The end of an era

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!

Wait, let's try that again:

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!

That's right, my friends, after four-and-a-half years, Blog Cabins will be no more. Some months back, I got a message from my friend and fellow blogger Kai Parker of The List. It said, "I am drunk so bear in mind when reading! :) If we were smart, we would get together with a handful of other bloggers we know and build one big Mega-blog-site." Much to his surprise, I replied with, "Not shitting you...I've been thinking about this kind of thing for a while, and especially lately, but wondered who to ask and whether or not anyone would have interest."

Thus, a new website was born. Chalk it up to any number of things: boredom, a desire for a new challenge, the appeal of a new partnership - whatever it was, there it is. Kai and I are each ceasing operations on our existing sites (the URL will still function, but there will be no new posts) and have begun a new journey, one that can be found at our new home:

MANILOVEFILMS.COM

We have high hopes and big goals for our new site. It will feature lists (of course), reviews of new releases, classic films and vault picks, news, trailers, editorials, festival/awards coverage, games and hopefully everything in between. There will be additional contributors (let us know if you're interested!) helping us along the way, too. Basically, we've spent much of the last two months working on the site (thank god the Ladies of the 90s tourney was here to keep this place going over that time; watch for the Dudes of the 90s tourney over at Insight Into Entertainment, going on now) and we're really excited about what we've got. We hope that you'll come visit us and give us a warm welcome.

So thanks to all of you that visited BC over the years - it was a blast and wouldn't have been without everyone that visited and commented and all that other sappy stuff that people say. Mucho thanks as well to Kai for joining me on this new journey as well. It's gonna be a blast - join us!

And then...

Introducing...the Ladies of the 90s Tournament

Just under a year ago, I brought you the Ladies of the 80s Tournament. 32 sexy stars from the Reagan Era, paired off in a bracket-style tourney with one sole survivor: Elisabeth Shue.

Well, it's time to move along, away from spandex and valley girls and into the land of grunge and extreme sports. Isn't it fun to distill entire decades down to a mere two artifacts?!? I sure think so.. (I wonder what the 00s will be narrowed down to...9/11 and Apple products, maybe? American Idol? Anyway...)

Not too much explanation is necessary. I've put together a list of 32 contenders, seeded them each 1-8 and built a tournament bracket. Every weekday (or so), I'll post a new matchup, complete with an in-post poll. Your job is to fawn over the idea and/or the women and then vote on who you think represents the 90s best. If there's one guideline I have, it's this: try to judge the contenders based on their "stats" circa 10-20 years ago and not on their current stage in life.

Additionally, the criteria for who should win is hard to put a finger on, but I think it's roughly equal parts looks and cultural relevance (I've tried to seed it as such as well). Cindy Crawford might have been the face of the early 90s, but her one role in Fair Game doesn't count for shit in the world of the movies. Likewise, Linda Hamilton might be a wonderful person, and an icon of the 90s thanks to T2, but outside of those guns she sported, I don't know many that would ever confuse her with a model.

Below are all of the seeds (click here for the full bracket). Proceed bitching about who made it, who didn't, and/or where those that made it were seeded. The first matchup ought to be up tomorrow.

Finally, many thanks to my friend Alex (aka commenter Nic Cage) for his input on the ladies/seeds and his photo research skills.

Seed	Movie
1	Julia Roberts
1	Sandra Bullock
1	Sharon Stone
1	Heather Graham
2	Winona Ryder
2	Denise Richards
2	Salma Hayek
2	Halle Berry
3	Cameron Diaz
3	Uma Thurman
3	Alicia Silverstone
3	Charlize Theron
4	Gwyneth Paltrow
4	Milla Jovavich
4	Demi Moore
4	Nicole Kidman
5	Bridget Fonda
5	Jennifer Connelly
5	Jennifer Love-Hewitt
5	Angelina Jolie
6	Natasha Henstridge
6	Neve Campbell
6	Elizabeth Hurley
6	Jennifer Lopez
7	Sarah Michelle Gellar
7	Famke Janssen
7	Ashley Judd
7	Shannon Elizabeth
8	Liv Tyler
8	Patricia Arquette
8	Linda Fiorentino
8	Courtney Cox

And yes, Demi Moore and Jennifer Connelly are the only two holdovers from the 80s tourney. As for Kim Basinger and Michelle Pfeiffer (two that I mistakenly omitted from the prior tourney)...well, they were left on the cutting room floor this time. Sorry, ladies.

