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
Tag: Michelle Pfeiffer
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
The First Lady
Sometimes you read a review and think, "How did this person get inside my head?" That was my reaction while back to Doreen St. Félix's review for The New Yorker of the recently concluded first season of the Showtime limited series, The First Lady. For the most part, I share her overall assessment of the … Continue reading The First Lady
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
Honey, I’m Home: Batman Returns at 30
Earlier this week it was Grease 2 turning forty. June is a big release month for epic Michelle Pfeiffer performances and pfilms, so today we celebrate Tim Burton's phantasmagoria of gothic opulance Batman Returns, which turns thirty. In a world full of people willing to claim that the recent The Batman is the greatest Batman … Continue reading Honey, I’m Home: Batman Returns at 30
Still the Coolest Rider: Stephanie Zinone and Grease 2 at 40
We adore certain movies with such fervent, exuberant, out-of-control and infinite love that they feel like an inextricable part of our lives. There is no us without them. I feel this way about quite a few of Michelle Pfeiffer’s movies, and one of them is celebrating its fortieth anniversary today. Grease 2 might’ve been considered … Continue reading Still the Coolest Rider: Stephanie Zinone and Grease 2 at 40






