Hot Shots of the Week: Susie’s Audition

When our girl Susie Diamond sings “More Than You Know” during her audition with the Baker Brothers, jaws dropped across the globe. Jack and Frank were wowed, and so were audiences. It’s still a moment that sends shivers down my spine. She closes her eyes, purses those seductive lips, and seemingly transports to another plane … Continue reading Hot Shots of the Week: Susie’s Audition →

Hot Shots of the Week: Magnum P.I.

Magnum P.I. was one of my absolute favorite hour-long dramas on television during my Gen-X childhood, when TV and comic books were often my best friends. Magnum was—is—the coolest cat around because, A.) good writing, and B.) Tom Selleck. The actor imbued Vietnam vet and private investigator Thomas Magnum with an utterly unique charm and … Continue reading Hot Shots of the Week: Magnum P.I. →

Lost and Found: Don’t Open till Christmas

I love Christmas horror. Every December I revisit several favorites. If I don’t, the holiday season just doesn’t feel quite as jolly! Bob Clark’s classic Black Christmas (1974) is not only my favorite Yuletide horror movie, but also quite possibly my favorite horror movie of all time. I like to discover new films, or new, … Continue reading Lost and Found: Don’t Open till Christmas →

Just Looking

In early October of 2020, less than six months into the existence of this blog, I created a post on Body Double that stood out from a lot of what I’d been doing here. That’s because it only had some brief introductory text and was largely comprised of screenshots from Brian De Palma’s sexually charged … Continue reading Just Looking →

Rush Rush at the Babylon

Miami’s Babylon Club is a favorite hangout of criminal-element types in Brian De Palma’s grotesque and glorious gangster film, Scarface (1983). The Babylon is where Tony Montana (Al Pacino) first puts the moves on Elvira Hancock (Michelle Pfeiffer). Tony visits the club as a guest of drug lord Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia). Elvira might be … Continue reading Rush Rush at the Babylon →

“Nancy Drew in a Garter Belt”: Nancy Allen in Dressed to Kill

Among film lovers, Nancy Allen is considered a capital “G” Goddess. A central figure in late 1970s, early 1980s American cinema, Allen is revered thanks to her performances in at least six classics films with rabid fanbases: Carrie (1976), I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Dressed to Kill (1980), Blow Out (1981), Terror in the … Continue reading “Nancy Drew in a Garter Belt”: Nancy Allen in Dressed to Kill →

The Art of the Ad: Sex, Lies, and Video Games, Part IV

The golden age of arcade and video game advertising is such a fertile period for unabashedly sexy and blatantly sexist ads that we’re back with a fourth installment of material. This is starting to become the Friday the 13th of the Starfire Lounge, with sequel after sequel. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I got … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: Sex, Lies, and Video Games, Part IV →