And then...

Sorry...

No "Tigmar" today. I feel like crap. :| Thankfully, I already wrote about Drive Angry. Trust me, I don't have anything kinder to say about Hall Pass...

And then...

Guest podspot: The Demented Podcast

So I finally made it on to Nick's show! Tune in as I brought with me a topic near and dear to his heart - musicals! Listen and you'll see why my selection of an Adam Goldberg picture makes sense. Also, I play his ridiculously hard game and...


Tune in to clicking below, or just go to his site and read his snazzy intro and stuff here.

And then...

The new comment system is...no longer here

Remember this?

Well, as I (and Hatter and Sebastian and a few others have found out), Disqus is nice to look at, and comes about 85% towards working well, but is leaving a few people out in cold. Not sending email replies when people are asking for them, not synching all of the comments back to Blogger (at least, not in a timely fashion), not displaying everyone's comments (sorry to TheGreatWhiteDope and anyone else that might have happened to.

Long story short - there was a lot I liked about Disqus, but to quote the man himself, "I do mind, the Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man." The bad news is no more replying by email (god, that was awesome) and no more nested replies (I have faith that Blogger will install this feature soon), and there are some comments from the last week or so that haven't made their way to Blogger yet (like on the movie logo post, which now shows zero comments). I've not had Captcha in some time so no fear there. The good news is, lame as Blogger's system can be, it's certainly reliable and delivers what it promises, and I'm fairly sure those missing comments will be there eventually.

Sorry for all the dust that was kicked up....back to normal.

And then...

It's time to Devour the Oscars!

Great news - the LAMB Devours the Oscars event has arrived! Better news - Jess from Insight Into Entertainment is running it this year and not me (it's fun but can be an organization nightmare)! Even better news - I'll be writing a piece for the event on the nominated films in the Animated Short category. I saw and wrote about the animated and live action shorts last year, but that was just for fun; this time, it'll be all business.

The Devours event is on its 4th year now, and has got to be one of the most comprehensive and unique events on the internets, with movie bloggers from around the globe writing a piece on one of 33 categories (10 Best Picture articles, 23 for all the rest of the categories).

Check out this year's lineup by clicking on the image below. The articles will come in one day at a time for the next 33 days, ending the day before the Oscars. What timing!

And then...

The new phone books comment system is here! The new phone books comment system is here!

Long have the masses - bloggers and non-bloggers alike - decried the Blogger commenting system. No nested replies! Evil Captcha codes! Other stuff!

Well, they won't be saying that about Blog Cabins any longer. They might come up with issues about Disqus to mention, but at least they'll be new.

I think I first saw the Disqus system on a Blogger blog over at Fitz's Nevermind Popular Film. It seemed sharp, glitch-free, combining the best elements of Blogger's and Wordpress' commenting system. So I signed up for an account some months ago. Tossed around the idea of implementing for a while, and finally decided to jump ship to Disqus today. Turns out, the implementation and integration couldn't be easier. It took awhile to import all of the existing comments, but there were nearly 10,000 spanning 4+ years, so that's to be expected. If you're on Blogger and are thinking that Disqus looks pretty cool, I highly recommend making the jump. Perhaps Fitz can offer additional insight, having had it for some time now.

So, to recap: no Captcha, nested threads, a groovy widget that now sits atop the right sidebar, and you can login with any number of profiles that you may have, from Disqus' own to Facebook to Yahoo Blogger to Wordpress (use the Open ID for the latter two and any others that OpenID supports - see the bottom of this page to see a list).


P.S. - I just learned that I can reply to comments directly from my email - meaning, just hit reply and start typing. This is the coolest thing ever - I'll even be able to respond to comments from my p.o.s. mentally-challenged smart phone - sweet!

And then...

Now I know how Shakespeare in Love must have felt

The 2011 TotalFilm Movie Blog Awards were announced today. Against all odds, Blog Cabins received a nomination for Best Review Blog. "But you haven't written a review in months, Fletch!," you might be saying. "Well, it hasn't been that long," I might retort, adding "And hey, don't those paragraphs in the various States of the Cabins posts count as reviews?" To which you might begrudgingly say, "Yeah, I suppose. But that's a bit of a cheat, isn't it?"

