Madonna: Truth or Dare
Encyclopedia
Madonna: Truth or Dare is a 1991 American documentary film
chronicling the life of American
singer-songwriter Madonna
during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour
. The film was generally well-received by critics and was successful at the box office, becoming, at that point, the highest-grossing documentary of all time with a worldwide gross of $29,012,935. It remains the eighth highest-grossing documentary of all time. It was screened out of competition at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival
.
. Outside North America
the documentary title was changed by Miramax Films to In Bed with Madonna, due to the game being relatively unknown in other countries. Madonna has commented in various interviews that she hates the title of In Bed With Madonna and has expressed it as "stupid". The original working title of the documentary was "Truth or Dare: On the Road, Behind the Scenes and In Bed with Madonna".
During the summer of 1990, Madonna hired director Alek Keshishian
, to film backstage and onstage footage of her Blond Ambition World Tour
. The entire documentary is filmed in Black-and-white
, except for onstage sequences which are in full color. There are appearances from celebrities such as Al Pacino
, Mandy Patinkin
, Olivia Newton-John
, Antonio Banderas
, Sandra Bernhard
, Kevin Costner
and Warren Beatty
, whom she was dating at the time.
Concert video footage was shot at Bercy
in Paris
, France
in July 1990. In the "Express Yourself" concert sequence, Madonna says "All right, America! Do you believe in love?" This audio is overdubbed from a US date onto footage shot in Paris, where she does not wear the ponytail as in the Japan and USA stops.
in Nice
. Madonna
cleans up her hotel room while, in a voice-over
, she explains that she is not as emotional as the rest of her group over the end of the tour. She has already grieved, she says, but it will hit her later, and she hopes she will be in a safe place when it happens.
In a flashback to April 1990, the tour is about to kick off in Japan. Everything is a mess - there are sound problems, and Madonna did not realize that the tour is during the rainy season in Japan. Because it is cold and wet Madonna and the dancers scrap their costumes for warmer attire. In a voice-over, Madonna confesses that the only thing keeping her from "slashing my wrists" is the thought of returning to North America
and performing the show as it is meant to be. In America, Madonna meets the families of her dancers. One dancer, Oliver, sees his father for the first time in several years, while Madonna talks with her father, Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, on the phone. Though she insists that she can get him tickets, he is reluctant to impose.
The Blond Ambition tour stops in Los Angeles
, where sound problems abound. Despite reassurances, Madonna focuses on the technical problems and yells at her manager, Freddy DeMann
, for allowing so many people from the music industry, who appeared bored by her performance, in the front rows. Though then-boyfriend Warren Beatty
tries to console her, he is distracted by the cameras and walks away laughing. Madonna parties with several celebrities, including Dick Tracy co-stars Al Pacino
and Mandy Patinkin
, and Olivia Newton-John
. Kevin Costner
offends Madonna by calling her show "neat". Madonna pretends to gag after he leaves. Despite the lively atmosphere, Beatty still seems bothered by the cameras' presence. During her stay in Washington, D.C., Madonna attends the premiere of Dick Tracy with Beatty, with whom she co-starred. In another voice-over, she describes a dream that she had the night before: Mikhail Gorbachev
came to her show, and she thought about how jealous Beatty would be that she met him first. She declares it "a good dream." On the final night of the show in Toronto
, Madonna is informed that plainclothes officers are prepared to arrest her if she performs the simulated masturbation
scene at the end of "Like a Virgin
". Madonna refuses to change her show, stating, "Last time I was on tour, Sean
was in jail. I guess it's my turn." Freddy DeMann bets that the threat of arrest will only make Madonna go further, and no one takes his bet. According to a news report, Toronto police decide not to arrest the singer, claiming that no threats were made.
