Java's Journey: 100 Classic Movie Blog Post Ideas [Download the PDF!]

Update 4-14-17: Download or print this list and share it wherever you like by clicking here: PDF of 100 Classic Movie Blog Post Ideas.

Sometimes when writing classic movie blog posts month after month, you hit a wall. You’ve written some great standard reviews and you want to mix things up a little. You don’t want to give up on the blog yet; you’re just a little weary.

Let me help you break the wall of writer's block with the following ideas.

This is the first in a new series published every Monday - Classic Movie Blog Tips series. This is designed to help classic movie bloggers become the best they can be. It will feature what I find helpful in remaining consistent, helpful in discovering source material and helpful in producing an income from our interests, should you prefer it. As I learn, I will reveal my findings.

You might want to bookmark this page for future reference.

In honor of gaining 100 subscribers, here are 100 ideas for your classic movie blog to jog your imagination and get you going again.

Create an on-location post. Take pictures and write about the site where a classic movie was filmed or the setting of a film, or the spot where a film star visited. It’s a great behind-the-scenes look at a familiar story or face. Related Post: Tyrone Power’s Tunica Wedding
Interview a filmmaker. We all like to get a behind-the-scenes story from people in the trenches. This one also boosts your credibility as a film historian, because that’s what you are.
Interview a fellow classic movie blogger. Believe it or not, what we classic movie bloggers do is intimidating to lots of people. Interviewing each other lets our hair down and helps readers to connect with us. It’s also neat to discover some unknown tidbits from our colleagues.
Discover a classic movie connection in your own home town or state. Maybe Steve McQueen had a flat tire in your town and waited to fix it. These little moments make for great, unique online content.
Share an intimate memory involving a film or filmmaker. When online, sometimes we forget that we are communicating with real people and not just machines. Let your reader appreciate your humanness and be vulnerable. Related Post: Gracie Allen and the Veteran I Never Really Knew
Reveal the man behind the curtain – share a bit of your classic movie blogging routine. Do you sit with pen and paper while watching a film? Do you just absorb it and write later? It helps, not hinders, when we share our routines with each other.
Write a series of blog posts. A series not only keeps people on your site longer, you can hash out fully what you think about the subject in bite-sized, manageable chunks. Related Post: Breakfast in ClassicMovies (and How It Drives The Plot) Part 1
Share your favorite classic movie resources. These resources not only give your voracious reader extra information, they also lend you credibility. Related Post: 9 Resources for Writing Classic Movie Reviews
Create a post filled with links to other classic movie bloggers and columnists. Chances are, if you like the article so will your readers. Your site will become the place to read about a variety of movie writers. Related Site: Laura's Misc. Musings' Around the Blogosphere.
Create a post with links to your own old classic movie posts. Help readers rediscover (or find for the first time) some of your best work that is now off the front page.
Create a post filled with links to classic movie events . This suggestion is not as evergreen as some of the others, but it is useful to your reader. It is because The Lady Eve mentioned Tyrone Power events and linked to them during his centenary that I was able to contact the people necessary to purchase a copy of Romina Power’s rare book Searching For My Father, Tyrone Power.
Find some detail of a movie and explore it relentlessly. We often write general reviews of a film, and that’s great since not everyone has seen a film. However, sometimes, you want to get down to the nitty gritty and discuss obscure details that only a true fan would care about. Give that place of companionship to your fellow movie watchers. We desperately need it in a sea of brilliantly written, but too broad reviews. Related Post: At Last! The Artist Who Inspired Judy Garland’s First Costume in The Pirate
Write a post about what kicked off your love of classic movies. We weren’t born knowing and loving these films. (If you were, write about that.) There is a feeling of kinship and camaraderie when we let people into our private lives a little. Related Post: Film Passion- Hit The Deck (1955)
Have a movie marathon. Watch movies of one actor, one era or one director, for instance, and write a review on that topic. Note the differences or similarities of one director’s oeuvre, for example. Gives a great overview for your readers.
