Customer Reviews

Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful [VHS]

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Starring comic genius Julie Brown, "Medusa" Dare to Be Truthful" is a hysterical spoof of Madonna's "Truth or Dare" documentary. In this sendup, Julie Brown (MTV's "Just Say Julie"; "Clueless") plays Medusa, world-famous pop singer, who is on a world tour with her dancers. On her tour she encounters many technical mishaps (electrocution, props falling on her, etc.) as well as her many encounters with celebrities (some which include comic parodies of Sean Penn, Sandra Bernhardt, and Cher).

Originally airing on the Showtime cable network, this spoof contains many hilarious secenarios including Medusa performing at a concert in the Philippines while a volcano is erupting in the background, and another where Brown parodies Madonna's infamous "bottle" scene in "Truth or Dare." Another of my favorite scenes includes a giant faux-penis collapsing on Medusa while she is practicing for a performance with her dancers. Only Brown could make this comedy work, and her performance is splendid.

Brown is hysterically funny as always, and aong with the dancers in the film, and the many song parodies ("Vogue" is "Vague"; "Like a Virgin" is "Like a Video"; etc..). The film also contains the witty, sharp-wit lines Brown is well-known for (in response to police demands that Medusa trims the sexuality in one of her perfomances, she replies "Call me Mr. Brirdseye, but the show stays frozen!").

If you are in the mood for a good spoof, then "Medusa: Dare to be Truthful" is your best choice for guaranteed laughs.

The product description is misleading. Not only is this DVD NOT impossible to find, it is readily available at Julie Brown's website, www.juliebrown.com. And, it's only $20. I see no reason to pay $50 here for it.

Dare To Be Truthful, Truth Or Dare, get it? And Medusa, not Madonna. Yes, Medusa, star of Desperately Seeking Sushi and Who's That Pretty Bad Woman? Julie Brown single-handedly and playfully plays the title character and exaggerates the Material Girl during her Blonde Ambition tour (and even in previous days) down to blonde wig and mannerisms. Her performance as Medusa is more mischievous rather than malicious. Her failed marriage to Sean Penn, her poor movie performances, cheesy sets, and dancers--it's all there. After doing a novelty album, Trapped In The Body Of A White Girl, and playing Geena Davis's girlfriend in Earth Girls Are Easy, Brown has excelled herself here.

This parody of the documentary portrays Medusa as quite an egomaniac, bratty, petty, selfish, over-emotional, and quite, well, sexually charged is a nice way of saying it. When she has one of her tantrums, all one has to do is say something like "You were at your best" or some other high form of flattery, and that will bring out a smile. And check out that bratty cackle!

The main theme is Medusa on her Blonde Leading The Blonde Tour, with funny things happening in the Pilliphines, I mean Philippines, where she kicks some ash, literally. In addition to the skewering and cariacaturing of Madonna, the dialogue is funny at times. Medusa says she's so rich that her money has money now. She even screams at her therapist, "You said yourself I was borderline--I even wrote a song about it!" And in one of the pre-concert prayers includes, "...please give them [the backup dancers] the courage to accept a pay cut because the yen conversion rate is really bad right now and the wisdom not to go running to a lawyer about it." I'll say no more--don't want to do a spoiler review.

Other notable cameos include Bobcat Goldthwaite, who does a parody of the Kevin Costner scene. And Chris Elliott (There's Something About Mary, Groundhog Day) plays Andy.

If you like Madonna and can appreciate her getting roasted in this comical send-up, this is for you. Hardcore Madonna fans may be offended, however. One question on my mind--what, no accompanying soundtrack EP?

A scathing, yet curiously reverent parody of Truth or Dare, Julie Brown reaches her creative peak in this playful stab at Madonna.

Julie made fun of Madonna for years on her MTv show 'Just Say Julie' and has always dwelled in the realm of celebrity fantasy/parody, ie; her comic assertion that John Bon Jovi was her boyfriend - but here she reaches her peak.

According to legend (and Julie - who isn't entirely reliable in these situations) Madonna even paid her tribute after seeing this film by sending her a half-drunk bottle of warm champagne with an enclosed note stating "I thought that you might enjoy this half-drunk bottle of warm champagne." Which, in Julie's opinion, as well as mine, intimates that the big M has a good sense of humor about herself and enjoyed this parody.

