My Favourite Blogs

This week it seems as if my blog was nothing but obituaries. On top of that we had overtime at work and I had the misfortune of contracting both sinusitis and bronchitis at the same time. I then thought that this entry would be on one of my favourite subjects, namely the blogs I read most often and enjoy the most.Indeed, I sometimes feel guilty that I don't have links to any of them on this blog (the reason being that my sidebars are much too busy as it is). I hope that this entry will make up for this.

For the most part, the blogs I read the most fall into one of two categories: blogs devoted to movies (with the occasional departure into television) and general pop culture blogs (not unlike A Shroud of Thoughts itself). In the former categories are two blogs which I enjoy a great deal. One is Mad About Movies. Mad About Movies is essentially a blog dedicated to movie reviews. Generally the reviews are devoted to newer films, although they have also reviewed some older films as well (notably, they reviewed David Lynch's Eraserhead recently). One thing that really separates Mad About Movies from other blogs I like is that it has multiple contributors (most often Marina, who I believe founded Mad About Movies, or the Wong Blogger). The fact that more than one person contributes to Mad About Movies gives the blog more than one point of view--while one contributor might prefer genre films, another might prefer chick flicks. In any case, the reviews are always well written and well thought out. While I may not necessarily agree with any given review, I can honestly say that they always have legitimate reasons for either liking or disliking a film.

The other movie blog I enjoy is Reel Fanatic. Like Mad About Movies, Reel Fanatic also features movie reviews, with the occasional foray into television. It also features news regarding the world of cinema and television as well. Reel Fanatic writes very well, with a good sense of humour and a keen insight into film. It also helps that many of his tastes are similar mine. While I do disagree with some of his opinions on films and TV shows at times, I can say that like the contributors to Mad About Movies, he always has justifiable and legitimate reasons for anything he likes or dislikes.

As I said, the other blogs I enjoy fall more into the category of "general pop culture." Among these is Popped Culture. Popped Culture covers nearly the whole gamut of pop culture, from movies to television to music to various other pop culture tidbits. It includes reviews of movies and TV shows as well as news and even sometimes commentary on various pop culture artefacts. The blog is authored by Jeremy in Toronto, although his wife and friends (also talented writers) have done guest shots at times. I must admit that I enjoy Popped Culture a great deal because Jeremy seems to be interested in a lot of the same topics I am (Popped Culture is the only blog beyond A Shroud of Thoughts I know of which had a post on pirates not related to those of the Caribbean...).

The other "general pop culture" blog I enjoy is Strange Culture. In a way calling Strange Culture a "general pop culture blog" is a bit misleading, as it is actually a bit more than that. Its author, RC, does cover movies, TV shows, music, and so on, but he has also posted on such subjects as tech billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and TOOOL (The Open Organization of Lockpickers). I don't always agree with what RC has to say (I seem to recall I disagreed with him on Snakes on a Plane), but I can always understand where he is coming from. Like the other blogs mentioned here, his reasons for liking or disliking something are always sound and justifiable.

I have a few other blogs I read on a regular basis, but these are the ones I enjoy the most. One interesting observation I just made recently is that most of the blogs I read are written either by Southeners (Reel Fanatic is from Macon, Georgia) or Canadians (Jeremy of Popped Culture is in Toronto, while I seem to recall Marina of Mad About the Movies is from Canada as well, although I can't remember where). Why I would read blogs written by Southerners is perfectly understandable. I am from the South (a part of Missouri called "Little Dixie" to be exact), so my views, tastes, and attitudes are going to closer to those of other Southerners than, say, Yankees. As to why I enjoy blogs written by Canadians, I am at a loss to explain that. I can only surmise that perhaps Canadians have better tastes and better writing skills than most Americans....

At any rate, I encourage any of you reading this entry to pay these blogs a visit. Each of these blogs is clearly a labour of love, into which a lot of work goes. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.