Diamond Month

My fellow writer, blogger, and longtime Pfeiffer pfanatic pfriend Paul from Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies has brought to my attention that the Starfire Lounge turns two years old this week. It feels like only yesterday, one month into a global pandemic that’s still going (sorta) strong, that I felt a spark of inspiration and creativity and threw caution to the wind by shuttering my old site and opening up shop here at the Lounge. I made the decision, purchased the domain name, built the site, and wrote my first post all in the same day. As internet homes go, this place immediately felt homier than my previous digs, and two years later that’s still true. I actually love writing here and bringing you the sort of crucial content the world needs right now—you know, fawning Michelle Pfeiffer tributes, horror movie highlights, and other assorted movie/pop culture-related musings from a guy with a lot of opinions.

It feels serendipitous that I launched the site during my birthday week, and just ten days before my fellow April baby Michelle Pfeiffer’s birthday. I suppose if the Lounge had a pet mascot it would be Taurus the bull, though its spiritual avatar is clearly La Pfeiffer herself. I knew the site name needed to reference a Pfeiffer pfilm. Landing on the name of one of the Seattle clubs where Susie Diamond and The Fabulous Baker Boys performed just felt perfect, and it still does. After all, April’s birthstone is Diamond. Clearly, this site will always be a tribute to Susie Diamond, one of Pfeiffer’s best and most beloved characters.

The Fabulous Baker Boys is a movie I’ve explored often here in the last two years, and I still have plenty more to say, or write, about it. The same goes for Grease 2, Batman Returns, Frankie and Johnny, or any number of other Pfeiffer pfilms. These are the sort of movies I could write at length about. Maybe one of them will lead to an even longer writing project for me, the kind that includes chapters and fits between two covers. Dare to dream, kids.

Meanwhile, I’ll be turning a year older this month and so will Michelle. It’s been a wonderful early birthday present to see my fellow Taurus starring in the new Showtime original series The First Lady. After the first episode, my initial reaction: the show is only okay so far, but Michelle is amazing. Her brilliant performance is going to be difficult for the other two leads (Viola Davis and Gillian Anderson) to match. In the opening episode she steals every single moment she’s onscreen. Her portrayal of Betty Ford feels lived in and natural in a way the other two women’s work as other First Ladies does not. As usual, Michelle’s instinctive acting style is riveting to watch. Davis and Anderson are doing imitations of real people so far, while Pfeiffer is acting, creating a character based on a real woman. I’m excited to continue following what she does with this role. I’m also anticipating an Emmy nomination coming her way for it, too.

So, here’s to a month full of birthdays, for the Starfire Lounge, Michelle Pfeiffer, and me. And it feels fitting that, in the midst of all these birthdays, Michelle is dropping excellence on us with The First Lady. Thank goodness some things never change.