The Blond Ambition tour goes to Madonna's hometown of Detroit. In a voice-over, Madonna expresses the difficulty she has going back home, especially since fame seems to change one's loved ones. At the end of "Holiday
", Madonna calls her father on stage and sings "Happy Birthday to You
". Backstage, Tony and his wife, Joan, compliment Madonna (and Christopher) on the show, though Tony expresses his displeasure at some of the more "burlesque" aspects. Madonna and Christopher wait for their older brother, Martin to show up, and discuss his substance abuse problems. When Martin arrives, Christopher has left and Madonna has gone to bed. Madonna reunites with her "childhood idol", Moira McFarland-Messana. Moira gives Madonna a painting she made entitled "Madonna and Child", and asks Madonna to be the godmother to her unborn child. Before leaving Detroit, Madonna visits her mother's grave as "Promise to Try" plays in the background. It is the first time she has visited her mother's grave since she was a little girl. Madonna lies down beside her mother's grave as Christopher watches, and Madonna whispers that, "I'm going to fit in right here. They're going to bury me sideways."
As the tour continues, Madonna's throat problems worsen while Beatty becomes more fed up with the cameras. During a throat examination in Madonna's hotel room, Beatty chastises her for the documentary, telling her the atmosphere is driving everyone insane. Madonna ignores Beatty, and when she declines to have the rest of her examination done off camera, Beatty starts laughing, saying, "She doesn't want to live off-camera, much less talk... What point is there of existing off-camera?"
Due to Madonna's throat problems she cancels some of her shows. In New York
, Madonna's doctor instructs her not to talk, and she finds herself isolated in her apartment with only her assistant, Melissa, as contact to the outside world. Everything seems to fall apart, and she loses contact with the dancers. Star
reports that Madonna dumped Beatty for one of her dancers, Oliver Crumes. The other dancers torment him, and Madonna chastises them. Sharon, a make-up artist, is drugged and sodomized
while partying. In a prayer circle before the final show in New York, Madonna attempts to pull everyone back together.
The third leg of the tour kicks off in Europe
with everyone in better spirits. Madonna and the dancers visit Chanel
in Paris
, fool around at Melissa's birthday party and imitate Madonna's 1984 "Like a Virgin" music video. As the tour nears Italy, the Pope
attempts to have it banned, forcing Madonna to cancel one show. Sandra Bernhard
appears to cheer up Madonna. Sandra asks who would really blow her away, and Madonna replies, "That guy who's in all of Pedro Almodóvar
's films - Antonio Banderas
." When Almodóvar throws a party in Madrid
and invites the future Evita
co-stars, Madonna spends a week thinking up ways to seduce Banderas. It turns out that he is married, ending Madonna's two-year crush.
While Madonna works in her hotel room, voice-overs from her family, friends, and co-workers describe the star. Though she is happier now than she was on her last tour, Sandra Bernhard does not think that she takes enough time to enjoy her successes. Others describe her in unflattering terms. Luis Camacho says, "I just feel like she's a little girl lost in the storm sometimes. You know, there's just a whole whirlwind of things going on around her, and sometimes she gets caught up in it." As the tour winds down, the group plays a game of Truth or Dare?
. Madonna is asked, "Who has been the love of your life for your whole life? Your biggest love?" Madonna replies without hesitation, "Sean
. Sean." Madonna invites her dancers, one-by-one, to join her in bed, where she imparts words of wisdom to each.
While the show's closing act, "Keep It Together", plays, a montage of Madonna saying good-bye to her dancers is shown. The film ends with a clip of Madonna telling director Alek Keshishian
to go away and, "Cut it, Alek! Cut it, God dammit!"
.
During a Wayne's World
sketch, Wayne (Mike Myers
) and Garth (Dana Carvey
) encounter a seductive Madonna lying on a bed in a hotel room during a dream fantasy sequence (filmed in black and white). After some back-and-forth banter, Wayne and Madonna play Truth or Dare. Wayne dares Madonna to make out with him. As they kiss, the music for her controversial 1990 video Justify My Love
begins to play. Garth is then seen dancing in a parody of the video before being abducted by two women in fetish-wear outfits.
The parody
, Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful, stars comedienne Julie Brown
as the title character, with Kathy Griffin
and Donal Logue
in supporting roles. Brown plays Medusa
, a controlling, hyper-sexual blonde bombshell who has allowed a documentary crew to follow her on her "Blonde Leading the Blonde Tour". The film, originally produced as a one-hour Showtime television special, goes to great pains to recreate costumes, sets, and situations that occurred in the original documentary.
In addition, the popular British television comedy programme French & Saunders
did a highly-regarded parody of the film with both stars playing Madonna in tandem, a unique concept, which was called "In Bed With French & Saunders". Madonna herself was widely reported to be delighted with the long skit, saying that when French & Saunders did a parody of anything, it was proof that it had "arrived."
