What a Way to End the Year: 7×7 Link Award
I’m not quite sure if it is an indicator or not, but I’ve received my second award this week. Matt Stewart (he of Matt & The Art of Motion Pictures blog) very generously awarded me the 7 x 7 Link Award just yesterday. Another fan of film (and TV), I recently found his site through our mutual colleague Ruth of Flixchatter via his appreciative write-up of a movie we have in common: The True Meaning of a Classic – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). It’s a fine piece of writing for an extraordinary film (and he’s only been on WordPress blogging for a short period). What a start! Thank you, Matt, for it and the award you’ve sent my way.
As usual, such an accolade comes with conditions:
- Tell everyone something that no one else knows about.
- Link to one of my posts that I personally think best fits the following categories:
- Most Beautiful Piece
- Most Helpful Piece
- Most Popular Piece
- Most Controversial Piece
- Most Surprisingly Successful Piece
- Most Underrated Piece
- Most Pride-worthy Piece
- Pass this award on to seven other bloggers.
The first and last of these are pretty standard for things like this. That second one, though, is the challenge. I don’t think I’m any good at judging my work, but I am more than happy at pointing out pieces I’ve enjoyed reading online. So, I’ll do the second, with the caveat of adding those I thought better met the parameters of the category. This also helps to give praise to those out there I thought deserved it… especially since I’m not doing any kind of ‘best list’ for this year. Here goes:
I tended to be one of those kids that flew under the radar in school. I now look at that aspect of school life as a gift. Coming to the attention of school administrators rarely is a good thing, I learned. However, it didn’t start off that way. One of my mother’s favorites stories she shared with family and friends covered her going to the nearby elementary school in the summer of 1959 to sign up her eldest child for Kindergarten. As my mother described it, she was filling out the admission forms at the main office’s front desk with me trailing around in the waiting area. That is until I came up to her, dutifully tugged at her skirt, and with all the serious tone an almost five year-old could muster, reminded her to make sure they (the school) knew I didn’t know how to read or write.
Most Beautiful Piece – I haven’t a bloody clue! Maybe, it’s the guest post I did for Ruth over at her blog, Cold of Metal, Warm of (Animated) Heart. My Recommendation » my friend and author John Kenneth Muir’s Cult Movie Review of Big Fish. It really is a wonderful, heartfelt piece.
Most Helpful Piece – I hope I made the case for an underrated Sam Raimi film in Not Just Another Western: The Quick and The Dead. My Recommendation » blogger Bryce Wilson’s wonderful look at an all-time favorite film of mine, The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Most Popular Piece: this will be the only easy one for me, all care of WP’s Freshly Pressed. It’s the list article for My 100 Best Loved From 1964 to 1976. My Recommendation » just about anything in the Everybody’s Chattin’ category over at the community that is Flixchatter.
Most Controversial Piece – Perhaps, it is my contribution to the Filmplicity Morality Bites blogathon, Of Horror and Empathy. My Recommendation » Filmplicity’s own Ronan Wright and his take on the matter in Morality Bites: Hollywood… A Health Risk?
Most Surprisingly Successful Piece – that would be the spur of the moment The (Stephen) King of Movie Adaptations article that I quickly threw together a short while back. My Recommendation » I’d have to say I shouldn’t have been surprised by it all, but Colonel Mortimer’s 31 Days of ’81 Horror series blew me away.
Most Underrated Piece – Arghhh! This calls for a judgment of some kind. Perhaps, it is the Double Feature c/o Craig Johnson post. My Recommendation » film blogger J.D.’s thoughtful piece, which turned out to be one of my most-liked of his this year, on a truly underrated Clint Eastwood film, White Hunter, Black Heart.
Most Pride-worthy Piece – it would have to be the anniversary love letter to my wife disguised as a film review that was re-published here, Reprise: Mr. & Mrs. My Recommendation » my colleague, who goes by the nom de plume of Livius, from across the pond who has recently re-planted his talented self on to the WordPress blogging platform and his deft piece on Sunset Boulevard.
