Fellow cinephiles,

I’d like to invite anyone and everyone to participate in my third annual Labor Day blogathon, running September 5 - 8. In years past many contributors have made this annual tradition a resounding success, first in 2009 when we celebrated the work of Brian De Palma and last year when we praised David Cronenberg. This year’s featured director, Nicholas Ray, would have celebrated his centennial today. First recognized by the auteurists who launched the French New Wave, Ray’s body of work is one of the most influential in all of cinema.

In previous Blogathons, I’ve asked for permission to publish new articles here. But after being overwhelmed with submissions last year, I’ve decided to do things a little differently. In the interest of running things a little more smoothly, I’ll post any links to new or previously published posts on Ray. Send your contributions here, please. I am happy to accept entries from anyone.

Of course, I don’t have e-mails for every film writer or blogger. So I’m asking for aid in getting the word out. Even if you choose not to submit a piece, I request that you please help me promote this event at your own respective sites or on Twitter and Facebook.

Attached are JPEGs to help you market this. If you post one of these JPEGs or contribute a new piece to the Blogathon, please link either of them to this post.

I hope all of you participate in some way.

Got a Press Release, something to Plug, or a Screener available for review (or some combination of the three)? Ok, don’t get all crazy about it. Just click here and give me the details (what, when, where, and a link, for starters) - I’ll handle the rest.

It’s Blusterin’ Time!

But before we begin, a note: please consider Blustering your fellow LAMB, especially if you’re one of the nearly 20 people that have requested to be blustered. There’s no reason why the last site to be blustered (Napier’s News) received but one comment. I’m not saying that there needs to be a dozen or two comments every time out, but the bluster requestors/bluster commentors proportion clearly needs to be tipped a little bit in the other direction. Thanks.

If you’re new to this feature or need a refresher, click the label at the bottom of this post and see the first few posts. Otherwise, here’s the basics:

What I’ll do is list a site; you’re asked to critique it. But here’s the catch: to induce the most honest reactions, don’t leave the comment using your normal alias/login - instead, go anonymous, and be as brutally honest (or complimentary) as you wish to be. Also, be specific, and naturally, don’t be rude. If I deem anything inappropriate, I’ll have no problem deleting the comment.

So, go to the site listed below, familiarize yourself with it for a few minutes, then come back and leave some constructive criticism and/or comments that you have.

Site: Cinema Viewfinder
LAMB#: 163
URL: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/

If you’re up for this treatment for your site (and you’re a LAMB), send me an email with the subject “Bluster Me!” If you’ve already done so, no need to do it again - you’re on the list, and these will be going up in order of when I received your email.

As promised…Plugs.

* El Gringo from He Shot Cyrus is hosting the My Best Post blog-a-thon between today, October 3rd and October 5th. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“Everyone should participate because you’ve already written your post!

Pick your BEST post, the one you’re most proud of, and send me the link between the 3rd and the 5th. I’ll post the link and everyone can start checking out each other’s goods.

Full details can be found at: He Shot Cyrus, which is where the shindig will be going on.”

* LAMB VP of Production Nick (of Random Ramblings of a Demented Doorknob) has a blog-a-thon in the works. Here’s the details:

“It’s going to be the Saw Blog-A-Thon. It’ll start the Monday of the week the next one comes out, and one review will be posted a day (in other words, Saw on Monday, Saw II on Tues, Saw III on Wednesday, and Saw IV on Thursday). Then, after I see Saw V on Friday, I’ll post a review for it then.

However, I want a bit more participation, as I know not everybody is as big into the series as I am…and some people might even…*gasp*…have different opinions. So what I plan on doing is giving my review, then linking to anybody else’s review for each respective movie and start off by saying whether or not it’s a positive, negative, or neutral review (much like the LAMB MOTM). That way, I get in my review, and everybody else who wants to participate in my blog-a-thon will get links to their posts, as well. It’ll be a smorgasbord of reviews!

So if anybody is interested, I would need all reviews in by October 19, because the movie comes out on the 24, and the post for Saw goes up on the 20th. Nick can be reached here.

* Rob of Natsukashi just has this for you:

“I would like to invite any bloggers who are interested in participating in recalling a film from their past for Natsukashi, if they are so interested.”

Here’s the About page for Natsukashi with more details.

* Cinema Viewfinder will be providing coverage of the 46th New York Film Festival. Author Tony Dayoub was invited to cover it, and will have reviews, press conferences, and possibly some interviews up daily. The Festival started on 9/26 and continues to 10/12.

That’s right - the LAMB has a presence at the NYFF!

* If you’re lucky (unlucky), you’ve been visited by a commenter that goes by the name of “EVIL CLOWN” (his caps, not mine). What you might not have figured out is that it is none other than our own Piper of Lazy Eye Theater, which has undergone a transformation similar to that of it’s author’s. Here, I’ll let him tell you:

“Lazy Eye Theatre has gone through a terrible and painful transformation and is now Evil Eye Theatre. Stop by every day for new and increasingly wicked posts.”

* New York ain’t the only place the LAMB is at. We’ve gone international. Here’s the word from Colleen:

“Its Vancouver International Film Fest time, and Marina from Row Three and myself, Colleen from 353review have been covering the festival.

Approximately 40+ films to be reviewed between the to of us, plus podcasts, interviews with directors…etc.”

* Like Hitchcock? You’re in luck - Shawn of Deadpan is running a marathon of Alfred’s work, with guest bloggers and all. Here’s the post that kicks it off.

* Finally, Marilyn at Ferdy on Films, etc. will begin her annual coverage of the Chicago International Film Festival, which runs October 16-29. Look for pre-festival reviews to start Sunday, October 11, and continue through to the end. There might be some special-event coverage as well.

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I guess the pressure is on me to cover the Phoenix Film Festival next year. Where are our French LAMBs to cover Cannes?

Thanks for all plugs, guys and gals.

URL: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/
Site Name: Cinema Viewfinder
Categories: Reviews, General, Editorials
Rating: PG-13

What is the main focus of your site?
Intelligent reviews with a focus on, but not limited to, cinema of all kinds and other forms of art and media with a cinematic sensibility including TV, books, etc.

What are your blogging goals, personally and/or professionally? In other words, what, if anything, are you trying to get out your blog?
I eventually hope to generate a career and/or some income from this. This could be by way of advertising on my site, collecting and publishing my reviews in the form of a book, freelance work, etc.

Do you prefer an interactive ‘community’ for your blog or are you the teacher and your readers are the students?
I definitely prefer an interactive community. Discussions and disagreements enhance the examination of any art form.

How long have you been movie blogging for, and how frequent do you post updates to your site?
I’ve been blogging since February of 2008, and post 3-5 times a week.

Name up to three of your favorite movies (and no more).
The Conformist, The Godfather Part II, Thief.

How did you hear about the LAMB?
I saw many references to it on one of your member sites, www.thedancingimage.blogspot.com.

Any additional comments, or give yourself an interview question that’s not listed above.
None.