Announcing the 31 Days of Oscar 2016 Blogathon

“I’m very enthusiastic about the Academy Awards because if there were no Oscars, we wouldn’t have as many good movies as we do have.” – Robert Osborne
The Oscars — both maligned and praised — are always cause for celebration and we’re here to do just that.

For the fourth consecutive year Paula’s Cinema Club (my Twitter handle @Paula_Guthat) joins forces with Kellee (@IrishJayHawk66) of Outspoken & Freckled and Aurora (@CitizenScreen) of Once Upon A Screen for the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon, running February 6-27, 2016.  We started this event to coincide with Turner Classic Movie’s 31 Days of Oscar marathon, during which the network shines the spotlight on the storied history of the Academy Awards. All the deets, including participating blogs & their chosen topics, after the jump…

This year the network is presenting Oscar-themed movies with a twist on the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” parlor game, where each film will be linked by a common performer to the one following it. The last film presented on the 31st day linked back to the first. No doubt the “360 Degrees of Oscar” will be a fun journey through film connections in Oscar’s storied history.  You can download the TCM February schedule here. And while you’re planning your viewing schedule, plan your entry to the blogathon!

Most of you know the drill – during the month-long event, tell us about which films, actors, or directors deserved an Oscar nod and were ignored, or about which films inspire you with their music or lighting. Any Oscar-related topic is fair game.  We are not limiting this event to classic film fare, we want to see and hear it all from the golden man’s glitter- and scandal-filled history – including information and commentaries on this year’s nominees. The only restriction is we prefer no previously published posts.

Just as we’ve done in previous years, which proved to be big successes, we will be focusing on a different Oscars topic each week — note that you can join us at any time during the month and submit as many entries as you want!  We will promote posts according to topics as follows:

February 6 – THE ACTORS!
Hosted by Aurora on Once Upon a Screen

February 13 – OSCAR SNUBS!
Hosted by Kellee at Outspoken & Freckled

February 20 – THE CRAFTS!
(Music, Costumes, Cinematography, Writing, etc.)
Hosted by Paula at Paula’s Cinema Club

February 27 – THE MOTION PICTURES – Hosted by Kellee
and THE DIRECTORS! – Hosted by Aurora

We hope you join us!

You can submit topics either by leaving comments on any of our blogs, via Twitter, or by email. We ask that you please include the following:

• Title and link to your blog
• Contact information
• Topic
• Event banner in your post and link to host blog(s)

SO – write to your heart’s desire! Write one post or several on each topic. But write!

In the meantime… here’s to Oscar, to TCM and to YOU! Happy blogging!

Participating Blogs and Chosen Topics by Week and Category
February 6 – ACTORS!
Old Hollywood Films – 1941 Best Actor Race
Movie Movie Blog Blog – Chill Wills
Second Sight Cinema – Elizabeth Taylor
Smitten Kitten Vintage – Norma Shearer in THE DIVORCEE (1930)
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Anne Bancroft in THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962)
Wolffian Classics Movies Digest – Sidney Poitier LILIES OF THE FIELD (1963)
Cinephiled – Juvenile Oscar Awardees

February 13 – SNUBS
Second Sight Cinema – Barbara Stanwyck
CineMaven’s Essays from the Couch – SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957)
Cinema Dilettante – Irene Dunne
Once Upon a Screen – The Horror of Oscar
Danny’s Reviews – Charlotte Rampling
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Joan Fontaine in REBECCA (1940)
Wolffian Classics Movies Digest – Jean Arthur TALK OF THE TOWN (1942)
The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood – Judy Garland A STAR IS BORN (1954)
Critica Retro – Brazil at the Oscars
I See a Dark Theater – Jean Arthur THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943)
Moon in Gemini – Alan Rickman
Cary Grant Won’t Eat You – BIG FISH (2003)
One Gal’s Musings – Stanley Tucci in SPOTLIGHT (2015)
Classic Becky’s Brain Food – JANE EYRE (1943)
The Midnite Drive-In – THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961)

February 20 – CRAFTS
(Music, Costumes, Cinematography, Writing, etc.)
30 Years On – Jerry Goldsmith
Comet Over Hollywood – Bernard Herrmann
Rachel the Cinephile – Costume Design
Movies Silently – William Cameron Menzies
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Screenplay for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)
Wolffian Classics Movies Digest – Cinematography BLACK NARCISSUS (1947)
Aperture Reviews – Dimitri Tiomkin
Phyllis Loves Classic Movies – Timeline of Award-Winning Costumes
Comet Over Hollywood – Edith Head winning Best Costume for SABRINA (1954)
Once Upon A Screen – Cinematography for ROAD TO PERDITION
Silver Screen Modes – Costume Design in BONNIE AND CLYDE

February 27 – MOTION PICTURES…
Old Hollywood Films – HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941)
Cracked Rear Viewer – THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
Comet Over Hollywood – WITH A SONG IN MY HEART (1952)
Comet Over Hollywood – NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935)
Jack Deth at Paula’s Cinema Club – 60th Academy Awards (Films released in 1987)
Sister Celluloid – CASABLANCA (1942)
Wolffian Classics Movies Digest – IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)
Defiant Success – JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)
Paula’s Cinema Club – 11th Academy Awards (Films released in 1938)
… and DIRECTORS
Silver Screenings – Frank Borzage and 7TH HEAVEN (1927)
Danny’s Reviews – Lina Wertmuller/Giancarlo Giannini chemistry
The Wonderful World of Cinema – Robert Wise
Leading Auteur Directors – Howard Hawks