Category Archives: documentary

Battling Darkness

Battling Darkness is a documentary from 2013 which takes a look at the way the church deals with Exorcisms and how they’re portrayed by Hollywood on film.

Virginia Madsen was listed as taking part, I’ve half an interest in this kind of thing anyways and so naturally I was interested and found a copy, and…

… Well, let’s just say if I’d found a copy just for Virginia Madsen I might be a tad disappointed.

Which is to say, yes, she takes part in it… Just, not for very long. At all.

Battling Darkness is a 48 minute 2013 documentary that gets at spiritual warfare; the kind that’s about demons, exorcists, theology, and psychologists and all without pretending it’s anything but framed in a Christian worldview

It opens with a premise: the “visage of Satan” all but died before The Exorcist landed in 1973, and since Linda Blair’s possession, the world’s been obsessed with evil as both spectacle and reality.From there, we get quick cuts and talking heads. Psychologists, Exorcists, Pastors, and Linda Blair herself, all asking “is what Hollywood shows is Biblical or just sensationalism at its finest?”

They trot out the usual suspects for this kind of thing: Tony Campolo, Neil Anderson, Hank Hanegraaff, plus a Vatican certified exorcist, Father Gary Thomas And yeah, they toss in psychology, ask questions about possession versus mental illness, but the answer inevitably steers back to spiritual warfare as fact, not metaphor.

The trailer promises “examined with objectivity and insight”, but the lineup makes the tone clear: this is less “balanced academic inquiry” and more “Christian voices explaining the spiritual realm.”

(if you are reading between the lines here and thinking this kind of thing is wasted on me, then you’re right)

So what does it deliver?

If you’re already inclined to believe that demons are real, it’s a tidy little package: half-hour, familiar faces talking at you (note, not to you), some clips of exorcisms, a handful of psychologists for spice and seasoning.

You’re not getting peer reviewed studies or push back from prominent secular psychiatrists, this is all about getting you confirmation.

It’s what it says it is. No surprise reveals, no ideological sleight of hand.

If you walk in expecting clinical nuance, you’ll leave bored and / or annoyed by the absence of rigorous skepticism.

If you’re deep into evangelical spirituality or curious about what Christians consider spiritual warfare, it hits the expected notes. SURPRISE!

Virginia Madsen’s input is minimal, a quick comment on how dark The Exorcist is as a film, and that’s about the only contribution she makes to the whole thing – It’s a bit bizarre she’s in it at all, but… There we go.

Worth watching? Only if this is your lane. Long enough to provoke thought, short enough not to overstay its welcome.

Just don’t mistake it for a forensic or medical investigation.

It’s faith first, questions second which is comforting if that aligns with your worldview, frustrating if not.

As you may have guessed – I’ve little time for this kind of fluff – I don’t mind more balanced approaches, but things like this only serve to reinforce a view that already exists and either way, are a complete waste of time.

Availability:

You can find it on YouTube, and other places – I’ve not found it anywhere to buy though.

Trailer:

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Metropolis

Metropolis was a TV Travel Guide style Documentary that ran on the Travel Channel in 2015 for a total of 6 episodes, Virginia Madsen would feature in 3 of them;

Episode 1: Manhatten
Episode 2: San Francisco
Episode 5: Paris

Well. I say “featured” – She was in them at least. And, not for very long each time and in each episode she wears the exact same thing…

So. Yeah – If you’ve even seen a Travel Guide style Documentary from the Travel Channel, or indeed any of the Discovery documentaries, then you can kind of guess what this is.

For the uninformed – They’re little puff pieces which highlight an area, and then some places to go see in those areas. They aren’t a bad thing but you aren’t going to learn much from them either.

Various celebrities will talk about various places and generally be nice about the place they’re talking about.

Quick cuts, B-Roll footage, Voice overs – That kind of thing.

Is it worth tracking down?

Well. I did…

BUT – Not especially if you’re just casually interested.

As an example of how things are going to go if or when you watch it, in the first episode we learn that Virginia Madsen things the Bagels taste better than anywhere else in the world thanks to the water.

As always, I’ll avoid spoilers and not ruin the rest of them for you 🙂

Availability:

You can find it streaming, but it seems to be Geo-locked everywhere I found it, so depending on your location you need a VPN to watch it.

Trailer (for the Manhattan episode):

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Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies

The Hearst and Davies Affair was one of Virginia Madsen’s earliest screen roles, a CBS made for TV movie dramatising the high-profile relationship between newspaper titan William Randolph Hearst and silent screen actress Marion Davies.

