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Madonna news - Oct. 2002
← Oct. 2002 | Nov. 2002 →
31 October - UK charts: DADay great Bond theme but no #1
Madonna looks likely to miss out on an eleventh number one as she trails a Europop anthem in the race to top the charts this weekend. The pop queen's 54th UK single release - the title theme from new James Bond film Die Another Day - had been tipped as a surefire chart-topper. But DJ Sammy's holiday hit Heaven is way out in front to take the prime spot on Sunday, leaving Madonna at number three. On the plus side for Madonna her song will be the biggest chart hit for a Bond theme for 17 years. Duran Duran's A view To A Kill went to number two in 1985, but subsequent singles have fared poorly with Garbage's most recent 007 title song The World Is Not Enough getting to only number 11. (source: Gay.com UK)
31 October - DADay buddy icons
To download the new Madonna 'Die Another Day' buddy icons for your AOL Instant Messenger, go to madonna.com.
31 October - Stuart Price still on board?
Fansite Madonnarama claims Madonna is in London, recording new tracks with Stuart Price. That would mean he's still on board for the new album. So far, the only confirmed producer of the new album is Mirwais. The rumoured collaboration with Orbit has been denied on Orbit's site a while ago. Other rumoured collaborators are Air and Jamie Catto (ex-Faithless). Hopefully more on this soon.
30 October - DADay moves to Billboard no. 8
Madonna's single moves from #18 to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart next week! #29 on Adult Top 40, #1 on Dance Sales, and #20 on Dance Club Play Madonna's maxi single debuted at #1 on single sales chart with sales of 28,562 copies. [The sales chart is based on sales only, while the Billboard chart combines sales and airplay]. Madonna knocked "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson out of # 1 on the sales chart. This amount should be enough to push the single into the top 10 and hopefully the top 5! (source: Madonnarama)
30 October - Jewish outrage for DADay video
Having apparently grown bored with antagonizing Catholics, Madonna
is now giving offense to Jews. Some scholars of Judaism are riled
by the sacred text and religious objects that appear in her violent
new video, which showcases the theme song to the James Bond movie
'Die Another Day'. The video features Madonna with Hebrew letters
tattooed on her arm and tefillin - small leather cubes, containing
biblical verses and worn with straps during morning worship -
while she's being electrocuted by Nazi-like goons. The mock execution
leaves three Hebrew letters on the electric chair - lamed, aleph
and vav - part of the "72 names of God" taught in the
kabbalah, mystical Jewish teachings studied by Madonna and her
husband, director Guy Ritchie. Ken Jacobson, associate director
of the Anti-Defamation League, says he doesn't find the video
"anti-Semitic," but argues: "There are some people
who can be - and are - offended by using Jewish religious articles
for these purposes. Many Jews, especially Orthodox, believe it
is not a tradition for women [to use tefillin]. There are certain
sensitivities that are offended by what she did. Then there is
the question about the Hebrew lettering, and what they mean."
Rabbi Sue Fendrick, managing editor of MyJewishLearning. com, adds: "To a very traditional Orthodox Jew, even the mere image of a woman putting on tefillin might be offensive. This really seems to be about a non-Jewish person putting on a symbol for purposes of entertainment. Some people won't find it interesting one way or another. Others will find it deeply offensive to Judaism and Jews."
Rabbi Michael Berg, who teaches at the Kabbalah Center in L.A., where Madonna has studied, admits that "Jewish law prohibits tattoos. But, for one thing, this tattoo is not permanent. For another, we teach in kabbalah that every person is free to make their own choices." Berg explains that the Hebrew letters represent "her fighting her ego. The tefillin are used to diminish the ego. Unfortunately, Orthodox Judaism has put a diminished role on women. The kabbalah sees women as no different than men. For me, the video was inspiring." (source: NY Daily News)
30 October - DADay only to get to UK's no. 3 ?!
Madonna's theme tune for the new James Bond movie will be beaten to the number one spot at the weekend, according to the latest sales figures. DJ Sammy's Heaven is currently outselling Nelly's duet with Kelly Rowland in the race for number one says figures from Virgin Megastores. Madonna's Die Another Day is only expected to enter the chart at number three. Justin Timberlake is likely to drop to number four with Like I Love You while The Ketchup Song should be at number five. (source: Ananova)
~ Beaten by DJ Sammy?! What's wrong with the Brits??
26 October - The Art of Stopping
Madonna's new single does something totally and unexpectedly great—it stops. Repeatedly. Four full stops, and countless gaps between phrases, beats, even words. A blistering zeitgeist-negation, hostile and uneasy—as a single, a club track, a Bond theme. Her latest personality is an abrogation of personality: the merging of the individual into the dance massive so complete it nullifies the massive itself. Rhythm so intricate it becomes hook. Feminism so interrogatory it questions identity itself. "Sigmund Freud," she whispers at the only sexy moment, "analyze this."
