Brutally Blunt Blog Blustering #4: Pluck You, Too!

If you're a member or have gone to any number of blog directories (i.e. BlogCatalog), you can't help but notice the opportunity to rate anyone's site. Be it out of 5 or 10 stars, everybody wants to be rated, and everybody wants the top score. Additionally, you might find threads in a Community section with individuals asking for or offering to give blog reviews. Some of these are beneficial; many are not.

What none of them really are is from their peers, and certainly not from people who just might visit that particular site on a regular basis. Which led me to thinking that maybe we could provide this service to each other. What I'll do is list a site; all you're asked to do, should you wish to, is critique it. But here's the catch: to hopefully induce the most honest reactions, I'm asking that you 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, whether you're a loyal reader or a never-reader, go to the site listed below, familiarize yourself with it for a few minutes (if need be), then come back and leave whatever constructive criticism and/or comments that you have. It could be about anything: the design, widgets, content, features, name - you name it. Bottom line: how could this site be made better (if possible)?

Site: Pluck You, Too!
LAMB#: 118
URL: http://www.pluckyoutoo.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.

A Call for Chops

Tomorrow is the next edition of LAMB Chops! Get your submissions in before noon tomorrow. I need submissions!! Send them to weeklylambchops@gmail.com.

LAMB #328 - Lux

URL: http://luckyluxy.blogspot.com/
Site Name: Lux
Categories: Reviews, News, Editorials, Humor, Classic Film, General
Rating: R

What is the main focus of your site?
The main objective of my site is to expose some films that are relatively unheard of, and or is least likely consumed by the populous. Although I will not limit myself to just independent and foreign films per say, I will try to evaluate the value of each films I review to their uttermost importance in our society, in our art, and in our psyches. It is relatively a new blog almost finding it's niche, I hope that it will broaden anyone's horizon in the cinematic perspective much how movies had broadened mine.

What are your blogging goals, personally and/or professionally? In other words, what, if anything, are you trying to get out your blog?
Personally, I would like to get better with my techniques as a writer. I would like to expand my vocabulary and be more critical and analytical. Living in Chicago, I could not help appreciate the arts, may it be in any medium presented. I love literature and if this will make me a better writer, critic, analyst, etc... I welcome any criticism and positive feedback (as long as they are more positive, and less malicious.) At the same time, I would love to eventually be one of the top ten film Bloggers.

Do you prefer an interactive community for your blog or are you the teacher and your readers are the students?
I prefer interactions and feedback, as much of it as possible.

How long have you been movie blogging for, and how frequent do you post updates to your site?
I have loved movies all my life, my blog just recently (fully) is devoted to films. I post weekly at the least once every week.

Name up to three of your favorite movies (and no more).
The Crow, Vanilla Sky (very underestimated movie in my opinion), Strangers on a Train.

How did you hear about the LAMB?
Surfing the web.

Any additional comments, or give yourself an interview question that's not listed above.
Who is your favorite director and why?

I love Alfred Hitchcock and his film noir genre of suspense thrillers. Hitchcock was the very first of his kind to show human nature at it's ugliest. Building suspense through mistrust, hate, anguish, revenge, betrayal, and scorn. Knowing full well that all this and more would make the greatest of killers and murderers.

Stump the LAMBs Movie Trivia Quiz Answer: 16 Candles

Image via Wikipedia

Two LAMBs got the answer to the last question, which tells me they must be fans of '80s movies, teenage movies or both.

Here's the question again:

Name the movie in which Agnes Belushi (John and Jim Belushi's mother) plays an uncredited extra in a wedding scene.

The answer:

The answer is one of my favorite teen movies, 16 Candles, starring Molly Ringwald. Agnes Belushi is the woman Ginny Baker (played by the coincidentally named Blanche Baker) tries to sit next to while she's walking down the aisle at her wedding, stoned on tranquilizers.

This movie really captures the vulnerability of a teenage girl who already feels like a dork but is then thrown into abject insecurity when her parents forget her birthday. But it also has a happy ending, which involves the cutest guy in school. So our inner teenagers feel vindicated by the time the movie's over!

Here are the winning LAMBs:

Jigsaw of Jigsaws Lair

Dylan of Blog Cabins

Here's the next question:

Name the movie that had one cameraman die when a barge capsized during filming and also had two other crew members nearly killed because the ship they were on while shooting was lost at sea for two days.

Please include the following information in your response:

1. The movie name
2. Your name
3. Your blog name
4. Your blog URL

Send your submission to Carla of Tricky Movie Trivia at info[@]trickymovietrivia.com by midnight EDT July 17, 2009.

Good luck!

Comments will be closed to prevent inadvertent posting of the answer.

LAMB Chops!

Site Name: The Lightning Bug
Post Title/Link: The Bugg Gets a Special Look at Chance Shirley's New Horror/Sci-Fi/Comedy Interplanetary
Submitted By: The Lightning Bug

Site Name: Big Mike's Movie Blog
Post Title/Link: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Submitted By: Big Mike's Movie Blog

Site Name: The Rest is Cream Cheese
Post Title/Link: Movie Review: Public Enemies
Submitted By: The Rest is Cream Cheese

Site Name: The Film Reel
Post Title/Link: Special Assignment - Lovely By Surprise
Submitted By: The Film Reel

Site Name: The Sophomore Critic
Post Title/Link: Megan Fox Slams Transformers
Submitted By: Bitchin' Film Reviews

Happy Independence Day to all you LAMBs. Get your submissions in by next Tuesday at noon for the next edition (weeklylambchops@gmail.com).

