From the Mailbag: Iron Reels Review

Some time ago we received this message in the e-mailbag:

Hi,
I've recently started a blog reviewing underground films from NEPA & the surrounding areas,
as well as posting info about various local film shows / events.  Could you add us to the NEPA
blog listing?  http://ironreelsreview.wordpress.com/

Thanks,
Kyle Rebar

It's taken a while, but we're finally posting the link!

Iron Reels Review

I actually had the opportunity to meet Kyle at last month's Third Thursday Open Mic Poetry Night at the Vintage in Scranton, presented by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective. (The next one is coming up June 20 - the last day of Spring! - so be ready.) Kyle writes more about the blog in the introductory post:

…The Iron Reels Review is the brainchild of Scrantonite camera-toting madmen Kevin Vogrin & Kyle Rebar, who curate film shows and work on a myriad of artistic projects.

We’re looking to review films from the Scranton area and abroad.  We’ll review any genre, but we especially enjoy experimental films.  Some of our favorites are Kenneth Anger, ‘Eraserhead,’ ‘Clockwork Orange,’ Mike & George Kuchar, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Dancer in the Dark, Shadow of a Doubt.

We’ll accept DVDs or web links.  Send submissions with a log line and contact info to krebar@m.marywood.edu. 

Kevin and Kyle just started this blog a few months ago, but already have numerous reviews and movie clips on the site. Head on over to the Iron Reels Review and see what it's all about!

Satellite News

Wowzers!   I just found out yesterday that a blog I've been following for years is semi-based in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Can you believe it?!

Satellite News
http://www.mst3kinfo.com

Satellite News is the official fan-based blog about the now-defunct TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000.  It is endorsed by "Best Brains Inc." the entertainment company that produced the series, but the content is solely independently written.  Fans all over the globe use this as their "go-to" guide for episode summaries, information about the cast and crew, and events that happened in the history of MST3K.  Yes - even me!  I'm a big sci-fi movie nerd especially when they are are awful and being made fun of. 

The authors are Chris Cornell and Brian Henry.  In a recent conversation through Twitter, I found out that Chris Cornell resides in NEPA and is planning to attend NEPA BlogCon.  Yay!

To learn more about what Mystery Science Theater 3000 actually is, I'd recommend starting at this Wikipedia article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Science_Theater_3000

....but if you are a cult follower of the show, like I am, you are already well ahead of the curve....

~Michelle

Two New Movie Blogs

*Ahem* Some local bloggers that I know are very reluctant to join Facebook for a number of excuses reasons.  To this, I say phooey.  One of the ways we find a lot of new bloggers in the area is through our Facebook group.  We added four new bloggers to the group this week!  I'm going to group two of these new blogs together in today's post because they have something in common....they are movie blogs!

Grab your barrel of popcorn, add some butter and salt and prepare for you movie review tour of the NEPA Blogosphere.

First up we have...
FilmBuffOnline
http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/

Rich Drees from Wilkes-Barre brought this blog to our attention.  He's the editor and publisher of FilmBuffOnline.  Similar to NEPA Blogs, this blog has a number of contributors who write posts (John L Gibbon, Michael McGonigle, Jeff Stolarcyk, and Richard Zeszotarski).  The topics include movie reviews, movie history, producer and director info and lots of other goodies that film buffs would enjoy.  A post that grabbed my attention in particular was about the history of movie trailers. 

Next up we have...
Total Popcorn
http://www.totalpopcorn.blogspot.com/

You may remember back in November 2011 we added a blog called Cinema Cyclops which was written by Bill Thomas.  Cinema Cyclops mysteriously disappeared a while ago, but re-emerged as Total Popcorn.  I love the blog tagline...

"No-frills movie reviews in 500 words or less.  Because you've got places to be, dammit!"

It looks like all of the posts from Cinema Cyclops were retained for the new blog, which is a good thing.  Which brings up a point...if you are listed at NEPA Blogs and decide to change your URL, please let us know about it so that we can update the blog roll accordingly. 

We also would like to extend an invite for you to join our NEPA Bloggers Facebook Group if you haven't already.  You can interact with a bunch of local bloggers and perhaps gain more readers.  Also, don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/nepablogs

~Michelle

Reel Speak

Here's a blog I found in a comment on one of David DeCosmo's Facebook posts!

Reel Speak
http://www.reelspeak.blogspot.com/

Movies. Opinions. Education.

What I look for in good film: You can thrill me, amuse me, and entertain me. You can even depress me, devastate me and educate me. Just don't bore me. 

Reel Speak is written by NEPA native Alan Brocovich, who now lives in a far-off place with the exotic-sounding name of "Philadelphia." It comes with a scary-looking Content Warning, which I assumed was the consequence of someone seeing their favorite movie get slagged, but in fact is there at the request of the blogger himself. As he put it, "I keep the content warning activated as a way to protect myself, as I often use colorful metaphors to get my point across. Better safe than sorry."

For thoughtful, in-depth reviews of and opinions about the latest movies, be sure to check out Reel Speak!

Cinema Cyclops

Bill Thomas's Cinema Cyclops (http://www.cinemacyclops.blogspot.com/) is billed as "The Mad Musings of a Pop Culture Addict with an Eye for Movies - No-frills movie reviews in 500 words or less.  Because you've got places to be, dammit!"

Bill's goal is to add at least one new review each week. The films he's reviewed so far are mainstream films in the genres of science fiction (Real Steel, The Thing (2011) , In Time), fantasy (The Three Musketeers (2011)), and comedy (A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas.) But in the future he plans to cover a broader selection of upcoming movies, and some older films as well.

If you'd like to get the inside scoop on the latest movies before you plunk down your hard-earned cash to see them in a theater, or if you'd just like to read some funny, insightful reviews of those same movies, be sure to check out Bill Thomas's Cinema Cyclops!