, and Gabriel Trupin, filed a lawsuit against Madonna. The suit claimed that the singer had invaded her dancers' privacy during the filming of Truth or Dare, as well as charging her with fraud and deceit, intentional misrepresentation, suppression of fact, and intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying the men's private lives in the documentary.
In a commercial for MTV's Rock the Vote
campaign later that year, Madonna joked about the lawsuit, saying, "You're probably thinking that's not a very good reason to vote... So sue me! Everybody else does."
After more than two years of litigation, in October 1994, the suit was withdrawn and an undisclosed settlement was reached.
. In Bed with Madonna was released in the UK by Video Collection International on October 7, 1991.
, VCD
(Asia only), Laserdisc
and later DVD
. The LaserDisc, in keeping with the strengths of the format, was considered the pinnacle in terms of quality, although the quick demise (and sheer expense) of the format prevented it from being fully appreciated by the general public. In the UK an additional VHS "15" certificate, edited version was released in November of 1991, to allow younger teenagers to watch it. The packaging was slightly changed to a 'blue' format otherwise identical to the original. The VHS was re-released in the U.S. on May 14, 1992 with two additional performances of "Hanky Panky
" and "Like a Prayer
" included after the credits. These performances were only available on this version.
The DVD
version was released on August 26, 1997 by LIVE Entertainment in North America
and included only a few extras; Original Theatrical Trailer, Production Notes and Cast & Crew biographies. It did not get a worldwide DVD release until January 6, 2003 by MGM Entertainment and included just one extra, Original Theatrical Trailer. The additional performances included on the 1992 VHS version were not present.
In March 2009, a new HD master of the film premiered on Palladia HD (MTV
's new name). It included the new Miramax logo at the beginning of the film and a Warner Bros. Television
logo at its closing.
plus excerpts from:
US Special Edition VHS includes the performances of:
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
chronicling the life of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
. The film was generally well-received by critics and was successful at the box office, becoming, at that point, the highest-grossing documentary of all time with a worldwide gross of $29,012,935. It remains the eighth highest-grossing documentary of all time. It was screened out of competition at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival
1991 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Roman Polanski *Férid Boughedir *Whoopi Goldberg *Margaret Menegoz *Natalia Negoda *Alan Parker *Jean-Paul Rappeneau *Hans Dieter Seidel *Vittorio Storaro...
.
History
The title of the documentary is in reference to the party game Truth or Dare?Truth or Dare?
Truth or Dare? is a party game requiring a minimum of two players. The game is very popular with adolescents and children, but is also played by some adults and seniors.-Rules:...
. Outside North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
the documentary title was changed by Miramax Films to In Bed with Madonna, due to the game being relatively unknown in other countries. Madonna has commented in various interviews that she hates the title of In Bed With Madonna and has expressed it as "stupid". The original working title of the documentary was "Truth or Dare: On the Road, Behind the Scenes and In Bed with Madonna".
During the summer of 1990, Madonna hired director Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian is a Lebanese-born Armenian film director. He is best known for his 1991 film Madonna: Truth or Dare, which for a time was the highest-grossing documentary of all time....
, to film backstage and onstage footage of her Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
. The entire documentary is filmed in Black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, except for onstage sequences which are in full color. There are appearances from celebrities such as Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
, Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
, Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
, Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
, Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
and Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
, whom she was dating at the time.
Concert video footage was shot at Bercy
Bercy
Bercy is a neighborhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It is the city's 47th administrative neighborhood. -History:Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late Neolithic . The name of Bercy, or Bercix, appeared for the...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in July 1990. In the "Express Yourself" concert sequence, Madonna says "All right, America! Do you believe in love?" This audio is overdubbed from a US date onto footage shot in Paris, where she does not wear the ponytail as in the Japan and USA stops.
Plot
The film begins on August 6, 1990, the day after the final show of the Blond Ambition TourBlond Ambition Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
cleans up her hotel room while, in a voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
, she explains that she is not as emotional as the rest of her group over the end of the tour. She has already grieved, she says, but it will hit her later, and she hopes she will be in a safe place when it happens.
