Feb 20, 2013 / General Advice & Pro Tips

Focus On: Film Blogs

We discover bloggers on WordPress.com exploring different passions and interests, immersed in unique industries, fields, and worlds. At the Daily Post, we’ll highlight these niche blogs and the various communities within WordPress.com. We hope these spotlights introduce you to new communities and ideas, and inspire you to find — and create — your own cozy corner in the blogging world.

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It’s awards season in the movie biz, and this Sunday, the heavyweights of Hollywood will gather for the Oscars. Yesterday, Michelle published a Q&A with the film blogger at Canadian Cinephile, so we thought it’d be fitting to give other film blogs the red carpet treatment! We’ve found sites dedicated to reviews of new releases, blogs focused on larger discussions surrounding cinema, and other sites that celebrate more alternative flicks.

Here’s a sampling of film blogs and sites on WordPress.com:

Fogs’ Movie Reviews

Fogs' Movie Reviews

Fogs’ Movie Reviews

Dan Fogarty — “Fogs” for short — watches too many movies and likes to hear himself talk. (His words, not ours!) At Fogs’ Movie Reviews, he’s built a supportive, comfy following of movie-loving commenters. He has a clear grading system and varied categories (from “James Bond Central” to “Chick Flick City”). Like Adam at Hope Lies, Fogs also produces a podcast on movies (with co-host Chris Tanski).

Fogs is a funny guy, and we like his conversational tone and voice — you want to engage with him and chat about movies. We also appreciate his frankness in his reviews — on the latest Die Hard, he comments that “if there were any justice at the megaplex, it would be the nail in the franchise’s coffin.” And he’s straight up about Beautiful Creatures, calling it “a dull, silly movie overburdened with exposition in order to establish its vapid mythology, all surrounding a tween-targeted romance between two low-wattage young stars.”

Trash Film Guru

We love the emphasis on older films, overlooked movies, cult classics, and quirky picks at Trash Film Guru. (We dig the blog title, too!) The commentary is sharp — consider part of this review of Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter:

In this blighted age we live in, there are sooooo many films that are basically nothing but gimmicks. The Hobbit. The Star Wars prequel trilogy . . . The list is virtually endless. The thing is, these flicks all try very hard to convince you, the viewer, that they’re not just quick, gimmick-y cash-ins — hell, they spend millions, even hundreds of millions, trying to dupe you into thinking that they’re something more than that. Something necessary. Back in 1966, when legendary director William “One Shot” Beaudine made the movie under discussion here today, there were plenty of gimmick-based flicks as well, to be sure, but damn — at least they were upfront about it.

It’s a blog worth sifting through, not simply for its focus on film, but for its thoughtful commentary on the forgotten, the offbeat, and the alternative, less-glamorous genres of film that contribute just as much to our popular culture as the big-budget flicks of Tinseltown.

Shooting the Script

A group of film geeks combine their passions for film and writing at Shooting the Script, from reviewing new releases to talking about their favorite flicks of all time to discussing why the car chase in The French Connection is better than the car chase in Bullitt. They’ve spent the recent weeks focusing on the nominations in the Oscar categories in their “2013 Oscar Checklist” series (browse the “Recent Posts” widget on the left sidebar).

Other film blogs worth a peek:

  • A Dash of Cinema: Here, Lauren combines her love for food and film, mixing hand-picked recipes “to enjoy in front of the big screen.” A lighthearted take on a film blog, she makes the dual-focused site her own. A delicious mix!
  • Centrefolds & Empty Screens: Jamie, a student and film writer in Scotland, has a simple, easy-to-navigate blog — his “Reviews A-Z” link on the left goes straight to the list of movies he’s discussed, and he also displays his “Top Five Films of the Year” list in the sidebar. It’s a quick way for new readers to gauge his preferences.
  • Splatter: on Film: Splatter is an all-around solid site of reviews of various film genres, from romantic comedy to historical drama.
  • Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations: Joachim’s site is a great example of a niche blog. It’s focused on science fiction, rather than simply film, but the “Film Ruminations” category is a worth a peek for any sci-fi enthusiast.
  • Moviewise: We like the simple and quick post concept of this site: a film, a life lesson, and a selected scene from the movie.
  • Dharma Junk: A site of “low art and culture,” Dharma Junk covers an array of entertainment, from music to books, but maintains a film category, too. Tom discusses cinema of both new and old, from the deep focus effect in Lincoln to dark pre-9/11 films.

Do you follow other film blogs? Let us know in the comments. If you want to read more, browse the film, movie, cinema, Oscars, and Academy Awards posts in the Reader.

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  1. It’s probably not for everyone, but I love Today I Watched a Movie. The world (the internet especially) is full of long, rambling essays on just about every movie that hits the megaplex. TIWAM, though, is quick and to the point, and often manages to pique my interest in a film I’d not heard of before. His system isn’t perfect, but it’s a welcome change from the usual approach to assessing movies.

