Category Archives: crime

Virginia Madsen in Better Watch Out

Better Watch Out

“Better Watch Out” I smirked to myself as I pulled it off the shelf, thinking I was clever. I’m not very funny, or clever as it turns out, but easily amused if you can’t tell.

This one was never going to be on top of my “to-watch” list. A Christmas Comedy Horror? Yeah, no. Put the words “Christmas Comedy” together in any context, and I’m already half checked out. Add “horror” into the mix, and… No.

But then there’s Virginia Madsen. And this site. So, yeah, here we are. Again.
Virginia Madsen in Better Watch OutReleased in 2016, Better Watch Out is a [ahem] Christmas comedy-horror flick that made some waves in certain circles when it first hit. It didn’t quite break into the mainstream, but it had enough buzz to pique my interest. The film stars Olivia DeJonge as Ashley, a babysitter, and Levi Miller as Luke, her 12-year-old project for the night.

Luke has a bit of a crush on his 17-year-old babysitter, Ashley, and in classic horror-trope style, he’s convinced that with a little setup of a cozy horror movie marathon and “protection” from scary noises outside, he’ll be able to win her over. It’s a cute idea, or creepy, and definitely cringey.

As the plot unfolds, things take a dark turn. Instead of your typical lighthearted teen “romance”, strange things start happening outside the house. It soon becomes clear that things aren’t what they seem. If you’re familiar with the site, you know I’m all about leaving surprises intact. So let’s just say there’s an early twist that changes the whole tone of the story and turns it into something way darker than a typical “home invasion” setup. Virginia Madsen in Better Watch OutIn it’s defence, it’s a Christmas horror film that actually pulls off a fresh take, blending horror, comedy, and psychological thriller in surprisingly balanced doses. And, that’s pretty high praise coming from me with this kind of film.

Virginia Madsen plays Deandra Lerner, Luke’s mother, and while it’s a relatively small role, she makes her presence known in those brief appearances, mainly in the beginning and end. Obviously, with Luke needing a babysitter, Deandra’s offscreen for much of the film, but Virginia brings her usual mix of warmth and just-right suburban-mom vibe, briefly.

No Oscars for anyone here, but thanks to Virginia Madsen, a touch of class.
Virginia Madsen in Better Watch OutFilms like these are never going to change my mind about the whole sub-genre of them – BUT – As I said, this one gets a nod for at least trying to do something different. The twist I didn’t really expect and so maybe a nod, and a smile.

Bah humbug.

Availability:

Good on DVD and Blu-Ray – You shouldn’t have any problems with this one at all.

Trailer:

<    Previous Home Next     >
Virginia Madsen in Monk

Monk

Monk may seem like a bog standard “crime of the week” procedural show on the surface, but it offers so much more. Beneath the crime-solving with a bit of quirky thrown in premise is a properly human portrayal of a man grappling with his own mental health.

The series aired from 2002 to 2009, with Tony Shalhoub in the lead role as Adrian Monk, a private detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While Monk’s OCD is what makes him brilliant as an investigator, the show doesn’t shy away from the darker, more debilitating aspects of his condition. Tony Shalhoub’s portrayal of Monk won him numerous awards, and for good reason. He balances the genius that is Monks with the tragedy of his illness.

Monk’s OCD is both a gift and a curse. Yes, it sharpens his attention to detail, making him an incredible investigator, but the show never treats it like a superpower. Instead, it offers a realistically nuanced portrayal of the emotional toll the disorder takes on him, and those around him. The show’s honest depiction of this struggle is what takes it beyond the typical TV Show formula used here.

While Monk focuses on solving standalone mysteries, there are deeper, long-running arcs that add an emotional weight to the story. Central to the series is Monk’s quest to solve the murder of his wife, Trudy. This mystery haunts him, and despite his investigative genius, the answers always seem just out of reach—until they aren’t. Without giving too much away, the way the show resolves Trudy’s murder is possible on the most satisfying things ever filmed for Television.
Virginia Madsen as T.J. Jensen in Monk, wearing a silky pink blouse and speaking with a concerned expression. Her brown hair is styled in an elegant updo as she converses with a male character in a well-lit office setting.In the show’s eighth and final season we’re introduced to T.K. Jensen, played by Virginia Madsen. T.K. quickly becomes a part of Captain Leland Stottlemeyer’s life in the later seasons. Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), is Monk’s closest ally, often frustrated but always loyal. As a police captain, Stottlemeyer has a tough exterior, but T.K. brings out his softer side.