Virginia Madsen played the young Marion Davies who was just 19 when she became involved with the 53 year old William Randolph Hearst. The portrayal was earnest, but also tainted and coloured by the tabloid narrative that had long surrounded the couple.

The film, like many Hollywood dramatisations, takes liberties with the facts. It’s long been acknowledged, even by those involved, that it’s not exactly a historically accurate retelling.

Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies, is a TCM produced Documentary that attempts to set the record straight. Narrated by Charlize Theron and directed by Hugh Munro Neely, the documentary takes another look at the Marion Davies legacy through archival footage, interviews, and the personal accounts and recollections of those who knew her.

The documentary opens with a bold premise: much of what we thought we knew about Marion Davies is wrong, with much of that blame falling squarely on Orson Welles’s 1941 masterpiece, Citizen Kane.

Despite Orson Welles’ insistence that the character of Susan Alexander Kane was not based on Davies, the public drew clear parallels.

And so did Randolph Hearst himself; he’d attempt to prevent the film’s release by threatening exhibitors and pulling advertising from media outlets associated with RKO Pictures who were responsible for bringing the film to screen.

That reaction, and the media storm it provoked, unfortunately stuck.

Marion Davies was dismissed for decades as a vapid chorus girl turned mistress, with little artistic value beyond her proximity to power. But this Documentary aims to restore her reputation back to where it belongs.
One of the documentary’s more poignant touches comes from Virginia Madsen herself, who appears on camera to reflect on her 1985 portrayal. She openly admits to playing Davies as “a brainless bimbo,” unaware at the time of how wrong that characterisation was.

Her candor is disarming, and her admiration for Davies is clear, not only as a performer but as a woman misunderstood by history. She clearly has strong feelings about the whole thing and there is a noticeable touch of regret in her voice.

The Documentary also features interviews with film historian Jeanine Basinger, author Fred Lawrence Guiles (whose 1972 biography Marion Davies remains a key text), director George Sidney, and longtime friend Belinda Victor Holiday.

These voices give a more balanced account of Davies’ life and through personal stories shine a light on her many talents, her comedic timing, her philanthropy, and her resilience.

What I did like about the Documentary was that it also doesn’t shy away from her flaws: her alleged affairs, her dependency on alcohol in later years, and her complex relationship with Randolph Hearst are all examined. She certainly isn’t put on a pedestal in any of it. It’s not about that. All of these negative aspects are contextualized and grounded in what it must have been like for the human being we never got to see, and has now been mostly lost to time.

Personally, I found the whole thing way more interesting than I thought I would. I went in knowing only what I’d picked up from The Hearst and Davies Affair and what I’d read around that, and came out with a very different perspective. I’d seen / read Virginia Madsen express her regrets before about her part in the film but perhaps not realised, or appreciated, how deep that misportrayal went.

If even half of what the documentary argues is true, Marion Davies was shortchanged by almost everyone. Critics, Gossip Columnists and even Film Historians.

For decades.

The real tragedy may be that Marion Davies’ talents were overshadowed by a media obsessed with scandal. She was one of the most gifted comedic actresses of her time, praised by contemporaries like William Haines and King Vidor, yet most remember her as Hearst’s kept woman.

Like many Hollywood women then, and sadly even now, Marion Davies didn’t always get to control the narrative.

That’s a legacy this documentary helps to challenge and put the story straight

If you’re interested in old Hollywood, media history, it’s well worth tracking down, even if it’s just a jumping on point for you.

Availability:

It’s on DVD, and it comes with one of Marion Davies films on it from 1927, “Quality Street” as a bonus.

If you can find it. I had to order it a few times before a copy actually turned up.

Trailer:

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I Know a Woman Like That

I Know a Woman Like That is a 2009 Documentary from both Elaine and Virginia Madsen. An actual Documentary this time, not like Being Michael Madsen from a few years before.

Virginia Madsen is of course best known for her acting (duh!), but here we see a different take on her through the lives of a personal project to celebrate older women. It’s something that highlights the lives of women who came before, and the ones who continue to live their lives with creativity and a sense of being.

It’s not got the highest of budgets, some parts of it feel particularly homemade, and other parts of it clearly are. But that just adds to the charm.
It mostly takes shape in the form of a series of interviews performed by both Elaine and Virginia with women like Eartha Kitt, Lauren Hutton and Gloria Steinem among the most iconic. They talk about ageing, but not in a bad way. About the things they’ve learned that only comes with living so long, and more importantly the wisdom that comes with it.

