All About Jess

I’m Jess Ilse, the dame behind Box Office Poisons. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I love everything Old Hollywood.

My gateways into old movies were Audrey Hepburn and Katharine Hepburn back in high school. Today, I’ll watch everything from prestige pictures on all those best-of lists to the worst movie in an actress’s filmography (and probably love it, honestly) and everything in between.

My top five actresses are Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day and Esther Williams. My top five actors are Ray Milland, Rock Hudson, David Niven, Melvyn Douglas and Paul Newman. More of my favourites are here. 

This is my corner of the internet to write about my favourite things about old movies. You'll find everything from film reviews, actor profiles, zany lists, deep dives into Old Hollywood lore, and everything from Kim Novak's affinity for lavender to Esther Williams's failed restaurant; the Official Grace Kelly Fan Club and why the cruise ship from Romance on the High Seas would be my only dream cruise; to celebrating Scorpio season like a professional and more. Some of my greatest hits are featured here.

Regular features here include Apartment Therapy, Summer Under the Stars, and What I Watched; but I'm always looking for new angles on old stars, so keep checking back for new content. 

By day, I work in creative communications and public relations. I’m also a soon-to-be published author! My debut novel, The Majestic Sisters, will be published by Vagrant Press (an imprint of Nimbus Publishing) in Fall 2024.

You can follow me on Twitter @boxofficevenom and Letterboxd @jessailse.

Enjoy!