Customer Reviews

The Immaculate Collection

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lucky Star- Nice video, I like Madonna's outfit. 4/5
Borderline- I love this video! 5/5
Like A Virgin- My favorite video on here! 5/5
Material Girl- Wonderful video! 5/5
Papa Don't Preach- This one is very nice. 5/5
Open Your Heart- I never saw this one, yet, but I have seen a little of it. For now, I will give it a 5. 5/5
La Isla Bonita- Amazing video! 5/5
Like A Prayer- It's okay. 3/5
Express Yourself- Very creative video! 5/5
Cherish- I love this video, and I think the song has a good message. 5/5
Oh Father- Beautiful video. 5/5
Vogue- This video is so cool! 5/5
Vogue (From the 1990 MTV Awards Show)- It's okay. 3/5

Madonna and music videos go together like love and marriage. Madonna was ahead of the game right when MTV started, always coming up with the freshest music videos. This collection of of her best vdeos is truly supreme. Let's go through a quick run - through of the videos.

"Lucky Star" is a cute video. Madonna likes lovely and the dancing is superb. It was her first classic video. I love the black and white intro when Madonna pulls down the sunglasses.

"Borderline" is a very cute video. Madonna plays a fashion model. I love the transistion between black and white and color. And once again, Madonna looks gorgeous. Also, in this video, Madonna vaguely resembles D.J. from "Full House".

"Like A Virgin" was without a doubt the video tha cemented her. I love the scenes in Venice when she's dancing in the gondolla. Never cared for that lion man at the end, though.

"Material Girl" was the one that started the comparisons to Marilyn Monroe, maybe because Madonna wore the same dress that Monroe wore in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1953. It is an excellent video, and the one whose set she met future husband and recent Oscar winner Sean Penn on.

"Papa Don't Preach" I didn't like that much. I don't know if it's because of the way Madonna wore her hair in the video or I'm just not a big Danny Aiello fan, but there's something about this video that I don't like. Great song, though.

"Open Your Heart" gets right back on track. The idea of Madonna as a stripper wooing a young boy into a peep show was perfect. And Madonna's hair is beautiful.

"La Isla Bonita" is my least favorite video. I just don't like the way she looks in the video. I never thought she looked all that good as a brunette, and here is no exception (the "Like A Prayer" video is, but I'll get to that later). Killer dress though, and a good song.

"Like A Prayer" caused a ton of controversy when it was released. And why wouldn't it, what with its burning crosses, interracial love affair nd its depiction of Jesus being black? But when you look past all this, it's really a great video. And Madonna looks so beautiful. And about her being a brunette, she looks good with it in this video. In fact, I think the blackhair was required for the video.

"Express Yourself" is a very sensuous video, especially the scene with Madonna naked and chained to the bed. The ending where Madonna grabs her crotch is really pretty funny.

"Cherish" is a very charming video. Shot in black and white (at least I think it is), Madonna stands on the beach, getting soaked by water and yet singing about the sweet love she owns. A nice change of pace from the racier videos on the dvd.

"Oh Father" I really don't remember, so I'll skip it. I remember it was pretty boring, though. And I hated the song.

"Vogue" is such a great video. It's too beautiful to describe in words. All I can say is that Madonna looks gorgeous.

The live performance of "Vogue" is really good. I reccommend this dvd to all Madonna fans who don't already own it.

This is the Madonna DVD to own. If you don't own this, and The Immaculate Collection CD - you are truly missing out. The 'live' version of 'Vogue' at the end of the DVD is the icing on the cake. Highlight Videos: Express Yourself, Vogue, Like a Prayer.

This is a truly definitive video collection that traces the early years of Madonna to her maturation into one of the most provacative and daring entertainers of all time.

Yes - some of my favorite songs were left out too, but the videos for "Crazy For You," "Get Into the Groove" & "Live to Tell" obviously didn't make the cut due to copyright issues as they prominantly feature scenes from the movies in which they appeared; why else include them on the CD, and not the DVD?

