Cher’s single, I Found Someone would be yet another time that Virginia Madsen found herself in a Music Video. This time she plays Cher’s Love Rival for the “someone” in her life.
There were two versions of the video made, one taken from concert footage and the other a full on production. The video was noted at the time as it was the debut of her then boyfriend (and funnily enough, want to be actor), Rob Camilletti who was eighteen years younger.
Rob would go on to “star” in a few more of Chers videos after this one but his career would never properly take off aside from a few films here and there.
Then again, Virginia Madsen herself only appears for brief moments, not exactly a starring role for her either. But, I always say “A little bit of Virginia Madsen is better than no Virginia Madsen”.
Well, no I don’t say that – ever. I just made it up. ANYWAYS…
Availability:
YouTube is your friend, as always with this kind of thing.
If, like me, you *have* to own it then it can be found on the Cher’s Greatest HIts DVD.
I think I’d credit Slam Dance as being the first time we see Virginia Madsen do her Femme Fatale thing. It was a bit of a break in stride for her at this point in her career. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see more of her do her thing in the movie, despite her being on the poster.
When I originally watched this movie back in the day, I thought it was “OK” – I didn’t feel the urge to watch it again. Hell, even when it came time to watch it again on this project I can’t say it was top of my list.
The internet seems divided on this film, reading the reviews on iMDB.com there are quite a few split opinions on it.Unfortunately, after the rewatch I’m falling down on the “what a mess this is” side of things. There is a lot that can be said about how the film looks, how it’s shot and the other technical stuff – It’s a very well made film. But, the plot and the story don’t do it justice. Mutton dressed as Lamb in film form.
I didn’t enjoy it, I contemplated turning it off a few times in all honesty but I got distracted with how little Virginia is actually in this one. Which is probably the opposite of what normally distracts me in one of her movies.
Slam Dance is a neo-noir thriller. CC Drood (Tom Hulce) is a cartoonist, he’s married to Helen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) but he’s been involved with a call girl, Yolanda Caldwell (Mrs Madsen). The cad.
Yolanda is found murdered near the start of the movie and Drood’s name is firmly on the lips and minds of the investigating Police officers, Detective Benjamin Smiley (Harry Dean Stanton) and Detective John Gilbert (John Doe).
Drood knows he is innocent but can see for himself how bad it is and so he sets about proving his own innocence.And, that’s about all I can manage to describe without going down a rabbit hole with plots and other totally unnecessary things about the film. Probably doesn’t help that I only had one eye on it to be honest.
BUT – I’m not on my own, Googling the film while I was watching and checking out what others had to say about it, they pretty much say the same. I was thinking I might be missing something, but seems not – Style over substance seems to be the overall consensus about this one.
It’s hard to give any real guidance on Virginia’s performance in this one, I mean for sure it’s a sign of things to come but she’s basically wasted here.
It’s also hard to recommend you watch it as a Virginia fan for the same reason, obviously as a collector you’re going to want to show up for this one, but other than that…
It does actually say something when the DVD cover actually manages to spell one of the lead actors names wrong… 🙄 Availability:
Good. Not hard to find on DVD at all.
Back on HBO on May 23, 1987 we got to see Virginia Madsen play up her more sensual side as Dixie Lee Boxx in the hit film Long Gone, based on a 1979 book of the same name by Paul Hemphill. Or, you might know it as Stogies, it went by that name in Europe.
The film is set in 1957 and revolves around The Tampico Stogies baseball team struggling to keep going. The team is owned by a corrupt family who are just in it to make as much money as possible from the team without wanting to put anything into it.
Despite this the team do their best to overcome all the challenges before them and prove they aren’t as down and out as everyone thinks they are, or would have them believe.
The story revolved around the Star Player and Manager of the Stogies, Cecil ‘Stud’ Cantrell (William Peterson), he’s the classic ageing player with only one or two chances to make it big in the game kind of character. Bit of a trope these days, but there we go.