In a flashback to April 1990, the tour is about to kick off in Japan. Everything is a mess - there are sound problems, and Madonna did not realize that the tour is during the rainy season in Japan. Because it is cold and wet Madonna and the dancers scrap their costumes for warmer attire. In a voice-over, Madonna confesses that the only thing keeping her from "slashing my wrists" is the thought of returning to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and performing the show as it is meant to be. In America, Madonna meets the families of her dancers. One dancer, Oliver, sees his father for the first time in several years, while Madonna talks with her father, Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, on the phone. Though she insists that she can get him tickets, he is reluctant to impose.
The Blond Ambition tour stops in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where sound problems abound. Despite reassurances, Madonna focuses on the technical problems and yells at her manager, Freddy DeMann
Freddy DeMann
Frederick "Freddy" DeMann is a film producer, music executive, and co-founder of Maverick Records. During his music career, he managed two of the century's biggest stars: Michael Jackson and Madonna. During DeMann's tenure, two of...
, for allowing so many people from the music industry, who appeared bored by her performance, in the front rows. Though then-boyfriend Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
tries to console her, he is distracted by the cameras and walks away laughing. Madonna parties with several celebrities, including Dick Tracy co-stars Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
and Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
, and Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
. Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
offends Madonna by calling her show "neat". Madonna pretends to gag after he leaves. Despite the lively atmosphere, Beatty still seems bothered by the cameras' presence. During her stay in Washington, D.C., Madonna attends the premiere of Dick Tracy with Beatty, with whom she co-starred. In another voice-over, she describes a dream that she had the night before: Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
came to her show, and she thought about how jealous Beatty would be that she met him first. She declares it "a good dream." On the final night of the show in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Madonna is informed that plainclothes officers are prepared to arrest her if she performs the simulated masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
scene at the end of "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
". Madonna refuses to change her show, stating, "Last time I was on tour, Sean
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
was in jail. I guess it's my turn." Freddy DeMann bets that the threat of arrest will only make Madonna go further, and no one takes his bet. According to a news report, Toronto police decide not to arrest the singer, claiming that no threats were made.
The Blond Ambition tour goes to Madonna's hometown of Detroit. In a voice-over, Madonna expresses the difficulty she has going back home, especially since fame seems to change one's loved ones. At the end of "Holiday
Holiday (Madonna song)
"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
", Madonna calls her father on stage and sings "Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
". Backstage, Tony and his wife, Joan, compliment Madonna (and Christopher) on the show, though Tony expresses his displeasure at some of the more "burlesque" aspects. Madonna and Christopher wait for their older brother, Martin to show up, and discuss his substance abuse problems. When Martin arrives, Christopher has left and Madonna has gone to bed. Madonna reunites with her "childhood idol", Moira McFarland-Messana. Moira gives Madonna a painting she made entitled "Madonna and Child", and asks Madonna to be the godmother to her unborn child. Before leaving Detroit, Madonna visits her mother's grave as "Promise to Try" plays in the background. It is the first time she has visited her mother's grave since she was a little girl. Madonna lies down beside her mother's grave as Christopher watches, and Madonna whispers that, "I'm going to fit in right here. They're going to bury me sideways."
As the tour continues, Madonna's throat problems worsen while Beatty becomes more fed up with the cameras. During a throat examination in Madonna's hotel room, Beatty chastises her for the documentary, telling her the atmosphere is driving everyone insane. Madonna ignores Beatty, and when she declines to have the rest of her examination done off camera, Beatty starts laughing, saying, "She doesn't want to live off-camera, much less talk... What point is there of existing off-camera?"
Due to Madonna's throat problems she cancels some of her shows. In New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Madonna's doctor instructs her not to talk, and she finds herself isolated in her apartment with only her assistant, Melissa, as contact to the outside world. Everything seems to fall apart, and she loses contact with the dancers. Star
Star (magazine)
Star is an American celebrity tabloid magazine.-History:Star was founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1974 as competition to the tabloid National Enquirer with its headquarters in New York City. In the late 1980s it moved its offices to Tarrytown, NY and in 1990 Murdoch sold the magazine to The Enquirers...
reports that Madonna dumped Beatty for one of her dancers, Oliver Crumes. The other dancers torment him, and Madonna chastises them. Sharon, a make-up artist, is drugged and sodomized
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
while partying. In a prayer circle before the final show in New York, Madonna attempts to pull everyone back together.
