Val Lewton Blogathon

I have news that may be of news to VAMP members. Kristina of the Speakeasy blog and Stephen aka Classic Movie Man are co-hosting a blogathon dedicated to Val Lewton, the legendary producer responsible for some of the greatest horror movies ever made. For those who don't know, Val Lewton produced a series of low budget, horror films for RKO in the Forties that included such classics as Cat People (1942), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), The Seventh Victim (1943), and Bedlam (1946). He would influence such filmmakers as Robert Wise (who worked for Mr. Lewton, first as an editor and later as a director), Martin Scorsese, and William Friedkin among many others. The Val Lewton Blogathon is scheduled for 31 October (better known as Halloween).

If you are interested in participating in this Val Lewton event, the rules for the blogathon are at Speakeasy and Classic Movie Man.

Introducing the Vintage Association of Motion Picture Blogs

Film bloggers tend to be very social, at least among ourselves. We like to discuss various topics related to film and exchange ideas. This is particularly true of those of us whose focus is on older films. Unfortunately, it is sometimes the case that we find those associations for film bloggers tend to be a poor fit for us. Sadly, it seems sometimes classic film blogs tend to get lost in the mix of various other film blogs. This is the reason for the formation of the Vintage Association of Motion Picture Blogs or VAMP for short.

VAMP is an association for bloggers who write primarily about films made before 1980. The word "vintage" is used instead of the word "classic" for the simple fact that not every old movie is necessarily a classic, the word classic implying a level of greatness that not every film will possess. Nineteen eighty is simply an arbitrary cutoff point with the understanding that a film must be of some age to be considered "vintage." Many film bloggers might set the cutoff point for vintage films much earlier.

Given our abbreviation, silent actress Theda Bara, the vamp herself, is our mascot. If you wish to join VAMP, send an email to thevampb at gmail.com or a direct message on Twitter at VAMPblogs.