Zeitgeist One: Microhouse. That German-spawned trend which strips out zooms and builds, reconstructing house from obsessively nuanced elements—the crisp snap of a snare, that syncopated instant it anticipates the bass kick; an uncertain half-step in a diva's vocal run. Herbert's latest album builds from samples of trash. Akufen's from radio debris. Die Another Day (Warner Bros.) takes off from the orchestral synth-lure of a silky William Orbit track. Fragments turn in on themselves, clawing toward a cacophony of harmonics that don't resolve but simply cease.
Zeitgeist Two: Electroclash. The hip club thing, with synths and hooks and filtered vocals. But that scene is sexy and messy, while this song paints sharp clean lines, celebrating not indulgence but its denial. When men merge into machines, it's assumed they're augmenting their dicks. But when women enter that territory, they desexualize, alienating the body entirely. Electro queens Peaches and Miss Kittin let fly with dirty mouths camouflaging fear and rejection of a hypersexualized world. Madonna announces "I'm gonna deny my pleasure" and there's twice the rejection.
Zeitgeist Three: National unity, the closing of ranks, the forward march of good against evil. The enemy? Those who don't agree. Madonna's put her cowboy boots away and strapped on her Nancy Sinatra ones. "I'm gonna shake up the system/I'm gonna destroy my ego," she chants in clipped martial syllables, a Lysistratan army of one. "I'm gonna close my body now." (source: VillageVoice, thanx to MLVC mailing list)
26 October - Director Regrets 'Swept Away' Remake
The Madonna-Guy Ritchie movie 'Swept Away' has already been determined by critics to be the frontrunner in next year's Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst movie of the year, but an even more critical voice has emerged: that of Italian director Lina Wertmuller, who made the original 'Swept Away' in 1974. The filmmaker, 74, tells The Washington Post's "Reliable Source" column in Thursday's editions that she now regrets her decision to permit the Ritchies to remake her cult classic. There's more than just ego and reputation at stake here, says Wertmuller. She has plans to make a sequel to her version -- plans that may be scuttled because of the ruinous box-office performance of this new version, which failed to clear $400,000 in its first weekend. "I am very, very worried, because that's a problem for me," Wertmuller tells The Post. "I have written a very funny story for the sequel, and I am very worried that maybe this is a disaster for me." Though Wertmuller hasn't seen the Ritchie-Madonna version or even read the American reviews, she was amused to hear from The Post that the lead character played by Madonna -- named Raffaella Pavone Lanzetti in the Wertmuller version -- is named Amber Leighton in the remake. And Amber Leighton just happens to be the name of Ritchie's mother. The character is humiliated and physically abused onscreen. "Why? Why? Why does he do that?" asks Wertmuller, who reveals that her deal with Ritchie calls for her to receive the Italian ticket sales from the movie, though that isn't looking terribly promising at the moment. "I don't understand why the picture is so awful," she said. "Why did Madonna and her husband let it out? It's very crazy. They saw the picture. So why open like that? I don't understand. They lost money. For Madonna, it's the name and the face. This is terrible for her." (source: People.com)
26 October - Swept Away pulled out of theatres
Today is the last day you will be able to see Madonna in Swept Away at a theater. So run, don't walk, because in the future you will be relegated to watching it on your DVD player. At midnight, Sony's Screen Gems division will pull the plug and remove one of the biggest turkeys in history from its remaining screens after two highly embarrassing weeks. Not many theaters are involved, since Swept Away was only showing once a day in many locations since last Friday — and that was to empty houses. The Guy Ritchie-directed disaster is the absolute worst in a series of movies starring Madonna that have ranged from mediocre to mortifying. The movie is more than likely a $40 million write-off for its producer, Matthew Vaughn, who also happens to the husband of supermodel Claudia Schiffer. Vaughn is also the purported son of actor Robert Vaughn. (He was born, by the way, the same year Carole King's Tapestry album broke chart records, so what do you expect? I have sneakers older than that.) Still, the bad reviews and lack of audience have not stopped Madonna from plotting her next movie. Reports are that she's writing her own autobiographical comedy. Oy vey! Madonna, please, please, please — cease and desist. (source: Fox News)
26 October - DADay writes chart history
