Sunday, August 16, 2009

Come Join the Party!

Hello, Jose here to remind you all that it's Madonna's birthday!

The Queen of pop/ businesswoman/ kabbalist/ mother/ 90's tabloid fodder/ safe sex advocate/ sex advocate/ entrepeneur/ icon is celebrating her 51st birthday today (and with those arms!). But along with everything she's done, many people forget (on purpose mostly...) that she's also an actress/director. The notorious perfectionist has never been able to master the cinematic arts, even if she tries and tries and tries. But since it's her birthday we should acknowledge that not all she's done for the silver screen is bad and since we can't take a holiday to get into the groove with her, here's...

51 Reasons to Celebrate Madonna... in the Movies!

51. Daring to take on a role created by Katharine Hepburn...sort of in Who's That Girl.
50. Her endorsement of Michael Moore.
49. Setting a whole new clothing trend with Desperately Seeking Susan.
48. Her deep love for classic films.
47. Looking cute despite reviews in Shanghai Surprise.
46. She didn't get to play Ginger McKenna in Casino, but we know how that turned out for Sharon Stone.

Madonna & Sean early on... Their birthdays are just one day apart

45. Rupert Everett.
44. She didn't get to play Roberta Guaspari in Music of the Heart, but we know how that turned out for Meryl Streep.
43. The cute anecdote about endorsing Sean Penn's first gay kiss in Milk.
42. The "Vogue" sequence in The Devil Wears Prada.
41. Her delicious line delivery in Dick Tracy.

40. Warren Beatty's cameo in Truth or Dare.
39. She didn't get to play Catwoman in Batman Returns, but we know how that turned out for Michelle Pfeiffer.
38. Dreams of the Chicago that never got made with her as Velma Kelly.
37. She didn't get to play Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys, but we know how that turned out for Michelle Pfeiffer (hmmm am I smelling a thing in the weird fact that the performances she doesn't get end up with Oscar nods...)
36. She didn't get to play Frida Kahlo in Frida, but we know how that turned out for Salma Hayek. She even thanked Madonna, because without her the movie would have never been made.

35. Francis Ford Coppola is a fan of Madge!
34. "Into the Groove" from Desperately Seeking Susan!
33. Her concerts involve video art that make any artsy film flicker in comparison...
32. "Who's That Girl"...the song.
31. That performance of "Sooner or Later" at the Oscars.

30. She didn't get to play Bess McNeill in Breaking the Waves, but we know how that turned out for Emily Watson. It's rumored that Lars von Trier wanted her badly to play this part!
29. "I'll Remember" from With Honors.
28. "This Used to Be My Playground" from A League of Their Own.
27. The Fabier Baron footage from "Erotica" which became an underground documentary of sorts.
26. Introducing us to Adriano Giannini, and his abs, in Swept Away.

25. For being so moving in "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret".
24. Without "Like a Virgin" we'd never have that hilarious prison sequence in the Bridget Jones' sequel.
23....or Jim Broadbent's divine interpretation in Moulin Rouge!.
22. Her homage to Marilyn in "Material Girl".
21. "Crazy For You" from Vision Quest.

20. Making fencing look sexy in Die Another Day.
19. ...and trying to give her cameo some depth by making her a lesbian.
18. Her care for the world as shown in "I Am Because We Are".
17. "Beautiful Stranger" from Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me
16. "Die Another Day" from Die Another Day (does this make her the only artist who's made songs for James Bond and a Bond spoof?)

15. Her decadent Guinness world record from Evita -- most costume changes in a movie -- which had been held before by Liz Taylor in Cleopatra.
14. The original "American Life" video which is more political than anything being done in movies today.
13. She's Gwyneth Paltrow's best friend.
12. Her directorial debut Filth and Wisdom isn't as bad as they say, it has some Richard Lester vibe to it.
11. Playing Madonna in Truth or Dare. Call her what you will but she's a movie star in this one!

10. Reminding us how refreshing the HFPA's choices can be sometimes by winning Best Actress over eventual Oscar winner Frances McDormand in 1996.
9. Both her husbands have been in the movies and are great at their craft...the first one more than the latter, but still...
8. Bringing sexy back to German Expressionism in the "Express Yourself" video.
7. Bringing the musical back, sorta...with Evita and proving she can be a good, award worthy actress when needed.
6. Showing us that documentaries can make profits.
Truth or Dare was huge in its day.

5. Her groundbreaking work with top notch movie directors in her videos.
4. Christopher Walken in the "Bad Girl" video paved the way for his brilliant work in "Weapon of Choice" years later.
3. Her homage to Joan Crawford in "The Power of Goodbye" video.
2. The Luc Besson musical she never got to make inspired "Hung Up" (her greatest single this decade).

1. The video for "Vogue".
It's arguably the greatest music video of all time and its love of cinema is just so evident, it probably encouraged a million people to seek the work of the people she mentions in the interlude. And that is spectacular in every single way!


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17 comments:

NicksFlickPicks said...

Admitting while still at the Golden Globes that Frances McDormand deserved the award more than she did is an extra A+ on her way to 52...

Great list, by the way!

Margot said...

20. Making fencing look sexy in "Die Another Day".

Wasn't that Rosamund Pike?

Juno101 said...

not to mention, they never would of had that great conversation in "Reservoir Dogs" without her song "like a virgin".

BillBill said...

Michael Jackson would have turned 51 this month too. :(

Nice Madonna tribute. Love ya always, Madge!

Glenn Dunks said...

I agree with, basically, all of these. God she's good.

Jack said...

48: Her amazing arms: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/27/article-0-05DAE8B2000005DC-509_468x689.jpg

john said...

Did anyone else know that David Fincher directed the music video for Vogue?

verninino said...

Ahh the Film Experience: better than a cup of Joe to perk you up in the morning.

NATHANIEL R said...

David Fincher also did EXPRESS YOURSELF and OH FATHER. He was quite the Madonna director for awhile.

here's an old post on Fincher & Madonna & his music videos

GREAT LIST JOSE. luvs it.

Jim said...

That's the most padded list I've ever read. Thank goodness she's only 51.

NATHANIEL R said...

jim HA! she's not for everyone but at least you found a silver lining ;)

Sam said...

And, of course, her homage to Marilyn Monroe and Gentlemen Prefer Blonds in her Material Girl video.

I would also list her performance in A League of Their Own which I thought was terrific.

steve said...

What? No love for "Blue in the Face?" :D

great list :)

Unknown said...

I think she has lots of potential. Well, Coppola and Spielberg can make movies for her. She has to be more experimental and less self-conscious to be great. She gave her all in Evita, Dick Tracy and A League of their Own.

Mark said...

her performance in the bad girl video is ace!!! arguably her best performance on film.

David said...

Fantastic list!

Janice said...

A list of Madonna's contributions to the cinema and no mention of A League of Their Own? Seriously? And no mention of that other great Madonna nod in Moulin Rouge, The Diamonds Medley (whereupon two divas - Nicole and Baz - pay homage to two other divas - Madonna and Marilyn.)

I have to agree with your #1 though, that was a great video, even if some of the images were ripped off from older photographs (but then again, most of Madonna's entire career and style has been ripped off - ahem, is a tribute to - something or someone else.)

I don't think you could make Truth or Dare nowadays, and certainly not have it be a moneymaker - not when we have twitter, X17 and other paparazzi video sites, etc.