Discuss classic movies in the news today. Is there a new DVD for the 75^th anniversary of a film? A classic film festival on the horizon? Does a new starlet pay homage to a classic in her recent movie? Is Robert Osbourne coming to town? We need to know!
Share criteria for prospective members of your movie group. If you are a member of the Classic Movie Blog Association [or similar group], you are allowed to vote on who becomes a new member. Let prospective candidates understand what you are thinking. They get the benefit of your experience with the group so that they may adjust accordingly, and we get candidates at their best. Win-win.
Give away movie-related products. This helps boost readership. Be aware that giveaways give you a spike of readership that quickly goes away unless you do it regularly.
Teach people how to create the best classic movie giveaways. If you have experience promoting classic movie blog giveaways, write a post about it. Many people are so anxious about it all, they just need guidance and a reassuring voice.
Participate in a classic movie blogathon. The Classic Movie Blog Association hosts blogathons more than once per year, only for those in the association. However, there are plenty of otherblogathons open to the public on different topics. This will boost your traffic for a while and perhaps help you gain a few more subscribers.
Create a movie blogathon. Play the host, create a movie topic and ask readers to write about that movie topic on their own blogs. Compile the links to their posts on one page on your blog and encourage the public to enjoy them all. This spikes traffic for you and the others.
Create a post about best practices for movie blogathons. Once you’ve hosted a blogathon, tell the rest of us your experience. Helps build your authority.
Play the devil's advocate. Sometimes we feel too intimidated to criticize a beloved classic movie. If you really do not enjoy a certain film, say so and give reasons. You might find compatriots. You’ll certainly get feedback.
Compare two filmmakers’ or actors’ careers. Hollywood has always been competitive. Even after decades, legacies still go toe to toe. Makes for great discussion in the comments. Related post: Judy Garland vs Deanna Durbin
Compare several actors or filmmakers at a similar period in their lives. Even if the actors were not each other’s rivals or contemporaries, you can still create a great post about what each person was doing during a certain moment in their lives. I’ve created a post about the early movie-watching experiences of 6 different stars: Cary Grant Goes to the Cinema.
Play “What If.” What if Judy Garland had finished Valley of the Dolls. Would it be a better film? An iconic send off for an iconic star?
Make a list of what every new classic movie blogger should know. Share your experience; quell the anxiety in your fellow bloggers.
Ask another writer to a guest post on a movie topic. Add a new voice to your website. Give your readers another expert to follow. Spice up the routine a bit.
Write a guest post on someone else’s blog. This helps bring a fresh mind to the other person’s blog while simultaneously bringing traffic to both of your websites.
Follow a famous classic movie actor or their estate on social media. Report what they are currently doing. Make an opinion piece. [Debbie Reynolds is on Facebook, as is the estate of Humphrey Bogart and the official museum of Ava Gardner. The late Dame Elizabeth Taylor was on Twitter for years. The account is still available to the public, but has not been updated since the actress’ death in 2011.]
Create a 1^st person post as a character in a classic movie. Shake up your blog a bit and change perspectives. This might be risky and turn off a few readers, but it could also reap dividends. Classic Movie Blog Association member Eve created a 1^st person post as the Barbara Stanwyck character in The Lady Eve. The article won a CMBA award.
Discuss what the future holds for movie-going audiences. Look back through the history of cinema and make your predictions. It will serve as a time capsule of thought.
Share your classic movie event experience. When bloggers share their experiences of the TCM film cruises, for instance, they really make my day! Sometimes you cannot attend an event, so these laid back holiday pictures and blog posts put you right in the scene in a way that traditional magazine articles do not.
Discuss your experience with classic movies on the big screen. They were meant to be seen on a large screen. That immersive experience is different than viewing it on a television monitor or a laptop. I discuss the difference in a review : I Could Smell The Sweat: West Side Story on the Big Screen.
Discuss what technology has done to or done for classic movies. In one of my posts, I share the experience of watching a classic movie on a smartphone for the first time: It’s a Small World AfterAll.
Make a list of classic movies that are not worth your readers’ time. Is there something we should avoid? Tell us why. People are busy these days and would love to cut down their entertainment research time with great recommendations or warnings from a trusted source.