She’s introduced in “Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk” as a journalist who reviews household appliances, and Stottlemeyer is instantly smitten with her, I mean, yeah – Who wouldn’t be? Right?

We next see Virginia Madsen as T.K. In “Mr. Monk is the Best Man,” she. and Stottlemeyer are preparing to get married, but the dangers of his job begin to take their toll on her. After their home is broken into and a stalker threatens their safety, T.K. has second thoughts about marrying a police captain. With some help from Monk’s assistant, Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), T.K. ultimately decides to go through with the wedding, leading to a beachside marriage.Virginia Madsen as T.J. Jensen in Monk, wearing a black dress with her brown hair in soft curls. She speaks to Tony Shalhoub’s Monk with a warm yet confident expression in an office setting.T.K.’s final appearance comes in “Mr. Monk and the End,” where she remains a supportive presence as Monk finally uncovers the truth about Trudy’s murder. It’s pretty much a blink and you’ll miss it kind of appearance, but a nice touch for the final episode and the wrap up of Stottlemeyer’s story.

Could anyone have played T.K.? – Well, probably if I’m honest, but – it’s always a treat to see Virginia Madsen playing a role in anything.

Her character definitely adds to a show on its final approach to its landing. Most of the heavy lifting happens in her second episode, and she does an excellent job portraying the conflict of someone preparing to marry a man in such a dangerous line of work.
Virginia Madsen as T.J. Jensen in Monk, sitting at a cozy kitchen nook with a smile while reading the San Francisco Chronicle. She wears a plaid shirt, her wavy brown hair framing her face.Virginia Madsen enjoyed her brief time on the show, particularly her more background role. Speaking with The LA Times in their Sunday Conversation section she’d have this to say;

“I don’t necessarily need to be the star. And when you work in an ensemble, it’s exciting and it’s fun and it’s creative, and I work really well as a team. I like the family feeling. “Monk” was like that. There wasn’t any mean competition. There were no divas on the set. It was a real feeling of family. That was another thing we talked about at the beginning: I said we’ve got really young people on this show, and I want you guys to support me in making a family, so I want to do stuff together and I want to bond, and they were like, “Cool.””

I think it’s obvious I’ve a soft spot for Monk and his adventures over the years, and it hardly seems worth bothering to recommend a show with eight years of history before you get to the Virginia Madsen part.

But, if you’re the kind that likes to binge a box set every now and again you can do much worse than this show. Even if you just watch the final season you should get some enjoyment out of it.

Availability:

Good. You can buy individual series on DVD, or treat yourself to the whole thing.

Gallery:

Trailer:

<    Previous Home Next     >
Virginia Madsen in The Practice

The Practice – Season 6 – Episodes 1 and 2 – “The Candidate”

The Practice is a TV Show that was on air from 1997 to 2004. It’s a Legal drama and centres around the good people of Boston working for a Law Firm. During its early years it’d win an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and it would go on to spawn a spin off series, Boston Legal, which ran from 2004 to 2008. Both of these shows would be the brainchild of David E. Kelley who was also responsible for bringing the other famous Boston Lawyer, Ally McBeal to our screens and the whole thing was a “shared universe” before they became popular.

While it was on air The Practice was well known for pulling in high profile guest stars, many of these guest slots would be awarded with a prestigious Emmy Award afterwards. You’ve got the likes of Sharon Stone, William Shatner, Viola Davis, Donnie Whalberg and Gina Gershon to name but a very few who’ve thrown their hats in The Practices ring.Virginia Madsen as Marsha Ellison in The Practice, wearing a light purple robe with a solemn expression. Her damp hair frames her face as she looks intently at someone off-camera in a dimly lit room.I won’t pretend to have watched it all, in fact any of it apart from the episodes featuring Virginia Madsen, it’s just not my type of show. Like CSI: Miami and Law and Order, these kinds of shows just don’t do anything for me.

Virginia Madsen would guest star in two episodes in 2001’s sixth season in a story called “The Candidate”. They’d form the first two episodes of the season and would first air at the end of September that year.