Dare to be Truthful is a comic masterpiece that is not to be missed. I only wish that we could see more of Julie and her masterful/insane wit these days.

And I wish that I could get Vague on CD.

Even after watching this numerous times over the years, and paying attention to every little detail, it seems impossible to find any flaws with this spectacular parody of Madonna's "Truth or Dare"! Julie Brown appears to have studied La M's nuances and mannerisms thoroughly, in order to come up with a unique, surprising, and somehow oh-so-accurate parody of her! I had already been an avid fan of Madonna's for years when I first saw this in 1994 on MTV, yet I could instantly appreciate the humor here!

The musical numbers are cleverly titled, astutely written, and have just enough melodic variation from the originals to make them standout on their own (I've often found "Party in My Pants" going through my head, along with the urge to sing it!). Medusa's sudden outbursts of rage and dismay are to die for; and the supporting cast definitely has a chemistry that convinces you "this could be the real thing"!

This film is a definite classic. In spite of Madonna's long-running reign as Queen of Pop, there have not been many successful parodies of her! Julie Brown holds the honor of delivering a knockout one that captures all the contradictions, traits, and idiosyncrasies of M that make people love and hate her! In the process, she will make you laugh hysterically!

Timeless!

If you go to www.juliebrown.com and click to shop etc you can purchase this DVD thru her Ebay Store which features the better looking artwork and states the DVD has deleted scenes and MUCH MUCH more listed! A Dream come True sorry I am being "Vague" about all the great things on this DVD Check it out yourself. I just ordered my DVD copy!

Hysterical. As the other reviewers said, watch Madonnas "Truth Or Dare" first, then this after. While I appreciate the original Miss Things ambition, success, generosity to causes, & even like some of her songs, (I give it a 90, VERY danceable!) after watching Julie Browns dead-on parody of her, well...every time someone calls Madonna "a genius", I no longer cringe, I just laugh. Miss Brown rips to shreds all the pretensions,and, really, she's just as talented as the original, but makes you acutely aware of the one quality that the original lacks (at least publicly, and that is wherein she lies), a sense of humor about ones self. Hey, Madonna came from nothing and made herself a huge star, and that's quite an accomplishment.And celebrities can't be 100% blamed for believing their own publicity in this fame worshiping culture. This movie is just an hysterical flip-side to all the pretension and God-Like- self-importance that some celebrities acquire.(It's just a SONG, Darling, you're not curing cancer.)Anywho,watch this movie, it is funny...funny... FUNNY!! And that Julie Brown...now SHE'S a genius!!

This, along with "Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun"--has to be one of Miss Julie's crowning moments in comedy. Impersonating Madonna, and in particular her "documentary" film "Truth or Dare", Brown sails so closely by her subject in this 1992 spoof that I have trouble differentiating the parody from the real thing. Truly funny all the way through, "Medusa" is a genuine laugh riot, with lots of cameos from popular comedians of the day like Bobcat Goldthwait, Chris Elliot, even Kathy Griffin as backup dancer Taffy!

I've just read Griffin's autobiography "Official Book Club Selection", and was surprised to find no mention of this movie in the book. What gives, Kathy? It's not like you to skip over anything you've done! Especially something as funny as this.

I met Julie once while working at a video post production house in Hollywood--we were editing the video portion of a live show she was putting on, and told her about my love for this movie. She told me that on the night of its premiere, she received a thank-you gift from Madonna herself--nothing less than a half-consumed bottle of warm champagne!

Since Madonna is almost a self-parody, if it's even possible to parody her, Julie Brown pulls it off flawlessly. If you haven't watched Madonna's 'Truth or Dare', then 'Dare to be Truthful' won't be as funny - but it would still make you laugh.

Cameos or fuller roles by Kathy Griffin, a very thin Donal Loque (as Shane Pencil)and Stanley DeSantis (you don't know the name, but have seen him everything) Even Wink Martindale isn't afraid to make an appearance and fun of himself.

Brown does well with the send-ups of the songs too.

Another pop culture piece that my friends and I quote 12yrs later ("you know I can't f**k for a week!"). And this is another video piece that should be on DVD (much less deserving stuff is!), but isn't.

We have all been patiently waiting for "Medusa" to come out on DVD...but our patience is getting thinner than Lindsay Lohan. This needs to come out soon...as does "Without You I'm Nothing" by our gal Sandy. Both titles are among the funniest comedic performances in gay culture.