And, as a fan, one of the best parts of the whole thing comes at the end when Mother and Daughter sit down for a candid chat about it all themselves.It’s an important piece of film-making, I think. It highlights the other side of age, the one that doesn’t really get talked about. Women in industries are continually overlooked for reasons that should be long gone by now. Hearing these women’s stories shines a light both on how far they’ve come, but also how much further they’ve got left to go.

I’m keeping this one relatively short, I could go into more detail about it all but it’s something that you’re either going to be interested in, or you’re going to dismiss as some kind of side project – And this site after all is more about the career of Virginia Madsen.

It’s worth checking out for many reasons, as a fan it’s primary interest is to see a more candid side of Virginia, much like it was nice to see in The Dog Whisperer. A glimpse behind the curtain for us mere mortals if you will.

Availability:

Can be found on DVD, if you look – Not often I’ve seen it come up but I’ve snagged a copy on DVD and have seen it other times on my travels

Trailer:

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Give Me an A

Give Me an A is a film born out of necessity. It’s not a film that has been years in the making or a script that’s been bouncing around Hollywood for a decade.

[ahem] Before I go any further, let me make it clear: this isn’t a space to debate the political implications of what I say next. This film is a direct response to one of the most heated legal and media debates of the last few years. I fully support the film-makers’ right to express their outrage and defend their stance, but I’m not interested in engaging in conversation about it here. [/ahem]

With that said, let me give you some background on the film:

Roe vs. Wade was a landmark Supreme Court decision made in 1973, recognising a woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion without excessive government interference. It established that women had the right to make personal decisions about their reproductive health, particularly during the first trimester, and it set a legal precedent that protected those rights for nearly 50 years.

The problem?

Roe vs. Wade was overturned in June 2022. For millions of American women, it felt like a slap in the face. A basic human right, to be crystal clear – a freedom over one’s own body – was taken away. To say that this left people in shock is an understatement.

Reactions were varied, but one woman, Natasha Halevi, knew how she wanted to respond. Using her creativity and art, she set out to make a film that tackled the enormity of the decision.

And thus, Give Me an A was born. Conceived and completed in just three months, the film had its first release at the end of September 2022. Quite the impressive feat.

Give Me an A is an anthology film, made up of 16 short films woven into a single narrative. Each short uses a different genre, but the theme remains the same: women’s rights and what it means to have their reproductive rights stripped away. These stories explore where we’ve been, where we are, and where a decision like this could lead.

Breaking up these shorts is a group of cheerleaders. But these aren’t the stereotypical, bubbly cheerleaders you might expect. At the start, they seem happy-go-lucky, but as the films play out, you can see their demeanour shift. They go from passive, excited spectators to determined young women, warriors, even. By the end of the film, there’s no doubt that these girls aren’t here to play.

Virginia Madsen plays their coach, guiding them through this emotional transformation. She’s barely on screen, but her presence still matters. Normally, I might call this a waste of her talent, but in this project, nothing goes to waste. Every contribution feels deliberate and meaningful.
It’s an odd film, but a necessary one. The messaging is clear for all. I would hope at least. But here’s where I have my doubts; the people who need to see this most probably won’t watch it. They’re often complicit in their own ignorance, and that’s a real shame. Each short is designed to make people think about what’s right and wrong, but the people that support this film will likely already be on the side of women’s rights.

That said, I believe the film absolutely needs to exist. It’s a beacon of solidarity for the countless women out there who need to know they aren’t alone in their frustrations.

In many ways, this is a film that shouldn’t need to exist. But here we are. I could rant about why that is, but I won’t. And, trust me, I’ve already moderated myself quite a bit while writing this.

Would I recommend this film? All day long to those who should, or need, to see it.

Availability:

Not as great as it should be. It’s available on some VOD channels and as a Blu Ray release courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome.

Trailer:

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The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan

This is something different. The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. I originally saw this when it aired on a random TV channel in the UK, many, many years ago now. I was going through the guide when I saw Virginia Madsen’s name mentioned and hit the record button. I had no idea it was actually available to buy on DVD until a saved eBay search for “virginia madsen” found it for me.

The show is based around Cesar Millan (obviously) who helps Dogs that need, well, help. Normally some kind of behavioural / training thing that their Human doesn’t approve of, or if the dog is scared of something etc etc.

