Celebrating 10 Years of The Wonderful World of Cinema!
- Trinity Auditorium
- Oct 26, 2024
- 13 min read
That’s it. We’re here. The Wonderful World of Cinema has reached a milestone. Ten (!!!) years ago, I embarked on a surprising blogging journey by creating this site to spread my love of the 7th Art (especially classic films) with potential readers. It all started very simply with a top 10 of my favourite films (which is quite representative of my writing since I love making top lists). It evolved into different types of texts, film reviews, analyses, etc., not to mention my participation in many blogathons! Did I ever question if I would still be active on this blog ten years later? Honestly, it’s a difficult question to answer. I never thought of stopping it, but ten years seemed so far away! Well, time flies (way too quickly, if you want my opinion). After all, this blog is my baby 👶, and I could never think of closing it or stopping it. I’ve built too much of a great community around it. Plus, in 2024, I found a new motivation for my writing and decided to take matters into my own hands. So far this year, I’ve published 24 articles, 11 more than in 2023 and 5 more than in 2022.
The Wonderful World of Cinema is here to stay!
In ten years, I’ve accomplished many things I’m pretty proud of regarding that blog. One of them would be my evolution as a writer. If I compare my 2014 articles to the more recent ones, there is a significant gap in the style. The point here is not to brag, but as you might know, English is not my first language. However, I learned a lot from writing this blog (and doing four years of university in English). I believe I’ve always managed to share enthusiasm regarding the discussed films or subjects. Now, I’m doing it with improvement. And Grammarly helps. I know. It’s still not perfect, but I’m conscious of significant changes. With that idea in mind, my articles have evolved into more complex thoughts. I’m not really able to write short and sweet articles anymore (I admire those who can). I blame that either on my background as a film studies student or that I love providing historical background regarding the films (when possible and when I have the time, to be honest). As a matter of fact, the articles I prefer to write are those that require more historical research rather than more traditional film reviews. However, they take more time to produce.
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Some stats…
I was not sure how exactly I should celebrate ten years of blogging. So, forgive me if that article is a bit disjointed! However, in honour of that “bloganniversary”, I was curious to look at my stats and compare which articles are the most appreciated (number of likes) vs the most viewed for each year. Sometimes, these are very different! I didn’t include the “home page” because that’s too obvious… Since the stats always grow, keep in mind that these are the stats analyzed on October 24. Of course, an article from 2016 might have more views than an article from 2024, but it’s in constant evolution.
2014
My most viewed article that year is Why Do I Love Hitchcock’s Films. (994 views)
That was one of my earliest posts and an essential one on my blog, as Hitchcock is a director I could have dedicated an entire blog to. I remember writing it on the Note application on my iPod when I was working at a deli counter in a supermarket (yeah, that was a long time ago).
In opposition, the most “liked” post was Spellbound: Fascination (19 years-old-me wanting to sound poetic ), with an impressive total of… 4 likes! Woohoo! The stats weren’t very impressive in the first year (and I’m still not one of those bloggers who gets 50 likes by posts). However, I observed a tendency for people to comment rather than like. Was it the norm back in the mid-2010s? So, more posts got appreciation through people’s comments (which is probably better) rather than likes.
2015
These were the good old days when I was publishing blog posts to promote blogathons I was not hosting. You’re welcome for the publicity!
The most popular post for 2015 is A Vertigo Analysis (14 513 views). Here, I basically took an analysis of Vertigo I wrote for college, translated it into English (because it was originally written in French) and posted it on my blog. I was honestly very proud of it and thought it would make some great, more in-depth content.
As for the most “liked” post of 2015, the useless award goes to, well, as Ingrid Bergman said at the 1969 Oscar: “It’s a tight!”. And that’s between Announcement: The Wonderful Ingrid Bergman Blogathon (14 likes) and Billy Wilder Blogathon: Love in the Afternoon. Ah, yes. That was the first time I was hosting a blogathon! I chose the perfect subject for the perfect time. If you remember, 2015 was Ingrid Bergman’s year! This first blogathon was a true success that I’ve honestly never encountered after, even tho I’ve hosted many other blogathons. I was looking at the list of participants, and it sparked some memories! It’s sad some of these blogs haven’t been active for years or don’t exist anymore.
Before going further, I have to admit that while I was navigating through my blog, I came across some posts I thought were much more recent than they actually were. I tend to wrongly evaluate the passing time.
2016
The most viewed post of 2016 is Irene Sharaff’s Costume for The Kind and I (12 096 views). That used to be my most viewed post for a long time. If you are looking for pictures of those beautiful costumes, chances are you might accidentally come across my blog post. That was a fun analysis of Sharaff’s creations, similar to the one I did on Cecil Beaton’s costumes for My Fair Lady.
Looking through the 2016 articles, I realize, although not perfect, some of them are among the ones I remember enjoying writing a lot. It didn’t get the top amount of likes, but this article I wrote on Arthur Kennedy for the What a Character! Blogathon was a unique experience that completely changed my life as a cinephile and great admirer of Kennedy. I also wrote what I consider to be some of my most creative posts, such as Hitchcock’s Dangerous Waters, My idealistic movie star party, The Unnamed Lady: An Hitchcockian Story and more.
