The Look of Madonna

( Album cover by Greg Ladanyi ) Welcome back on Blogger fans! Today I'm going to review Who's That Girl , the soundtrack album to the film of the same name (read my review for it  here ). Are you ready? Let's go! Who's That Girl was released on July 21, 1987, two weeks before the movie. It features nine songs, four of which are by Madonna. Madonna said about her tracks: " I had some very specific ideas in mind, music that would stand on its own as well as support and enhance what was happening on screen and the only way to make that a reality was to have a hand in writing the tunes myself....The songs aren't necessarily about Nikki or written to be sung by someone like her, but there's a spirit to this music that captures both what the film and the characters are about, I think".  The album was a far bigger hit than the movie, selling around 5,5/6 million copies worldwide and the three songs released as singles (all by Madonna) achi...

Welcome back on Blogger! Some of you have been requesting this review for a while....well, the day has finally arrived.  Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for a crazy ride with Nikki Finn! (Madonna as Nikki Finn ) CREDITS The film was directed by James Foley and it was released on August 7, 1987. It stars Madonna as Nikki Finn, Griffin Dunne as Loudon Trott, Haviland Morris as Wendy Worthington, John McCartin as Simon Worthington, Bibi Besch as Ms. Worthington, John Mills as Montgomery Bell, Coati Mundi as Raoul,  Dennis Burkley as Benny, Robert Swan as Detective Bellson and Drew Pillsbury as Detective Doyle.  BASIC PLOT Louden Trott, a soon to be married lawyer, has some duties entrusted to him by his boss and future father-in-law. He has to pick up a puma for an exotic animal activist named Montgomery Bell, then pick up a woman named Nikki Finn, who just got released from prison, and make sure she catches the bus to her hometown. Nikki...

( Album artwork shot by Herb Ritts) Welcome back on Blogger! Today I'm going to review Madonna's legendary third album, " True Blue" ! Siete pronti? Siete caldi? Allora andiamo!  Before the release of True Blue, Madonna drastically changed her image and style. The sexy, voluptuous, colorful girl with wild hair, ribbons, necklaces, sunglasses and gloves was a thing of the past. She instead opted for more sophisticated clothes, short, wavy, platinum blond hair and showcased a more toned, athletic, muscular body. This was the first major reinvention of Madonna's career. ( photo by Herb Ritts) A change like that couldn't just be confined to her image. With True Blue, released on June 30, 1986, Madonna wanted to show the people who dismissed her during her previous era that she wasn't a commercial product with no talent. Madonna co-wrote and co-produced every song on the album, which ended up sounding quite eclectic. Genres like adul...

( Photo by Ines Van Lamsweerde and  Vinoodh  Matadin)  Welcome back on Blogger!  Unreleased demos from 1997 have surfaced on the Internet! While not providing any download link (obviously), I want to talk about them with you. Let's jump into them!  ( Photo by Rankin) You'll Stay: This was such a nice surprise. I'm reading it's a re-worked version of Like a Flower, another beautiful demo. You'll Stay was produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard. It's an atmospheric and melancholic ballad enriched by a latin guitar, a drum and Madonna's soulful vocals. The lyrics talk about a past love Madonna will never forget (or a dead person, maybe her mother): " There's a hole in my heart / no one can take your place / why would I want them to? /There's a feeling I had that no one can replace / time cannot erase". And then the chorus: " In my heart you'll never go away / you'll stay, you'll stay, you'll st...

Welcome back on Blogger! We have to do it guys! I know how you feel but we have to! Are you ready to delve into the cinematographic oddity that is Shanghai Surprise?  As Cinderella's mother said: "Have courage and be kind".  Let's do this! (Madonna and Sean Penn as Gloria Tatlock and Glendon Wasey,  both visibly scared to read this review). CREDITS The movie was directed by Jim Goddard and was released on August 29, 1986. It stars Sean Penn as Glendon Wasey, Madonna as Gloria Tatlock, Paul Freeman as Walter Faraday, Sonserai Lee as China Doll,  Richard Griffiths as Willie Tuttle, Victor Hong as Ho Chong, Lim Kay Tong as Mei Gan and Clyde Kusatsu as Joe Go.  George Harrison, who worked on the soundtrack for the movie, also appears as a nightclub singer.  BASIC PLOT Shanghai, 1938. Gloria Tatlock, an American missionary nurse, is looking for a supply of opium to ease the suffering of her patients. One year earlier, the...