Fan-Farin'-Tastic

November 9, 2022 11:03 AM

In a rip-snorting manifestation of "Be the MetaFilter You Want to See," DirtyOldTown is on the verge of publishing his 1,000th FanFare post.

It'll probably happen today or tomorrow, and it'll probably be about a movie you've seen but can't really remember, or a huge hit, or a sleeper, or a classic, or a guilty pleasure, not to mention TV shows, streaming series, documentaries, books and assorted whatnot as well.

Recently he's done a series on horror comedy movies for Hallowe'en, and on "problematic movies" involving people or themes that we now have trouble watching, for various reasons, and celebrated Giant Ape Day, while not forgetting the true monster and how we can team up to fight it off.

The first FanFare post from DirtyOldTown was for 1983's Sleepaway Camp back in 2014, #996 is on "Sixteen Candles." What will #999 be? And #1,000? We'll know soon enough!

I think FanFare is woefully undervalued, underutilized and chock-a-block with potential. FanFare is our western horizon, our amber waves of grain, our elevator pitch. There's gold in them thar hills! This is the Filter of the future, the tool we need to distil the unmanageable deluge of the firehose into a sippable glass of just the bits we want. There's so much that can be done, and DirtyOldTown is exemplary in doing it -- as is everyone who participates to make FanFare happen.

I can only stand in awe. And wish there was time enough to consume & comment on all those movies, shows, podcasts & books...

posted by chavenet to MetaFilter-Related at 11:03 AM (32 comments total)

DirtyOldTown is Metafilter's Own superhero! Bravo and congrats, DOT! 💐
posted by taz (staff) at 11:48 AM on November 9, 2022 [12 favorites]

I'm always a little surprised when I watch a movie and look up the fanfare and DOT hadn't posted about it.
posted by phunniemee at 12:23 PM on November 9, 2022 [9 favorites]

Watching a new crop of DOT FanFare posts pop up is sincerely a delight.
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 12:24 PM on November 9, 2022 [6 favorites]

amazing!
posted by supermedusa at 12:35 PM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]

Man, I need to get in the habit of remembering FanFare exists. I always really enjoy it when I subscribe to a thread on something I'm reading--but then it just totally drops off my mental radar.

This is delightful to hear about!
posted by sciatrix at 12:36 PM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]

I especially like the horror movie ones. I like the idea of horror movies, but I don't really watch them because I'm not really a fan of much more than suspense. So, the posts and then maybe a Wikipedia plot summary if some movie seems to me more interesting than average for some reason is usually more than enough.
posted by sevenless at 1:01 PM on November 9, 2022 [7 favorites]

I like the idea of horror movies, but I don't really watch them because I'm not really a fan of much more than suspense.
posted by sevenless

Sorry but that is ... eponysterical!
posted by chavenet at 1:04 PM on November 9, 2022 [5 favorites]

You're the best, DOT! Really appreciate all the posts for old movies.
posted by Gerald Bostock at 2:28 PM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
posted by clavdivs at 2:42 PM on November 9, 2022 [4 favorites]

"I always really enjoy it when I subscribe to a thread on something I'm reading..."

We can subscribe to threads???

(Looks for Subscribe link, registers RSS icon for the first time in nearly 15 years on the site)

Um. Thanks, sciatrix.

And THANKS, DirtyOldTown! I am such a fan of labors of love. You have made MetaFilter better in literally a thousand different ways!
posted by kristi at 2:52 PM on November 9, 2022 [7 favorites]

Y'all are too kind.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:12 PM on November 9, 2022 [10 favorites]

I'd ask how long you've been sitting on that one but I guess we all know.
posted by phunniemee at 3:44 PM on November 9, 2022 [6 favorites]

Ooooh, he is good.
posted by chavenet at 4:01 PM on November 9, 2022 [3 favorites]

I've been keeping an eye on this too! What a hero.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:11 PM on November 9, 2022 [3 favorites]

DOT, if you write up a fanfare of MY choice, I'll donate, in celebration of your 'Roger and Me' post, a 1989 R and M promotional photograph that is autographed and inscribed 'To John' to the mefi auction. Moore was doing a promotional tour in Flint and I stopped by on my break in the same Mall where it was held, just him, me and a publicist... and the empty chair so I got two autographs one for me and one made out a friend.
I'll hunt up the photo and contact the auction folk.
posted by clavdivs at 5:23 PM on November 9, 2022 [6 favorites]

found it, damn, seems like yesterday.
posted by clavdivs at 5:26 PM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]

I would be happy to make a FF post to facilitate this.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:43 PM on November 9, 2022 [2 favorites]

This MeTa is getting too positive, so I'm just going to come out and say what everyone's thinking: I'm starting to suspect this guy doesn't watch six movies every day.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:12 PM on November 9, 2022 [13 favorites]

I'm just so relieved Fanfare was invented since there was no way to consume any form of media prior to April 2014 and life was getting very dull
posted by phunniemee at 6:59 PM on November 9, 2022 [3 favorites]

I've been dipping back into FanFare a little bit lately after getting a bad taste in my mouth early on over the tone of a lot of posts, and I have to say that things are a great deal more pleasant there lately and I really appreciate DirtyOldTown's work.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:44 PM on November 9, 2022 [5 favorites]

I'm starting to suspect this guy doesn't watch six movies every day.

It's hard work.

(No but really, if you watch two a day, with a 2K+ head start, that works too.)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:49 AM on November 10, 2022 [3 favorites]

Thanks again for the kind words, y'all. Made my day. I'm just some goober who should be working.

As of 2023, I'll have been coming to MeFi for 20 years. I had a username I never used, I just read and lurked. Then I replaced it in 2010, and became active. This is a great place that has taught me a lot and made me a better person.

I'm especially grateful for FF, which has been a really happy place for me to hang out, particularly these last few years. I'm gonna keep making FF posts at as high a rate as I can, as long as I can. It's fun for me and I doubt I'll ever stop.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:51 AM on November 10, 2022 [10 favorites]

Great work DirtyOldTown :-)
posted by dg at 1:14 PM on November 10, 2022 [2 favorites]

it's a plan. I do not know why I'm saying this, but yesterday my neighbor and friend of 4 years just got a job at Amazon and died in the parking lot his second day so I'm going to take a little break for a bit and try to figure out what life is about.

So I'll send off the pic after I find where to send it and have a show picked to honor my friend.

thanks DOT.
posted by clavdivs at 2:41 PM on November 10, 2022 [6 favorites]

!!!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍
posted by soundguy99 at 3:21 PM on November 10, 2022 [1 favorite]

Ooooh, he is good.

Yeah. Now he needs to do 1984!
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 3:33 PM on November 10, 2022 [2 favorites]

omg, hugs clavdivs.

and congrats, dot. that's amazing!
posted by mochapickle at 9:35 AM on November 11, 2022 [2 favorites]

DOT I love your movie posts! And FanFare! I just wish more people read and commented there as I like discussing movies with others. I'll try to start modeling that behavior more myself.
posted by emd3737 at 6:22 AM on November 12, 2022 [2 favorites]

Now he needs to do 1984!

The book? The movie? Or just nine hundred more posts?
posted by wenestvedt at 5:50 AM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

The film is already on FF.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:13 AM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

:party popper emoji:
posted by Going To Maine at 9:42 AM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Do you pop out at parties? ;)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:01 PM on November 16, 2022 [1 favorite]