Madonna and Cyndi Lauper are two 1980s divas who will always be associated with one another. Around the same time, they made some of the most famous dance songs ever, revolutionized the music video as an art form, and became major LGBTQ icons. Notably, one of Madonna’s biggest songs was initially meant for Lauper. Here’s a look at how the Queen of Pop came to record one of her hits.
A pair of songwriters wrote Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ for Cyndi Lauper
Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” is one of her most famous dance-pop tunes. According to Stereogum, Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson penned the original version of “Open Your Heart” for Lauper. Originally, “Open Your Heart” was going to be a synth-rock song. Considering Lauper has a background in that style of music, having been a member of the band Blue Angel, the song might have worked for her.
A pair of songwriters wrote Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ for Cyndi Lauper
Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” is one of her most famous dance-pop tunes. According to Stereogum, Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson penned the original version of “Open Your Heart” for Lauper. Originally, “Open Your Heart” was going to be a synth-rock song. Considering Lauper has a background in that style of music, having been a member of the band Blue Angel, the song might have worked for her.
- 12/28/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On the set of Splinter
The past decade has seen a revolution in independent film production, with increasingly affordable technology making it possible for far more people to get involved. As a consequence, there has been a flood of new works. The quality of the stories they have to tell varies enormously, but where they’ve been made with love and attention to detail, there’s usually something to enjoy about them. Still, they mostly look pretty rough. David Bryant’s Splinter is an intriguing exception. Though the plot is fairly straightforward, it features a solid central performance from Bill Fellows, and the quality of the technical work involved is really impressive – extraordinary for such a small scale production.
The man behind it all is writer/director/producer David Bryant, who shot it in his own home and is hoping to see it released in the UK within the next few weeks.
The past decade has seen a revolution in independent film production, with increasingly affordable technology making it possible for far more people to get involved. As a consequence, there has been a flood of new works. The quality of the stories they have to tell varies enormously, but where they’ve been made with love and attention to detail, there’s usually something to enjoy about them. Still, they mostly look pretty rough. David Bryant’s Splinter is an intriguing exception. Though the plot is fairly straightforward, it features a solid central performance from Bill Fellows, and the quality of the technical work involved is really impressive – extraordinary for such a small scale production.
The man behind it all is writer/director/producer David Bryant, who shot it in his own home and is hoping to see it released in the UK within the next few weeks.
- 12/28/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Gravitas Ventures has given a digital release to writer/director David Bryant’s new psychological chiller Splinter, and to help you decide whether or not this is a movie you’d like to see, we have the trailer embedded at the top of this article. If you do want to check Splinter out, you can do so at This Link.
Starring Bill Fellows (Coronation Street), Splinter tells the following story: Following the murder of his family, John becomes a recluse, trapped inside his home. Surrounded by memories, he believes someone, or something, is watching him. Could it be the ghosts of his wife and son, or something far worse?
Splinter was produced by Filo Films and Sea and Sky Pictures.
Bryant had this to say about the film: “I wanted to tell a traditionally haunting tale full of tension but present it in a realistic portrayal of one man’s mental breakdown.
Starring Bill Fellows (Coronation Street), Splinter tells the following story: Following the murder of his family, John becomes a recluse, trapped inside his home. Surrounded by memories, he believes someone, or something, is watching him. Could it be the ghosts of his wife and son, or something far worse?
Splinter was produced by Filo Films and Sea and Sky Pictures.
Bryant had this to say about the film: “I wanted to tell a traditionally haunting tale full of tension but present it in a realistic portrayal of one man’s mental breakdown.
- 11/22/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead) has joined Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, Tony Award nominee Thomas Sadoski and Josh Lucas in the cast of Lilly, the political thriller co-written and directed by Rachel Feldman, which is currently in production in Georgia.
Based on the life of Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman for whom President Obama named his first piece of legislation—The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009—the film explores the psychological cost of putting one’s life on the line for justice. At the heart of the social justice drama is a love story between Lilly (Clarkson) and her husband Charles (Lucas), a man who stood by his wife despite life-threatening challenges and significant family strife.
McDermitt will play the ambitious and unethical Alabama Congressman Dan McGinty. As previously announced, Sadoski is portraying Jon Goldfarb, the Birmingham civil rights attorney who navigated Ledbetter’s legal battles.
Feldman...
Based on the life of Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman for whom President Obama named his first piece of legislation—The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009—the film explores the psychological cost of putting one’s life on the line for justice. At the heart of the social justice drama is a love story between Lilly (Clarkson) and her husband Charles (Lucas), a man who stood by his wife despite life-threatening challenges and significant family strife.