As you've probably seen by now, Die Another Day makes a healthy 28-18 move on this week's Hot 100. That jump is still based solely on airplay. I expect the single to debut at No. 1 on our sales chart next week, but will that be enough to send this latest James Bond theme to the top of the Hot 100? It's going to be a tough battle between two soundtrack hits. The leading candidate for pole position next week is 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem, from the '8 Mile' soundtrack. The song surges 6-2 and is the "greatest gainer" in airplay this week. Die Another Day will have to sell around 60,000 copies to be a serious contender for No. 1. That's not an impossible number - it's about how many copies Music sold in its first week. At the moment, I would guess that Eminem will end up at No. 1 and Madonna could collect her seventh No. 2 hit on the Hot 100. No matter what happens, Madonna has set a new record with Die Another Day. (source: Billboard)
In its third week on Billboard's Hot 100, Madonna's Die Another Day (Warner Bros.) is already No. 18. With retail sales figures kicking in, it will easily be in the top-10 next week, and is even a contender for No. 1. But no matter where the single lands next week, it's already rewritten the record books. Die Another Day is Madonna's 44th top-40 hit, the highest amount ever for a solo female artist. The material girl overtakes Aretha Franklin, who has had 43 top-40 hits on the Hot 100 to date. Amazingly, Madonna has reached the total of 44 top-40 hits with only 48 chart entries, an impressive ratio of hits. The four Madonna titles to miss the top-40 are Bedtime Story (No. 42 in 1995), Human Nature (No. 46 in 1995), Love Don't Live Here Anymore (No. 75 in 1996), and Nothing Really Matters (No. 93 in 1999). Die Another Day will be Madonna's 35th top-10 hit. That will push her past the Beatles' 34 top-10 hits and leave her second only to Elvis Presley, who has amassed 38 top-10 hits to date, a figure Madonna should easily be able to pass this decade. (source: Billboard)
25 October - DADay mini site at WBR
Check out the Die Another Day mini site of Warner Brothers, where you can listen to the song and the remixes.
25 October - Ex-Faithless star to produce new album? *rumour*
Madonna has decided who she wants to produce her next album - the former faithless star Jamie Catto. The singer was blown away when she heard his 1 Giant Leap project - which included collaborations with Robbie Williams, Michael stipe and Neneh Cherry. If Catto agrees, working with Madge is guaranteed to propel him into the super-league. She has previously hired William Orbit, who produced Ray Of Light, and the French maestro Mirwais who worked with her on Music, and the new Bond theme, Die Another Day. As well as writing and producing music Catto has also directed videos, including God Is A Dj, and edited books. (source: Madonnarama)
24 October - Swept Away's Amber named after M's mother-in-law
The name of Madonna's bossy rich character in her new movie Swept Away has raised questions among hard-core fans - because it's exactly the same as her real-life mother-in-law. Madonna, 44, plays a wealthy woman by the name of Amber Leighton in the flick, which has proved to be a disaster in the box office and with critics. But few people have noticed her character shares the same name as the mother of Madonna's director husband Guy Ritchie. The character's name in the 1974 version of Swept Away was Raffaella Pavone Lanzetti. But one-time model Amber, has already proven why the character could easily have been named after her. She recently explained her son's reasons for marrying the pop diva, insisting, "I look at Guy sometimes and think he's married his mother in some respects. I used to be as rude as Madonna can be, and that's what he knows, female iconoclastic behaviour. He wasn't going to marry someone mousy." (source: Soundbuzz, thanx to Madonnarama)
24 October - DADay no. 18 on Billboard chart
The single Die Another Day has entered the top 20 of Billboard's Hot 100, leaping from #28 to #18 in its third week, and this based on airplay only. Since sales will be added next week, a top 10 position is very likely.
24 October - Caresse Henry answers fan questions and hints at Blond Ambition DVD
Caresse Henry, Madonna's manager, has taken some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few of the many fan questions sent to Madonna.com. Below is the first installment of this column and look future segments of Fan Q&A from Caresse at Madonna.com.
Darrel Riley asks:
When I visited Madonna.com last week, I heard the mega-mix and fell in love. Is it available for purchase or download??
Caresse: Originally this was available for download as well as a promotional single for DJ's that tied into the Greatest Hits CD last year. Right now there are no plans to release it but stay tuned you never know.
Patricia Lane asks:
I was wondering if you could let me know where I could find info on Madonna's workout routine. Anything web site, books, videos. I think she's absolutely perfect just the slightest bit would be of help to myself.
Caresse: Madonna practices ashtanga yoga and alternates with pilates. Most local yoga or Eastern spiritual centers should have an abundance of information on yoga classes.
Edwina A. Morgan asks:
I am posting you pertaining the children's books that Madonna has meant to have written. She mentioned them during an interview aired yesterday on a early morning news/entertainment program. I have not been able to find where to purchase these books, and would be grateful if you could provide a source.