With that said, my most liked post of 2016 was Glenn Griffin: The Desperate Hours’ Villain (15 likes). Why this one? I guess I posted the right stuff at the right time. Interestingly, it’s still among my most appreciated posts, all years considered.
2017
The most viewed article of 2017 is The Dark Secret of the House on Telegraph Hill (2 955 views). Well, that’s interesting. I’m not sure I have much to say about it, but I remember it as a pleasant and inspirational article to write!
10 Things I Love and Hate about Movie Blogging is my most-liked post of 2017, with 25 likes. Well, most of the things I listed back then are very still representative of my opinion!
2018
The most viewed post for 2018 is Top of the World: 15 Opening Scenes in Films Noir for #Noirvember(4670 views). First, I have to go back to these fun Noirvember articles. And since I won’t be travelling in November like it was the case the two previous years, it should be feasible. Second, I didn’t fully remember the scenes I included (aside from number one, which was an easy guess). Looking at them, it makes sense, but it would probably be a bit different today.
The most “liked” post in 2018 is Top of the World: My Ultimate to 100 Favourite Actress (17 likes). I’m due for an update. These kinds of top lists are always complex to make but oh-so-fun!
2019
The most viewed post in 2019 wasCarry On #12: Carry On Screaming (3932 views) Ah! Yes, that was the year I did my famous Carry On Blog Series. Therefore, the fact that this article holds the top position is a good representation. By the way, I feel bad I never continued my Ealing Comedies blog series! I think I started when I was not too motivated about blogging, which would explain my neglect. Do you think I should continue it eventually?
My most liked post of 2019 is From the Stage to the Screen: Hair (Milos Forman, 1979) (18 likes). That is one of my all-time favourite musicals. I remember having a lot of pleasure writing the article and discovering stuff about the film and the stage production. I would love to see the stage version one day!
2020
My most viewed article for 2020 is Top of the World: 15 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Episodes (6596 views). Yes, another top list, another Hitchcock post. Classic The Wonderful World of Cinema!
Then, my most liked post of 2020 isThe Unpopular Opinions of a Film Addict (26 likes). That is my most liked post to this day, all years included. Well, it’s a winning formula and something 100 % for fun and entertainment. You don’t always need to write a master-thesis-like film analysis to please your crowd! I’m due for a part two!
2021
My most viewed article for 2021 is Book Review: ‘Memoirs of a Professional Cad’ by George Sanders (564 views). Well, I’m due for more book reviews. It’s been a while!
Interestingly, my most liked post of 2021 is also a biography book review, this time for the pretty average ‘Marlon Brando’written by Patricia Bosworth (10 likes).
2022
“Ain’t she sweet?” Kim Novak in Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955) (2 378 views) is the most viewed article of 2022. Surprisingly, I had more to say than I would have thought about this 50s melodrama. I remember precisely in which café in Montreal I was when I wrote the article. It’s a very nice and cosy place called Café Velours where they also sell good baklavas! They also used to have an axolotl!
We also have a tight here for the most liked posts of 2022. It’s a battle against William Holden and Billy Wilder: a Friendship Between Masterpieces and Buster Keaton Steals the (Donna Reed) Show (10 likes for both). In recent years, I’ve started writing more historically oriented articles to go out of the beaten tracks of the more traditional film reviews. The article on Holden and Wilder is a perfect example. If you have a second, I recommend it, as I’m pretty proud of it. As for the article on Buster Keaton in The Donna Reed Show, well, I’ve always said it: Buster Keaton is one of my favourite movie people to write about!
2023
The most viewed article of 2023 is 115 Years of James Stewart – The Mortal Storm(Frank Borzage, 1940) (371 views – that’s not so much!). Although the numbers seem pretty low for 2023, I’m glad this one made the list because it’s among the articles I was the most proud of that year. I wrote it spontaneously after only a first viewing because it sincerely inspired me. I have to thank the person who mentioned the film on The Wonderful World of Cinema’s Facebook page!
For the most liked 2023 article, the honour goes to Happy 9th Anniversary to the Wonderful World of Cinema + A Sunshine Blogger Award (11 likes). Well, well, well. Here we are again!
2024
Finally, we are at the end of these with Top of the World: 35 Favourite Hitchcock Characters (418 views) holding the place for the most viewed article of 2024. Well, that was a very fun article to write, so I’m glad it’s at the top for 2024… SO FAR.
And, so far again, there are four posts in 2024 with the “most liked” status! But it might change as the year is not over. Anyway, these are: Those dancin’ feet… 42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933), TheThree Roberts and Crossfire (Edward Dmytryk, 1947), Top of the World: 35 Hitchcock Characters and Top of the World: 20 favourite new-to-me movies watched in 2023. The article on 42nd Street is currently a finalist for the CMBA Awards! 🥳
Well, we went through it! Let’s not forget that 2024 marked some important points in my “stats”. First, the blog finally reached 500 + subscribers (currently 520) AND was viewed over 500 000 times!