Despite a few exclusions, the best of Madonna's videos during the 80s are still represented in this collection: most notably "Like a Prayer," easily one of Madonna's best songs AND videos, if not one of the best videos by any artist EVER. And even after all this time, videos like "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin" still delight. Other faves include "Express Yourself" and "Vogue" - but let's not forget "Lucky Star," "Borderline," "Papa Don't Preach," "Open Your Heart," "La Isla Bonita," "Oh Father" and "Cherish" either.

Is there a single video here that isn't a memorable classic?

I would give this collection 5 stars if they wernt missing some really good videos including true blue, into the groove, live to tell , dress you up and a couple more but overall this collection is about 4.5 stars. Contains just videos, no interviews and they couldve put a couple more on there. Heres a review.
1.Lucky Star-One of madonnas first videos-4 stars
2.Borderline- another classic madonna video-4 stars
3.Like a virgin -this is when she became huge star and this video is 5 out of 5 stars.
4.Material Girl- catchy good song, fun video- 5 out of 5 stars
5.Papa dont preach- 4 stars
6.Open your heart- another unique video/classic-4 stars
7.La Isla Bonita- i really like this video-5 stars
8.Like a prayer- 4 stars
9.Express Yourself- great video 5 out of 5 stars
10.Cherish- 3.9 stars
11.Oh father-4.5 stars
12.Vogue- Definetly 5 out of 5
and includes an extra track from 1990 mtv awards show which is a flawless memorable performance by madonna.
Overall 4.5 - they shouldve included a few of her other classics though. Highly Recomended.

If you want to understand Madonna's appeal, if you want to understand why she defined the 1980s and has remained a force for 20 years, you must watch THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION. What you see is something that was rare during my childhood - a woman drenched in sexuality looking right into the camera and saying: I enjoy my sexuality; I'm comfortable in my body; I'm in control of my life. Madonna knew that the music video was the new pop culture format, and she used it to make herself into the greatest icon of her generation. She is not a great singer, songwriter, actress, etc., but she IS a genius. Nowhere is her genius more evident than in these videos.

The playlist:

Lucky Star. Though this was Madonna's third video (Everybody was her first; Burning Up was her second), this was the first to get heavy rotation. The male backup dancer is her brother, Christopher Ciccone.

Borderline. Madonna's first video with a plot, she is an anonymous dancer at a break-dancing jam. A photographer notices her and offers her a job as a model. Her latin lover boyfriend gets jealous. (Unbeknownst to many, this song is also an ode to the female orgasm. "Keep on pushing me baby, don't you know you drive me crazy," Madonna sings.)

Like a Virgin. Filmed in Venice, Italy, and directed by Mary Lambert, this was Madonna's true breakthrough video. This is the song and video that made her a superstar. The metaphor is obvious. Madonna's character, who apparently has had many lovers, feels new and rejuvenated with her latest; he makes her feel like a virgin. Oddly, this song was originally intended for a male vocalist.

Material Girl. Based on Marilyn Monroe's rendition of Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend from the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Madonna pays homage to Marilyn. Madonna would forever after be known as The Material Girl. Apparently no one noticed it was a joke. Madonna leaves the rich guys for the poor guy who drives a beat up Chevy.

Papa Don't Preach. Madonna's first truly controversial video, she confronts the issue of teenage pregnancy and debuts her pixie haircut. I don't think she's ever looked cuter than when portraying this resilient teenage Italian-American New Yorker. Actor Danny Aiello plays Madonna's father. In cut-away scenes to a solitary Madonna dancing in a dark studio, she is the most voluptuous, enchanting ice blonde I've ever seen - inhabiting a universe of glamour and mystery all her own.

Open Your Heart. Madonna plays a peep show dancer who really IS a dancer with real dance training! In a tribute to the choreography of Bob Fosse, and the Sally Bowles of Liza Minelli, Madonna spins, turns, contorts, and seduces an audience of sexual dyfunctionals. The young boy who begs, but is denied, entrance, represents a part of Madonna - her innocence.

