Announcing the 3rd Annual British Invaders Blogathon

The past two years A Shroud of Thoughts has hosted the British Invaders Blogathon, a celebration of the best in British films. The blogathon was fairly successful in its first two years, so I am bringing it back for a third. While many people think of Hollywood when they think of classic movies, the fact is that the United Kingdom made many significant contributions to film over the years. From the Gainsborough melodramas to Hammer Films to the British New Wave, cinema would be much poorer without the British.  I've scheduled this year's British Invaders Blogathon  for August 5, August 6, and August 7.

Here are the ground rules for this year's blogathon:

1. Posts can be about any British film or any topic related to British films. For the sake of simplicity, I am using "British" here to refer to any film made by a company based in the United Kingdom or British Crown dependencies. If you want to write about a film made in Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man, then, you can do so. Also for the sake of simplicity, people can write about co-productions made with companies from outside the United Kingdom. For example, since 2001: A Space Odyssey is a British-American co-production, someone could write about it if they chose.

2. There is no limit on subject matter. You can write about any film in any genre you want. Posts can be on everything from the British New Wave to the Gainsborough bodice rippers to the Hammer Horrors. I am also making no limit on the format posts can take. You could review a classic British film, make an in-depth analysis of a series of British films, or even simply do a pictorial tribute to a film. That having been said, since this is a classic film blogathon,  I only ask that you write about films made before 1991. I generally don't think of a film as a classic until it has been around for thirty years, but to give bloggers more options I am setting the cut off point at twenty five years ago.

With regards to subject matter, I have to say that, this year at least, people might  not want to write posts devoted to legendary actress Margaret Lockwood and her films for the British Invaders Blogathon. This is for the simple reason that in September I will be hosting the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon in honour of her 100th birthday. If you are a Margaret Lockwood fan, you might want to save any posts about her for that event! I'll make an official announcement for the Margaret Lockwood Centennial Blogathon in the next few days.

3. I am asking that there please be no duplicates. That having been said, if someone has already chosen to cover From Russia with Love (1963), someone else could write about the James Bond series as a whole.

4. I am not going to schedule days for individual posts. All I ask is that the posts be made on or between August 5, August 6, or August 7.

If you want to participate in the British Invaders Blogathon, you can simply comment below or get a hold of me on Twitter at mercurie80, Google+, or at my email:  mercurie80 at gmail.com.

Below is a roster of participants and the topics they are covering. Come August 5 I will make a post that will include all of the posts in the blogathon

The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog: Cone of Silence (1960)

Vitaphone Dreamer: The Red Shoes (1948)

Defiant Success: Local Hero (1983)

Prowler Needs a Jump: So Long at the Fair (1950)

Moon in Gemini: Barry Lyndon (1975)

In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood: I Know Where I'm Going (1945)

Movie Movie Blog Blog: Clockwise (1985)

Crítica Retrô: A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Little Bits of Classics: The Ladykillers (1955)
  
Realweemidgetgirl Reviews Movies, TV, Books, and More: Gregory's Girl (1981)

The Midnite Drive-In: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Pink Floyd--The Wall (1982)

Old Hollywood Films: Great Expectations (1946)

Sometimes They Go to Eleven: It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)

Cinematic Scribblings:  Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)

The Flapper Dame: The 39 Steps (1935)

The Wonderful World of Cinema: Young and Innocent (1937)

A Shroud of Thoughts: The Brides of Dracula (1960)

Thoughts All Sorts: Ask a Policeman (1939)

Below are several banners for participants in the blogathon to use (or you can always make your own):