Make video reviews of classic movies. Video movie reviews are as popular as ever. You can host them elsewhere or upload them directly to your blog. They can also be profitable with Google Adsense on a Youtube video, for instance. There are currently very few classic movie review videos online.
Make podcast movie reviews. Online radio shows are hot right now. With Apple, Inc rolling out Car Play, which allows drivers to access their iTunes playlists from their car radio, podcasts are bound to become even more influential. A fun podcast right now is at www.ClassicFilmJerks.com.
Share any film star/director/Robert Osbourne encounters. Take your readers on a journey with you as you explain under what circumstance you met or worked with some of the greats.
Share what you think of the guests and the film choices on TCM’s Essentials. Turner Classic Movies keeps itself in the thick of things by inviting modern day stars to their show to talk about classic movies. What did you think of the choices for this gathering? Your readers want to know.
Host an online classic movie group night .Gather your friends around a social media outlet – your blog comment section, a forum, Twitter- and watch a movie while commenting online. Later, you may report this event on your blog, making note of some salient points made along the way.
Share the meaning behind the name of your classic movie blog. Here is another way to be vulnerable and human in the highly impersonal world of the internet. You might even decide you need a name change.
Name your favorite classic movie DVD commentary contributors. The special features on a DVD of a classic film can sometimes make or break the sale for many of us who would like a little more with our movies. Recommending a certain person's informative commentary could save your fellow movie watchers time and money.
Review a classic movie autobiography or other book. We all enjoy extra information and would like a general idea of the tenor of a book before we buy it. Or perhaps we have already read the book and are searching for other opinions out there. Give your readers your opinion of the book.
Discuss the ending of a film. Was it the right one? Some of us have seen the movie several times and have formed an opinion about it. We want to discuss it with you. Related Post: My Fair Lady's Problematic Ending
Recycle classic movie blog posts from your archives. You may have some great treasures that have long since fallen off the front page of your website. Reintroduce them to your readers by re-posting a copy of them on the front page, with revisions if necessary, and a notice of what you've done. For newer readers, it might be completely new information.
Freshen up a blog post in your archives. This is different from the suggestion above in that this blog post remains in the archives and is not copied to the front page. This suggestion is for the occasion when a post is outdated or incomplete For instance, Java's Journey continues to garner traffic for inquires as to why Marge and Gower Champion divorced; someone asked that in the comments of one of the posts about this legendary dance team. I have since updated the post to answer that question here: Dancing With the Stars.
Reveal your favorite social media space for discussing classic films. Where else online, besides your blog, can you be found discussing classic movies? Some people enjoy Facebook, for instance, and would rather talk to you there, where they have all their family and friends in a one stop shop. This also expands your audience beyond those who frequent blogs.
Discuss your favorite offline communities for classic movies. There are people who throw great classic movie parties and events. Get off the internet and go see them face-to-face, then write about the experience. Over at the blog Everybody Goes to Mick's, the Casablanca Club is 5 years strong. With costume parties, vintage cookware and classic movies shown outdoors - all at a person's cozy house- it's bound to be a party to write home about.
Start a glossary of classic movie words. Let's say you've coined a classic movie term or two and you need a link to place in your posts occasionally to give the reader further explanation. A glossary might be the convenient package you need. Related Post: Java's Classic Movie Glossary
Feature an idea from the comments or email. Give your readers recognition, for they really are your co-writers, in a way. Plus, they keep the conversation going. Related Post: 17 Flowers With Celebrity Names
Answer a question from a reader. Just as a reader can leave an interesting comment that sparks your creativity, so to a reader might have a straight forward question. A thorough answer can help establish authority and the fact that you care. Related Post: Dear Java, Which Deanna Durbin Movies Are Available?
