Category: movies

“The Sink’s Not Braced!”: Mother! Turns 5

A film that inspires either loving or loathing, but rarely anything in between, Mother! opened five years ago this September. I saw it in the theater by myself, but with a decent number of other moviegoers. As the madness intensified over the film’s running time, I slid lower down in my seat, as if trying … Continue reading “The Sink’s Not Braced!”: Mother! Turns 5 →

“Do You Think I’m Crazy?”: American Mary, 10 Years On

Mary Mason has built a diverse resume: medical student, illegal underground surgeon, and dark avenging angel. Slightly detached and desperate for money to pay for school, Mary auditions for a job at the local strip club. The manager Billy seems smitten. Later he even fantasizes about Mary performing an erotically charged dance—one of several instances … Continue reading “Do You Think I’m Crazy?”: American Mary, 10 Years On →

Twenty Years of Blogs That Inspire Me

I've been thinking a lot lately about writing. What got me into writing, and then what brought me back to it. The ways in which the internet has largely democratized writing—for good and bad—and how several of my writing inspirations over the last two decades have been online, at both "establishment" hubs and small, one-person … Continue reading Twenty Years of Blogs That Inspire Me →

A Journey in Three Moods, or, How My Brain Works

1. The light bulb moment: sudden, powerful jolt of inspiration for my next creative endeavor. 2. The details of making it happen start crashing and careening around in my head. 3. *distracted by another light bulb flickering in the distance* Special thanks to Michelle Pfeiffer's expressive facial reactions as one of my favorite cinematic inspirations, … Continue reading A Journey in Three Moods, or, How My Brain Works →

Bad Girls We Love: Jane Mitchell from Zapped!

Zapped! (1982) is the heartwarming story of high school science geek Barney (Scott Baio, years before we knew how evil he was), who develops the power to move things with his mind after a lab accident, just like a Marvel Comics character. After slamming doors and flinging objects across rooms with an arched eyebrow and … Continue reading Bad Girls We Love: Jane Mitchell from Zapped! →