This idea started with a San Pellegrino bottle. I was sitting in a meeting, listening with less than rapt attention, when I noticed a label around the neck of a co-worker’s bottle of fizzy water. It said, “2013: Anno della Cultura Italiana, Year of Italian Culture.”
My first thought was, “How the Hell haven’t I heard about this? There’s a major event focusing on Italian culture in America, on my heritage and I didn’t even know?”
My second thought was, “Gee, that would be a really ottimo excuse for a blogathon.”
I’m orchestrating this blogathon, Italian-style to celebrate all aspects of Italian film culture—including how Italian culture has influenced or been influenced by other national cinemas.
If you want to compare and contrast Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars or delve into American mafia flicks or look at how movies from various countries use Roman locations, you are more than welcome to do so.
Fell free to write about individual Italian movies, actors, directors, composers, and cinematographers. I also invite you to explore unexpected facets of the cinema’s love affair with Italian culture and vice-versa.
Movie posters by Italian artists continue to stun and delight me. Opera arias by Bellini, Verdi, and Puccini, among others, remain on the hit parade for cinematic scores. Bring on your giallo and your peplum blog posts. Spread the Neorealism love. Share the genius of Italian silent epics. Bask in the glory of Italian-American cinema. These are just a few ideas, but you have my full permission to get creative!
The blogathon begins on June 2, Italy’s Festa Della Repubblica, and ends on July 4, America’s Independence Day. I will add new entries to the blogathon on the Thursday of each week. Just let me know if you plan on posting, at the latest, the Wednesday before the date when you’d like me to feature your post.
To participate, please leave a comment including your topic, the week you plan on posting it, and the link to your blog or email me at nitratediva@gmail.com. Multiple entries are welcome! If you’re not sure about whether a topic “qualifies,” you are welcome to ask, but basically, this is about love and enthusiasm for Italian culture in its many forms, so you’re probably fine.
Please include one of the following banners on your post or blog and link to this page.
Horizontal Flag-Style Banners:
Poster-Style Banners:
I look forward to reading your posts! Ciao!
~ND
Please do note that I and my blog are in no way affiliated with the Year of Italian Culture. This blogathon was inspired by the occasion, but has no official link to it.
Nitrate Diva 
This is a great idea! I love Italian cinema. May I write about Italian Neo-Realism with a focus on the Rossellini film Open City (1945)? I can have the post ready by June 6. My blog is: http://closeupsandlongshots.wordpress.com
Thanks!
That sounds great! I look forward to reading your take on that very moving film. I’m so glad you’ve decided to participate!
Best Wishes,
ND
I pretty much just blog Bogart films, but Beat the Devil is set in Italy I think! Valid enough?
Sure, that might be an interesting angle. Just off the top of my head, doesn’t Bogie play an Italian-American character in THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT with George Raft (actually Italian-American) playing his brother? That might tie in, too, but BEAT THE DEVIL is fine, if you prefer. Glad to have you participating!
I think you’re right about They Drive By Night, but it’s been awhile since I’ve watched it! I’ll check it out as that would be a fun angle! Thanks!
Oh! And I’ll shoot for week 3 of the event! My blog is bogiefilmblog.wordpress.com
We’re super stoked to participate in your blogathon! Sign Peanut Butter & Gialli up for an exploration of the sexy thriller lenziani with A Quiet Place to Kill (aka Paranoia) on June 6th, if you please!
That sounds fabulous! I’m so happy to have you on board.
We are late due to miscommunication, but we came in under the wire with our lenziani post: http://peanutbutterandgialli.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/a-quiet-place-to-kill/
Teleport City (www.teleport-city.com) is in for the week of June 13, looking at a few Italian science fiction films (Planet of Vampires, Star Crash, and Escape from Galaxy 3)
Ooh! Lots of fun choices. I look forward to your posts.
Hi there, this is a great idea. To start with, I’d like to do it for Thurs June 6th and write about Luchino Visconti. Probably ‘Senso’, though possibly ‘The Leopard’ — not quite sure yet. My blog is: http://thebetamaxrevolt.blogspot.com 🙂 x
So glad that someone’s going to take on Visconti! I look forward to your post!
Hi, Nitrate Diva! I’d like to take part in this blogathon, First, I’d like to write about the Cinecittà for the second week and for the fourth week, if I can make it, I’d like to watch and review Cabiria (1914).
I blog in Portuguese at Critica Retro, but my blog has a translator in the sidebar that makes it easy to be understood by English or even Italian readers. 😉
Greetings!