Find unique references to classic movies outside of film. Classic movie stars are everywhere. Their image might be on a shoe polishing kit, in a new ad or elsewhere. It may seem a sad ending to a glorious career, but what this means is they still sell tickets. This is great for those of us who would like to keep classic films accessible. Plus, it's fun to discover other classic movie fans out there, even if they are naming bugs after Greta Garbo. Related Posts: 6 Insects Named for Classic Movie Stars
Create a free classic movie resource. You are bursting with ideas. You give plenty away on you blog for free already because you love it. This gift is an incentive to stick around and see what else is coming down the pike. Related Post: What's There is Cherce: An Incomplete Guide to Online Classic Movie Resources
Create a classic movie resource for purchase. You are bursting with ideas, you've garnered a large enough following. Now it's time to test the waters of monetary profit. You can create an income from your interests. Related Site: Jacqueline Lynch's Ann Blyth Book
Discuss the change in title sequence style throughout the decades. This is somewhat related to #12, but more specific. Saul Bass said the title sequences of a film should prime the audience, get it ready for the film to come. It's a crucial part of the film that deserves its own book. Here's a resource for writing about the credits: Art of the Title.
Review the music of a classic movie. Music is often overlooked in a movie as it is meant to be in the background much of the time. This is great un-plowed ground in the blogosphere. Related Posts: 2 Music Movie Cues (and How They Comment On the Scene), The Music of Humoresque
Review the dancing in a film. You might give a play-by-play of a musical number. You can discuss how the number moves the plot forward or not. How Classic Movies Use the Conga, the Mambo and the Waltz to Shape the Story.
Discuss the cover art of a classic movie DVD or VHS tape. Marketing classic movies is a sector of discussion all its own that deserves more exploration. Does it tell the story well? Does it grab your attention? Why? You can delve into lobby cards and posters as well.
List where to find classic movies to watch. People need a trusted source to discover classic movies online or offline. Access is key to continuing classic movies into the next generation and the next.
Survey your readers for your next content. A great way to remove writer's block is asking your readers to choose a topic. You're basically guaranteed it's something that will be preferable for your audience to read.
Compare classic movies on the radio with their film counterparts. In the early- to mid- 20th Century, radio plays were prolific. Many of them were adapted from popular films. This is a great treasure trove for discussion of the classics. Related Post: Classic Movies On the Radio.
List your favorite classic movies on the radio. Make a list post of the classic movie radio shows you love and explain why you enjoy them or where they can be found. Related Posts: This Week in Classic Movie Radio Plays.
Create holiday-themed or seasonal lists of the best classic movies. People are often on the hunt for movies for a special occasion. Give them something for each holiday or season. Related Post: The Holiday/Seasonal Classic Movie Directory.
Write about common misconceptions of classic movies. "Black and white films are automatically boring." "Acting was stiff and unrealistic back then." You've heard these and other claims before. Challenge them. Understand why a person would think this and then cultivate arguments as to why or how a modern movie watcher could appreciate older films.
Delve deeply into the history of a film. We often give our personal opinion or anecdotal movie watching experience in our reviews. Shake things up and highlight obscure library resources, forgotten interviews, etc. Related Site: Jacqueline Lynch's history of Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid.
Write about your classic movie inspirations. What inspires you most to continue writing about movies? Your love of Clark Gable? Inexhaustible curiosity about the past? Give your audience insight into what makes you tick.
How do you incorporate something of classic movies into your everyday life? Do you have a framed letter from a celebrity on your wall? Tell the story of how you acquired it and why it means so much to you. Do you - like Anna in The King and I- whistle a happy tune when you are nervous? There are those who find a new combination for their wardrobe by studying a film. This suggestion is endless. Related Post: Do Classic Movies Influence Your Wardrobe?
Brainstorm the solution to a classic movie problem. To have wide-spread access to filmed plays, for instance, in order to compare the play to the movie is still a challenge, a legal challenge, mostly. Although companies like Broadway Near You are coming up with solutions, what would be yours? Come up with your own classic movie issue to address.
Name something about classic movies that you are grateful to have. In A Letter to Three Wives, a character appreciates the fact that with a record and record player you have people of genius at your command. Java's Journey explored and appreciated that idea in a post called Savoring a Moment.
