Each month, the CMBA profiles a classic movie blog written by one of our members. This month, we are featuring Emma Stefanzick, who writes at NITRATE GLOW.
1. Why do you blog?
The most basic answer is because I enjoy writing and classic films, so why not combine them?
I used to say my blog had no centering focus. Some people focus on the 1930s-1950s period, others on silent movies or older cult films. I tend to jump all over the place, from the nickelodeon era to the 1970s. Genre-wise, I veer towards the macabre, the melodramatic, and the satirical much of the time. I tend to prefer my films—be they comedies or dramas—more on the dark side, so you won’t often see fluffy rom-coms or super-lighthearted fare on the Nitrate Glow blog.
Lately, I’ve noticed a pattern in the subject matter I pick, however. I enjoy writing about films that I feel have been overlooked or unfairly dismissed. I like looking at less-celebrated works of prominent filmmakers and creatives. I like asking if a reviled film is really as bad as its legacy makes it out to be. And when I write about more popular titles, I try examining them from a fresh perspective.
Blogging about classic films also often inspires me to go beyond my comfort zone as a creator. I recorded my first audio commentary in 2022 after years of wanting to do so but being too timid to try. I really enjoyed the process and am currently planning another commentary, hopefully to be released this autumn. I also posted my first video essay in June. That was even more difficult, but I enjoyed learning new skills to create the video. Going beyond just the written word prevents me from getting stuck in a rut and losing my enthusiasm.
2. Besides classic movie blogging, what are some of your other passions?
I’m an avid reader. Shakespeare is a great love of mine—I’m currently re-reading all the plays yet again (my favorite is Richard III—not historically accurate, but great wicked fun). My favorite novels are Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Deerskin by Robin McKinley, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I’ve recently gotten into the John Carter of Marsbooks too. I also read a lot of non-fiction, mostly about history, spirituality, the arts, and different cultures around the world.
I enjoy creative writing and am currently working on a long-gestating fantasy novel. As a child, I used to write stories all the time, but as I got older, I became more self-conscious about my work. I felt as though I weren’t good or original enough. However, I’ve recently been fighting this self-doubt. As with my blogging, I believe in pushing beyond my comfort zone. I work on my story at least a little bit every day, be it by shaping the fictional setting I’ve created or outlining the plot.
I’m a casual anime fan. I’ve long loved Studio Ghibli, which was a major part of my childhood and adolescence. I adore the Lupin III franchise, which has been ongoing since 1967. Other anime series I enjoy are Princess Tutu and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.
I enjoy baking. Few things give me as much pleasure as trying out new recipes to share with family and friends.
Beyond movies on physical media, I have a small collection of vinyl records (mainly movie soundtracks and jazz) and vintage books (the gems of my library are a nearly pristine edition of Mary Pickford’s novel The Demi-Widow, a few movie novelizations from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and a 121-year old edition of Thackeray’s The Luck ofBarry Lyndon, the basis for one of my favorite Stanley Kubrick films).
3. If you could program a perfect day of classic movies for TCM, what would be the seven films on your schedule?
Oh God, that’s a difficult question! I’m tempted to pull out very obscure titles, but instead I’ve decided to select some classic films that are very personal to me.
The General (1926)
During the Civil War, a southern engineer pursues the northern spies who hijacked his locomotive. Buster Keaton was so multi-talented and inventive that it's not hard to see why his movies are often recommended as gateways into the pleasures of the silent era. It's hard to pick a favorite Keaton movie, but if you twisted my arm, I must go with The General. It's an elegantly constructed action-comedy and visually one of Keaton's most striking features.
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Shipwrecked on a mysterious island, a big game hunter finds himself the quarry of a nobleman who likes to thrill-kill human beings. The 1930s is my favorite decade for horror and The Most Dangerous Game, a taut adaptation of Richard Connell's legendary short story, is my favorite of that cycle. While the early sound period is often lambasted as static and talky, The Most Dangerous Game breaks that mold with its dynamic camera work and thrillingly edited climax.
Wait Until Dark (1967)
A recently blinded housewife fights back against dangerous criminals searching her apartment for misplaced heroin. Few films are as skillful as Wait Until Dark in ratcheting up the suspense until the viewer's nerves are completely shredded. Laced with dramatic irony and dark humor, it deserves the Hitchcockian label. Beyond the strong writing and direction, the three elements that really elevate the movie to greatness are Audrey Hepburn and Alan Akin's stunning performances, and Henry Mancini's sinister music.
Ball of Fire (1941)
When the cops want to interrogate her about her gangster boyfriend, a nightclub singer hides out with a group of eccentric academics, only to fall in love with one of them. I'm not the biggest screwball comedy person in the world, but I love me some Barbara Stanwyck and she is a delight in this. The plot is a clever riff on the Snow White story, turning the princess into a fast-talking gangster's moll and the dwarfs (and the prince!) into professors. The scene where Stanwyck teaches Gary Cooper about "yum-yum" is just perfection.
Duck Soup (1933)
It's a Marx Brothers film, so summarizing the "plot" is difficult-- in essence, Duck Soup is the tale of a corrupt politician whose shenanigans escalate tensions with a foreign country. In high school, my sister and I would quote this movie all the time, particularly, "Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot." Despite my familiarity with it, none of the edge has ever been taken off the humor and I still belly laugh when I watch it.
He Who Gets Slapped (1924)
An embittered circus clown endeavors to rescue an innocent bareback rider from the lecherous aristocrat that ruined his life-- and get some revenge along the way. This film features yet another brilliant Lon Chaney performance. It’s morbid, melancholy, and even a bit kinky in a pre-code way, but it's also a compassionate work, throwing light upon the ways people casually dehumanize one another. The ending never fails to make me cry.
The Heiress (1949)
An affection-starved heiress believes she's found love with a young charmer, but her father believes her new suitor to be a mere fortune hunter. Don't let the Victorian drawing room vibes fool you. The Heiress is emotionally brutal, aided greatly by a trifecta of great performances from Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, and Ralph Richardson as well as William Wyler’s brilliant direction. If ever a movie rewarded multiple viewings, it’s this one.
4. What is a classic movie that you love, but most people don't know about -- and what do you love about it?
After Death (1915). It’s a Russian silent film by Yevgeni Bauer, one of the most distinctive filmmakers of the 1910s. The plot involves a morbid young man who becomes obsessed with an actress after she mysteriously dies. A lot of people write off silent films as simplistic and unsophisticated, but this is an excellent psychological ghost story with a lot of layers to it. The visuals and atmosphere are astonishing. Obviously, being over a century old and a slow-burn tale to begin with, this is the sort of film that asks patience of the viewer, but it’s worth the effort.
5. What is something that most people don't know about you?
I’m not so interesting, but my great-grandmother got to meet Maureen O’Hara sometime in the 1940s. She always raved about how nice O’Hara was. One of my great regrets is that my great-maw-maw died before I got into old movies, so I never really grilled her for more details on the encounter.
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We thank Emma for participating in our Q&A profile and encourage you to visit NITRATE GLOW.