I should point out that I LOVE Dogs, I’m very much a dog person, I’m the one that will almost stop and say hello to a friendly Dog when I’m out walking my own Dog. I’ve all the time in the world for them. Having said that, I know some Dogs are just jerks, my current Dog can be a complete jerk when he wants to be and I’m fully aware of that. (He likes jumping at things so they run away, he doesn’t chase them or mean anything by it, but for whatever reason he likes it).

It’s probably also wise to mention that not everyone approves of Cesar Millan and his methods. Now, I’m not qualified to judge and I’ve not seen enough of the episodes to make an opinion on how he does his thing but Mr Millan isn’t without controversy when other experts in the field weigh in on his methods. One of the most common complaints is that his methods are outdated and lack any real kind of science. In some European countries there is a warning at the start of the show that some of the techniques shown in the episodes might be illegal.

Make of all that what you will.

The Dog Whisperer ran from 2004 to 2012 on the National Geographic Channel and lasted for 9 seasons. Each episode was styled like a Documentary and Cesar would be introduced to a dog with some kind of problem, he’d then work with the dog to try and work through their issues and get them to behave in a way in which the dog could enjoy life more.

Virginia Madsen appeared twice on The Dog Whisperer, once in Season 3 and then again in Season 4.

The Season 3 episode 2, “Buster, Holli and Spike & Belle”.

The episode premiered on 30th October 2006, Virginia Madsen features in the segment “Family Decisions”.

We see Virginia and her son Jack who are wanting to adopt a new puppy after the loss of one of their other dogs, Dixie. She was a Shepherd mix who lived to the grand old age of 14 before getting ill with Pancreatitis, Knowing that her much loved dog was nearing the end she called upon Cesar for advice. The two knew each other already after he’d helped with a problem of Dixie and their other dog, Spike who’d run away at every chance they got. Cesar advises them on what they need and brings a selection of rescue dogs for them to consider, which I very much approve of.

Cesar oversees Virginia and Jack as they pick one of the dogs to be a new member of the family, taking into consideration how the dog behaves with their existing animals and especially with Spike, their existing dog.
Eventually they find a companion for Spike, a little belter called Belle (spoilers don’t apply when they are in the title it seems).

Obviously Virginia isn’t “on” for the camera here, she’s not acting, and so we can’t comment on that – BUT – We can say that it’s nice to see her in a more candid environment, chilling out with her Son and adding to their family unit. It’s nice to see, even if it is only a brief peak inside.
Virginia Madsen is also listed as appearing in the 100th Episode of the show, a “special”. BUT, despite getting hold of a copy on DVD and watching the episode, several times, I couldn’t find her in there.

It’s possiible the DVD had been edited, for some reason, not sure.

Availability:

You can quite easily buy the third and fourth seasons on DVD, but if you live outside of the US then you’re going to pay more in shipping than for the DVD unless you get lucky and find a copy that’s already imported.

Weirdly, there is also a Dog Whisperer Collection DVD available called “Stories of Hope and Inspiration” – If you look at the back cover Virginia Madsen is in one of the screenshots, but that episode does not appear on any of the disc – So there you go don’t be fooled if you see it.

(In all fairness the disc menu does say they’re episodes from Season 3, probably just someone in the design department not checking what they’re doing properly.)

Trailer:

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Her Smell

Her Smell is a cautionary rock and roll tale from 2018. It’s far from a starring role for Virginia Madsen, it’s another film where she’s on supporting actor duty, but given the style of movie this is then she fits in perfectly where she’s supposed to do.

The film is presented as a Documentary, the rise and fall of a Punk band going by the name of Something She led by front woman Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss).

We’re told the story of the rise in mostly amateur style home movie footage, the “now” footage is more the Documentary style you’d be accustomed to seeing on the likes of Netflix and covers the fall side of things. It’s told in sections if you will, you see glimpses of her life and career at different stages.

The fall of the band is pretty much all on Becky, we know something is wrong from the start of the film. We meet her true self backstage and her moods are obviously all over the place. Her bandmates Marielle Hell (Agyness Deyn), Ali Van der Wolff (Gayle Rankin) alongside her Ex-Husband (Dan Stevens), personal Shaman (Eka Darville) and band Manager, Howard (Eric Stoltz) all try to point her in the right direction but she clearly wants none of it.
From there, it’s pretty much an uphill struggle for Becky, we watch as she self implodes and watches everything she’s worked hard for up till that point to be taken away from her piece by piece. Elisabeth Moss gives us an interesting character for sure, you can’t help but feel sorry for her but also think she deserves everything she’s getting.

