The Devil Made Me Do It: Part I

Part one of recollections and remembrances of walking the skeptic’s path. Picture it: the early 1980s, somewhere deep in the leafy suburbs of the northeastern United States. I was a kid going to church semi-regularly with my Catholic parents. This also happened to be the peak years of what became known as the “Satanic Panic.” … Continue reading The Devil Made Me Do It: Part I →

May Queen

In the British Isles and parts of the Commonwealth, “the May Queen” is a personification of the May Day holiday of May 1st, and of the rebirth and renewal of springtime and the coming growing season. So, what does that have to do with the image above of a scorching hot woman in a slinky, form-fitting dress? Nothing, … Continue reading May Queen →

To Michelle on Her 67th Birthday

Today, on our Queen and Savior Michelle Pfeiffer’s 67th birthday, I couldn’t help play off the title of one of her lesser-referenced films, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996). Adapted by Michelle’s hubby David E. Kelley from a play, Gillian centers on a father (Peter Gallagher) and daughter (Claire Danes) still struggling to process … Continue reading To Michelle on Her 67th Birthday →

Michelle Monday

Catwoman debuted in Batman #1, which went on sale April 25, 1940. That means our favorite feline fatale turns 85 this week. Amazingly, she still doesn’t look a day over 30 because, kids, comics! “I am Catwoman…hear me roar.” I love almost every incarnation of Selina Kyle as Catwoman, from comics to screen, over those … Continue reading Michelle Monday →

Five Fabulous Years

Five years ago tomorrow, and one month into a global pandemic, I launched the Starfire Lounge on April 19, 2020 as a tribute to my love of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Susie Diamond and the movie The Fabulous Baker Boys. Of course, this site was always meant to be more than just a place to sing Susie’s … Continue reading Five Fabulous Years →

Bombshells: Peggy Knudsen

Margaret Ann “Peggy” Knudsen (1923–1980) was a Minnesota girl who first ventured to Broadway and then across country for a Hollywood movie career. While she had small and bit parts in several big films, like A Stolen Life and The Big Sleep, Peggy largely carved out a career in B movies, where her midwestern beauty … Continue reading Bombshells: Peggy Knudsen →

Nicole ‘95

In which we remember Nicole Kidman’s white hot ascension in 1995. Nicole Kidman has been “Nicole Kidman” for so long now in the public consciousness that we’ve come to take her extraordinary commitment to screen acting for granted. A recent film of hers, Babygirl is a reminder of just how far she’ll go to commit … Continue reading Nicole ‘95 →