Vintage Madge - part 2

It's been a few months since I did my first Vintage Madge post, I figured it was about time I did another.

When we last spoke, I finished with the mid-80s. So now we head to the latter half of the decade.

When she made the True Blue album, she was married to Sean Penn. I always hated the look of the True Blue filmclip, although I quite like the song. I think it was the hair. White just doesn't suit her. But, one of my favourite songs from the album was La Isla Bonita:



Live to Tell always depressed the hell out of me. Love Open Your Heart though:



Not to mention, it was the first time the 10-year-old me ever knew of the idea of peep shows! I still hated her hair in the clip, but because the other colours were muted, it wasn't as glaring.

Papa Don't Preach was another single from the album. Meh.

Then she made the film, Who's That Girl. I loved that movie by the way. Oh, her voice annoyed me, but the outfits were delightful. Loved the tutu outfit, and the one with the red skirt and black vinyl top. And then there was Murray (the cougar).



The next major album she made was Like a Prayer. I remember the freakouts about the filmclip. OMG - Jeebus is black! Madonna's hair is brown! Burning crosses! Stigmata!

But my two favourite singles from the album were Express Yourself and Cherish. Although I must admit a soft spot for Dear Jessie. Love Song (the duet she did with Prince) is on this album, but it wasn't a single. Nor was Spanish Eyes or Til Death Do Us Part. I loved all three of these songs.

One of the things I love about Express Yourself (aside from the song itself) is the clip. If you've seen the fantastic film Metropolis, you'll understand what I mean. Plus, wet semi-naked men isn't such a bad thing either!



And Cherish is just so cheerful, you can't help but smile when you hear it.



Until next time...

The world celebrates

Yes people. Today is my birthday .. June 4th this side of the world
and I have adopted that very wonderful practice of celebrating all week. One day a year just isn't enough.

I bought myself a cute little travel computer ... ASUS eee PC all internet and wireless ready.
I bought myself some rather nifty hiking/walking shoes and shamefully expensive socks.
I bought myself some easy pack, easy travel, easy wash and wear trousers.
I bought myself a cute peachy-orange wasp catcher...in glass that will hang in my maple tree and catch the light all summer long.
I picked a restaurant for dinner and I will eat myself silly no matter the cost.


....and I don't even care that today the sun is not shining

So today is all about me and I am posting it here just to make Magic happy.

WTF?

Where the hell is everyone? I demand you post things! FF has an excuse but the rest of you ... shame, shame SHAME!

Movie: Vantage Point

I saw this the other week but totally forgot about it until I was seeing what was to be released tomorrow.

Don't let my lack of immediate posting make you think this was a crap film. Sure, it wasn't spectacular, but it was pretty decent.

Sadly, what was disappointing was how I managed to pick the "twist" within the first 15 minutes of the film and was hanging out to be proved correct.

Basically, it is about the assassination of the US President and aftermath, told from 6 different perspectives (the final also brings together the ends of the other versions).

The execution of the method, while not entirely effective, was still quite good. You learnt a little more about the assassination and the events surrounding it as you saw it from each point of view.

There's not really much more I can say about it. Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, William Hurt and Forrest Whitaker star. Signorney Weaver has a smaller part as a news producer.

Anyway, not a bad film, but just wait until you can see it on DVD.

For Magic B

Movie: The Other Boleyn Girl

I haven't read Phillipa Gregory's novel of the same name and didn't know much of the factual history behind the story except that Henry VIII was fond of chopping people's heads off but I love a good historical romance so this appealed to me.

And it is good! Great in fact!

Reading wiki, the film differs to the book in some respects but it is still a good story. Complicated and a great look at how twisted the intrigues of court life might have been.

It was cast really well, you love to hate the ambitious Anne (Natalie Portman) and your heart goes out to her sister, Mary (Scarlett Johansson). Eric Bana is fabulous as Henry VIII though possibly a little too hot if you take into consideration the typical illustrations of the real Henry VIII. Though the costumes (which I loved!) might account for some of the paunch.

It isn't a true girly movie but it's definitely not my hubby's cup of tea.

Good to see in the cinema but not essential.

3 shishy stars out of 5

Vintage Madge - part 1

Madonna turns 50 this year. So I thought I'd celebrate with a little Friday night YouTube of her back before the children and move to the UK.

First, we have:

Burning Up



Then, the little-known song Gambler (it's not on any of her actual albums, but the soundtrack to Vision Quest aka Crazy for You)



...which brings us to Crazy For You. You cannot have a Vintage Madge special without this song



And then we have Into The Groove. This featured as part of the film Desperately Seeking Susan. At one point in my life I would have been able to repeat all the dialogue for this film. In fact, I bet after about one or two watches now it would probably all come careening back. It actually wasn't a bad flick, probably 'cause Mags wasn't in it all that much!



These are some of the stand outs from her very early years.

Of course, there is Material Girl, and Like A Virgin, Holiday, Lucky Star, Borderline, but they're all done to death.

And if anyone is wondering where the idea for the Material Girl clip was ripped from - I give you Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend*:



And so ends our first visit down the Madge memory lane. Stay tuned for more...




*pink ones, thanks.