Virginia Madsen shows up in the third part of the movie, she plays Becky’s mother, Ania. And we know she’s been a long suffering Mother at that. Her performance is brief but well executed. All the actors in Her Smell do an excellent job and Virginia is truly among her peers here. I’ve often said that when Virginia does these small roles that her talent is being wasted, but not in the case of this movie. She fits in perfectly.

By the end of the movie we’ve seen Beckys life in the light of fame for just over 10 years. She’s at the “comeback” stage, but she herself is a very different person and more thankful, wary and nervous of her position.
I enjoyed the movie, I like the “look behind the scenes” feel of it all – I’m a big fan of all kinds of music and have read more than my fair share of musicians’ biographies over the years and so it all feels kind of relatable. Watching the movie I was instantly reminded of Courtney Love more than anything else but apparently the character of Becky Something is based on Axl Rose more than anyone else. As Axl is the only member of Guns ‘n Roses not to have released a book and doesn’t really do interviews I’ve nothing to compare that to so can’t comment.

Virginia Madsen previously worked with Eriz Stoltz on the 1995 film, The Prophecy. Eric missed out on working with her brother Michael in Pulp Fiction after he turned down the role of Vincent Vega, and also missed out on the chance of working with Virginia in the same movie as she was on the short list for playing Mia Wallace. Which, I find kind of interesting and thought I’d mention as we’re all here.

Her Smell is a very different kind of movie to watch, I think you either enjoy this kind of film or you don’t. And, if you’re reading this then you probably know which you are now. But if you don’t, then you can do much worse than watching this to find out.

Availability:

Not great if you want to own it. I’ve only ever seen it on DVD at a high price, my copy is Australian and I had to pay for it.

Vinegar Syndrome do have a Blu-Ray release of it, but it can be hard to get hold of outside of the US and it’ll be reigon locked to the US if you do.

It is available on Amazon Prime if you’re only interested in watching the movie. It’s sometimes included in their Prime Video section, but if not then you can also rent / buy it.

Trailer:

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Being Michael Madsen

Being Michael Madsen is a Mockumentary from 2007 and it’s a lot of fun.

It tells the story of a Michael Madsen (Virginia Madsens brother if you didn’t by any chance know) who is very much fed up with this personal life been dragged through the Tabloid Headlines and all the lies that get made up about him.

The straw that breaks the camels back is a story that he’s actually gonna and murdered an extra who worked in the background of one his movies.

The story has been released into the public domain by Billy Dant (Jason Alan Smith), Michael of course maintains his innocence but is hounded at every opportunity by Billy at press conferences etc.

The one day, he gets the idea of flipping the script on its head and he employees three Documentary makers to make a film about the paparazzi, focusing mainly on Billy.

Of course he doesn’t like that the camera is now pointed at him and…

The film is presented as that Documentary that they are making, it has interviews with Michael himself and and a whole bunch of other people including his Mother – Elaine Madsen, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, Harry Dean Stanton and of course his sister and our favourite lady Virginia Madsen.
And, I think it’s fair to say that it’s probably Virginia who has the most fun in this movie. She plays herself as being just that little bit jealous of her brother, and it’s actually pretty damn funny to watch. Her little jibes and sneers at it all. Almost worth the price of admission alone.

It’d be hard to recommend this one to just anyone. But I think if you take it for what it is then you’ll get a kick out of it. It’s quite enjoyable to watch all the fake interviews with Michael’s family and friends.

The “story” is well done, and I genuinely wanted to know what happened next at the end. There’s a whole bit where you know *something* has happened but it’s kept in the shadows for a little bit. I guess this is the part of a normal documentary where you already knew what happened, but as its fake we don’t till the reveal. Quite clever that way.

Update: 4th July 2025
With the tragic and sudden death of Michael Madsen, watching Being Michael Madsen now hits a little differently.

The film always played with the idea of myth versus man, but in hindsight, it also serves as a reminder of just how much presence Michael brought to the screen, and that he wasn’t afraid to poke a little fun at himself.

His absence is going to be felt for a long time.

Availability:

Not hard to find on Region 1 DVD but I did have to pay full price for it. No cheap ones kicking around as far as I could see.

Trailer:

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