“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 →

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 →

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! →

Howl at the Moon

The year's biggest supermoon is illuminating the night sky this week. So of course my mind conjures thoughts of the glorious Jack Nicholson-Michelle Pfeiffer collaboration, Mike Nichol's howlin' at the moon look at a midlife crisis, Wolf (1994). I'm picturing a hirsute Jack making jokes about the Hair Club for Men, and a flawless Michelle … Continue reading Howl at the Moon →

Between the Lines

I adore hangout movies. What's a "hangout movie," you ask? Well, it's a movie where a group of characters do exactly what it says—they hang out together, often at work, in bars, apartments, or anywhere, really. They're often found-family films also, and the workplace is central to many of them because sometimes the people you … Continue reading Between the Lines →