The story of The Candidate revolves around Senator Keith Ellison (Dylan Baker), he’s found by Ellenor Frutt (Camryn Manheim) after he calls her to his home. He’s not in a good way, he’s covered in blood and stood near the body of a man. The Senator claims he was defending his wife, Marsha (Virginia Madsen) from an attack, but it soon turns out that the man in question was actually having an affair with Marsha.

The waters are muddied. Or, bloodied if you will.
Virginia Madsen as Marsha Ellison in The Practice, wearing a black blazer and pearl earrings. She has a serious, emotional expression as she looks intently off-camera in a dimly lit setting.Virginia Madsen does her thing in this as you’d almost expect. We’re not in Emmy territory here, but that’s not to say she’s dialling things in either. She does her earnest angry woman thing, and does it well. You can see her in eyes her true feelings throughout the episode. It’s a shame we don’t get to some more from her in this role, but it’s what the character needs to be.

I’ve already said this kind of thing isn’t for me, so hard for me to recommend as obviously there is an audience for this kind of show. I guess you’ll already know if it’s one for you or not.

Availabilty:

Hard to find on DVD, despite earlier, and later season being available. Hate it when they do that. It can be found on various streaming sites though like Apple and Plex so you can watch it that way at least.

Trailer:

Not for the actual episode…

<    Previous Home Next     >
Virginia Madsen in The Rainmaker

The Rainmaker

1997’s The Rainmaker is quite an important film in the career of Virginia Madsen, it’s the one that most would and will remember as bringing her back into the acting limelight properly. It’s only a small role to be fair, but a damn good one.

The Rainmaker is an adaption of John Grishams novel of the same name from 1995, it’s directed by Francis Ford Coppola and features some proper Hollywood heavyweights such as Matt Damon, Jon Voight, Micky Rourke and Roy Scheider among others.

The Rainmaker however, might not have been another solid hit Hollywood was hoping for. There isn’t anything wrong with the film as such, it’s just not the most exciting film out there with its focus on the courtroom more than anything else.

The story follows Rudy (Matt Damon) as he battles for justice for a young man whose Insurance Company denied him the money for a life saving bone marrow transplant which could have saved his life in a battle against leukaemia.

The Insurance Company in question, Great Benefit, tries to defend its practices and policies against Rudy but the deeper he digs, the more shady practices come to light.

No great surprise there then.
Virginia Madsen as Jackie Lemancyzk in The Rainmaker, sitting on a motel bed wearing a dark coat, holding a cigarette, appearing anxious or distressed.As I mentioned earlier, Virginia Madsen has a small role in this film, well, small in size, perhaps not in consequence to the overall story.

She plays Jackie Lemanczyk, a woman who used to work for Great Benefit who turns on her former employer and takes on the role of a whistleblower. Her arrival in the film comes at a pivotal moment and her testimony in the case is crucial to the outcome.

Obviously I’ll avoid spoilers here, but the outcome of it all won’t come as any great surprise to anyone.
Virginia Madsen as Jackie Lemancyzk in The Rainmaker, seated on a courtroom witness stand, looking tense and uncomfortable while giving testimony.It’s only a small role for our heroine, but, an important one in her career I think. Her performance here is spot on. At the time of this movie she wasn’t exactly in the limelight and she was amongst some fine actors. Not that she couldn’t hold her own, at all – BUT – What she didn’t do was over perform. She brings a reality to the character of Jackie. A weary woman who has battled her own morals and fought her own demons, not said things she she should have said, and has reached down into her soul to finally say what needs saying.

Which. Seems kind of dramatic when I put it like that, but… It is what it is.

The Rainmaker came at an odd time in Virginia Madsen’s career. At this point, Virginia Madsen had already experienced the highs and lows of Hollywood. She’d reached a high in her career in the early 90’s with films like The Hot Spot and Candyman, but the years following some would consider challenging, with fewer roles coming her way.
Virginia Madsen as Jackie Lemancyzk in The Rainmaker, seated in a courtroom witness box giving emotional testimony, with the judge watching closely in the background.By the mid-’90s, she was a new mother and had stepped back from acting to focus on her family. It wasn’t until her son was a little older that she began exploring roles again. On hearing this she was asked by Francis Ford Coppola himself to audition for The Rainmaker and has often spoke fondly of her experience, and gratitude for the film. Speaking with outclique.com she has this to say;

“I learned an incredible amount about acting from Francis Ford Coppola. Because I didn’t go in to the audition nervous, they gave me the role. He trusted that I would be tough enough to go through it and not be destroyed. I think a lot of these directors see a strength in me; they know I can go the distance.“

The Rainmaker might not have done as well as it could have or should have, but as fans of Virginia Madsen we should all be thankful for it, and maybe for that reason alone it belongs in all of our collections.