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  5. Wow. I feel so honored. Thank you so much for the mention!! I’d like to thank Derek Powazek who created DePo Masthead as well as the team from Automattic. My site was only possible to create because of their beautiful theme. Thank you WorPress.com for giving me the opportunity to express myself. And thank you readers!!

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  6. Hey! Thanks for the shout out! 😀

    I DO like to hear myself talk, it’s true. But, if as you say, it makes people want to engage in a conversation about movies, then that’s what I’m all about! I appreciate the spotlight, and hopefully some folks will come over, check the site out and introduce themselves!

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      1. Thank you for your feedback, Cheri. I first thought my post was a complete flop, but I’m now beginning to receive positive comments. Someone even suggested I start an online petition.
        And thank you for all your great posts. I always enjoy reading them.

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  9. this was great! my suggestion is that next time you could focus on filmmaking blogs. there are plenty of them (including mine) which discuss the industry, technology, techniques, inspiration and feature our own shorts! there’s lots more going on in this particular field than just the hollywood/indie/classic feature films!

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  10. Hell yes, love film blogs! Mine used to be an entertainment blog mostly focused on film till I transitioned into writing about more personal stuff.

    Gotta give some love for Filmbalaya. Great San Francisco/Bay Area-focused film blog with a universal appeal!

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  11. Been catching some film blogs…i’m always interested in the obscure movies.. 90% of people never heard of…a fan of sundance….and finding films that are truly thought provoking….sometimes it is great to just be entertained…but its fantastic when you can pull something from a movie…be it a quote or senario….and find meaning relavant to inspire you…..ahhh look at me…im rambling…

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    2. Did you mean some place other than WordPress.com? You can upload your own videos here on WordPress.com (with the VideoPress upgrade). If you’re looking to just look for/share videos, how about YouTube, Vimeo, or something similar?

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      2. Hi Jim — we don’t have a WordPress.com blog where we curate user videos, and if there’s a user-created blog that does this, I’m not aware or have not come upon it.

        We’ve got WordPress.tv, but that’s more a WordPress resource and I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for.

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      3. Thank you so much for that link, it’s not what I was looking for, but it was what I needed to hear! Weird how things happen? I was going to watch the video tonight (it’s 11 am here in Thailand) but had to watch the whole thing. I think I will start a new blog for people who want to share their video for the fun of it… not one to sell something. Stay happy…Jim… I am getting ready for my 484-mile Camino walk from France to Spain, I’m excited, should have plenty to write about when I finish.

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  15. I had the privilege of meeting Spike Lee while he was filming a new docu in Brazil!

    Of course I had to write something about meeting the ‘Do The Right Thing’ Director. It just happens that this month marks 25years of his second “Spike Lee Joint” ‘School Days’

    In my latest post I’m taking it ‘Back to school’ to see how far we’ve come in 25 years… are we still facing the same issues brought up in the movie?

    25 years of “School Daze”… Back to School!

    My other posts on Spike Lee:

    “Go Brazil Go” Spike Lee documents on Brazil

    Spike Lee captures Carnival in Maragojipe!

    Thanks!
    Kai
    http://www.travelmakerkai.com

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    1. Thank you for sharing. I hope to present the screen play I authored, “the Brave Men of Taffy 3” to either Tom Hanks or Ron Howard, as a tribute to their bravery, and to help educate all those who enjoy the benefit of our freedom, but really have no clue just how precious it is, paid for my the men and women of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and every peace keeping action, which has been paid for in the blood of our young people.

      When you met Spike Lee, was he as down to Earth, as I believe he is. I don’t fear meeting Tom Hanks, but Ron Howard, whom I have grown up with, does worry me, that he won’t take the time to see through my intensive conservative patriotism, and not see that I even though I reject the liberal, socialist, in power today, that I am an fair and open minded American, who has experienced the sharp retort of war, from both ends of the weapons of war.

      I cried during my own proof reading, where I experienced the same fear and bravery, as those men, we are paying tribute to. My screen play, is based upon first hand recollections of the Battle of Samar Island, and how a small, undersized force of 4 tiny ships, and aircraft, fighting for their lives, turned around a far superior force of Japanese Naval ships, just by sheer bravery.

      Hey, maybe Spike Lee would be interested…..hmmmmmm

      Thank you for writing, it is always nice to share the experiences we have.

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      1. Well thats really cool and I wish you all the best with your screen play. When I met Spike Lee, despite being nervous and star-struck he was very pleasant. We had a brief conversation on football of all things! He’s currently filming a documentary which should be out next year before the World Cup in Brazil.

        All the best!

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  18. My favorite is Box Office Boffo http://boxofficeboffo.wordpress.com/ . It’s blogging every #1 movie starting in 1970. It’s fascinating to see the progression of movies over time. The reviews are well written and thought provoking, focusing on the movie itself and its relevancy for the time.

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  19. Well I’ve just started a movie blog (http://mikeyb185.wordpress.com) called Screen kicker and I have to say I’m so glad I found the daily post site. It can be quite difficult to get followers if the subjects are obscure. My plan is to start with popular topics and then introduce the weird stuff after I have some followers. Sound like a good idea?

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