The Baroness of Barrenness

***** Content warning: infertility ***** Infertility sucks. Obviously, the emotions are infinitely more nuanced than that, but that’s the gist of it. Many people struggle with infertility; an estimated 10-15% of married couples are infertile. Infertility testing is invasive, and treatments are expensive. The stress of the process is intense; relationships have been known toContinue reading “The Baroness of Barrenness”

Quick Hits: May 4

Happy Star Wars day – May the Fourth be with all of you today! The Mummy, starring the delightful Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah, opened on this day in 1999. Oscar-winning actor, humanitarian and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn was born on this day in 1929. Today would have been Paul Gleason’s 82nd birthday.Continue reading “Quick Hits: May 4”

Oscar-palooza, Vol. 2

Continuing my coverage of the Academy Awards, here are some memorable moments from years past. Three winners of the top five awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay): Oscar records: Most nominations for a single movie – 14 Most wins for a single movie – 11: Most nominated individuals: MostContinue reading “Oscar-palooza, Vol. 2”

Quick Hits: April 18

Helen McCrory died Friday at the age of 52, after a long battle with cancer. Perhaps best known for playing Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, she was a formidable theater actress in productions like Macbeth, Twelfth Night, As You Like It and Uncle Vanya. She also portrayed Clair Dowar in Skyfall and AuntContinue reading “Quick Hits: April 18”

Guiltless Pleasures

Initially published in 2021, this post has been edited for clarity. CW: mentions of COVID-19 I’ve always loathed the term “guilty pleasure”. If I enjoy watching/listening to/reading something – and it doesn’t harm anyone else – why should I feel guilty for enjoying it? In the past year, with COVID-19 forcing us to stay atContinue reading “Guiltless Pleasures”

Quick Hits: April 10

Yesterday was the forty-fifth anniversary of the release of All the President’s Men, one of the best movies ever made about American politics and a personal favorite of mine. I read a blurb on Twitter about the film’s use of a split diopter lens, and while I know a good deal about how movies areContinue reading “Quick Hits: April 10”

Happy Rex Manning Day!

This post was originally published in 2021; it has been edited for content and clarity. It’s April 8, which means it’s Rex Manning day! What the heck is Rex Manning day? I’m glad you asked! Empire Records was released in 1995, and it tanked. Critics hated it, and moviegoers went to see Se7en instead. EmpireContinue reading “Happy Rex Manning Day!”