Forty Years of Fast Times

If you grew up at a certain time—the 1980s—and in a certain place—suburban America—then there’s a better than average chance Fast Times at Ridgemont High means an awful lot to you. Earlier this year the movie celebrated its fortieth anniversary, which feels like the right time to express my undying love for it. In his … Continue reading Forty Years of Fast Times →

Bad Girls We Love: Joan Collins in Everything

Normally, I select one character to spotlight in the Bad Girls We Love posts, but this time I’m throwing all the love at one legendary actress who has made a career out of playing the bad girls we love: Dame Joan Collins, or Joan Fucking Collins, as her fans affectionately call her. Or maybe that’s … Continue reading Bad Girls We Love: Joan Collins in Everything →

Still wake up the same old Susie

If you’ve read everything I’ve ever written here since I started this blog in the spring of 2020, I thank you. If you only drop by once every few months and cherry pick articles of interest to you, I thank you. If this post is the first time you’re reading this blog, I thank you. … Continue reading Still wake up the same old Susie →

Thrill Me: Happy Birthday, Tom Atkins

A lot of Gen Xers grew up consuming a steady diet of the following: Kool Aid, Pixie Stix, humor magazines and comic books, and as many horror, fantasy, action, and other gritty and/or goofy genre movies as we could get our hands on. From Kurt Russell being the ultimate cool antihero in Escape from New … Continue reading Thrill Me: Happy Birthday, Tom Atkins →

More Cheryl Ladd with Booze: A Charlie’s Angels Pictorial

Last time I graced your lives with one of the greatest ad campaigns ever produced: Cheryl Ladd for Japanese Suntory Brandy. Interestingly, at the same time Cheryl was sipping some smooth Suntory, she was costarring as the intrepid, sexy, and all-around awesome Kris Munroe on Charlie’s Angels, where she was also known to knock back … Continue reading More Cheryl Ladd with Booze: A Charlie’s Angels Pictorial →

The Art of the Ad: Cheryl Ladd for Suntory Brandy

Decades before Bill Murray’s character in Lost in Translation (2003) went to Japan to star in commercials for Suntory whiskey, Cheryl Ladd did it first. At the peak of her Charlie’s Angels fame, around 1980-81, Cheryl donned several sexy outfits, grabbed a brandy snifter, and became the spokesperson for Suntory Brandy in a series of … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: Cheryl Ladd for Suntory Brandy →

The Art of the Ad: Take Home Elvira with Thriller Video

Last time in this space I discussed the popular 1980s Coors and Coors Light ads featuring our favorite horror hostess with the mostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Well, it’s Halloween season and Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) wasn’t just a brew-pitching barmaid, no siree, so I’m bringing her back for another round. Elvira has been the … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: Take Home Elvira with Thriller Video →