Availabilty:

Good. Another one you won’t have any trouble finding. In most countries it’s easier to get hold of the DVD over the Blu-Ray, but it’s one of those films that will probably end up getting a boutique release at some point or another.

Gallery:

Trailer:

<    Previous Home Next     >
virginia madsen in law and order SVU

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, not my kind of thing at all. Like CSI: Miami before it, I’ve zero interest in this kind of Police Procedural show. Only one thing would get me to voluntarily watch it, Virginia Madsen.

Thankfully, it’s not as though I’ve never seen this one as it’s one my better halves favourite shows. And, there’s a LOT of it. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit has been around for years, in fact at the time of writing it’s the fourth longest running US show, ever.

Well, I say thankfully – Law and Order SVU deals with the worst of the worst sex based cases it can possibly get away with on TV, I’m sure. I mean, don’t get me wrong – I’m no prude and can fully enjoy and appreciate the worst of the horror films out there. But, something about the subject matter of this TV show doesn’t sit right with me and I’d rather not spend an hour or so a week watching it and calling it ‘entertainment’.
Virginia Madsen as Beth Anne Rollins in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, seated at a restaurant table in an elegant setting. She wears a pink off-the-shoulder dress and a pearl necklace, smiling warmly while engaged in conversation with another woman. The softly lit background features other diners and a refined ambiance.But. Having said that, it does do its storytelling with a great deal of tact and empathy, it deals with some harsh subjects sometimes and like it or not, this is the world we live in. And, if my Wife likes it then it must be doing something right as she’s as tough an audience as it gets.

It’s a long running show, I’m not even going to try and explain the stories and threads that do run though the thing as I’d most likely spend a lot (a LOT) of time talking about the things you don’t care about. And I’d do it badly as I’m not a fan of the show.

So, onto the main event.
Virginia Madsen as Beth Anne Rollins in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, standing in a warmly lit room while talking on a pink phone. She wears a floral blouse with sheer sleeves and a delicate necklace. Behind her, wooden shutters with star-shaped cutouts and white blinds add to the rustic decor. She has a calm and pleasant expression.Virginia Madsen appears in the 6th Episode of the 17th Season in an episode called “Maternal Instincts”. She plays the role of Beth Anne Rollins, the mother of one of the series regular characters, Amanda Rollins. The role would only be filled once for the screen but receive off screen mentions in later episodes, which is a bit of a rip off if you ask me.

In the episode, we see Beth arrive to throw a baby shower for Amanda – BUT – By sheer coincidence and bad luck, it’s also the time when one of the suspects of the case the team are working on turns out to be Amanda’s sister, Kim who has been MIA for a while from Amanda’s life.

Amanda sees her sister on CCTV footage but hides it from everyone else. She soon realises that it’s awfully funny that her sister and her Mother are back in town, and well… You can do the math from there.

Virginia Madsen’s role here isn’t going to knock anyone off their socks. She’s always impressive but this is a role we’ve seen her play many times before and no doubt she could do it in her sleep. I guess there is only so much you can do with a guest role in a long running established thing like this.
Virginia Madsen as Beth Anne Rollins in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, engaged in an intense conversation with another character in a courthouse. She wears a professional tweed jacket with a black trim, her expression serious and determined. The background features a large window with a grid pattern, allowing natural light to illuminate the space, while a man in a suit sits behind them, adding to the legal settingBy the 17th Season of the show I guess you should already know if you’re a fan or not. It’s hard for me to recommend this other than “if you like this kind of thing then this is one of the best you can hope for”.

Availability:

The 17th Season is easy to find on DVD and for a relatively cheap price.

Gallery:

Trailer:

Well, not for the actual episode but…

<    Previous Home Next     >
virginia madsen in elementary

Elementary

Elementary is a TV show that was shown on CBS from 2012 to 2019. It was an update on the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories based upon Sherlock Holmes.

Jonny Lee Miller would play Sherlock and Lucy Liu would gender shift the traditionally male of Watson to become Joan Watson. Other shifts in the Sherlock mythos would be updated which would either be well received by fans or turn people off the show completely.

