MINDS WANDER: Study reveals what the brain does during daydreams.
IT’S GOOD TO BE THE NOMENKLATURA: Canadian casino mogul, actress wife pose as motel workers to cut COVID-19 vaccine line.
New Philosophy Magazine: The Raven
The Raven is a new philosophy magazine supported by the department of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) that aims to “revive a more essayistic style of philosophy” and publish contributions to the philosophical literature “that deserve to be called literature.”
Pop Culture Imports: ‘Lupin,’ ‘Veneno,’ ‘Awaara,’ and More
Posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2021 by Hoai-Tran Bui
(Welcome to Pop Culture Imports, a column that compiles the best foreign movies and TV streaming right now.)
It’s a new year, with new foreign-language films and TV shows to stream: a few late-year streaming hits, along with a few classics and hidden gems that may have slipped under your radar. But we’re back and here to recommend you some titles that will help you meet that New Year’s resolution of watching more foreign films this year.
During Pandemic Lockdowns, Thousands Turn To Online Nude Drawing Classes For Solace
Online drawing classes are, for many people in lockdown in Britain, a lifeline to the outside world. And there’s a plus: “Individual sessions can attract hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people, and moving everything online has made life drawing more accessible to a diverse crowd.” – The Observer (UK)
Judi Dench Is A Bit Bored In Lockdown
Someone hire her, quickly. “Lockdown, I fear, is not the life Dench was born to. She used to practically eat and drink on the stage, but the theatres have closed, who knows for how long. She used to bounce from one film set to the next, but now production is mothballed and the industry has gone to ground. All of which means that she is confined to the house, an 86-year-old actor shoved into what she hopes is a partial and temporary retirement. She gets up each morning determined to keep herself busy. She crawls back to bed with most of the tasks left undone. After a while, she admits, the time starts to drag.” – The Guardian (UK)
The Creativity, Therapy, And Writing Skill It Takes To Co-Create Celebrity Memoirs
Michelle Burford has co-written, or really, written after many hours of absorbing interviews, quite a few celebrity memoirs. She calls herself a “story architect,” and her name appears on the covers of the memoirs alongside the famous counterparts. But as a Black woman, she has to tell publishers not only to think of her for Black women’s memoirs: “I’ve learned to not just hint at that but to say it outright, to say, you know, consider me for, Adele and Taylor Swift as much as you would, say, Beyoncé.” – The New York Times
Ten Films to Watch When You Want to Feel Hopeful
2020 was a difficult year. In times of trouble, movies are often used as an escape. But others are designed to edify us about social issues and inspire us to try to change our reality. This piece—first published four years ago, the day after the 2016 Presidential Election, revived and revised just at COVID was hitting—lists 10 encouraging movies to inspire awe, empathy and action. From Do the Right Thing to The Tree of Life, a wide range of themes were represented; seeing these characters on screen battling through various aspects of life gives us strength and hope
1. CinemaBlend
CinemaBlend is one of the most popular entertainment websites. The site dates back to 2003, and now boasts 19 million unique visitors each month, interacting with over 60 million pages of content.
2. MovieWeb
MovieWeb dates back to 1995, making it one of the first movie websites. Its long history has allowed it to build a strong reputation as a trusted source for news and reviews.
3. Movie Pilot
User-generated content is a good way to get regular updates on your site, and to have a wider range of genuine, honest opinions from people your audience relates to easily. Movie Pilot uses this method to good effect, and boasts over 30 million readers and contributors.
4. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is the leading online review aggregator, drawing together reviews from critics on other sites to give movies a “fresh” or “rotten” status. The site also allows movie fans to provide their own reviews, and includes original editorial content.
5. Screen Rant
The Screen Rant site launched in 2003, and has grown to become one of the largest entertainment news sources. The site served over 140 million readers in 2017, and has over 4.8 million subscribers on its associated YouTube channel.
6. RogerEbert.com
Roger Ebert was one of the world’s most famous and respected film reviewers. He sadly passed away in 2013, but his legacy lives on thanks to his website, which offers high-quality reviews, movie news, and video blogs.
7. JoBlo
In all forms of content marketing, readers want genuine content they can trust. Often, that trust comes from an established history of quality, as is the case with the JoBlo site, which dates back to 1998.
8. ComingSoon.net
ComingSoon aims to provide greater insight to the world of movies by providing scoops and behind-the-scenes editorials. The site also makes good use of social media (including Facebook and YouTube) to build its audience and encourage engagement from their readers.
9. Dread Central
Unlike many movie blogs, Dread Central has a much narrower focus, mainly providing content relating to horror movies and thrillers.
10. ScreenCrush
ScreenCrush has the standard written reviews and videos, but it also has long-form content comprising opinion pieces and articles that provide a deeper insight into popular films and franchises.
11. Collider
Collider dates back to 2005. The site focuses on in-depth movie news, providing a thoughtful, analytical approach to reviewing Hollywood’s output.
12. Birth. Movies. Death.
This blog seeks to emphasize the central importance and significance of movies in the lives of so many people, while also celebrating what it is to be a “nerd.”
13. We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered started out as a WordPress blog, proving that it’s possible to create a well-respected and popular blog from very humble beginnings. The site focuses primarily on film, TV, and games.
14. Dark Horizons
Dark Horizons is an entertainment site with a history dating back to January 1997. Features focus more on the industry rather than celebrity gossip, and the approach has made the site one of the most respected outlets for entertainment news. For a fair and balanced appraisal of all that’s hot (and all that’s not) in Hollywood, this is the place.
15. GeekTyrant
Rather than focusing entirely on movies, GeekTyrant covers all aspects of “geek culture,” including movies, art, and games that appeal to geeks. This approach has made the site a real success, with over one million users every month.
16. Den of Geek!
Den of Geek! shares a similar approach to GeekTyrant, shining a light on all forms of entertainment loved by geeks. The site has nearly 10 million users each month.
17. /Film
/Film launched in 2005, and within its first month had developed a team of over 20 bloggers. It’s now a well-respected source for movie reviews and critical articles.
18. Screen Anarchy
Screen Anarchy is another site that encourages user-generated content. Users create accounts, and then post on anything relating to movies. The result is an eclectic mix of reviews and opinion pieces from a diverse collection of talented writers who are passionate about film.
19. Heroic Hollywood
Get your geek on with Heroic Hollywood, a fun entertainment site dedicated to exploring the history and impact of some of the biggest heroes to grace the Silver Screen.
20. Box Office Mojo
If you’re looking for more than reviews and want to know some of the figures behind the facts, Box Office Mojo is the place to be, thanks to its comprehensive box office database.
Final Thought: Bring the Popcorn
Great content is the primary way to build an audience, and all of the movie blogs on this list know exactly what it takes to attract film fans with a thirst for reviews and insightful articles. If you’re planning to start your own blog or you want a larger audience, be aware that you’re going up against some very tough opposition. Forecasts predict there will be 31.7 million bloggers in the US alone by 2020, so it’s going to be more difficult than ever to stand out. To have a chance of making a name for yourself, take note of how successful blogs are breaking the box office, and work on your content marketing strategy to ensure your written articles are entertaining, released on a regular schedule, and worthy of repeat viewings (preferably with popcorn).