Caresse: These books written by Guy Ritchie and Madonna are a work in progress, please stay tuned to this site for more info.
Gilbert Valdez asks:
I'M WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE OF THE BLONDE AMBITION CONCERT. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNOW WHERE OR HOW I CAN GET A COPY OF THIS CONCERT BY VHS OR DVD???.
Caresse: This is a question that has been brought up frequently, we hope to have a release date on the Blonde Ambition Tour DVD in the next few months.
Sharon Bowden asks:
I would like to know what books Madonna would recommend reading on the Kaballah and whether one has to attend lectures, classes etc. - Saw the Larry King live interview.
Caresse: A great site to go to for info and books is www.kabbalah.com. Some of The books Madonna refers to and has read are the Power of Kabbalah, The Way, and The Essential Zohar.
Jason Smith asks:
When you first enter into Madonna's official website there is a Flash intro. What is the name of the song being played during this intro?
Caresse: The song is called "What it feels like for a Girl" from the "Music" LP. This particular version is a remix by Above and Beyond.
23 October - DADay soundtrack tracklist
The Die Another Day soundtrack, directed by David Arnold will be released by Warner Brothers on November 12. Rolling Stone lists following tracklist:
- Die Another Day
- Bond Vs. Oakenfold (Oakenfold mix)
- Gun Barrel / On The Beach
- How Do You Intend To Kill Me Now, Mr. Bond?
- Hovercraft Chase
- Kiss Of Life
- Peaceful Fountains Of Desire
- Welcome To Cuba
- Jinx Jordan
- Wheelchair Access
- Jinx And James
You can already order it on Amazon.
23 October - Vote for biggest pop star
Vote for Madonna as the biggest pop star on the planet at Rolling Stone.
22 October - New book: Madonna as Postmodern Myth
Amazon lists a new book, titled 'Madonna as Postmodern Myth: How One Star's Self-Construction Rewrites Sex, Gender, Hollywood and the American Dream'. "Madonna has long been accepted as a pop culture icon, but this text postulates a greater cultural importance by analyzing her as a postmodern myth. This work examines how Madonna methodically discovered and constructed herself (often rewriting her past), the nature and extent of her ambition and the means she used to reach her goals. It also details the way in which she organized her own cult (borrowing from the gay community), devised her artistic output, and cunningly targeted different audiences. It also studies the fundamental contradiction -- virgin or vamp? saint or prostitute? -- that fuels Madonna's career and describes how Madonna reflects today's society, its contradictions and its attitudes toward sexuality and religion." (Thanx to MLVC mailing list)
22 October - Liz denies rumours
Madonna's rep swept away rumors that she's planning to write and direct her first film. London tabloids reported yesterday that she was working on a script "about a girl who's incredibly famous, and all the insanity of her life ... the absurdity of fame, the absurdity of people having preconceived notions about celebrities." "Not true," says M's mouthpiece, Liz Rosenberg, who added that Madonna had been working on a script some years ago, but dropped the project. Rosenberg also sank reports that Mrs. Ritchie has a small role in "Love, Actually" - starring Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson - and that she was talking with Andrew Lloyd Webber about starring in a new musical. Rosenberg said the singer was in London focusing on her next album and her Kaballah-inspired children's book. (source: NY Daily News, thanx to Madonnarama)
22 October - DADay single in stores
The Die Another Day single is in stores now. Go out and buy it - together we can make this a no. 1 hit!