The last component is really very easy at this point since it’ll be those who made up ‘my recommended’… those linked bloggers, colleagues, and friends from above. See how that worked out?:
- John Kenneth Muir’s Reflections on Film/TV
- Things That Don’t Suck
- Flixchatter
- Filmplicity
- Colonel Mortimer Will Have His Revenge
- Radiator Heaven
- Riding the High Country
Happy New Year everyone.
It Rains... You Get Wet 
21 Responses to “What a Way to End the Year: 7×7 Link Award”
Congratulations on the award(s) and thanks too for the nomination. I’ve posted my list over at my place.
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Thanks, my friend. Happy to do it. I’m heading over to your place now :-).
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Many thanks Le0 as always you are too kind.
(PS. I’m about to start a Robert Crais novel that’s not a Cole and Pike Book, called Two Minute Warning. Any thoughts?)
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Glad to include you in this, Bryce. Thanks.
Re: The Two Minute Warning, great standalone novel by Robert Crais. The story of Max Holman and Katherine Pollard is something I think you’ll enjoy. Crais will use an infamous L.A. crime event (you’ll recognize) as an interesting temple for this, Bryce.
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Congratulation for the award 🙂
Wow…I didn’t know you were once freshly pressed…that’s awesome.
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Thank you very much, Novroz. I don’t think anyone was more surprised to be Freshly Pressed than me ;-).
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Happy New Year matey, nice article and congrats on the award!!
I wish we could get pressed…. Never going to happen as we are an ORG site.
Hope 2012 brings you everything you wish for
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Very kind, Scott. Thank you. Same to you for 2012, my friend.
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Hi Michael, congratulations on the award, very well deserved. ‘It Rains…’ has provided me with a reliable mix of challening and entertaining posts. One that comes to mind was your thoughts on Jurassic Park. Have enjoyed reading your blog this year Michael and am glad to have you as a new blogger buddy. Looking forward to continuing our relationship in the new year (just don’t ask me to hold your hand 😉 Thanks also for the nod, it’s always nice to get a mention, especially from a blogger you respect, so thanks again. I suppose I’ll have to do my own list now. I think I’ll follow your lead and just big up some of my favourite bloggers. Happy New year Michael to you and yours, all the very best for 2012! RW
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Thank you for the kind words, the enjoyable content you write, and online community and friendship you provide. It’s been a highlight finding bloggers like yourself this year. Best for 2012 to you and yours, as well.
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My pleasure Michael, it’s been great getting to know you through your blog. I was thinking it might be an idea for you and I to guest post on each other’s blogs this year. What do you think? If you fancy it let me know and we’ll set something up.
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I’m up for it! Gracious of you to offer. Send me email and we can come up with some dates for this. Thanks.
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Fantastic Michael, thank you for accepting. I’ve sent you an email. Here’s to collaboration!
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Looking forward to it, my friend.
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WOW, thanks for nominating me Michael, what an honor! I didn’t know you got Freshly Pressed a few months ago, CONGRATS!! I have to check out that post now, I’m so sorry that I’ve missed it.
Your ‘Cold of Metal, Warm of (Animated) Heart’ is phenomenal!! Thank you so much for contributing such an excellent post which puts everything I’ve written to shame, ahah. I hope you’ll continue to be a guest blogger at FC… your writing is such a bright spot in the movie blogging community!
Happy New Year, my friend!
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It’s well deserved, Ruth. Like George Bailey, I’m glad I know you. I love your writing and the sense of community you’ve built over at Flixchatter. Thank you and Happy New Year.
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Happy New Year Michael. Congratulations on two awards. All the best to you and your family in 2012.
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Thank you, SFF. Two in a two days time kinda threw me, but happily. And also the best to you and yours in 2012, my friend.
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Hi Michael,
I’m a little late to the party, having just returned from a trip to Richmond to celebrate New Years Eve with family, but I want to say “thank you” for including my blog and in particular, my retrospective of Tim Burton’s Big Fish” for the category of award “most beautiful piece.” That means so very much to me, my friend.
Happy 2012!
with gratitude and appreciation,
John
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So very happy to do it, John. It was a marvelous, personal piece (along with your series) that deserved the spotlight. Happy New Year to you and yours, my friend. Take care.
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Congrats on your award Michael and thank you the shout-out and bestowing the kudos on to me. Coming from a fellow blogger whose work I greatly admire, it is high praise indeed.
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