As followers of the podcast undoubtedly know, we’ve been touting the #PonyPrize for well over a year now as the grand prize for our weekly Instagram #GuessTheMovie challenge. Each week, we post images from a film and anyone can try to guess what the movie is. The first person to get it right is entered to win the #PonyPrize. But what is this magical, mystical prize? And does it involve a real pony? Or a pony of any kind, for that matter?
Wait no longer, friends! In our last episode of 2014 – our holiday podcast about Henry Koster’s 1947 holiday classic “The Bishop’s Wife” – we put all the weekly winners in a hat (well, their names, technically… we didn’t have a hat quite that large) and drew the name of the person who won this grand pony prize. That name, in case you missed the episode, is hardcore #GuessTheMovie challenge player and frequent winner Cameron L. Ryan! Congratulations!
So here is what makes up the 2014 Pony Prize:
- Cameron gets to pick the first Listener’s Choice episode in 2015. This episode will play right after our Alec Guinness series. We’re looking forward to her selection!
- You’ve seen us marketing our fantastically awesome new shirts. Well, Cameron will get one for free as a part of the prize!
- The Next Reel made a $100 donation in Cameron’s name to The Film Foundation, a nonprofit created by Martin Scorsese dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history by providing annual support for preservation and restoration projects at the leading film archives. Learn more about this great organization at the link above.
- Two DVDs provided by The Film Foundation of films they’ve helped restore – Jean Renoir’s “The River” and Luchino Visconti’s “Senso.”
- A DVD/Soundtrack Combo Pack of “Ambush at Dark Canyon,” starring Kix Brooks. (Co-Host Andy Nelson worked on this one – see if you can spot his cameo, Cameron!)
- A Sloth action figure from “The Goonies.” Because everyone wants one. Seriously.
- A General Zod action figure from “Superman II.” This year’s Cabbage Patch Kid. I mean it.
- A DVD of “Surrogate Valentine,” autographed by the director and one of its stars, Film Board member Chadd Stoops!
- DVDs of several short films starring Chadd – “Recollection” and “The Joker.”
- DVDs of several short films directed by Film Board member Tommy Handsome – “Adam & Evelyn” and “Sleeping Dogs Lie.”
- A curated 5-DVD set personally picked by Tommy in the genre of Cameron’s choice.
- The board game “Consensus: Movie Edition”
- Two “Rise of the Guardians” movie posters
- A piece of art by James Hance. (Haven’t seen his stuff? It’s seriously awesome – check it out at www.jameshance.com.)
- And last but not least… AN ACTUAL PONY!!!! Okay, it’s not an actual pony. It’s a plastic pony. A pretty small one, really. But there is a pony! And you’re going to get it!
Congratulations to Cameron again for winning the mysterious Pony Prize this year. As for the rest of you, keep playing our weekly Instagram #GuessTheMovie challenges so that you, too, can win and be entered to win next year’s #PonyPrize. It won’t be the same, but it’ll be just as awesome.
Or eclectic. However you want to describe it.