21 October - Madonna the movie *rumour*
Madonna is writing a comedy movie based on her life. It is her first film script and draws on her experiences of living in the limelight. Despite her latest movie, Swept Away, being panned by critics, Madge says: "I have started writing my own thing, which I would like to direct. It's about a girl who’s incredibly famous and all the insanity of her life. "She lives in Hollywood and is well known but she’s not well respected. It's about the absurdity of fame, the absurdity of people having preconceived notions about celebrities. It's based on a lot of characters and people that I know. I think it's hysterically funny." Madonna has plenty of material to call upon. She has gone from doing a nude photoshoot to superstar via young singing sensation, sex goddess, actress and mother. Her pals are bound to get nervous about the script, which she hopes to finish early next year, because Madge could blow the lid on some of their secrets. The star says that she has recently been sidetracked from her script because she has been working on her next album. She adds: “I need to finish my album, that’s my next thing. Then I'm going to concentrate on finishing my script." It is not known if Madonna will star in the movie. She is pals with a string of top actors who could take parts, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Rupert Everett. Swept Away was directed by Madge’s hubby Guy Ritchie. It tells of an American woman who charters a yacht to take her and her friends round the Aegean. Her arrogant behaviour towards first mate Giuseppe, played by Adriano Giannini, comes back to haunt her when they are shipwrecked. To survive she has to beg him for help. Rolling Stone magazine said of the film: "Audiences are likely to be slack-jawed. It's the movie that’s a shipwreck." Swept Away was due to premiere at the Cannes film festival in May but it was withdrawn. It is due for UK release next March. (source: The Sun)
21 October - The 'Love Actually' rumour returns *rumour*
She’ll be back. Despite scathing reviews of 'Swept Away', Madonna hasn't given up on a film career. A source says the struggling actress is planning to appear in a movie called 'Love Actually', due out next year. Critics were so savage toward Madonna in 'Swept Away' that her spokeswoman called it "a public hanging, an assassination". "Madonna must be a glutton for punishment, because she’s coming back for more," says our source, who isn't clear on how big Madonna's role in 'Love Actually' will be. "After the drubbing she got [in 'Swept Away'] who knows if her role will end up on the cutting room floor." The film will be directed by Richard Curtis, who also wrote 'Notting Hill' - which some insiders believe was inspired by Madonna's romance with an unknown Brit named Andy Bird. There have also been reports that Madonna is looking for a role on Broadway. Madonna's rep didn’t return calls by press time. (source: MSNBC)
21 October - DADay compared to other Bond themes
If Madonna is still smarting from the reviews that greeted her new movie, Swept Away, perhaps she can take solace in the reaction to her new single. Coincidentally, it's the theme song for another film Madonna appears in, the James Bond flick Die Another Day, which opens Nov. 22. She has only a cameo role this time, playing Bond's fencing instructor. But the singer/actress is the star on the soundtrack, which also is due in November. She co-wrote the string-laden, electro-savvy title tune with frequent collaborator Mirwais Ahmadzai specifically for the 20th 007 caper. Though the single won't arrive in stores until Tuesday, Die already is one of the most requested songs at Top 40 radio after three weeks. Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, says the tune was leaked to radio early and has elicited even more enthusiasm than Music, the singer's smash from 2000. Like Music, Die is proving popular in dance clubs. A number of remixes have been provided to DJs and for events surrounding the single, film and video. If Die becomes a top 10 hit, as most expect, Madonna will join a relatively small roster of artists who have found chemistry with the screen's sexiest secret agent. Billboard figures show that over the past decade, such name stars as Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow and Garbage failed to chart with Bond theme songs. More commercially fruitful Bond singles include Duran Duran's theme from View to a Kill (No. 1, 1985), Sheena Easton's For Your Eyes Only (No. 4, 1981), Carly Simon's Nobody Does It Better (No. 2, 1977, from The Spy Who Loved Me) and, of course, the mother of all 007 smashes, Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger (No. 8, 1964). Even Bassey didn't score the last time she went to bat for Bond, though, with 1979's Moonraker. But Airplay Monitor editor Sean Ross says Bond and Madonna, who also is working on a CD due next year, were destined to make beautiful music together. "The winning combination here is a still-hot artist and a contemporary song," Ross says. "In recent years, some of the Bond themes came out more as a genre piece than something that was actually supposed to compete on the charts. An artist who reinvents herself regularly was a good choice for a series that needed reinventing." (source: USA Today)
20 October - Madonna in Lloyd Webber show? *rumour*
You have to give it to Madonna - the woman does not give up. A lesser mortal would have never left the house again after suffering the critical mauling she receieved for her part in Swept Away. But not Madonna, who is in talks with Andrew Lloyd Webber, about her starring in a musical written by him. The singer appears to have sensibly decided to build on her success from the film version of musical Evita, her one recent film which gained her favourable reviews. And amazingly it appears that Mage does not always get her own way - according to reports, she was desperate for the part of Velma, in the film version of the musical Chicago, only to lose out to the younger Catherine Zeta-Jones. Should Lloyd-Webber not come up with a suitable part, Madonna is said to be considering touring as a one-woman show. (source: PeopleNews)