You get it. Much as people love getting recognized for their work, I feel a bit bashful about receiving this particular one in this particular year. A year or two ago? I'd be all over this shit and proud of the honor. After mostly disappearing from this space for the last three months (deservedly so, but still)? Not so much.

So...as much as I might like a few votes (ya know, even one - I didn't vote for BC), I heartily recommend that you show your support for another member of the LAMB. There were plenty nominated, including several friends of Blog Cabins. The Best Review Blog category alone is practically dominated by them, from Cut the Crap Movie Reviews to Bitchin' Film Reviews to Film Forager to Films From the Supermassive Black Hole to This Guy Over Here, and many more. (How some people didn't get a nom and I did is beyond me...I'll refrain from naming names.)

But the LAMBs are all over these awards, including the Best Overall Blog category, where friend of BC Anomalous Material received a nom.

Good luck to all, but please, just get out there and vote for one of us! If you're not sure which sites are LAMBs or not, see the scroll box at the bottom of the middle column here for a list of all LAMBs.

And then...

An update on The 50 Films I Will See in 2011

I've added a button to the main navigation to the initial Film I Will See in 2011 post, and I'll be updating it periodically. After I've seen one of the films listed below, I'll strike it out and offer a link to any words written about it, if applicable. Check back often! Two films down already. At this pace...

And then...

I'm this many years old

Today marks Blog Cabins' 4th birthday. I'm hoping that it turns out to be a significant marker in the history of the site, and that its timing is a harbinger of good things to come. My wife's birthday was yesterday and she and I will be parents for the first time any second now (if only all these days could fall on the same day! Perhaps the baby will come tomorrow and I'll have three days of celebration in a row in the future.). Also, I'd like to think that, after a couple months of lowered activity (putting it gently) here that I've turned the corner as of late and gotten back on the blogging train, and what better day to cement that status than the fourth anniversary of my first post.

As most do in posts like these, I'd like to once again thank all of you that come here, thank those that come here regularly even more, and thank those that comment even more. I hope you enjoy whatever it is that I come up with next (and I hope I enjoy it, too!).

Now, for some perspective that has little contextual meaning here, a partial list of Fourth Films in a Series...obviously, number four is where the quality really kicks in:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Batman & Robin
Land of the Dead
Live Free or Die Hard
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Thunderball
Bride of Chucky
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Rocky IV
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Next Karate Kid
Return of the Pink Panther
Terminator: Salvation
Lethal Weapon 4
Alien Resurrection
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (I say this counts)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

And then...

Sorry...

As you might've noticed, I've been getting spam-bombed every night for the past few nights, so I gotta turn Word Verification back on here for a bit. I know it's a pain, but this should only be temporary.

Thanks for understanding.

And then...

Just in case you're on the edge of your seat...

Sorry, but there will be no State of the Cabins today - swamped at work yesterday and today, and probably tomorrow, too.

Pretty fitting, since I'd have little info to contribute to the State today - no new movies seen at home, no new music obsession. I've got a new book I'm reading, but I'll probably be close to finishing it next week, so a recap will be apropos then.

And then...

I came, I saw, I...conquered? (Oh, and I'm famous*)

Long-time Dwellers might recall that a few years ago, a couple of friends of mine (commenters Nic Cage and Buffett35, actually) and I drove out to California to test/audition for the old (and short-lived) VH1 game show The World Series of Pop Culture. (Read more about our wacky exploits here.)

Well, another opportunity presented itself, so I dove right in.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is on the road again, holding auditions for any and all interested parties. They scheduled three stops for July, and more are expected in the fall sometime.

The first stop was yesterday in Las Vegas. Being just a hop, skip and a jump away from Phoenix, and with them not only testing for the regular show but for NETFLIX MOVIE WEEK, I had to go, and go I did, for a wham-bam 24-hour trip that included my getting up (unnecessarily) at 4:00am, waiting in lines for hours, and generally seeing loads of colorful people.

The bad news is that I somehow (!) did not pass the regular test; however, I did pass the Movie Week test (you damn right) and had the chance to interview with one of their producers. Sadly, the interview was over in about the time it takes to take a piss, but I still have a shot at being placed in the pool (of contestants, not urine). I'll receive a Yay or Nay postcard in the mail within 2-3 weeks. Wish me luck...(again).

By the way, if you're in Cleveland or Seattle, they'll be in those cities later this week (Cle. tomorrow). Go here for the full details.

