Two Years of Cracked Rear Viewer!

In the summer of 2015, I contacted a complete stranger on Facebook, Lisa Marie Bowman, to inquire about writing for the website THROUGH THE SHATTERED LENS . Lisa asked for a sample, then suggested I start a WordPress account. CRACKED REAR VIEWER made it’s debut on both sites on June 26, 2015 with a look at Peter Lorre’s THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK , and the rest is history! My blog has grown by leaps and bounds since then, covering films from the 1930’s to the 70’s (with a few sporadic new movies thrown in for good measure), and expanded it’s scope to include TV, music, books, and other features I’ve begun spotlighting every Friday morning.

For those of you who are stat geeks (and I include myself in that category), CRACKED REAR VIEWER has gained 994 loyal followers between WP, Twitter (which I joined in October 2015), and Facebook (January 2017). In fact, the Facebook page has proved very popular, with daily extras on stars and music. There have been 24,415 visitors to the blog, with 38,611 views of 525 posts. My most popular month is always October, when I present my annual “Halloween Havoc!” marathon, doing a horror film a day – and trust and believe I’m already working on it! It’s not easy, as I learned the hard way during that first year!

One thing that boggles my mind is the amount of countries interested in reading about mostly older American movies. Besides the good ol’ USA, CRACKED REAR VIEWER has large followings in Germany, the UK, France, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Italy, India, and Japan. There are still a few I haven’t reached yet, but I hope to soon. You hear that, Greenland, I’m coming for you!!

Now I’d like to share the CRV Top Ten Most Popular Posts of All Time! Drum roll, please:

Top Ten Reasons CASABLANCA is The Greatest Movie Ever Made!   (August 2015) – My all-time favorite movie is also coincidentally my all-time most popular post. This being the film’s 75th anniversary has boosted its views.

Victim of Love: Clint Eastwood in THE BEGUILED  (April 2016) – Renewed interest in this film due to the upcoming Sofia Coppola remake has helped spark interest in this, no doubt!

From the VHS Vault 2: THE VIOLENT YEARS  (April 2017) – My review of this Ed Wood scripted Juvenile Delinquent epic was not only a hit, but got me thrown out of a Facebook group for this picture of Mamie Van Doren:

Really, Turner Classic Movies Fan Site? Really??

A Star is Born in Monument Valley: John Wayne in John Ford’s STAGECOACH  (January 2016) – My life-long love affair with the films of The Duke and Pappy Ford has endured since childhood, and I’m not about to stop now. It seems you Dear Readers agree, placing it at #4 all-time.

Cleaning Out the DVR Pt 4: B-Movie Roundup!   (November 2015) – One of my most popular series here is these “Cleaning Out The DVR” anthologies, where I do capsule descriptions of 5 or 6 movies. Included in this entry are KING OF THE UNDERWORLD, GO WEST YOUNG LADY, BAYOU, TWELVE HOURS TO KILL, and WANDA. An eclectic mix, to be sure!

Why I Think ERASERHEAD Sucks!   (November 2015) – I don’t pan very many movies, but I’ve never been able to get into this one. Many of you agreed.

I Wish I Were A Fish: Don Knotts in THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET   (February 2016) – This one surprised me, as I didn’t think there were a ton of Don Knotts fans out there. I was happily proved wrong!

Philip Marlowe, TV Detective   (January 2016)- An early attempt at something different, I did an overview of Raymond Chandler’s classic character’s television appearances. I’ve also reviewed four Marlowe movies, which can be found by following this link.

Have a Bucket of Fun!: THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE   (August 2015) – Another surprise, as this zany early Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker comedy isn’t as well known as their later films (AIRPLANE!, THE NAKED GUN). It’s always been a favorite of mine, though. “Take him to Detroit!”

(Tie) Hidden Gem: Natalie Wood in PENELOPE   (August 2015) and My Living Doll: ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE   (May 2016) – Natalie Wood in Arthur Hiller’s underrated 60’s screwball comedy ties for 10th place all-time with Mr. BIG’s (that’s Bert I. Gordon) 50’s sci-fi schlockfest. I love ’em both!

What does the future hold for CRACKED REAR VIEWER and Yours Truly? Well, I’ve got some projects in the works, including a special post later tonight. As always, I thank all you Dear Readers for your support and kind comments. This venture is a labor of love for me, and I hope younger readers will seek out and watch the fine films covered here, and that you older folks get a nostalgic kick out of reminiscing about films past. Again, I thank you for reading my musings, and hope you’ll continue to follow me on this journey through classic films and retro pop culture. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @gary_loggins and on the CRACKED REAR VIEWER Facebook Page. I’ll see you around 6:00 Eastern Time for a real treat!