McDermitt will play the ambitious and unethical Alabama Congressman Dan McGinty. As previously announced, Sadoski is portraying Jon Goldfarb, the Birmingham civil rights attorney who navigated Ledbetter’s legal battles.
Feldman...
- 10/26/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Josh Lucas (Ford v Ferrari) will join Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects) and Tony winner Thomas Sadoski (The Newsroom) in the political thriller Lilly, which is entering production in Georgia in October.
Based on the life of Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman for whom President Obama named his first piece of legislation—The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009—the film explores the psychological cost of putting one’s life on the line for justice. At the heart of the social justice drama is a love story between Lilly (Clarkson) and her husband Charles (Lucas), a man who stood by his wife despite life-threatening challenges and significant family strife.
As previously announced, Sadoski plays Jon Goldfarb, the Birmingham civil rights attorney who navigated Ledbetter’s legal battles.
Rachel Feldman is directing from a script she wrote with Adam Prince.
The independently financed film will be produced by...
Based on the life of Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman for whom President Obama named his first piece of legislation—The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009—the film explores the psychological cost of putting one’s life on the line for justice. At the heart of the social justice drama is a love story between Lilly (Clarkson) and her husband Charles (Lucas), a man who stood by his wife despite life-threatening challenges and significant family strife.
As previously announced, Sadoski plays Jon Goldfarb, the Birmingham civil rights attorney who navigated Ledbetter’s legal battles.
Rachel Feldman is directing from a script she wrote with Adam Prince.
The independently financed film will be produced by...
- 8/25/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: “You thought you knew Scrooge,” an ominous voice intones. “You don’t know this Scrooge.” So get acquainted with Estella Scrooge, the upcoming world premiere streaming musical with a heavy-hitting Broadway pedigree.
This first-look trailer (watch it above) features Betsy Wolfe (Waitress) singing the show’s “Never Look Down” as clips and characters from the cleverly filmed production take us through this new musical spin on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. References and storylines from other Dickens classics — including Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House — are incorporated into the mix.
Estella Scrooge will premiere Friday, November 27 at EstellaScrooge.com. Tickets go on sale Tuesday for $24.99 at Ticketmaster.com.
As Deadline reported in September, Estella Scrooge utilizes greenscreen technology and virtual sets along with individually recorded performances. Billed as “the first fully-realized musical to be filmed in virtual production,” Estella Scrooge uses hundreds of images, animations and digital environments blended...
This first-look trailer (watch it above) features Betsy Wolfe (Waitress) singing the show’s “Never Look Down” as clips and characters from the cleverly filmed production take us through this new musical spin on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. References and storylines from other Dickens classics — including Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House — are incorporated into the mix.
Estella Scrooge will premiere Friday, November 27 at EstellaScrooge.com. Tickets go on sale Tuesday for $24.99 at Ticketmaster.com.
As Deadline reported in September, Estella Scrooge utilizes greenscreen technology and virtual sets along with individually recorded performances. Billed as “the first fully-realized musical to be filmed in virtual production,” Estella Scrooge uses hundreds of images, animations and digital environments blended...
- 11/16/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive With a roster of Broadway actors from such recent or on-pause productions as Waitress, Hadestown, The Play That Goes Wrong and Moulin Rouge!, a new musical inspired by A Christmas Carol and other works of Charles Dickens will make its streaming debut before Christmas utilizing technology to combine socially distanced performances.
Estella Scrooge, with a book and direction by Tony Award winner John Caird and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon (Tony-nominated for 2001’s Jane Eyre), will star Betsy Wolfe (Waitress) as the title character, the niece of Carol‘s Ebenezer Scrooge. Clifton Duncan (The Play That Goes Wrong) will costar as her childhood sweetheart Philip “Pip” Nickleby.
Also featured are Patrick Page (Hadestown), Carolee Carmello (Mamma Mia) and Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!) as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Those actors and others will film their performances – separately, live, and one at a time – this week, with...
Estella Scrooge, with a book and direction by Tony Award winner John Caird and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon (Tony-nominated for 2001’s Jane Eyre), will star Betsy Wolfe (Waitress) as the title character, the niece of Carol‘s Ebenezer Scrooge. Clifton Duncan (The Play That Goes Wrong) will costar as her childhood sweetheart Philip “Pip” Nickleby.
Also featured are Patrick Page (Hadestown), Carolee Carmello (Mamma Mia) and Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!) as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Those actors and others will film their performances – separately, live, and one at a time – this week, with...
- 9/9/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Lucy-Jane Quinlan has had a successful career on both stage and screen, most recently appearing in the upcoming horror remake Unhinged (2017). We had the chance to speak to her about her role in the film, her career so far and other projects she is involved in.
How did you first get into acting?
