Time to Give and Get!
If you would prefer to receive reminders/updates by email rather than disqus, just hit me up at ploughmanplods [at] gmail.
Remember: give to the person below you. Please return promptly if necessary, confirm with a reply if the title will work.
Under the list is clarification on the process for anybody that needs it.
Key dates:
This Friday, June 18 – All gifts finalized (please recommend asap in case a gift needs to be returned)
Friday, July 9 – Unwrapping Day
The List
Casper – The Secret of Roan Inish
Cliffy73 – Velvet Goldmine
Miller – Star Trek: The Motion Picture
The Narrator – Machine Gun McCain
The Ploughman – Laurel Canyon
John Bruni – Bisbee ’17
DJ JD – Mr. Majestyk
Accidental Star Trek Cosplay – Endless Summer II
vomas – Flashpoint
Gillianren – The Dressmaker (2015)
Jetpack Giraffe – Chaplin
Jake Gittes – Grand Prix and Pyaasa
lowRes_Triangle_of_+1_Charisma – The Incredible Shrinking Man
Ruck Cohlchez – Frankenstein’s Army
Drunk Napoleon – Footloose
Simon DelMonte – Flight Of The Navigator
Babalugats – Mr Arkadin
ZoeZ – Something Wild (1986)
wallflower – Someone’s Watching Me!
clytie – Miracle Mile
essie – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Julius Kassendorf – Black Narcissus
mr_apollo – Born in Flames
The Psychic Johnny Smith – Elevator to the Gallows
Son of Griff – I See You (2019)
Man with a robot arm – The Farewell
pico – By The Law
Rosy Fingers – The Masque of Red Death
How to use The List
You will give a movie recommendation to the person below you on the list. You will receive a movie recommendation from the person above you on the list.
Returns: You may “return” your gift if you’ve already seen it or have a visceral content concern around watching it. You do not have to give a reason for the return but please do not return just because you don’t think you’ll like it – this can be an opportunity to explore new horizons or, when necessary, dunk on a lump of coal somebody dropped in your stocking. If your gift is returned please make a new recommendation in a timely manner so it can be confirmed or returned. Any other details can be worked out between you and your gifter/ee.
Optional Theme: That One Thing. Sometimes it’s just one thing in a movie that lingers in the brain – for good or bad. Do you need somebody to see that 35mm long take in Atonement? Maybe you can’t believe Jake Gyllenhaal was allowed to play his character that way in Okja. Maybe you were dozing during Harlan County, USA until the confrontation in the dark of night. Recommend a movie that has an element – a scene, actor, plot twist or other choice – that overshadows everything else, for better or for worse. The theme is 100% optional, use it or ignore it as it helps with your recommendation. (Pro tip: You don’t have to reveal what the One Thing is when you give it!)
As always, the theme is optional so use it as far as it helps you come up with a title, or ignore it entirely.
I can say that literally pretty much every type of film has been recommended for Movie Gifts.
What You Must Do Right Now
Make a recommendation in the comments here for the person below you on the list. Please do it now, while you’re here and thinking about it because your person may need another choice of title if they need to return it. Tag them with @[username] if you’re following them, otherwise the format is @[username]:disqus. Disqus makes this a bi-annual pain in the ass, so I’ll jump in with tags where necessary.
Accept or Return the gift given to you. Keep an eye out for your rec and promptly return it so you can get a new title or state that you accept it.
The goal is to have the gifts finalized by THIS FRIDAY (June 18) so everyone will have plenty of time to watch their recommendation.
Then commit to watching the movie rec given to you. Don’t post your thoughts about it until “Unwrapping Day” on the morning of Friday, July 9 (tip: if you watch early, jot down your thoughts or type up your response ahead of time and copy/paste that morning). Please take the time to watch the movie and mark the Unwrapping Day on your calendar – half the fun is knowing somebody enjoyed/was subjected to your gift. If you can’t be around for the Unwrapping Day itself, feel free to have somebody put up your post on your behalf (I’m happy to do it, see my email above).
This is a good resource for seeing what titles are available on the different services and it can be set for any country as needed.
Happy Gifting!