The third leg of the tour kicks off in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with everyone in better spirits. Madonna and the dancers visit Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, fool around at Melissa's birthday party and imitate Madonna's 1984 "Like a Virgin" music video. As the tour nears Italy, the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
attempts to have it banned, forcing Madonna to cancel one show. Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
appears to cheer up Madonna. Sandra asks who would really blow her away, and Madonna replies, "That guy who's in all of Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
's films - Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
." When Almodóvar throws a party in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and invites the future Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
co-stars, Madonna spends a week thinking up ways to seduce Banderas. It turns out that he is married, ending Madonna's two-year crush.
While Madonna works in her hotel room, voice-overs from her family, friends, and co-workers describe the star. Though she is happier now than she was on her last tour, Sandra Bernhard does not think that she takes enough time to enjoy her successes. Others describe her in unflattering terms. Luis Camacho says, "I just feel like she's a little girl lost in the storm sometimes. You know, there's just a whole whirlwind of things going on around her, and sometimes she gets caught up in it." As the tour winds down, the group plays a game of Truth or Dare?
Truth or Dare?
Truth or Dare? is a party game requiring a minimum of two players. The game is very popular with adolescents and children, but is also played by some adults and seniors.-Rules:...
. Madonna is asked, "Who has been the love of your life for your whole life? Your biggest love?" Madonna replies without hesitation, "Sean
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
. Sean." Madonna invites her dancers, one-by-one, to join her in bed, where she imparts words of wisdom to each.
While the show's closing act, "Keep It Together", plays, a montage of Madonna saying good-bye to her dancers is shown. The film ends with a clip of Madonna telling director Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian
Alek Keshishian is a Lebanese-born Armenian film director. He is best known for his 1991 film Madonna: Truth or Dare, which for a time was the highest-grossing documentary of all time....
to go away and, "Cut it, Alek! Cut it, God dammit!"
Uncredited
- Oliver Crumes
- Warren BeattyWarren BeattyWarren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
- Antonio BanderasAntonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
- Sandra BernhardSandra BernhardSandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
- Pedro AlmodovarPedro AlmodóvarPedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
- Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
- Matt DillonMatt DillonMatthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
- Kevin CostnerKevin CostnerKevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
- Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
- Mandy PatinkinMandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
- Al PacinoAl PacinoAlfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
- Freddy DeMannFreddy DeMannFrederick "Freddy" DeMann is a film producer, music executive, and co-founder of Maverick Records. During his music career, he managed two of the century's biggest stars: Michael Jackson and Madonna. During DeMann's tenure, two of...
- Joe DunnJoe DunnJoe Dunn is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 96th district from 2003 until January 2009. In July 2007 Dunn had announced that he would not seek reelection in 2008, citing family and his career as the primary reason for his decision.Dunn has a Masters in...
Self-parody and Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful
To promote the just-released film, Madonna made a guest appearance in a pre-filmed segment on the May 11, 1991 episode of the sketch-comedy show Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
During a Wayne's World
Wayne's World
Wayne's World was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series Saturday Night Live. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" on the CBC Television series It's Only Rock & Roll, as the main character first appeared in that show...
sketch, Wayne (Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
) and Garth (Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
) encounter a seductive Madonna lying on a bed in a hotel room during a dream fantasy sequence (filmed in black and white). After some back-and-forth banter, Wayne and Madonna play Truth or Dare. Wayne dares Madonna to make out with him. As they kiss, the music for her controversial 1990 video Justify My Love
Justify My Love
"Justify My Love" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection and was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records. It caused international controversy due to the accompanying music video which was sexually explicit...
begins to play. Garth is then seen dancing in a parody of the video before being abducted by two women in fetish-wear outfits.
The parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful, stars comedienne Julie Brown
Julie Brown
Julie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character...
as the title character, with Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin
Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedienne, television personality, New York Times best-selling author and an LGBT rights advocate. Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom...
and Donal Logue
Donal Logue
Donal Francis Logue is an Canadian actor perhaps most famous for his role as Sean Finnerty in Grounded for Life.-Personal life:...
in supporting roles. Brown plays Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
, a controlling, hyper-sexual blonde bombshell who has allowed a documentary crew to follow her on her "Blonde Leading the Blonde Tour". The film, originally produced as a one-hour Showtime television special, goes to great pains to recreate costumes, sets, and situations that occurred in the original documentary.
