We Like to Watch: Body Double

Many filmmakers explore the themes of doubling and voyeurism, but few have done it as consistently or successfully as Brian De Palma. One of the handful (or two handfuls!) of masterpieces in his filmography, Body Double (1984) perfectly illustrates De Palma’s (and D.P. Steven H. Burum's) visual interrogation of these elements while also implicating us, … Continue reading We Like to Watch: Body Double →

Oh, Gina

Scarface (1983) has grown into a massive cult favorite over the years, but rarely is it praised for its treatment of female characters. But Oliver Stone's script does include two juicy roles for women, each of which leaves a lasting impression: Michelle Pfeiffer as Tony Montana's lady Elvira Hancock and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Tony's … Continue reading Oh, Gina →

Surviving Scarface: Elvira

Wow, the restaurant scene in Scarface (1983) is powerful. That's all I kept thinking the other night when I watched Brian De Palma's epic tale of the rise and fall of Cuban "political refugee" and drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino in one of his most popular and oft-quoted roles). The movie is chock-full of … Continue reading Surviving Scarface: Elvira →

Season of the Witch: Morgan Fairchild

Halloween images are flooding our social media feeds right now, offering a much-needed respite from the looming, suffocating dread of the current socio-political climate. You think Halloween is scary? Ha! I’ll take fun and spooky thrills and chills over real-world horrors any day, and twice on Sunday. Speaking of Sunday, what better day to sleep … Continue reading Season of the Witch: Morgan Fairchild →

Susie—not Suzie—Diamond

Google searches for Susie Diamond constantly ask me “Did you mean Suzie Diamond?” No, Google! I mean Susie! You know, Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1989 Steve Kloves masterpiece The Fabulous Baker Boys? That Susie Diamond. Susie is the role that should have won Michelle an Oscar. She won every other major award for her stunning, … Continue reading Susie—not Suzie—Diamond →

The Ethereal Amy Irving

Sissy Spacek deserves all the praise she gets for Carrie (1976), but it’s always bothered me how few people (beyond my fellow Carrie obsessives) seem to appreciate how beautiful and heartbreaking Amy Irving is as Sue Snell. As a kid I felt I was supposed to dislike Sue—she was popular! Boo! And was she trying … Continue reading The Ethereal Amy Irving →

Men Love Scrambled

Recently, while watching a favorite film of mine, Ron Howard’s Night Shift (1982)—about a pair of unlikely “love brokers” in early eighties New York City—I had an epiphany. Specifically, this moment of clarity occurred during an early scene when Shelley Long’s character Belinda, a gorgeous and statuesque hooker with a heart of gold, scrambles up … Continue reading Men Love Scrambled →