19 October - Ban on multimedia downloads
You might have noticed how most fansites took down their multimedia downloads. Seems they've been contacted by officials to take down all copyrighted files with the threat of imprisonment and financial penalties. Personally, as a Madonna webmaster and a devoted Madonna fan, I firmly oppose against such a treatment of the Madonna fan community. Many files that were offered on fansites, such as demos, sketches, TV performances, etc. were not commercially available and the download of those files did not interfere with the sales of Madonna's music. However, these files formed very good promotion material, which cemented the devotion of many Madonna fans, and raised the interest for new fans. Forcing fansites to remove these files might have a rather negative effect. Another inconsiderate - can I say stupid - marketing decision from Warner Music, especially at times when so many new Madonna projects are being released, for which the support of the fans is extra needed. While this decision doesn't have any effect for Mad-Eyes, I think it's a serious loss for the online fan community. ~ Bart, your Mad-Eyes webmaster
19 October - Future Madonna/Guy Ritchie movie remakes
For the past several months, gossip-hounds have watched in horrified fascination as Madonna and Guy Ritchie's infamously embattled remake of Swept Away limped into theatres. Now that it's opened in limited release to almost unanimously negative reviews, some have guessed that the movie's failure foretells the death - at last - of Madonna's pretensions as an actor. Not hardly! In fact, Madonna and Ritchie so enjoyed collaborating on what Entertainment Weekly called their "labor of love" that they've planned a whole raft of future film remakes. One of Rocco's eight full-time nannies smuggled this memo from Madonna's home office to Fametracker HQ. Forewarned is forearmed. Read about the remake of 'Rosemary's Baby', 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore', 'Nine to Five', 'Pretty Woman' at FameTracker, as long as you know this is a joke! ;-)
19 October - M's style and look in Swept Away
Style chameleon Madonna undergoes a major metamorphosis in "Swept Away," husband Guy Ritchie's remake of the 1974 original. The material girl hits the deck of a pleasure cruise decked out in Gucci, Hermès and a little bit - OK, a lot - of Cartier jewelry. Shipwrecked with only Juicy Couture linen pants, a Malia Mills bikini and the boat's hunky first mate (Adriano Giannini), her look becomes a tad washed up. A fantasy sequence within Giannini's mind (conceptualized by Madonna and her Guy), features Mrs. Ritchie shimmying seductively in a lemon Versace gown to the song "Come on-a My House." Says costume designer Arianne Phillips of the Carmen Miranda-esque frock: "That hot spicy thing was just the right ingredient we were looking for."
Hair
Hairstylist Rita Marmor used Kérastase Nutri-Body mousse to add body to Madonna's blond bob. The goal was "to create something that was styled in a very sexy, yet done way," explains Marmor. After blow-drying moussed hair with a round brush she placed large- and medium-size hot rollers in the direction she wanted the hair to fall. After about 15 minutes of cool-down time, Marmor ran her hands through Madonna's hair, reshaping curls with Kérastase Serum Nutri-Instant. A medium-size curling iron was used to punch up curls at the ends and around the face.
Eyes
To create that bombshell gaze, Horne lined Madonna's lids with black liner from Il-Makiage and Chanel. The island temptress batted lashes lengthened with Christian Dior or alternatively Shu Uemura black mascara. Her come-hither look was completed with Il-Makiage eye shadow in Moonglow and Christian Dior 5-Colour eye shadow in Discretion, blended to make the eyes pop.
Makeup
N.Y.C. makeup artist Fiona Horne describes this scene as "Adriano's character's fantasy of what he would want her to look like." To match the "over the top" mood of the moment and the bright, sultry colors, Horne went for "more traditional sexpot makeup: black liquid eyeliner and red lipstick and nails." Throughout the film, Horne used Chantecaille Real Skin foundation in Rich, followed by a dusting of Shu Uemura Face Powder in Camel. Shu Uemura Glow On blush in Orange P53 was swept over cheeks to highlight Madonna's enviable bone structure. When initially marooned on "La Isla Bonita," Horne gave the singer a sunburn using a professional sun-exposure kit from Ben Nye (Severe Exposure color wheel), following the outline of her tank top for authenticity. "This starts to fade as her conflict with Adriano turns to love," reveals Horne. Fade into what exactly? The perfect tan with a little help from Versace Bronzing Powder in V2001. The final note of irresistibility was struck by Nars lipstick in Red Lizard.
Clothes
Why Versace? Who better to conjure what Phillips describes as "larger-than-life glamour" than the empress of Italian fashion? Madonna tried on the silk chiffon and silk georgette number during rehearsal to make sure it allowed for movement. It not only fit her like a glove right off the rack but it was a perfect complement to her beach-bronzed skin. "Yellow is one of those colors that only a confident woman could pull off," explains Phillips. However the costume designer insists that the dress says more about her character, socialite Amber Leighton, than about Madonna herself. Although she enjoyed wearing the cross section of luxury fashions, they were not necessarily a reflection of the star's everyday style. "She's much more understated than Amber," notes Phillips. "Amber is more brash." Still, in the fantasy sequence not even the band could escape the high fashion blitzkrieg: "Versace was kind enough to outfit all the band members in their handsome tuxedos, so it was a very Versace moment." (source: InStyle.com)
18 October - To die for: Buzz over hit by 'Bond Girl'
Meet the newest Bond Girl. Madonna, just Madonna.