I wanted to do musical theatre, I thought that was the only path for me, so at 17 years old I was in my first year of sixth form and I found this college that I wanted to go to called Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and it was a degree course. I was one of the eldest in my year so I would have only been 17, and then three weeks in I would have been 18. I thought why not just go for it. I am just going to tell them the truth, this is my age, but can I come in.
How did you first get into acting?
I wanted to do musical theatre, I thought that was the only path for me, so at 17 years old I was in my first year of sixth form and I found this college that I wanted to go to called Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and it was a degree course. I was one of the eldest in my year so I would have only been 17, and then three weeks in I would have been 18. I thought why not just go for it. I am just going to tell them the truth, this is my age, but can I come in.
- 9/7/2017
- by Philip Rogers
- The Cultural Post
The suspense thriller "Victims" is another film that's making it's world premiere at this year's Fantasia International Film Festival. What's interesting about this film, it was shot in one take with no Adr and no score. The film is by Writer/Director/Producer David Bryant, who is also hosting the screenings of this film. For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official...
- 7/20/2011
- by Anthony T
Another indie flick which is making its way to the Fantasia International Film Festival is David Bryant's follow-up to Dead Wood entitled Victims, and through the magic of stills and a trailer, we have a look at what to expect!
John Bocelli, Sarah Coyle, Andy Cresswell, Nina Millns, Bradley Cole, and Sharon Lawrence star. For more information and even more stills, check out the official Victims website, and then dig on the official Victims Facebook page.
Synopsis
A kidnapped man. A dark secret. A truth revealed... As a camera rolls, the van doors burst open. A man is bundled into the van by the balaclava clad kidnappers and handcuffed to the floor.
As they drive, the man is questioned about his past and accused of a crime he maintains he did not commit. In real time the drama unfolds, documented by the kidnappers as truth is revealed and the...
John Bocelli, Sarah Coyle, Andy Cresswell, Nina Millns, Bradley Cole, and Sharon Lawrence star. For more information and even more stills, check out the official Victims website, and then dig on the official Victims Facebook page.
Synopsis
A kidnapped man. A dark secret. A truth revealed... As a camera rolls, the van doors burst open. A man is bundled into the van by the balaclava clad kidnappers and handcuffed to the floor.
As they drive, the man is questioned about his past and accused of a crime he maintains he did not commit. In real time the drama unfolds, documented by the kidnappers as truth is revealed and the...
- 7/15/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The indie film director behind Dead Wood’s David Bryant has come back with another film called Victims which is a thriller starring John Bocelli, Sarah Coyle, Andy Cresswell, Nina Millns, Bradley Cole, and Sharon Lawrence. Victims Synopsis: A kidnapped man. A dark secret. A truth revealed … As a camera rolls, the van doors burst open. A man is bundled into the van by the balaclava clad kidnappers and handcuffed to the floor. As they drive, the man is questioned about his past and accused of a crime he maintains he did not commit. In real time the drama unfolds, documented by the kidnappers as truth is revealed and the lines blur between the hijacker and victim. What are the kidnappers’ motives, where are they taking him, and what is the truth? Victims is a taut, realistic drama played out in one long take on the kidnappers’ camcorder as we...
- 12/20/2010
- by MEL
- Horror News
Indie director David Bryant (Dead Wood) is back with his second feature film, this one looking to blur the line between captor and captive. Ready to meet the Victims?
Victims stars John Bocelli, Sarah Coyle, Andy Cresswell, Nina Millns, Bradley Cole, and Sharon Lawrence.
For more info check out the official Victims website and become a fan of Victims on Facebook.
Synopsis
"A kidnapped man. A dark secret. A truth revealed ... As a camera rolls, the van doors burst open. A man is bundled into the van by the balaclava clad kidnappers and handcuffed to the floor.
As they drive, the man is questioned about his past and accused of a crime he maintains he did not commit. In real time the drama unfolds, documented by the kidnappers as truth is revealed and the lines blur between the hijacker and victim. What are the kidnappers' motives, where are they taking him,...
Victims stars John Bocelli, Sarah Coyle, Andy Cresswell, Nina Millns, Bradley Cole, and Sharon Lawrence.
For more info check out the official Victims website and become a fan of Victims on Facebook.
Synopsis
"A kidnapped man. A dark secret. A truth revealed ... As a camera rolls, the van doors burst open. A man is bundled into the van by the balaclava clad kidnappers and handcuffed to the floor.
As they drive, the man is questioned about his past and accused of a crime he maintains he did not commit. In real time the drama unfolds, documented by the kidnappers as truth is revealed and the lines blur between the hijacker and victim. What are the kidnappers' motives, where are they taking him,...
- 12/20/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Dead Wood director David Bryant has just launched the website for his latest vampire feature Flesh & Blood, and we've got the official plot crunch and more for you to chew on.