Early on in the film we see him introduced to Dixie after she performs (or, mangles) the National Anthem at one of their games. She got the job after recently winning a beauty contest and has been crowned Miss Strawberry Blossom 1957. The fact that she does poorly with her rendition of the anthem is overlooked by the crowd, mostly because of her outfit. Bless her. Virginia’s character isn’t as shallow as you might imagine being a Beauty Queen in an 80’s movie. Virginia plays her well as a woman with dreams, hopes and desires with an emotional edge – And she does it well. The way she interacts with Cecil and the rest of the team might be cliched these days, but it’s done well and you can never argue with the portrayal.
Cecil and DIxie get an introduction, they get together for a one night stand which turns out to be not what either of them want and over time they realise they are made for each other.
Before long the team takes on two new players, and they begin to realise they all want to make The Stogies the best they can be. They start winning and surprising everyone, and themselves. As the story moves on the team face a few home truths and their determination sees them winning against all the odds. If it all sounds familiar, then it’s probably because it’s a pretty much cut and paste sports story from around the eta, and beyond.
Which brings me to…The film came out a good long while before a similar, more successful film came along called Bill Durham with Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. According to the iMDB trivia for the Long Gone Mrs Madsen sat in the same row as the Writer / Director of Bill Durham, Ron Shelton, at a Premiere of Long Gone and would see him taking notes.
“He sat there during the film taking notes, which I thought was entirely rude, then maybe four years later I’m reading (a script) for him and I said, yeah, I met you at the screening of Long Gone. He goes: ‘Oh, yeah, we stole every shot from your movie.’ Like he’s proud of it. I was like, grrrrr.”
Mr Shelton of course denies this, though he admits being at the Premiere.
The involvement with the movie stayed with Virginia, she’s expressed fond memories of it over the years since it was released and in particular working with William Peterson;
“I’ve run into him a couple of times, and it’s like we really shared something. We all have roots in this movie, and everybody still holds it in their hearts. People ask me what was my favourite film to work on … and it’s at the top of the list. One of the best times I ever had.”
Speaking with The AV Club in July 2013 she’d also have a little reminisce over the film;
“Oh, God, that’s arguably the best time I ever had on a movie. Well, no, it’s not my No. 1 best time, but it’s one of the best times, because it was me and [William] Petersen and just a bunch of guys out of Chicago. Just me and a baseball team. [Laughs.] And a girlfriend! I had a girlfriend to hang out with, and then it was all those boys. And it was so sexy! Oh, my God, the whole thing… It was a hot, sweaty summer in Florida, we had a cool director from Brooklyn, and the guys were just so much fun. It just ranks up there as one of the best.
That was a part where I was cast as a blond bombshell, but I got to be Virginia. I got to be the tough girl from Chicago, not playing the victim. She really was a character who owned her sexuality and didn’t give a shit what anybody thought. To learn how to flaunt it was very difficult for me, because I was modest, so sexier roles for me at that age were really hard for me to pull off, because I wasn’t comfortable. My sexuality was not overt, so to play it… When they would cast me in roles like that, I felt awkward. I felt totally unsexy. Like, I knew I looked sexy in Slam Dance, but I didn’t feel sexy. But when I was Dixie? Aw, man, I was a bombshell. [Laughs.] It was great. I had a big smile on my face for that one.”
In my opinion, Long Gone is good for what it is and when it was. It has a lot of heart, the characters are likeable and it’s never going to offend anyone. There are some, touchy, subjects given the film’s setting, particularly so when the KKK take exception to one of the players on the team being black. It’s handled well, especially for the time the film was made and an early show of progression in this kind of backward thinking. Still, it’s right to show this kind of mentality than shy away from it and it stands as what it is.
I’d definitely recommend a watch of the film, it still held my attention on a recent rewatch despite me having seen it several times over the years.