Fortunately, more people didn’t mind the changes than did and the show managed to survive or a respectable 154 episodes over seven seasons.

The show itself presented itself as a typical Police procedural type drama with Holmes and Watson being drafted in to help on cases at the discretion of Police Captain Thomas Gregson (Aidan Quinn)

Virginia Madsen would join the show in the fifteenth episode of the fourth season, “Up to Heaven and Down To Hell”, as Paige Cowan, a former Police Detective who becomes romantically involved with Captain Gregson. Virginia Madsen as Paige Cowan in Elementary, sitting at a dimly lit bar or restaurant, engaged in an intense conversation with a man across from her. She wears a stylish patterned blouse and has a confident yet serious expression. A glass of wine sits in front of her, adding to the intimate and tense atmosphere of the scene.From there Virginia would appear in two more episodes, once more in the fifth season episode “Render, then seize her” and the second episode of the seventh and final season in the episode “Gutshot”.Virginia Madsen as Paige Cowan in Elementary, standing outside a bookstore on a cold day, dressed in a stylish black coat, gloves, and a patterned scarf. She carries a navy blue handbag and has a composed yet slightly apprehensive expression as she looks toward two approaching men. The scene captures a moment of anticipation and quiet tensionUnfortunately the character of Paige would never really live up to her potential, or to the talents of Virginia Madsen, which is a shame but I guess it’s how these things go, especially in TV.

This would be Virginia’s second time working with Jonny Lee Miller, both having previously starred in the short lived Smith TV show, though this time in very different roles for them both. And, also she previously worked with Aidan Quinn in the magically themed The Last Keepers a few years before. Like a little happy reunion on set then.

Availability:

Good, easily available on DVD in both Region 1 and 2, and probably all the rest you can think of.

Gallery:

Trailer:

<    Previous Home Next     >
virginia madsen in hell on wheels

Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels is an AMC Television Production which chronicles a mobile encampment of the Union Pacific Railroad as they built the railroad across the Great Plains in the US of A. The name of the TV show got it’s name from the encampment, so, you know – Nice place to work.

The show blends fact and fiction, some of the characters in the show existed as real life flesh and blood, the others not. It aired between 2011 and 2015.

Hell on Wheels mainly follows Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), who is a fictional character and portrayed as an ex Confederate Cavalry Colonel out for revenge for the murder of his wife and his son. Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney)  is the man in charge of the operation, and who was an actual person, but Hell on Wheel uses his name only, his portrayal is fictionalised. He’s a businessman who doesn’t let much stand in his way and recognises that Cullen could be an asset, as such, Cullen joins up with the Union Pacific Railroad as way to fund his own mission, and is hired to supervise the team preparing the ground for the new tracks.

Virginia Madsen joins the show for four episodes in the second season. She plays Hannah Durant, an ex wife of Thomas. Again, Hannah is based upon an actual person but her antics are made up for the show. She first rocks up for a brief appearance in the first episode before finishing out her run on episodes 8, 9 and 10, the final ones of the season.
virginia madsen in hell on wheelsI won’t lie, I didn’t watch much of this TV Show, I’ve no interest in Westerns as a rule and although I do like Colm Meaney as an actor it wasn’t enough to make me sit down and watch it.

I did however make a go of the second season. Which, wasn’t easy all things considered and I did find myself playing with my phone more often than I’d have liked.

That said, I did half enjoy what I saw. Virginia Madsen, as always, is a delight to watch as she chews up the scenery, obviously having some fun with her period character and giving it a modern no nonsense spin.
virginia madsen in hell on wheelsIt probably helped that she was a fan of show before she landed her role, speaking on the AMC site in a Q&A she said; “I’m a big fan of Colm Meaney, Anson Mount is one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen in my life and a really good actor. I know I shouldn’t objectify him because he’s such a good actor, but really, ladies, really? I’m a history buff, and so I knew who the Durants were, although there’s not much about [Hannah]. I just thought, “Oh, that’s going to be really interesting, especially the conflict with the fair-haired maiden of the West.” I just loved the idea that I would come and stir the pot.“virginia madsen in hell on wheelsHard for me to recommend this one as I didn’t watch it, but, as I said – What I did see was better than I expected so if you’re into this kind of thing and you haven’t seen it then it might be worth your time, as a Virginia Madsen fan it’s good to watch her have some fun with a role.

