To Dos Day - Premios Dardos Edition

___ Item 1: DARDOS!
I've not been sure whether I would continue doing these weekly "To Dos Lists" but when, this past week, a few folks mentioned that they liked and missed them, I figured I should get on with them again. In fairly short order, I had all kinds of ideas about things to include. My choice of the film for this month over at Film of the Month Club, for one. And the astonishing hilarity of Carrie Fisher doing whatever it is that she does so brilliantly over at her new blog, for another. I thought about reaffirming my promise to finally pay attention to Ann Blyth in Mildred Pierce. I considered teasing my upcoming summary of the 2008 Supporting Actresses as part of the LAMB Devours the Oscars series. So many options, really. But then Stacia of She Blogged By Night tagged me with what I think is my first "award" -- the Premios Dardos. (Recognizing "cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.") And part of receiving a "Dardo" is giving five more away. So without further ado, I dispatch another batch of Premios Dardos to five bloggers I adore, whose work reliably astounds me, and whose distinctive contributions to bloglandia deserve as much notice as possible.

___ Item 2: A BLOG NEXT DOOR.
mB's prolific diligence in posting items to A Blog Next Door adds reliably astute, often hilarious and surprisingly sweet insight to the movie blogosphere. Regular features (like the consistently brilliant "How Everything I Know I Learnt from Animation") combine with smart, succinct reviews and zingy commentary to make A Blog Next Door one of the most refreshing stops along the well-traveled posting paths worn by awards-obsessed movie bloggers.. I'm especially enthralled by (and envious of) mB's newest feature ("Academic Oscars") wherein this lit-theorist-by-day wreaks academented havoc on the various rosters of nominees in this year's Oscar race. A crushworthy blog, if ever there was such a thing.

___ Item 3: DOG PARK DEITIES.
My pal Auntie Jan recently started Dog Park Deities as a platform for her to share sketches and episodes for a still evolving fiction project about a collection of eccentrics who gather around Phoebe and her dog, God. Auntie Jan's prose offers poignant hilarities at every turn and I find her choice to practice her prose-dancing in public to be awesomely generous and truly inspiring. For me, Dog Park Deities is like the blog-equivalent favorite neighborhood friend, that one person in your 'hood you sorta hope to catch in their garden or checking their mailbox. The visits are rarely more than brief, but each encounter is dependably sustaining.

___ Item 4: CINE LATINO EN NUEVA YORK.
Not only does Christian del Moral's Cine Latino en Nueva York give me the excellent (and necessary) opportunity to practice my creaky Spanish, but the tags and flags he gives to films en español consistently challenges my easy anglocentrism. You don't read Spanish too good? So what!? Just pretend that you do -- it's easier that way, really -- and you'll be surprised the discoveries that Cine Latino en Nueva York leads you to.

___ Item 5: THE OSCAR COMPLETIST.
One of my blogging heroes, Adam of The Oscar Completist watches more movies of more variety than sometimes seems humanly possible. What's more -- in addition to being a full-time college student with an active social life and a regular gig writing reviews for a local paper -- Adam writes some of the most efficient, succinct and vivid capsule reviews available on the web. Always smart, usually surprising, often scathing -- The Oscar Completist is one of only filmblogs I race to visit anytime my RSS reader registers a new post. Adam's not much for "comment-culture" and doesn't seem to much care whether folks agree with him or not (and I often don't). The Oscar Completist is his space to do -- to watch, to think, to write -- the work of studying film. And I, for one, am simply glad that Adam shares that space, and his work, with us.

___ Item 6: SCOTT TOPICS.
You heard it here first: A few months from now, Scott Topics is very likely going to be the blog that everyone knows/links/references. Haven't heard of it? You will now. It's the on-line headquarters of pioneering journalist (founding editor of VIBE magazine), fiction author (novel out this year) and cultural commentator (you remember him from that mid90s VH1 roundtable show) Scott Poulson-Bryant. At Scott Topics, Scott brings his distinct collection of abilities -- and connections -- to a delightfully intelligent rotation of weekly features, each of which stands as a top-shelf example of how cultural commentary can (and probably should) be done. Sure, I may be biased because I've known, adored and admired Scott for more than 20 years but I have to say that his choice to blog so creatively, so seriously and so professionally is one of the best things that's happened to my online life this past year. So: be on the avant of the cultural curve -- join the conversation at Scott Topics today...

So do check 'em out, lovely reader. You won't be sorry.
And share the links to your personal "dardos" in comments...