Compare the movie with the original source. If there is one thing I love it's finding source material and discovering where the filmmakers kept an idea or took a left turn somewhere. Reverse engineering the reasons for the decision is also fun. Related Posts:The Play's the Thing, The Heiress: Her Mother's Presence
Discuss classic movie memorabilia you might have or want. There are hardcore movie watchers and there are movie memorabilia collectors. These two groups often overlap. There are those who would like to have a bauble or two from a movie set or a personal item from a star in their homes and would like to know how to purchase such a thing. Which auction house is best? Are there other ways of acquiring these gems of history? Perhaps you're interested in more readily-available, commercial fare, like a commemorative 50th anniversary clock featuring the musical The Sound of Music. If so, review it. What are the pros and cons. Where can your reader find it to buy?
Create a community of classic movie bloggers. Share your burden of content creation with others by allowing more than one person to contribute regularly on your site. It's a lot of work to keep the ball rolling, but it can be done. Create a group effort on your website and never again be a slave to writer's block. Plus, you'll have different voices in one spot, which will keep a diversity of readers on your website longer. The Classic Film and TV Cafe does this well.
Organize a classic movie swap meet. One concern of mine is that classic movie enjoyment has proliferated online, but I do not always see that enthusiasm offline, unless I'm in a metropolis. Organizing a swap meet for your offline life, where people can meet and exchange classic movies or memorabilia, is a great way to form communities. It's also one more thing to write about on your website. [ Or perhaps you could create an online classic movie swap meet.]
Discuss an obsolete profession that can still be seen in classic movies. Classic movie writers are really historians. We study bygone eras and marvel at the changes. There are entire industries that have bit the dust in the past century, but were very much alive and incorporated into a script in what are now called classic movies.Talk about one of those industries or professions. Related Post: The Milkman in the Movies.
Write your wish list for which actor/director/ filmmaker you would like to meet. All of them, you say? Well, narrow it down. Who holds a special fascination for you? Why? What questions would you ask that no one has asked them publicly? What would you do with that opportunity?
Write your wish list for live performances. You are not necessarily seeing them in an intimate conversation. You are seeing a classic movie star perform - like Judy Garland at the Palladium. Which one would you like to see? Why? Write about that.
If you have seen a classic movie person perform live, write about that performance. Mitzi Gaynor still performs live. So did Frank Gorshin until just before his death. Perhaps you were around to see Angela Lansbury in Mame. Tell us about it.
Discuss the time when an actor broke through his or her typecasting. Or at least dented it a little. The Clock, for instance, is known as the film when Judy Garland's character is asked if she knows a certain song but she doesn't sing. The songstress doesn't utter a note throughout the whole film, not even over the credit sequence. It's a lovely movie that helps you concentrate on her acting, for once.
Discuss someone (besides Orson Welles) who seems to have peaked early. It's with broad strokes I'm brushing here. Welles actually had masterpieces after Citizen Kane for which he is well-celebrated, but his current legacy relies on his first film. Who else has had this experience? Is it a good thing or not or innocuous? Discuss.
Write about classic move-related news items from Google Alerts. Have Google send you a notice every time a specific term shows up in the news, e.g. "classic movies" or "Ava Gardner." Then write your opinion about the news item.
What do your readers not know about you? Be vulnerable. Be revealing. What makes you unique in the classic movie world? It helps the reader to distinguish you from the increasing proliferation of classic movie websites.
Replicate a recipe from a film. It's on my list to make that dish of Floating Island that Katharine Hepburn digs into in the movie Desk Set. She tries to ignore the embarrassing conversation around her and concentrate on dessert. You can create a "dinner and a movie" post even.
Replicate a recipe from a film star’s kitchen repertoire. Not a recipe in a movie, but one that a star or filmmaker actually used at home. I'm thinking of making Joan Crawford's famous home fried apple rings. It makes the stars seem more down-to-earth and relatable.
Talk about your favorite film awards ceremonies. Ah, The Oscars. The Golden Globes. Those ceremonies where everyone casts their eyes on filmmakers. Be their guide thorough the annals of yesteryear. Explain how a win or nomination (or lack of one) today harkens back to a similar instance during the classic movie era.
Create a post about a film’s fashion. The costume designer, like the composer, is there to help create an atmosphere. He or she is not usually there to stand out. Help us appreciate the nuances of fashion in film and how it drives the plot. Related Post: Java's Film Fashion Directory.