According to Bryant, Flesh & Blood is "a low budget dark brooding feature set in the English coastal town of Hastings (1066 and all that). It will be shot on location in the old town, which is a visually unique place with hundreds of years old architecture and very cool spooky alleyways. Hence, why I now live there."
Dig on the goods below!
Synopsis:
Am I my brother's keeper?
A guilt-ridden loner discovers life and love, only to find it threatened by the only friend he's ever known. Daniel Cain lives a solitary life in a small coastal town. He works as a janitor in the local hospital by day and spends his nights nursing a dark secret. Confined to a...
According to Bryant, Flesh & Blood is "a low budget dark brooding feature set in the English coastal town of Hastings (1066 and all that). It will be shot on location in the old town, which is a visually unique place with hundreds of years old architecture and very cool spooky alleyways. Hence, why I now live there."
Dig on the goods below!
Synopsis:
Am I my brother's keeper?
A guilt-ridden loner discovers life and love, only to find it threatened by the only friend he's ever known. Daniel Cain lives a solitary life in a small coastal town. He works as a janitor in the local hospital by day and spends his nights nursing a dark secret. Confined to a...
- 5/11/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Dead Wood is a rather risky title to put on movie belonging to a subgenre (kids go to the woods…kids get dead, to borrow the title of a recent satire/homage to the form) that has seen plenty of dead wood of its own. This particular example, crafted by three British film-school pals, doesn’t blaze any trails of originality, but the movie—and especially the special features on Lionsgate’s DVD—suggests that as fledgling feature-makers, they’re on the right path.
Following the expected opening teaser in which a hapless victim (David Bryant, who scripted Dead Wood and directed, produced, photographed and edited it with Sebastian Smith and Richard Stiles) meets his maker, we’re introduced to our vanful of protagonists. Webb (Fergus March) and Larri (Emily Juniper) are an established couple, while their weekend camping trip is something of a blind date for her cousin Milk...
Following the expected opening teaser in which a hapless victim (David Bryant, who scripted Dead Wood and directed, produced, photographed and edited it with Sebastian Smith and Richard Stiles) meets his maker, we’re introduced to our vanful of protagonists. Webb (Fergus March) and Larri (Emily Juniper) are an established couple, while their weekend camping trip is something of a blind date for her cousin Milk...
- 7/9/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
• Fango got the scoop on street dates for a trio of horror titles coming to DVD in late summer/fall. Dark Sky Films revealed when you’ll be able to pick up Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel’s fest-acclaimed Deadgirl and Gregory Mandry’s Brit shocker Gnaw, while Genius Products has announced its slot for Philippe Martinez’s The Chaos Experiment.
Deadgirl, which begins with a couple of teenaged guys discovering a naked, chained, apparently undead young woman in an abandoned mental facility—and one deciding to have his way with her—arrives September 15, while Gnaw, about vacationers who stumble upon a house full of cannibals (see previous item here), arrives August 11. Chaos Experiment, about a psychotic professor (Val Kilmer) attempting to prove his global-warming theories by imprisoning six people in a steam room (see first set report here), is coming August 4. Stay tuned for full disc details and cover art on all of these,...
Deadgirl, which begins with a couple of teenaged guys discovering a naked, chained, apparently undead young woman in an abandoned mental facility—and one deciding to have his way with her—arrives September 15, while Gnaw, about vacationers who stumble upon a house full of cannibals (see previous item here), arrives August 11. Chaos Experiment, about a psychotic professor (Val Kilmer) attempting to prove his global-warming theories by imprisoning six people in a steam room (see first set report here), is coming August 4. Stay tuned for full disc details and cover art on all of these,...
- 5/5/2009
- Fangoria
European horror films are pushing the envelope in filmmaking and "Dead Wood," looks no different; only this time characters will have to deal will their own fear and a sinister presence stalking their every move. "Dead Wood," is making a DVD premiere in the United Kingdom this week and this low budget independent film has already won one award for best effects. Shot in East Sussex most of the film takes place in outdoor environments with the central characters fighting off a dark supernatural force. Releasing some quality promotional material including a leaf-like movie poster and high quality teaser trailer "Dead Wood," can be found, by horror fans, through DVD distributors throughout the United Kingdom this April 13, 2009 (click on the movie poster to see the quality artistry).
A synopsis for "Dead Wood,"...
Four friends escape the grime of the city and head out into the woods for a peaceful, relaxing weekend.
A synopsis for "Dead Wood,"...
Four friends escape the grime of the city and head out into the woods for a peaceful, relaxing weekend.
- 4/10/2009
- by Michael Ross Allen
- 28 Days Later Analysis
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