The Mystery Blogger Award: A surprising honor!

First off, thank you to S.G. of Rhyme and Reason, a terrific blog where he combines poetry with very original, thoughtful ideas on movies, for the nomination. Check him out if you haven’t: https://sgliput.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/the-mystery-blogger-award-courtesy-of-drew/

So as it turns out, this award nomination was a pleasant surprise; totally unexpected because I’ve only been blogging here for a little over 2 weeks, but it’s been great so far hearing feedback and commentary, and a joy writing for something I believe can continue to grow. As for the award, it was created by Okoto Enigma, and also has some rules that I’ve got to follow in order to be eligible:

1.  Put the award logo/image on your blog.

2.  List the rules.

3.  Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.

4.  Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.

5.  Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.

6.  You have to nominate 10 – 20 people.

7.  Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog.

8.  Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)

9.  Share a link to your best post(s)

 

Well, as you can see, 1-4 is checked off the list already. So… three things about myself:

1. I obviously love animation, and in turn, analyzing and looking at the details. This blog is a launching point for what I hope will become an ambitious multimedia platform where animation can continue to “be explored in a unique, fresh way” as my tagline goes here. As for favorite animated shows and movies… In the West, the show is probably Gravity Falls (barely), and the East…you’ll find out in an upcoming post! (Hint: check my Twitter feed.) As for the movie, it’s The Incredibles. Absolutely amazing film to this day for a variety of reasons; I suspect I’ll write about it one of these days!
2. Being a sports fan is a way of life in Buffalo, NY, and so I’m a dyed in the wool Bills and Sabres fan. A few quick points for the uninitiated: We have the best football tailgates, the most passionate fans, and a long history of heartbreak. And unlike most American cities, this town is crazy passionate about its hockey. (The Music City “miracle?” That was a forward pass. And Brett Hull’s foot was in the crease.)
3. I have a slew of other interests including history, politics, golfing, fishing, biking, trivia…so you could say I’m always interested in learning new skills and interests and meeting new people!

So… S.G. asked me a few questions, which I’ll answer here as well:

What film(s) do you love that others seem to ignore or not even know about?

-Hmm… tricky question. I guess For Greater Glory: Viva Christo Rey! counts; it’s a film from 2012 that is a drama of an overshadowed conflict in 1920’s Mexico when the government cracked down on Catholic churches, clergymen and the faithful. Andy Garcia stars in it. As for animation itself…Wreck-It Ralph. Yes, it’s a well known movie, but Disney fanatics seem to overlook it (especially with Frozen hogging all the attention a year later), and it’s arguably one of, if not the best movies dealing with video games as a main subject material.

If you had to eat one food (or kind of food) for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I actually have had this conversation with my sister quite often, and the truth is, I’m not sure- but steaks, chocolate chip cookies, and perhaps a certain kind of sub I like might make the grade. (Hopefully, the calories do not.)

If technology allowed us to live in an ideal virtual Matrix-world, would you choose that over reality?

No, because life’s imperfections keep things interesting, and allow us to keep learning, working through suffering and shortcomings to become wiser, stronger people. It could get rather boring to be in an “ideal world” like that…and where’s the fun in that?

What one film do you think is vastly overrated?

Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000). It might be partially because I had to watch it for an English project a few years back, but I never got into the flow of the movie, and felt rather uncomfortable the whole time about Guy Pearce’s character. Sure, it’s thought provoking and worth a conversation about…but it’s overrated for what it is. I’ll leave it at that. I’ll also additionally add an animated movie: The Lego Movie (2014). It was a very pleasant surprise in February, a month traditionally reserved for studio long-shots and B-rate films, and quite humorous, but when everyone cried about its award snub at the Oscars two years ago, I wasn’t perturbed- because Big Hero 6 and How To Train Your Dragon 2 were better films (and the former won the award.)

 

For a fun question, you have three paradox-free wishes that won’t come back to bite you (says a genie). What would they be?

I’ve also thought about this question before:

1. That the Bills and Sabres both become winning franchises, and collect lots of championships;
2. That an asteroid won’t hit the Earth (seriously, it’s a childhood fear)
3. That the world comes to think more carefully about its morality, and that a Christian sense of altruism imbibes people’s spirits in a practical way.

Trust me, there’s a longer list of things I could wish for, but paradoxes kind of throw a wrench in that plan…

As for bloggers I nominate, here’s the list:

David: David Snape & Friends (https://davidsnape.me/). Really unique project he’s got on his site!

Rachel: Reviewing All 56 Disney Animated Films and More! (https://54disneyreviews.com/): She’s written some great work on Disney and other animated fare.

“The Dood” https://doodleyourdreamsblog.wordpress.com/ :Brand new blogger there; I’m curious to see what kind of content they’ll produce!

S.G.: Rhyme and Reason (https://sgliput.wordpress.com/): Yes, I know you nominated me and have already been nominated…but here’s returning the favor- I’ve really enjoyed your comments!

“Discoveringsooz”: https://discoveringsooz.wordpress.com/. Big thanks for being my first ever like on the blog!

Drew: Drew’s Movie Reviews: (https://drewreviewmovies.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/movie-quote-of-the-week-21017/): He’s another fantastic writer of movie material, and has some very unique work.

Here’s 5 questions for everyone nominated:

1. What is your favorite animated show and why? (if you can, perhaps from West and East!) As an addendum: Would you like me to write a review of that show(s) if I haven’t already?
2. If you’re a sports fan, who do you root for, and do you have any unique stories about being a fan of your team(s) of choice?
3. What’s your most overrated animated movie or show?
4. What would be one live-action show or movie you’d highly recommend to anyone?
5. What was your motive to start writing a blog?

Finally, a link to my best blog post… I have written quite a few reviews at this point and some character pieces as well, but the link here is the heart and core of what I write about and do: The review system. https://anibproductions.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/creating-the-magic-how-i-do-reviews/

Well, that’s about it! The criteria has been met; I’m thankful once more to S.G. for the nomination, and it will be fascinating to see the answers to the questions I posed to nominees! Stay tuned to this blog and the Twitter link I’ve put up: I constantly update with new material and comments are highly appreciated and constructive!

Keep reading, writing, and thinking critically,

Christian, a.k.a. “AniB”