Talk about a classic movie star’s swan song. What was the last film she or he made? Does it pass muster? Was there a different film you wished were her or his last instead of the one we have? Why? What did the film star herself or himself think about the movie?
Find similarities between newer films and classic movies. This kind of post has great crossover potential. You are the guide for those who, perhaps, might not watch something that was released during the last century. Also, it is a great way to induce those of us who prefer films made before, say, 1968, to watch something newer. Related Post: The Wizard of Oz Homage in Tom Cruise's Knight and Day.
Remakes. For? Against? Indifferent? Discuss. Now here's a heated topic. Should a studio remake a classic movie? Will a remake distort the legacy of the earlier film? Are newer generations of filmmakers being disrespectful to what has come before by banking on a recognizable name then tweaking the content?
Compare a specific adaptation with another. So you've discussed remakes in general. Now, get specific. Compare an original and a remake. It doesn't even have to be a remake. It could be a different adaptation of the source material on which both movies are based. Related Post: The Wizard of Oz vs. The Wiz, Part 1
Discuss upcoming remakes. Announce any new remakes that are coming. Announce the release date, where the production currently stands, etc. You can even create a series of updates on a remake that you fancy. Related Post: 5 Classic Movie Remakes in Development
Review classic movie references and television. Of course, bloggers and critics are not the only classic movie fans out there. Many television writers are as well. They sometimes pay homage to the silver screen in their small screen scripts. At other times, we see big budget movies taking a page from television. Make those movie/TV discoveries in your blog post. Related Posts: "Moonlighting" Goes Noir, I Love Lucy vs It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Review one of Gene Kelly’s stories within a story. There is often a tiny, dramatic musical number within a lighthearted Gene Kelly film that retells some of the themes of the overarching movie. That story within a story always seems to be the more sombre tale the choreographer would have preferred to make if he weren’t compelled to be commercial. Kelly does this a lot; make note of it. Related Post: On the Town: A Musical Noir?
Find a pattern in films. Perhaps you could find patterns in a certain era of films. What was going on at the time that so many films with similar themes were released? If you cannot find a term for this phenomenon, coin a term and review those films. For instance, there was a spate of films coming out, especially after WWII, which sees a mother (usually alone, permanently or temporarily) raising a child and everything seems perfectly fine...until it isn't. There might be another term for them, but I call these films "Suburban Dramas." Related Posts: The Reckless Moment (1949) The Restless Years(1958) The Bad Seed (1956)
Discuss your classic movie findings from contemporary newspapers and magazines. The stars have big names that sell papers. There are plenty of accounts about this or that star out on the town, or his or her latest project. Find them. Discuss them. Related Post: Donald O’Connor on a Showboat in the 1970s.
Study one frame of a film and discuss its implications. Some directors, like Vincente Minnelli, are very careful to create beautiful and meaningful still pictures in every frame. Let's honor their choice and appreciate it with a frame-by-frame study. Related Posts: Framing a Movie: The Clock, Framing a Movie: Arsenic and Old Lace
Share an obscure back story about a classic movie. Often we do not know the strain under which a performer or filmmaker puts herself or himself to get the job done. Knowing more about the bits and pieces of how certain films came to be helps us to appreciate them more. Related Post: Anchors Aweigh and The Real Life Sailor
Discuss a star's or filmmaker's other professions. Most of them were not born stars. Many were not born into an entertainment family at all. Before, during or after a career, how did a classic movie icon occupy his or her time? Related Post: Gene Kelly, Attorney at Law?
Discuss a year in the life of a classic movie filmmaker or character. Was the year a profitable one for his or her career? Was this the calm before the storm? What would have happened if those things did not occur in this person's life? Related Post: James Bond in 1967(Bits of Trivia)
Mention important events for your classic movie blog. Keep your readers informed about your blog's goings-on. Will you attend a film festival event? Mention it. Did your blog reach a certain number of readers? Mention it. Do you plan to make changes on your blog? Don't leave your readers in the dark.
Make a list of classic movie topics for others to write. Like this one.