Availability:
Another film that despite many people having fond memories of hasn’t ever had an official DVD release. HBO apparently lost the rights to the film back in 2004 so it’s unlikely anyone else is going to pick it up at this point. But, you never know.
There are VHS copies floating around, and a home made dodgy DVD version that you can find on eBay and the like. It’s minimum effort but at least this one comes with a nicely made up case unlike some of the others which just arrive in a cardboard sleeve.
Of course, being a film this old you can find copies floating around the web and YouTube…
Anthology series The Hitchhiker would see Virginia Madsen take a role in the fourth Seasons first episode, “Perfect Order” which originally aired on February 17th, 1987.
Or, if you’re in the UK you might know the show better as Deadly Nightmares.
The Hitchhiker refers to a central character (Page Fletcher) that connects the otherwise unconnected episodes, he’s a mysterious stranger who wanders into towns to find tales of mystery and or horror unfolding.
The show lasted from 1983 to 1991 in one form or another, hopping channels from it’s original home on HBO before finding a home on the USA Network for it’s final two seasons.
It actually had it’s fair share of properly impressive guest stars over the years, you can find a full list on the WIkipedia page for the show but some highlights include Gary Busey, Willem Dafoe, Helen Hunt, Carrie-Anne Moss and Elliot Gould. The DVD releases love to splash their names over the covers even though they weren’t “famous” at the time.
I won’t lie, I’ve only ever watched one episode of this show, this one, obviously. And, well, it’s weird. Which is probably why I’ve only ever watched this one. I don’t mind weird normally, but this is not in a good way weird.
As the episode starts we meet Simon (Steve Inwood) who is hard at work on his latest project, various models are covered in mud and hung up with ropes. As he’s taking his photos one of the models complains they are bleeding “Shut up, you’re dead” he hisses in return. Edgy.
His mood ruined with the break in atmosphere and the models getting in his face, he orders his lacky to pay them and send them on their way. He retreats to his trusty bottle of alcohol proclaiming he’s scared, presumably of how far he is willing to go for his art. Or, something.
Cut to a hot sexy blonde who we learn is called Christina (obviously, played by Mrs Madsen), admiring Simon’s work in a gallery “If only he’d shoot me” she gushes, “instant fame”. Her unimpressed suitor convinces her it’s time to leave, but just as they exit the building Simon arrives at the exhibit.
Not wanting to miss the chance to meet one of her idols she runs back inside and abandons her young gentleman. As he makes his way down the street he passes The Hitchhiker.
“Christina wants fame, at any price. Simon wants a perfect masterpiece. Each will learn the cost of fulfilling each others desires” he proclaims.
Simon enters the exhibit, his guests fawning all over him and applauding like he’s a Rock Star, as one patron throws praise at him he growls that he doesn’t care what they think and pulls a machine gun from under his robe. He uses the gun to clear a table of some champagne glasses and stands on top, exciting Christina. “Would you like to see a suicide, huh?” he shouts, putting the barrel of the gun in his mouth. Instead of pulling the trigger he turns the gun on the crowd, threatens a mass killing instead and starts firing into the crowd and on his own pictures. Which obviously earns him a standing ovation once calm is restored. Because, art.
Christina is in awe, “Incredible” she whispers, “You’re incredible” in Simons direction, unheard.
She chases after him as he leaves the building, begging to be his next subject. Most men would be flattered, it’s Virginia after all. Not Simon, cool as a cucumber he asks if she has any family waiting for her before coldly telling her “Model for me, you have to be a victim, a slave”
Christina agrees, Simon whisks her off in his car.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd you get the idea of how pretentious and full of crap this is.
Christina does what Simon wants to the nth degree, letting him do whatever he wants to her. She complies to a sickening degree. Anything in her pursuit of fame and fortune. Eventually, and I kid you not – Simon devises a maze for her to escape from. What’s she escaping from? LASERS! Because of course she is.
You’ll have to watch the episode to get the full extent of just how, arty, this whole thing is.
