A couple of weeks ago I watched Desperately Seeking Susan for the first time in years and years. Back when I was girl, cable TV was the same 7 movies played over and over, sometimes for months, and I’m betting that’s where I saw this first because I know I’ve seen it numerous times.
I learned that this is the 30 year anniversary. (eek!)
First, check out this trailer. Nice voiceover! Trailers have come a long way in 30 years.
Here’s a 30 year anniversary article told in what is called “oral history” and I call: super lazy journalism. It veers into self-importance at times but there are some great tidbits in here. Like the studio saying if you put two women on the poster, people would think it’s a lesbian movie.
I had to laugh at the quote about how those empty alleys that Roberta was running down don’t even exist anymore.
As opposed to all the cities that are EXACTLY THE SAME thirty years later.
I can’t tell if the movie really holds up. It holds up for me. When it came out I was that point transitioning into adulthood and doing a miserable job of figuring out who I wanted to be. I wanted to be confident and daring like Susan. And Roberta, too.
Instead, I was socially inept to the point of stupidity. I rarely took risks and when I did, it was never a soft landing.
I was watching the movie in a particular mindset that is a strong memory.
It’s worth noting that Madonna was at the very first moments of fame here. In the history they say that when they started filming she was unknown and by the end they had to hire security. Now, it’s hard to remember a world where Madonna wasn’t famous.