* As mentioned in the title, I'm famous. Yes, I received another 1.2 seconds of fame as a part of this ordeal. The local ABC affiliate was on hand (KTNV) to document the proceedings for a piece, and - yes - I managed to get on screen for a split-second or two. Seeeeeeee?

(Click to enlarge. Yeah, it's grainy - trust me, that's me.)

If you'd like to watch the entire segment, go here (it's less than two minutes).

And then...

Programming note

I will be out of town until late Saturday, so there will be no Survivor live blog or TGITDNMAR this week, though I may post some Survivor thoughts in a few days. At the least, I'll offer this official Question Request to Travis, though since I don't know who the castoff will be for his interview, it'll have to be generic: "If Jeff Probst were a contestant on the show, do you think he'd be a Hero or a Villain, and how far in the game do you think he'd make it?" That question was sponsored by Sears, by the way. See you back here for Stained Glass Cinema Sunday.

And then...

Programming note

In case you were wondering, I didn't neglect or forget about SGC today, I am just out of posters currently and didn't have the time to send Mrs. Fletch any new ones to create for me just yet. I'll get one up as soon as possible.

And then...

Programming note

With LOST recaps on Wednesdays and Survivor on Thursdays, Thursday's Things to Click On will be moving (possibly temporarily) to Tuesdays.

And then...

I wanna get cynical, cynical...

A few months back, I went over a list of some of the podcasts that I listen to regularly. One of the ones I discussed was The Film Cynics, and here's what I said at the time:

Steve Johnston and Brian Dutkewich of The Cynical Blog are more than mere podcasters; they have their own radio show! Airing on Sundays on Victoria, Canada's own C-FAX 1070, the Cynics re-purpose their show as a podcast (minus the air breaks and commercials), and I'm glad they do. Being pros and all, their podcast is one of the slickest you'll hear, and the guys' segments are clearly defined and individually entertaining, going over a featured topic, followed by picks from the vault, some high-tech talk and their DVD picks of the week.

The Cynics joined the LAMB a long, long time ago (they're #166 out of 430+), and you've likely seen Steve around the comments section here and there, and vice versa for me on their site. Somewhere along the way, though, Steve got the hair-brained idea that I might be a worthy guest on their live radio show.

Well, I did it this past Sunday. Going live to Victoria, BC and beyond (just how far beyond, I couldn't tell you), I did a phoner with the guys as we discussed The LAMB, Blog Cabins, and The Book of Eli, which we had previously butted heads over. Hopefully, I acquitted myself and didn't sound like too much of a jackass despite my proclivity for the word "definitely" (I barely recognize my voice, by the way, so don't be alarmed if you've heard it previously). Lucky for you, you can judge for yourself - the whole show can be heard here, though as you might've guessed, I recommend becoming a regular listener to their podcast (or show, should you happen to live around Victoria, which you likely don't).

Big thanks go out to the Cynics for having me on; it was a lot of fun and quite the honor.

And then...

Dude/Stuff News

The Dude is packing up his Stuff...and moving to Wednesdays. No longer tethered down to that catchy "Tuesday's Twelve Tags" moniker, I feel like mid-week is a better fit for the second weekly game here. The Dude will return tomorrow.

And then...

Programming note

There will be no Survivor live blog tonight, as Mrs. Fletch is away and I'm off to see Ninja Assassin in preparation for the next LAMBcast, to be recorded tomorrow.

However, since we'll likely be watching it tonight, there may be a tape-delayed (sans tape, of course) unlive blogging later. Stay tuned...

And then...

In celebration of arbitrary achievements: 100 Certified Cabin Dwellers

As friend and fellow LAMB Nick might say, "Woot!!"

Yes, it's a meaningless milestone in the grand scheme of things, but I just noticed that Blog Cabins now has 100 Google/Blogger followers, or Cabin Dwellers as I prefer to call y'all. This post is merely an excuse to say thanks to you and any other non-Google sanctioned followers of this nearly three-year old blog (and this post doesn't mean I won't do something to commemorate that date, in which I will say essentially the same thing. Recycling for the win!). To paraphrase the Doobie Brothers (something I try to do daily...or not), "It keeps me running, yeah it keeps me running...," with the "it" being your following, commentary and loyal patronage.

And to anyone out there who follows BC but wonders why I'm not listed as a follower on your Blogger site, it's because your site sucks and I don't like it the explanation is here.

And then...