Virginia’s acting here, is not great. Given the material it’s not surprising. Nobody here acts well or does themselves any favours to be fair, she’s not on her own. I say “not great” but there are some flashes of talent (not a euphemism, but, yeah that as well – it’s that kind of show) once the initial pandering wears off from the start.
It’s hard to recommend this one for any reason. I just don’t like it. I did a little Googling as I was watching the episode and I’m not the only one who finds it weird. I did also read it’s out of place as an episode of the show so maybe the other episodes aren’t so bad.
Availability:
It’s actually not hard to find The Hitchhiker on DVD from America. The trouble is finding the particularly episode you want. Because of the anthology nature of the series there was no need to put episodes together in the correct order, or even it seems with episodes from the same seasons. I had to check various listings to make sure I got a version with the actual episode on. It doesn’t help that they all have similar covers so you really do have to check.
Now then. Zombie High. Where to start, or even – What to say?
So. Zombie High, is a horror comedy from 1987, It’s also known as The School That Ate My Brain.
And, you’ll wish someone would actually eat your brain as you watch this one. If you watch this one, I wouldn’t recommend it. I mean, I like “bad” films, but this is, terrible.
Virginia Madsen takes on the role of Andrea who gets a scholarship to a prestigious school, Ettinger. However, it quickly comes to her attention that everything at the school might not actually be as it should be.The plot is, I don’t know to be honest – I won’t lie, I picked up the recent re-release of this on Blu-Ray and tried to watch it but I could only get so far before my interest fell off a cliff. I mean it when I say it’s not even a good bad movie to watch. I know there are some people who get some kind of kick out of this kind of movie, but that isn’t me.
The basic idea is that Andrea starts at a new school with her boyfriend, Barry (James Wilder). It’s not long before they discover a plot to turn all the unruly students into model citizens of society by swapping out their brains.
I know I gave Class some stick, but this is much more the kind of “first film” you’d expect to see from an up and coming actress. Virginia Madsen already had Electric Dreams and Dune under her belt before she signed on for this.
There aren’t even any real Zombies in it, it’s more a Stepford Wives kind of deal with the students of the school being “changed”.
To be fair, and for what it’s worth – Virginia Madsen does seem to play it relatively straight in this one, she’s not dialling it in as much as you might think. From the bits I saw (I obviously paid more attention when she was on screen) she does a more than competent job and makes the most out of what she’s got to work with. Not exactly the best place to advertise her acting skills, but I guess it shows a good work attitude / ethic if nothing else.But, I can safely say this one confuses me. I mean, there are other films where I can’t help but wonder “why?” that she’s been in over the years but this one truly boggles my mind. Did she lose a bet?
She’s not on her own to be fair, Sherilyn Fenn, Richard Cox, Paul Feig and quite a few other famous faces from film and TV can be found lurking around in this one.
I’m not going to rip this to pieces here, there are plenty of other sites doing that much better than me with my recent half-watch of this.
To be fair, the film does have its fans as well – I assume it has some kind of following or it wouldn’t have gotten the blu-ray release. For that, at least, I’m grateful, as a collector.
At the risk of repeating myself, I won’t ever understand “why?” though. It had to be the losing a bet thing, right?
Availability:
Not bad if you’re after the Blu-Ray. 88 Films recent release (the one I bought) is still easy to get hold of on all the sites you’d expect, if not there then eBay and Amazon aren’t short of them. Some copies come with a DVD version of the film as well – I couldn’t find a standalone version on DVD, so you might have to get the Blu-Ray just to get the DVD.
I also noticed that the VHS copy isn’t hard to find on eBay either, if that’s your thing. Obviously not as plentiful as the Blu-Ray but it’s worth checking for.
And, if you just want to watch it without fear of commitment then you can also check out YouTube to see what you can find.
But, I always say “A little bit of Virginia Madsen is better than no Virginia Madsen”.
ANYWAYS…