In addition, the popular British television comedy programme French & Saunders
French & Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
did a highly-regarded parody of the film with both stars playing Madonna in tandem, a unique concept, which was called "In Bed With French & Saunders". Madonna herself was widely reported to be delighted with the long skit, saying that when French & Saunders did a parody of anything, it was proof that it had "arrived."
Lawsuit
On January 21, 1992, three of the Blond Ambition dancers, Oliver Crumes, Kevin SteaKevin Stea
Kevin Alexander Stea is an American dancer, choreographer, actor, singer, director and model.He was the assistant choreographer and dance captain for Madonna's Blond Ambition Tour and appeared in the documentary about it, Madonna: Truth or Dare in 1990/1.In January 1992, along with dancers Oliver...
, and Gabriel Trupin, filed a lawsuit against Madonna. The suit claimed that the singer had invaded her dancers' privacy during the filming of Truth or Dare, as well as charging her with fraud and deceit, intentional misrepresentation, suppression of fact, and intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying the men's private lives in the documentary.
In a commercial for MTV's Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
campaign later that year, Madonna joked about the lawsuit, saying, "You're probably thinking that's not a very good reason to vote... So sue me! Everybody else does."
After more than two years of litigation, in October 1994, the suit was withdrawn and an undisclosed settlement was reached.
Video release
The music video release of the documentary Truth or Dare was released on October 9, 1991 by LIVE Entertainment in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In Bed with Madonna was released in the UK by Video Collection International on October 7, 1991.
Formats
It was released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
(Asia only), Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
and later DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. The LaserDisc, in keeping with the strengths of the format, was considered the pinnacle in terms of quality, although the quick demise (and sheer expense) of the format prevented it from being fully appreciated by the general public. In the UK an additional VHS "15" certificate, edited version was released in November of 1991, to allow younger teenagers to watch it. The packaging was slightly changed to a 'blue' format otherwise identical to the original. The VHS was re-released in the U.S. on May 14, 1992 with two additional performances of "Hanky Panky
Hanky Panky (Madonna song)
"Hanky Panky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the second and final single release from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless on June 30, 1990 by Sire Records. The song caused some controversy because of its innuendo and racy lyrics...
" and "Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer (song)
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
" included after the credits. These performances were only available on this version.
The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version was released on August 26, 1997 by LIVE Entertainment in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and included only a few extras; Original Theatrical Trailer, Production Notes and Cast & Crew biographies. It did not get a worldwide DVD release until January 6, 2003 by MGM Entertainment and included just one extra, Original Theatrical Trailer. The additional performances included on the 1992 VHS version were not present.
In March 2009, a new HD master of the film premiered on Palladia HD (MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's new name). It included the new Miramax logo at the beginning of the film and a Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
logo at its closing.
Track listing
Concert footage includes:- "Oh FatherOh Father"Oh Father" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer . It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in most European territories until December 24, 1995, when it...
" - "Like a VirginLike a Virgin (song)"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
" - "Promise To Try" (montage of film, not concert performance)
- "Express Yourself"
- "HolidayHoliday (Madonna song)"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
" - "Live to TellLive to Tell"Live to Tell" is a pop ballad by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Originally written by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of the film Fire with Fire, the song was shown to Madonna, who decided to use it for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range...
" - "Vogue"
- "Family Affair"/"Keep It Together"
plus excerpts from:
- "Papa Don't PreachPapa Don't Preach"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Stephen Bray and Madonna for her third studio album True Blue, released in June 1986...
" (during soundcheck) - "Like a PrayerLike a Prayer (song)"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna on her fourth studio album of the same name . It was released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records as the album's lead single...
" - "Causing a CommotionCausing a Commotion"Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the second single from the soundtrack album Who's That Girl on August 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appeared on the 1991 UK compilation EP The Holiday Collection...
"
US Special Edition VHS includes the performances of:
- "Like a Prayer"
- "Hanky PankyHanky Panky (Madonna song)"Hanky Panky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was the second and final single release from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless on June 30, 1990 by Sire Records. The song caused some controversy because of its innuendo and racy lyrics...
"