Availability:

This was actually easier to find than I anticipated – Quite easy on both Region 1 and 2 DVD. Episodes are available on both Amazon Prime and Googleplay.

Gallery:

Trailer:

<    Previous Home Next     >
virginia madsen in hatfields and mccoys

Hatfields & McCoys

The History Channel had a little success with a TV mini series in 2012 based on the Hatfield & McCoy feud of the mid to late 1800’s. Because of this NBC decided they wanted to a slice of the Western pie and as a part of that, they commissioned a pilot for a new story based in the modern day. They would call that TV Show Hatfields and McCoys.

Never heard of it? No, probably not – And, that’s probably more down to the fact it never got past the pilot stage and was never shown on TV.

The idea of the show was that the feud continued on to the present day and the families are still very much at war with one another. Which, isn’t actually the case at all – The families fighting history is pretty much a tourist attraction now.

The premise being that in the modern day a sudden death in the McCoy family is blamed on the Hatfields and, well, you can probably take an educated guess on the rest.
virginia madsen in hatfields and mccoysHatfields and McCoys had the right pedigree to be a success, Charlize Theron threw her stetson into the ring as one of the producers. The casting wasn’t too shabby, Virginia Madsen was to take the lead as Eloise McCoy, the matriarch of the family (I’ll refrain from commenting about Virginia in this kind of role). Other members of the McCoy family would be played by Sophia Bush as Emma, Jesse Lee Soffer as Patrick, Luciana Carro as Treena and Patrick Flueger as Jack.

There was no slouching on the Hatfields side either, Rebecca De Mornay was set to play Mary Hatfield, James Remar as Joe and Annie Ilonzeh as Shannon.

But, it wasn’t enough for NBC and they ultimately decided to take a pass on the show and didn’t order any more episodes.

All is not completely lost though as the unaired version of the pilot did eventually make it to the internet so at least we can see what we missed out on, unlike Babylon Fields which has yet to see the light of day.
virginia madsen in hatfields and mccoysIt isn’t too bad – A bit generic, perhaps. Virginia Madsen pretty much took on the same kind of role that she had in Scoundrels, and I was really reminded of that more than once with Patrick  Flueger on screen with Virginia once again. Nice to see, I’ve a lot of time for Patrick but perhaps this one was a little close to home.

Availability:

Pretty good, for now at least…

<    Previous Home Next     >
Virginia Madsen in Firewall

Firewall

Firewall. Firewall. Firewall. Where to start?

At the beginning, I guess.

Firewall is a 2006 thriller film, it’s a tech heist kind of movie that was popular at the time, for a short while at least.

Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) is the Chief of Security at a Bank in Seattle. He’s forced into helping criminal Bill Cox (Paul Bettany) into transferring money from his bank into his offshore accounts.

Jack, of course, want’s no part of this but Bill has taken his wife Beth (Virginia Madsen) and his two kids hostage in their home so he’s forced into going along with his plan, but he constantly looks for ways out of the situation.
Virginia Madsen as Beth Stanfield in Firewall, lying in bed with her two children. She smiles gently while tucking them in, illuminated by soft, warm lighting in a dimly lit bedroom.And, yeah. It’s a film that we’ve seen in one form or another many, many times over the years. Firewall brings nothing to the table and ends up being just another formulaic film which hits all the right notes at the right points until it finishes in exactly the way you think it’s going to end.

Virginia’s part in the movie is disappointing. It was her first outing on the big screen since  2004s smash film Sideways, and I won’t lie – I was pretty chuffed to hear she was going to be in a big movie starring alongside Harrison Ford, THE Harrison Ford.

But, how quickly that waned.

It’s another movie where she doesn’t have a great deal to do, anybody could have been his wife. I mean, she does her best to play the scared Wife and Mother in the whole situation, that much is evident. But, it’s another one where she’s wasted. Putting her in a role like this, of course you’re going to get quality but, come on, she deserves more.

She can’t, of course, save a bad movie, especially being underused like she is here. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a terrible movie, I sat through the rewatch so that’s a good thing. But, it’s far from a great one. It’s a no brainer film, popcorn fodder at most.
Virginia Madsen as Beth Stanfield in Firewall (2006), standing in front of a rain-streaked window. She wears a dark hoodie and looks over her shoulder with a concerned expression, surrounded by potted plants in a warmly lit kitchen.Speaking about the movie while on the promotional tour with radiofree.com she seemed to have fun making the movie at least, at least working with Harrison Ford, well… And kissing the (lucky) fella at least.

