Samantha “Sunshine” Jensen
Twelve years before she roared into immortality as Catwoman in Batman Returns, Michelle Pfeiffer played a different type of cat, a B.A.D Cat, to be precise. A what, you ask? Well, I’ll tell ya what. After starting her career with guest spots on television series like Fantasy Island and ChiPs, Michelle nabbed a regular gig … Continue reading Samantha “Sunshine” Jensen
Marilyn Deserves Better
Remember the other day when I said I was going to give the new, overhyped movie Blonde a shot, despite all of my anxieties when it comes to Marilyn Monroe “biopics,” thanks to a long history of them being tawdry and disrespectful to her legacy? Yeah, well, I changed my mind. I should have stuck … Continue reading Marilyn Deserves Better
The Art of the Ad: Fly the Friendly Skies
Airline ads and promotional images during the Golden Age of Air Travel were selling travelers on an experience. In the days before interminably long security checkpoints and nonexistent customer service, airline advertisements were emphasizing just how well airlines would take care of us. And that included some not-so-subtle implications of mile high adventure with the … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: Fly the Friendly Skies
“The Sink’s Not Braced!”: Mother! Turns 5
A film that inspires either loving or loathing, but rarely anything in between, Mother! opened five years ago this September. I saw it in the theater by myself, but with a decent number of other moviegoers. As the madness intensified over the film’s running time, I slid lower down in my seat, as if trying … Continue reading “The Sink’s Not Braced!”: Mother! Turns 5
Queen Bettie: Beach Babe
Bettie Page and beaches go together like chocolate and peanut butter. After all, Bettie’s career in modeling began when off-duty NYPD officer and avid photographer Jerry Tibbs approached her on the shores of Coney Island, New York, told her she’d be a great pinup model, and gave her his card. Soon after he was taking … Continue reading Queen Bettie: Beach Babe
Queen Bettie
Today, Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest at Windsor Castle as the world watched. This post will not be about that.* Instead, here at the Starfire Lounge we’re going to focus on the Queen of an entirely different realm. After writing somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,200-1,300 words—a very respectable neighborhood**—on the lovely and … Continue reading Queen Bettie
“Do You Think I’m Crazy?”: American Mary, 10 Years On
Mary Mason has built a diverse resume: medical student, illegal underground surgeon, and dark avenging angel. Slightly detached and desperate for money to pay for school, Mary auditions for a job at the local strip club. The manager Billy seems smitten. Later he even fantasizes about Mary performing an erotically charged dance—one of several instances … Continue reading “Do You Think I’m Crazy?”: American Mary, 10 Years On
Blonde on Blonde
The controversial new movie Blonde will be streaming on Netflix later this month. Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel and featuring Ana de Armis as a sort of fictionalized Marilyn Monroe, the movie is sure to stir up animosity among Marilyn’s most ardent fans, like yours truly. I’ve owned the novel for years but haven’t … Continue reading Blonde on Blonde
Janet, Jack, and Some of That Jazz
In the season six episode of Three’s Company—hilariously titled “Some of That Jazz”—Janet (my birthday buddy, the lovely and talented Joyce Dewitt) thinks her dance instructor’s interest in her is strictly for her dancing skills. Jack (one of the best comedic actors of all time, the late John Ritter) knows the teacher (Michael Bell in … Continue reading Janet, Jack, and Some of That Jazz
The Art of the Ad: Black Magic Women
As an artist, a student of art history, a graphic design nerd, a photography lover, and a guy who’s done his share of design and advertising work over the years, I am always intrigued by a good, eye-catching advertising campaign. Setting aside the often nefarious messages nesting within big business advertising—they’re selling you how to … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: Black Magic Women
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The Starfire Lounge 