Meanwhile, in Rivendell . . .

God rest ye, merry gentlemen, and God send you a happy new year!  My friend Rachel  tagged me last month with a festive film questionnaire, and while I 100% squandered several golden opportunities to finalize and publish this post on one of the actual twelve days of Christmas, I've decided to fly in the face of convention and share my answers anyway.  Yes, even though Epiphany has passed.  I'm rebellious that way. The Rules Fill out the prompts (expound as much or as little as you like) Tag some friends (however many or few you feel like)* Have fun (this is mandatory) * I would have done this, but since I'm publishing this post after the season is technically over, I've decided not to.  Abject 'pologies, etc., etc. The Questions 1. A favorite funny Christmas movie: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) is low-key hilarious. "She has four fatal diseases!"  "And it only takes one." *terrific crash from overhead*  "Now I remember where I left my other s...

What-ho, friends, and a happy St. Valentine's Day to you all!  As is my wont, I'm choosing to commemorate the holiday on the blog this year in the commercialized lovey-dovey Western sense rather than in the traditional sacred virtue sense.  That is to say, I'm sharing another post on fictional romances — in this case, romance movies. (Yes, I've already blogged about most of these movies before.  No, that is not about to stop me from blogging about them today.) These aren't necessarily obscure films, but I don't tend to see them represented in fan edit culture or discussed on social media or included in those "best of" articles.  So here I am, doing my part to get them the recognition they deserve, like the indefatigable agent of cinematic justice I aspire to be. ✌ Since I can't be bothered to write a decent blurb, I've looked to the good fellows at IMDb to supply the deficiency for each of these movies (with the exception of Return to Me , beca...

Happy New Year, friends!   2023 was really the year of Studio Ghibli, for me.  Not one, not two, but three Ghibli films made it onto my top ten list!  Exciting times. Most of the new-to-me movies I watched this year were pretty average; only a few blew me out of the water.  That said, this list was harder to narrow down than I thought it would be.  As usual, I'm not 100% satisfied with the finished product.  But such is life, and as it's already two weeks later than I'd have liked to publish this post, here we are. ⸻ #10.   Bill  (2015)  ● NR A young and ambitious Will Shakespeare leaves Stratford-upon-Avon for the bustling city of London, hoping for a haven of artistic possibility in which to pursue his newest dream of being an author.  Much to his surprise, he soon finds himself embroiled in a plot to kill Elizabeth I. Intentionally anachronistic dialogue and mannerisms set in historical contexts will never not tickle my fanc...

Greetings, all!  I've been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by my pals Ivy Miranda and Rachel , and they've come up with some fun questions.  Thanks loads, ladies! The rules are pretty basic:  just thank the person(s) who nominated you and link to their blog(s), answer the questions they asked you, nominate eleven blogs yourself, and give your nominees eleven new questions.  As has (unfortunately) become my wont, I'm not going to nominate anyone new, partially because most of the people I'd nominate have already been so.  But!  I did very much enjoy answering these questions and wholeheartedly invite you to do so yourself if you haven't already. Let's get into it.  [My graphics game is chaotic today (not a cohesive aesthetic in sight), so, be forewarned.] ⸻ ✵  Ivy's Questions   ✵ 1. What's your favorite memory of 2023 so far? Don't know that I can choose one specific one, but, generally:  taking trips to/with friends, hiking, se...