Play Ball

Before the Super Bowl I waxed nostalgic about growing up watching football with my father and how the sport doesn’t hold a lot of appeal to me since he passed away. The same holds true for “America’s pastime,” baseball. In 1951, Marilyn Monroe, know as “the Blonde Bombshell” batted a stellar .327 with 28 home … Continue reading Play Ball →

A Sampling of Movies with Big Anniversaries This Year

As always, a new year brings with it new, milestone anniversaries. For instance, 2023 is the twentieth anniversary of Lost in Translation (2003), the thirtieth anniversary of Dazed and Confused (1993), and the fortieth anniversary of Scarface (1983). It’s also the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Last Days of Disco (1998), the thirty-fifth anniversary of two … Continue reading A Sampling of Movies with Big Anniversaries This Year →

Year End Stuff

It’s almost the final week of the year, an appropriate time to take inventory around here. I don’t usually spend much time viewing the site’s stats, but I just did and noticed one major thing: I’ve had more than twice as many posts this year, compared to last year. In the last three months alone … Continue reading Year End Stuff →

Random Image Dump #2

Still random, only this time all black and white. Captions included at the end. Now let’s allow these photographs to speak for themselves. 1. Marilyn Monroe publicity shot for How to Mary A Millionaire (1953). 2. Elvis Presley and Susan Henning, The 1968 Comeback Special. 3. Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke in Rumble Fish (1983). … Continue reading Random Image Dump #2 →

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 →

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 →

“I Restore Myself When I’m Alone”: On Marilyn Monroe and Introversion

Even if introverts are having a wonderful time at a social gathering, we still walk away drained by it, and when we're suffering through forced socialization it's even more depleting to our souls. Time alone is key, so we can recharge for another attempt at tackling this extrovert-friendly world we live in. That's why Marilyn … Continue reading “I Restore Myself When I’m Alone”: On Marilyn Monroe and Introversion →