Hell Here

Scenes and dialogue from Batman Returns (1992) play in constant rotation in my mind. It’s the weirdest, most unique superhero movie ever made, in my estimation, and it’s also a delightfully subversive Christmas movie, too. It has everything going for it, from outrageously over the top characters to sumptuously gothic set designs, from a pitch-perfect … Continue reading Hell Here →

Hot Shots of the Week: Wolfing Around with Michelle

I adore Mike Nichols’ Wolf (1994), but every time I watch it—and I try to watch it every October—I’m utterly gobsmacked that he got Michelle Pfeiffer to film that completely bonkers final showdown. As good guy Wolfman Jack (Nicholson) looks on from inside a cage, bad guy Wolfman James Spader uses his hairy paws to … Continue reading Hot Shots of the Week: Wolfing Around with Michelle →

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 →

Happy Birthday, Frankie

When it comes to my most beloved Michelle Pfeiffer characters, Frankie resides right at the top, along with Susie, Angela, Selina, and Stephanie. Today, November 11th, is Frankie’s birthday—we know this because Johnny asks her, and she tells him, during a beautiful scene between the two in Frankie and Johnny (1991). It takes until the … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Frankie →

Season of the Witches of Eastwick

With that October chill in the air and Halloween fast approaching, I’ve got a trio of sexy and resilient witches on the brain these days. Alexandra, Sukie, and Jane form the triumvirate of powerful practitioners of witchcraft in the sleepy New England town of Eastwick. When a devilish interloper moves to town, strange occurrences become … Continue reading Season of the Witches of Eastwick →

A Woman Possessed: Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath

It’s October, so you know what that means: I’m back on my What Lies Beneath bullshit. It seems I’m beginning to make a habit out of posting about it every October. Well, that’s only natural because the 2000 supernatural thriller, directed by Robert Zemeckis, combines three of my favorite things: Michelle Pfeiffer, autumn in New … Continue reading A Woman Possessed: Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath →

Framing Pfeiffer in the ‘80s

As you might remember, thanks to this post, my cover article in the current issue of Cinema of the ‘80s magazine is an eleven-page deep dive into Michelle Pfeiffer’s 1980s films. In that piece, I look at how she developed into the Michelle Pfeiffer we know and love today. That was her first decade in … Continue reading Framing Pfeiffer in the ‘80s →