“Yeah. I kind of snuck that in there. He didn’t know I was going to do it. [laughs] And plus it was my first day, and that was the scene, so I just thought, “Well, I’ll go for it.” And I did!

I didn’t plan it, but I just thought, “Well, we don’t have any opportunity to embrace in this movie.” And I wanted to see a marriage. I didn’t want to just be the screen wife in the background. And he didn’t want me to be that way, either. He really fought for every human moment that I had in this movie so that I wasn’t reduced to that. And my hat’s off to him, because he gave that to me. This was my first time in many, many years being in a studio picture. And it was my first time being on a movie this big. So I didn’t want to make waves, I guess. I didn’t feel intimidated, I just wanted to observe, and I don’t know that I would have been as demonstrative as I usually can be on a set with moments that I want as an actor. I think I would have just been like, “That’s cool…” But he stepped up for me.”

I’d like to say it’s worth a watch, but it’s not something you should go out of your way to see. I probably wouldn’t have bothered watching it again if it wasn’t for this project. I wasn’t even sure if I’d make it to the end when it started playing in the machine.

If you’re bored and flicking through the channels and it’s on, then keep it on, watch it for what it is without expecting too much and you’ll be fine.

Availability:

Good. Easy to find on DVD and Blu-Ray, and for cheap. It’s on streaming channels depending on your location.

Gallery:

Trailer:

<    Previous Home Next     >
virginia madsen in bitter vengeance

Bitter Vengeance

Bitter Vengeance is a TV Movie from 1994, it’s a Thriller and, for fans of Virginia Madsen it’s actually got a bit of a twist, sort of.

Jack (Bruce Greenwood) works as a Security Guard for a bank and part of Jack’s job is to dispose of old money at the bank. But, unhappy with this lot in life he comes up with a plan to steal it instead so that he can run off with the Bank Teller he’s been having an affair with, Isabelle (Kristen Dalton (credited as Kristen Hocking)) and fake his own death to help get away with the crime.

And the twist?

Well, for once Virginia Madsen’s character, Annie, is the victim. (OK, not exactly a twist but for this kind of movie at this point in her career, it kind of is.)
In Bitter Vengeance, Virginia Madsen stars as Annie Westford, a woman caught in a deadly game of deception and revenge. As the stakes rise, she must outmaneuver those who seek to control her fate.Jack plans on framing Annie for the theft, and his death while he runs off into the sunset and a new life.

And, for a while at least it looks like his plan might just work.

Of course, we know Annie is innocent but she has to prove it to the rest of the characters in the film.

Now. If all of this seems just a little familiar, then you’re right. But you can be excused, Bruce Greenwood did also star in Double Jeopardy, a film where his character (Nick) commits a crime so he pulls a disappearing act leaving his wife Libby (Ashley Judd) to get the blame for his murder while he goes off into a new life.

But, Bitter Vengeance did it first with Double Jeopardy coming out in 1999.

Which did it better? Well, in all honesty I’d argue Bitter Vengeance, even though it’s a lower budget TV movie without Tommy Lee Jones. And, if you do want to see Virginia Madsen and Tommy Lee Jones together on screen then you can always check out the rather excellent Gotham.
Virginia Madsen as Annie Westford in Bitter Vengeance, wearing a dark coat over a blue shirt, standing in a dimly lit room and speaking to a man partially visible in the foreground.Bitter Vengeance is a competent enough film, it’s obviously made for TV, it just has that vibe to it. But it throws its punches well enough and the casting of all the roles is spot on.

Virginia plays the victim well, she must have learnt well from the other actor’s on the receiving end of her normal roles. It’s actually quite fun to see, especially as I rewatched this in the middle of all her other 90’s roles.

Bitter Vengeance also reunites Virginia Madsen with Tim Russ who she starred with in the 80’s classic (?) Fire with Fire, and would also work with again in Star Trek: Voyager further down the line.

Availability:

Nope. You can find a copy on YouTube but it’s low quality (See the captures). Other than that you’re out of luck.

Gallery:

Trailer:

Nope.

<    Previous Home Next     >