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Some thoughts…
Blogging for 10 years brings lots of reflections, thoughts and introspections. With that idea, I wanted to dress a little top 10 list of things I learned during those years. Let that be an inspiration for you!
These are not in particular order :
1- Write for yourself first: Of course, it’s great to have readers, especially when working hard on an article, but it’s useless to be too much of a crowd-pleaser if you’re not enjoying what you’re writing.
2- In the same idea, don’t expect too much from people. It’s always frustrating when a text doesn’t get a lot of views or feedback, but don’t forget that there are thousands of film blogs out there. So, readers have to filter the information and what they are interested in. Don’t forget that the blogging concept is a bit obscure nowadays unless you are part of that community. People don’t always understand the serious and hard work behind some posts, but those who do are the ones to focus on. They help you grow up as a blogger.
3- Don’t be discouraged by the numbers, and carry on writing. As I said, the early 2020s were a bit low in terms of reception on my blog, which kind of discouraged me from blogging. Unfortunately, it results in a vicious circle. If you don’t write regularly, it does affect the algorithm. So, that’s why, in 2024, I’ve decided to put on more effort. Honestly, it paid.
4- Encourage your fellow bloggers when you have the occasion, but don’t be too hard on yourself either. Of course, I would love to read every article of every blogger I follow, and I would love all of them to read my stuff all the time, but that’s just impossible. Here are my suggestions on what you can do:
When you host a blogathon, read everybody’s entries. It’s basic common sense since the people took the time to write and submit an entry for your blogging event.
If you participate in a blogathon that you are not hosting. I know it can be hard to read everybody’s blog entries, especially if you are participating in two blogathons in a row. But what you can do: if you received feedback from co-participants, maybe show them your gratitude by reading their material. Try to read the texts about films you know. You will have ways to create discussion that way. Or simply just the ones that attract your curiosity. And you don’t have to do all that within the blogathon period. You can come back to it later! And try to leave a comment or a like on the blog posts you read. This way, the person knows you did.
Outside the blogathon: we all have our favourite bloggers, and it’s normal we might encourage a certain group of people more often! But, what I do from time to time is look at the Reader page on WordPress and read a few recently published articles that grabbed my attention. That is a way to encourage bloggers who don’t necessarily often participate in blogathons and have a better variety of content.
5- Try to go out of the beaten tracks. There’s nothing more enjoyable than going towards a more obscure subject and making people discover a lesser-known film. They’ll thank you later! However, it is true that posts on more famous films work well, but it’s good to have a good equilibrium between both.
6- Find your passions and favourite subjects. Without necessarily having a specialized blog, it’s better if there’s a touch of personality on yours by bringing back an actor, director or type of blog post from time to time so people can automatically associate this subject with your blog. That is also probably a good way of getting followers interested in the same subjects as you are.
7 – Don’t be ashamed of your old blogger self. Even tho we all evolve, there weren’t only bad things left in the past! As I said, my writing has improved a lot (I hope) in ten years. However, when I look at my old stuff, there are things that I liked about it: the creativity around my posts, being able to write shorter stuff (says the one who’s writing a super long text now), writing more often, participate in more blogathons, etc.
8– Be grateful for your regular audience. I’m always thrilled when I get comments from readers I’ve never “seen” before (the more the merrier), but there’s nothing like your little community that you know will always be there to support your stuff. A special shout-out to Jon!
9- Do it for fun! Blogging should, first and foremost, be a fun activity and not feel like a task (even if it’s your job). Don’t be afraid to be creative, try to use a language that is understandable to non-bloggers and don’t forget that you are not writing an academic paper. The blog post should be fun to write but also fun to read.
10 – Don’t be afraid to promote your blog. I mean, on social media, but also in everyday life. Of course, you don’t always want to spam people with your articles, but if you think something might interest them, why not try? It always feels weird saying: Oh, by the way, I have a blog on classic films (especially since people think it’s very 2000s). However, sometimes people are more impressed than you would have thought! After that, they can decide whether to read it or not. After all, my experience in writing here and for a film magazine led me this year to be part of a jury for the festival I work for. 🙂
That’s it! Of course, there are probably many other things to list, but these are the ones that came to mind.
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Some questions…
While writing this entry, I had the idea to launch a little Q&A on my social media to give people the liberty to ask me things about my blog or my taste in films they were curious to know. I honestly haven’t received a lot of answers so far, and this blog post is already long enough. So, I think I will give you more time to ask them and will answer them eventually in a new post! Don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section of this post.
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Acknowledgements…
Blogging for 10 years has been so rewarding and fulfilling. It’s a total of 575 posts that I’ve shared during all these years. I can’t say I’m not proud of my work. I sometimes wonder what will be the equivalent in time, and I’m not sure I want to know, haha!
The will to keep on writing is not only due to my passion for classic films and desire to it them with other people but also to the amazing support I’ve got and still get from the readers and my fellow bloggers of the film blogging community! I’m so grateful that my articles are the ones you choose to read and for the support I’ve got all over these years. It makes all the difference!
And with that being said… here’s to another 10 years of The Wonderful World of Cinema! 🥂
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