Terrific! Cinecittà is fascinating and I was hoping that someone would take on the silent masterpiece Cabiria. I’m so happy you’ve signed on 😉
I love this idea, and I’d love to take part. If possible, I’d like to write about Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, focusing on the costumes by Piero Gherardi, and how they helped to create the characters, in particular Rubini/Mastroianni.
If that’s ok I’d write it for week 3…
Thank you!
That sounds like a fresh take on such a classic. Can’t wait to read it!
I’ll take some of this action! Been wanting to talk Italian cannibal films, especially Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox for a while now. Probably Week 3.
I’m so pleased that your in for “the action”! Looking forward to your posts!
Oooh this gun be good~ I want to participate! May I have Death In Venice for Week 3 – June 20th should sign ups still be open?
If my schedule permits, I may even do Amarcord on Week 5. I was also thinking about doing something to honor the Federico Fellini and Nino Rota partnership, but I first want to make sure that all participants have enough of a time window allocated to them. I don’t want to take a possible spot.
No worries about room or time slots! I’ll post the new entries once a week. And the topics you’ve suggested are great. Feel free to do more than one post!
All right. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll do as follows:
June 6: The Best Of Youth
June 20: Death In Venice
July 4: Top 5 Moments Of Fellini & Rota
I’m really excited for this. It looks like you have a great bunch of contributors and choices.
Hey, great idea!
It’ll depend on time restraints (I’ve got two conference papers to write before the end of June!) but since I do a blog about Australian cinema, I’d like to do something about films portraying the Italian diaspora in Australia in the 1960s and early ’70s, looking specifically at the semi-amateur films of Italian immigrant Giorgio Mangiamele, the 1966 Powell and Pressburger film ‘They’re A Weird Mob’ (starring Italian actor Walter Chiari), and Luigi Zampa’s 1971 Australian-set comedy (in Italian), Bello onesto emigrato Australia sposerebbe compaesana illibata [aka A Girl in Australia], starring Alberto Sordi and Claudia Cardinale.
If that sounds suitable, I’ll aim for the last week, July 4.
Cheers,
Steve
This sounds like a very creative topic and something I’d love to read about. Welcome to the party!
Had a couple of conferences in a row at the end of June, so couldn’t squeeze it in, sorry. But it looks like the Blogathon went fantastically well! Congratulations!
Can I sign up for spaghetti western genre?! Great blogathon concept! June 20th? From Outspoken & Freckled. KelleePratt.blogspot.com Thanks! … Kellee
I love spaghetti Westerns! That sounds like a great topic. Welcome to the party and I look forward to reading your post. Nice to be blogging with you again.
Thank you for stopping by the blog. I’ve corrected the deadline; thanks for mentioning that. This is going to be great!
Impressive line-up thus far, really looking forward to it. I love spaghetti westerns, peplum, gialli, and Italian sci-fi, but I’m surprised no one has stepped forward to take on macaroni combat. Pencil me in for a piece on that genre and “Commandos” (1968) in particular during the week of June 20th. If time permits, I might jump in with additional entries on the topic later on.
URL: http://www.weirdflix.com/blog/
E-Mail: RayRay@weirdflix.com
Thanks and have a great day!
Ray
That sounds great! Looking forward to it. Thanks for stopping by!
I briefly studied Italian neo-realism at uni and did find it fascinating, especially the films of Vittorio De Sica. I am sure everyone is familiar with ‘Bicycle Thieves’ so maybe I won’t review that, though I am happy to if anyone has not yet? But I would love to review his underrated and less known classic ‘Umberto D.’? A truly beautiful and heartbreaking film.
Umberto D. would be terrific—the movie that comes perhaps closest to the Neorealist ideal. Looking forward to it. Thanks!
Sorry, just realized that I forgot to ask—when are you planning on publishing?
Thanks,
ND
Sorry I have not done it sooner. I actually plan to watch it today as I have not seen it for over five years. I plan to write the review this weekend, Monday at the latest. Though I am not sure how I upload it via your blog?
I’m sorry for taking a while to reply. If you just send me the links via email (see post above) or leave me the link to your blog post here, I’ll include it in my weekly digest post. Let me know if I’m not being clear. Thanks!
Hi, I’d like to write for you again for Week 4 — perhaps on Fellini’s early film, I Vitelloni? Thanks xx
Actually, would it be okay if I pushed that back to Week 5? July 4th? The blog is thebetamaxrevolt.com, by the way. Thanks again! x
Yes, that would be just fine. Looking forward to reading it!
Thanks again for hosting. It was an honor to participate and I was very impressed with the diverse selection of material produced. Best wishes always.