Madonna & Desperately Seeking Susan – Pop Screen 31

Archaeon

https://audioboom.com/posts/7926693

We’re doing a Madonna movie! No, come back! This week, Graham and Sarah go back to the Material Girl’s breakthrough moment, when her Nile Rogers-produced sophomore album Like a Virgin proved she wasn’t a fluke, and Desperately Seeking Susan became one of the top five highest-grossing films of 1985. But don’t think this is a safe choice for a young pop star: it’s a screwball comedy, a tough genre to get right, by Susan Seidelman, a director with only one, punk-inflected, previous film. And wait until you find out what film inspired Seidelman…

It was, in short, a huge gamble that paid off. On this week’s show, Graham and Sarah discuss the home-made appeal of Madonna’s early image, and why the desperately sought Susan was a better fit for Madonna than most of her later roles. We also discuss her directorial effort W.E., an early indicator that Oscar Isaac’s talent and charisma would strongly outpace his ability to choose a good script.

If you’ve recently received a windfall from going through the pockets of your dead gangster boyfriend, you might consider donating to our Patreon, where you can get access to a monthly bonus episode of Pop Screen, Graham’s Doctor Who reviews, a whole exclusive movie podcast – Director’s Lottery – and more. Stay tuned to our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to find out what we’ve got planned for the future!


Pop Screen is on iTunesGoogle Podcasts & Spotify

AND ALL GOOD PODCAST APPS

Want to watch the podcast instead?


Madonna & Desperately Seeking Susan – Archive


Discover more from The Geek Show

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Next Post

Jagged Edge (1985) The'80s Neo-Noir that Pre-empts Basic Instinct (Review)

The 1980s saw the return of noir in Hollywood. Heralded as the neo-noir, these films revelled in their adult thriller status, creating sub-genres such as the yuppie in peril movie and the erotic thriller. It was arguably Lawrence Kasdan’s 1981 movie Body Heat that kickstarted the whole revival, making stars […]
Jagged Edge

You Might Also Like