Thursday, July 10, 2025

A Summery Sunshine Blogger Award

Sally Silverscreen of 18 Cinema Lane has awarded me with a Sunshine Blogger Award :-D  Thank you, Sally!


The rules of this award are pretty simple:  answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you, then nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions of your own.  Always good fun, because the questions can be new every time!

Here are Sally's questions for me:

1. Which actor or actress do you wish had starred in a historical fiction/historical period picture?  

Most of my favorite actors and actresses HAVE starred in period dramas.  But I do have a running list of actors I dearly wish would make a western.  And they are:

Chris Hemsworth
Luke Evans
David Boreanaz
Henry Cavill
Charlie Hunnam

Come on, guys, get yourselves some hats and horses and let's go!

(Not at all coincidentally, I have cast all of those guys in western books I've written).


2. What two shows would you pair for a crossover? 

I want a Perry Mason (1957-66) and Dragnet (1951-59) crossover!  I want Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and Paul Drake (William Hopper) working together to solve a crime involving someone Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is defending.  Please, and thank you.



3. Which food-related movie promotion would you bring back? 

Back when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) came out, they released a limited edition Snickers bar with coconut in it that I LOVED.  I wish they made those still.


4. You’ve been tasked with designing a popcorn bucket! What movie do you choose and what does its popcorn bucket look like? 

This year is the 70th anniversary of my favorite musical, Guys and Dolls (1955), and I would design a very cool bucket similar to this Dutch poster:


I want bright and cheery yellow streaks, little multi-colored stars, and the main characters in their vivid clothing all around the popcorn bucket.  

Actually, now I really want a coffee mug like that.  May have to go see if anyone has made one.


5. When was the last time you saw a made-for-TV movie? 

I watched The Shadow Riders (1982) with my husband a few weeks ago.  It's such a fun romp of a western -- I probably will review it for Legends of Western Cinema Week next month.  (Yes, that event is returning!  We will be announcing it pretty soon!)



6. What is your least favorite trend in movies? 

I am sick of the big Hollywood studios putting out movies that they think audiences should like instead of putting out movies audiences actually do like and want to watch.


7. Which movie would you like to see from a different character’s perspective? 

Hmm.  You know, I'd like to see what Dave (1993) would look like from the perspective of Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver).  



8. Is there a movie poster or trailer you wish you could fix? If so, which one? 

The trailers for The Lone Ranger (2013) made it look like it was going to be a straight-up western and failed to prepare people for its quirky, fantastical twists.  Likewise, The Man from UNCLE (2014) trailers were dark and serious and totally missed both the humor and the retro panache of the film.  As a result, both films failed to land their target audiences and kinda fizzled.  And that makes me very angry because I would happily be watching sequel after sequel for both of them.


9. What is your least favorite film from your favorite actor’s or actress’s filmography? 

My favorite actor is John Wayne.  I will probably never watch The Shootist (1976) again because it's too sad.  I also don't care much for Rio Lobo (1970) or Legend of the Lost (1957).

My favorite actress is Maureen O'Hara, and I honestly didn't care much for How Green was My Valley (1941).  I know it's widely admired, so I feel like I should give it another chance.  Maybe I will, some day.


10. What movie-related mystery would you like to see solved? 

Who killed the chauffeur in The Big Sleep (1946)?  Author Raymond Chandler, who wrote the original book, didn't know.  Nobody knows.  I suspect a couple different people, but it sure would be nice to know.



11. Is there a “lost” or “partially lost” film you wish was recovered? If so, which one?

Many!  We have lost so many of Rudolph Valentino's early films, and even some made after he became famous.  I dearly wish someone would find prints of A Sainted Devil (1924) and The Young Rajah (1922) squirreled away in someone's attic.  We did find Beyond the Rocks in 2003, after all!  Parts of The Young Rajah have been found, and a version has been cobbled together from that partial print plus publicity stills and what is know of the script, but still... the whole movie isn't with us anymore, and I'm bummed.


And now, it's my turn!

My Questions:

1. What classic movie have you seen most recently?
2. What modern movie have you seen most recently?
3. What's movie that was made in your birth year that you really enjoy?
4. What's a movie you wish you had seen much earlier than you did?
5. What movie are you hoping to watch soon?
6. What's a movie you have been wanting to see for years, but still haven't?
7. Have you ever watched the same movie more than once in the movie theater?
8. What movie needs a sequel but never got one?
9. How do you watch most movies?  (Streaming?  DVD?  Theater?  TV?)
10. Have you ever changed your mind and started liking an actor/actress you formerly disliked?
11. Have you ever visited a filming location?  (Share photos if you can!)

And I Tag:


Play if you want to!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Rachel. Hope all good with you.

    Love your idea for the popcorn bucket design! I'm with you on the Perry Mason and Dragnet crossover as well. I've not heard of The Shadow Riders before. Thanks for the intro. I will have a look for it.

    Maddy from Classic Film And TV Corner

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    1. Hi, Maddy! Happy to have brought Shadow Riders to your attention :-)

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  2. Just a heads up. I took the challenge as an uninvited blogger. Also, I have to say that I think Rio Lobo was pretty bad, for more reasons than I can state here. See my review on that...

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    1. Quiggy, awesome! I almost tagged you, but then I was like, I think I tagged you the last time... Anyway, go for it!

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  3. Thanks so much for the lovely tag, Rachel! :D

    I'm looking forward to your review of The Shadow Riders! I'd never heard of it, but as soon as I saw the picture, I was like "wait, is that Sam Elliot AND Tom Selleck in a single movie?" Imagine the power XD XD

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    1. You're welcome, Katie! And yes, that is Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck playing brothers (again -- they were Tell and Orrin Sackett a few years earlier). The mustaches alone guarantee an epic experience.

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