Die Another Day, the lively title song for the 20th official James Bond movie, written by Madonna with coproducer Mirwais Ahmadzai, has generated such a buzz -- and massive Internet downloads -- that Warner Bros. rushed the song's release to radio. Last week, Die Another Day debuted at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, instantly becoming the biggest domestic Bond hit song since Duran Duran's A View to a Kill in 1985. (Can anyone remember such misfires as Sheryl Crow's Tomorrow Never Dies, Gladys Knight's Licence to Kill or Garbage's The World Is Not Enough?) A CD single, with multiple mixes, and the full Die Another Day soundtrack, will be in stores Tuesday. The movie opens Nov. 22. So how does Madonna compare to previous Bond Girls like Shirley Bassey, Carly Simon, Nancy Sinatra and Shirley Manson? She's, well... she's Madonna. Ever the agent provocateur, Madonna appears to have had full creative control, making her Die Another Day the edgiest (but not the best) Bond theme to date. The four-minute tune resembles a traditional Bond song only in its use of portentous strings. Both self-indulgent and winningly creative, the electronic-laced song reduces Madonna's voice to a percussive sound effect as flatulent synth machines stomp out the song's catchy, synaptic hook. Poor 007 isn't mentioned anywhere in the lyrics but Sigmund Freud is. Go figure. ''I'm going to break the cycle / I'm going to shake up the system,'' Madonna sings. No doubt she's already done precisely that. (source: Miami Herald)
18 October - My life as Mr Madonna
Guy Ritchie isn't acting like a man whose latest film has been so badly reviewed that cinemas across America are planning to withdraw it just a few days after it was released. Nor does he seem flustered by recent reports that his marriage to its star, Madonna, is in difficulty. Indeed, the ordinary British bloke who married the most famous - and some might say, most difficult - icon on the planet seems relaxed and surprisingly open when we meet in Beverly Hills. ''What's the obsession with slagging people off ? Why all the negativity? The secret, I find, is to pretty much ignore all the stuff they say and write about you. I think my wife and I feel as though we've enriched one another's lives enormously, in all sorts of ways." The maverick British film director is in characteristic bullish mood, pouring scorn on the endless stream of gossip and innuendo that has been heaped on his relationship with Madonna since they met five years ago. "Well, I didn't go into this relationship blind. I knew there would be a certain amount of rumours, but curiously, the bad stuff turned out to be the good stuff, because if people write about you and your relationship for long enough, then it starts off this chain reaction that forces you into asking questions about everything, where you're going in life, what you want from it.'' Continue reading this interview with Guy at the Evening Standard.
17 October - 10 Madonna movies, from flop to top
With 'Swept Away' sweeping into theaters, we count down Madonna's 10 most memorable movies from the wretched to the classic - well, nearly classic. Read the article at Entertainment Weekly.
17 October - DADay moves up to #28
After last weeks debut on #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, Die Another Day moves up to #28! But we want a #1, so keep requesting the song.
From MLVC mailing list: "Die Another Day moves 41-28* in its 2nd week on the Hot 100, becoming Madonna's 44th Top 40 hit on the Hot 100, breaking her tie with Aretha Franklin for most top 40 hits (female) in the rock era. It will have one more week on the chart, and then the full effect of maxi sales kicks in on the following chart (a few street-date violations this week will result in a catalog number appearing on the next chart)."
16 October - Billboard reviews DADay
The theme to the latest James Bond installment, Die Another Day, is certainly a far cry from the melodic musings of Shirley Bassey, Nancy Sinatra, Paul McCartney, and even Duran Duran. Die Another Day in many ways picks up on the heels of Madonna's inventive, experimental Music — thanks to her reunion with writer/producer Mirwais Ahmadzai — with a predominance of squiggly blips and zaps and enough effects on Madonna's vocal to render it practically non-human. It's an odd number, somewhat disjointed, a bit nonsensical, and not so much melodic as a highly stylized jam — but one must never underestimate the motivations of the long-and-lasting Madonna; and sure enough, with repeated listening, there are enough clever goings on and a hook that sinks into the consciousness to make this a captivating journey. James Bond purists may find themselves fitful that the traditional melodrama that marks such theme songs is remiss here, but radio jumped on the track weeks ahead of its official release, which will certainly fan the flames of publicity for the upcoming flick, out Nov. 22 in the U.S. On the horizon: an onslaught of remixes. Score another bull's-eye for Madonna. (source: Billboard)
16 October - Controversy greets DADay video
Today's Madonna/James Bond/religion pop quiz: The video for her song in the upcoming Bond movie "Die Another Day” - is (choose one):
- A condemnation of capital punishment.