LAMBScores: Terminator Salvation

The Dark of the Matinee
Big Mike's Movie Blog
Movie Mobsters


Blog Cabins
Random Ramblings of a Demented Doorknob
Cut Print Review
8th Circuit
Film Forager


The Critical Critics
Plus Trailers


Reel Whore


Tractor Facts


Average LAMBScore out of five, rounded to nearest half-LAMB: (12 sites)


Median LAMBScore:


Submissions for this film are now closed. To submit your rating & review for other new releases, visit the LAMB Forums (must be an existing LAMB to join).

LAMB #327 - Encore’s World of Film & TV

URL: http://encorentertainmnt.blogspot.com/
Site Name: Encore’s World of Film & TV
Categories: Reviews, Oscars, Movies, TV, Lists, Actors and Actresses
Rating: PG-13

What is the main focus of your site?
To be honest there isn’t any static focus. As the name suggests film and television are the focus with more importance given to film, but sometimes I’ll look at music sometimes literature or just general ranting on nothing in particular. I make lists of my favourite films, or anything else, sometimes I'll even write about theater. I plan on doing at least one movie review every fortnight.

What are your blogging goals, personally and/or professionally? In other words, what, if anything, are you trying to get out your blog?
I always wanted to be a writer, even though I’ll be doing law at University come September. This blog is a good way to hone my writing skills, get feedback from readers, participate in some lively debates, perhaps and just generally do something that’s interesting.

Do you prefer an interactive community for your blog or are you the teacher and your readers are the students?
Hell yeah. I hate bloggers who are all teacher-student. Readers are free to give their opinion, after all what’s the point of a tree falling in the wood if no hears it?

How long have you been movie blogging for, and how frequent do you post updates to your site?
I’ve been blogging for about six months. I try to post at least twice a week. If I have exams it might be once.

Name up to three of your favorite movies (and no more).
I hate this question, just because I’m doing a list of my favourites keeping the best for last. But here goes – this is not an actual top three, but I’m trying to show a range. But they’re in my top twenty…

The Lion in Winter, Gosford Park, The Departed

How did you hear about the LAMB?
Can’t be certain, I go around searching blogs of note and check who they’re following and this was on one of them. I can’t remember which.

Any additional comments, or give yourself an interview question that's not listed above.
This is a smart blog. And that’s just not ass kissing…just an observation. Oh...and I live in Guyana...most people don't even know where that is...South America.

LAMB Leaderboard updated for June!

...and we have a new B.L.O.C. (Big LAMB on Campus). Congrats to Korova Theatre, a relatively new LAMB already making themselves known here, for topping the list.

In other LAMB Banner news, I've added eight (!) more to the gallery again - this time for 10 Movies to See Before You Die, The 8th Circuit, Korova Theatre, Lux, Movie Mobsters, Plus Trailers, Stop the Planet of the Apes..., and She Blogged By Night. If you're one of those eight, your banners now 'hang' proudly there and have been inserted into the Random LAMB Banner box.

Want yours in there? Just send it to me. After all, we can't have 25% of the Leaderboard being generic LAMBs every month, can we?

LAMB #326 - Another Old Movie Blog

URL: http://anotheroldmovieblog.blogspot.com/
Site Name: Another Old Movie Blog
Categories: Classic Film
Rating: G

What is the main focus of your site?
Discussion of old movies in the historical context of the eras in which they were made.

What are your blogging goals, personally and/or professionally? In other words, what, if anything, are you trying to get out your blog?
A readership and interaction with a blogging community that enjoys these films as much as I do.

Do you prefer an interactive community for your blog or are you the teacher and your readers are the students?
Both, I expect. I prefer a more interactive partnership with the reader, but most of my posts are in essay form.

How long have you been movie blogging for, and how frequent do you post updates to your site?
I've been blogging for about two and a half years, I post on this blog twice weekly.

Name up to three of your favorite movies (and no more).
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Best Years of Our Lives, Vertigo.

How did you hear about the LAMB?
Wendymoon at http://moviewings.blogspot.com/.

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

LAMB Chops

Site Name: Plus Trailers
Post Title/Link: Movie Review - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Submitted By: Plus Trailers

Site Name: Horror 101
Post Title/Link: Monster-Mania Event Report
Submitted By: Horror 101

Site Name: Pluck You, Too!!!
Post Title/Link: Michael “the” Mann – Thief
Submitted By: Radiator Heaven

Site Name: Behind the Couch
Post Title/Link: Giallo - Exclusive Review
Submitted By: Behind the Couch

Site Name: Stop the Planet of the Apes
Post Title/Link: Review of Edison Studio's Frankenstein (1910)
Submitted By: Stop the Planet of the Apes

The next edition will be Saturday, the 4th (happy Independence Day!). Send your submissions to weeklylambchops@gmail.com. Be sure you name your site in the email so I don't mess it up when left to my own devices.

It's A Wonderful LAMB: 353 Haiku Movie Review.

I apologize for the lateness of this edition of Wonderful LAMB. Let's just say life took over. Last week was kinda crazy. Anywho, let's do this.

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Blog Name: 353 Haiku Movie Review.
Posting Name: There's a slew of them, it seems. But the "About Me" section refers to Colleen.
Country of Origin: Canada (at least Colleen).
LAMB Number: 72.

Other: I really can't help doing this:

Eclectic Film Taste
Haikus, Podcasts, And Fun Stuff
Unique Reviewing

Additional Syllables: The blog will also apparently add a few extra sentences if need be in a section called "Additional Syllables." But otherwise, they seem to stick pretty regularly to the 353 Haiku Review format. I know this is short, but I felt it was fitting for the theme (and I'm not just being lazy... I swear... mostly). They're a really interesting site with a totally unique reviewing method. And they have podcasts. Yup.