think it is connected to the Ken Howard TV show) has been found and restored and was screened last year in L.A.  Now actually only three reels of the film have been found, in New Zealand of all places, but still what a find.  Oh, did I mention it was written by Alfred Hitchcock, who also acted as the film's assistant director?  I did not?  Well now I did, so there.  Anyway, the film is going to be streamed online for all of those who could not make it to the original restored screening (which is probably most of us), but such a thing costs money.  What I am trying to say is that not only should we write what we can for this important blogathon, but we should also take time to donate to this worthy cause.

But that is enough of my rambling on and on about such things, so please allow me to direct your attention to some people that can explain this a whole lot better than I.  Just go on over to the explanatory posts of any of our three wonderful hosts - The Self-Styled Siren, Ferdy on Films, This Island Rod - to read and hear much more on all the hoopla and goings-on about town.  Oh, and if you wanted to perhaps help out by advertising for this sure-to-be-spectacular upcoming blogathon, you can grab up a banner and put it on your site.  Mr. Heath has created a veritable slew of good-looking banners - so many that I had a really hard time deciding which one(s) to put in this post and on my site (as you surely see, I did not skimp on filling up this post with them).  There is also a Facebook page and lots of other things (all of which are better explained at the above links) so check it all out and I hope to see you in May.