- A testament to the virtues of not having an ego.
- An affront to Jewish tradition.
"Madonna doesn't like to explain her videos in great detail, but I think there are many messages there and her intention in making this video was honorable,” says Liz Rosenberg, her longtime rep. At intervals, the video features Madonna with Hebrew letters tattooed on her arm, wearing the leather straps associated with the Jewish tefillin and being electrocuted in a chair emblazoned with Hebrew markings. "The Hebrew word on the electric chair, with a lamed, an alef and a vav, means ‘No,' so the message seems to be ‘Say no to capital punishment,'” says Ken Jacobson, associate national director of the Anti-Defamation League. Rosenberg says Madonna told her the letters are from Kabbalah teachings. They are a "sequence” in a spiritual tool called "the 72 Names of God." In Kabbalah teaching, each of the "72 Names of God” is comprised of a three-letter sequence, and each sequence "is a conduit that transmits various blends of energy and spiritual light into our physical world,” says Elisheva Kelman, a spokeswoman for the Kabbalah Center, where Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie study. The lamed-alef-vav sequence, Kelman explains, "is about eliminating ego from your soul.” But because Madonna is wearing leather straps associated with tefillin -- traditionally worn only by male Jews -- some observers worry she will be accused of being an anti-Semite. "Some people could be offended not just because it's a woman, but also because she appears to be using it for something other than Jewish prayer,” says Jacobson, who added the ADL doesn't see the video as anti-Semitic. (source: Newsday, thanx to MadMax)
16 October - Is Swept Away really a flop?
Is Madonna's movie really a flop? Expectations - and costs - were so low that no one will really suffer from the film's poor showing, except maybe for a handful of moviegoers. If you're a star as big as Madonna, having an opening weekend at the box office like 'Swept Away''s $375,000 take may seem an embarrassment. According to industry figures, the movie opened on only 196 screens and averaged only $1,913 per screen. In its theatrical lifetime in the United States, it may earn less than the star spends each year on yoga mats. Still, in the wild world of Hollywood accounting, a take that low doesn't necessarily qualify as a flop. Given the modest cost of making and releasing the movie, and the even more modest expectations accompanying it, 'Swept Away' isn't a colossal enough disaster to be considered a failure, experts tell EW.com, and no one's career will suffer as a result. "If they were to have released the movie in 2,000 theaters, that would have been a disaster,'' says analyst Robert Bucksbaum of Reel Source, noting that Sony was wise to distribute it through it's specialty Screen Gems arm and limit the cost of prints and promotion. (Reuters estimates that the movie itself cost only $10 million.) ''A bomb is a 'Pluto Nash' scenario,'' he says, referring to this summer's Eddie Murphy comedy that cost a reported $100 million and opened with sales of just $2.18 million, for a dismal $940 per-screen average. Not that $375,000 is a success. "I would call it a cautionary tale," Bucksbaum says, referring to the fact that few pop stars, even ones as ubiquitous as Madonna, can translate music fandom into movie ticket sales. That's why, he says, "Sony was smart" to treat 'Swept Away' like an art-house release; as Reuters reports, the studio has no plans to expand the movie into wide release. "Everybody knew going in that this was a labor of love for her. They just weren't thinking of making money." Read on at Entertainment Weekly (thanx to MadMax)
16 October - Brosnan afraid of Mo
He may be James Bond, but it appears Pierce Brosnan is afraid of Madonna. "She definitely pushes your button, and I made that mistake," admits Brosnan after a run-in with Madge on the set of new Bond film Die Another Day. So what happened to ruffle Madonna's feathers? "The guys in the trailer were joking around the day that she was on set, singing Like a Virgin. I'm miles away, and I'm out there with my saber and she's all dressed up in her costume and I forget that she's there and I start singing Like A Virgin," says Brosnan. "And oh man, Jesus! That's like a red rag to a bull. She thought that I was pulling her chain. She said, 'Are you trying to dis me?' and I said, 'No, Madonna. No, for God's sake, No!' You definitely don't want to upset Madonna!" The two made up, however, and Pierce was clear to state: "Madonna is a great choice. She gets out there and struts her stuff. The song she does is great, too. She said, 'Don't worry, I won't let you down,' and I said, 'Okay,' and she hasn't." Rumour also has it that Pierce asked for Madonna to be kept away from the set when he shot his steamy love scenes with the other Bond girl, Halle Berry, although the actor has vehemently denied it: "Keep Madonna away? Oh no, dear Madonna. Listen, I'm a big fan of Madonna's before you say anything else. I think she's dynamite." This is a first - we've never seen Bond bow down to a Bond Girl before... (source: GQ Magazine)
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