Month: January 2024

Pop till You Drop

If you’re reading this blog, chances are good you love movies, and if you love movies, chances are good you love to munch on popcorn while watching movies. Well, today is National Popcorn Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than getting an extra large tub of the stuff—slathered in butter, of course—before curling … Continue reading Pop till You Drop →

Michelle Monday

These publicity shots of a glamorous Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983) are simply sublime. They instantly call to mind Bruno Mars singing, “Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold” in Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk.” This is why she inspired legions of slobbering fans and became a star after positively slaying it in Scarface. To … Continue reading Michelle Monday →

Hot Shots of the Week: Thou Shalt Not

[A.L. “Whitey”] Schafer decided to create a novelty shot to satirically slap at the Production Code, the censorship standards of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Assn. His satirical image, entitled, “Thou Shalt Not,” displayed the top 10 faux-pas disallowed by industry censors, who approved every photographic image shot by studios before they could be … Continue reading Hot Shots of the Week: Thou Shalt Not →

Giallogy: The Psychic

I love giallo movies. I tend to watch them in bunches, like when I recently plowed through The Psychic, aka Seven Notes in Black (1977), Puzzle, aka The Man Without a Memory (1974), and Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971). Gialli offer an intoxicating blend of glamorous women, gorgeous Italian (or other gorgeous European) locales, … Continue reading Giallogy: The Psychic →

Lost and Found: Firecracker

Firecracker (1981), also known as Naked Fist, is another in a long line of 1970s and 1980s cheapies shot in the Philippines by producer Roger Corman. Directed by Corman regular Cirio H. Santiago—who also helmed one of the most memorable rape-revenge films of the ‘80s, Naked Vengeance (1985)—Firecracker mostly works as a starring vehicle for … Continue reading Lost and Found: Firecracker →