La Isla Bonita. Madonna's tribute to the "mysterious people of Latin America" has her recalling her wonderful days on the island of San Pedro. Sitting in her dreary, gray apartment, a cropped and plain Madonna peers out of the window to where life is, to the street party she wishes she had the confidence to attend. She fantasizes that she is a seductive Flamenco dancer in a powerful red dress, with the courage to entice the crowd.

Like a Prayer. The jumbled sequence of this video makes it hard to understand at first. The basic plot is that Madonna witnesses a murder by the Klu Klux Klan, and then sees the police arrest a man she knows is innocent - a black man. Should Madonna let it be, or speak up and risk her own safety? She soon finds her way to a church dedicated to a black saint, falls asleep and dreams she goes to heaven to receive guidance. After a surrealistic sequence of dancing in a field of burning crosses, she resolves to tell the police the truth.

Express Yourself. A futuristic fantasy of ambiguous message, Madonna imitates Michael Jackson's most famous dance move (not the moonwalk). A sweaty, dirty construction worker finds his way her silky sheets, as she displays the most stunning back of muscles I've ever seen on a female pop star!

Cherish. Madonna's merman fantasy, this was the first music video directed by late celebrity photographer Herb Ritts. It's a hard video to watch because Ritts said Madonna was freezing on this winter day. You'd never know it to watch her dance around in the waves as though it's the middle of summer. She's the consummate professional. (God, I love this woman!) Madonna introduces us to her fine-toned biceps, putting my own to shame.

Oh Father. Last I heard, she is still unsure whether her father has seen this video. It may be better that he not. It does not depict him in a good light. Struggling to come to terms with his wife's death from cancer, he sometimes succumbs to violence to keep his daughter in line. In a parting scene, an adult Madonna regresses back to the 1960s and kisses her sleeping father on the cheek - hinting that we marry our parents, drawing a parallel between her father's behavior and that of ex-husband Sean Penn.

Vogue. Madonna's tribute to the long underground gay dance form known as Voguing, named after the famous high gloss magazine. Paying tribute to Hollywood's golden era, Madonna raps for the first time (far superior to her rap session in American Life!). The video is a stunning, sleek, black-and-white affair. And, again, that beautiful back of hers is on display. Oh, and so are those national treasures. (I heard she's actually insured them!)

Vogue (live from the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards). A live performance, Madonna is Marie Antoinette in a ball gown big enough for male dancers to hide under. This is one of her most legendary performances. Madonna, as usual, stole the show!

Andrew Parodi

"The Immaculate Collection" is a compilation of some of Madonna's music videos from 1984-1990. Every video answers why she's the queen of pop and of MTV. The catchy songs answer why she was the biggest selling female artist of the 1980's. She knows how to keep many interested. Her dance moves, sexuality, and outrageousness keeps many watching her every move, wondering what she'll do next. Her brilliantly creative outlook is expressed in every video. Such risque moves deserves her tremendous respect. No female before her was performing such daring moves and attitudes. She defines girl power. Her variey and her ability to always brainstorm new and original ideas amazes everyone. The moments many think she's done everything, she always does something new and mindblowing.

Madonna's videos are unforgettable. Whether she's dressing like Marilyn Monroe("Material Girl"), a 1940's actress("Express Yourself"), a mermaid("Cherish"), a street-wise woman("Borderline"), or herself(many of them), her creativity starts a fashion. Many modern-day artists have impersonated and/or found inspiration in these videos. However, none have reached anywhere close to her style and quality. The stand-out video is "Vogue", which VH1 named the second greatest music video ever made. This pays tribute to old-time Hollywood actresses, and it introduces the audience to her gay affiliations. Her MTV Music Awards performance of this song is also included. The dancers and she are dressed in 1600's European style.

"The Immaculate Collection" DVD is important material for the Madonna fan. This will keep many entertained for a long time. As every song of hers will be classics, these videos will do the same. These songs are also featured on the CD; therefore, the two compilations will be a fun combination.

the better track list should be like this!

1 - Lucky Star
2 - Borderline
3 - Like A Virgin
4 - Material Girl
5 - Crazy For You
6 - Into The Groove
7 - Live To Tell
8 - Papa Don't Preach
9 - True Blue
10 - Open Your Heart
11 - La Isla Bonita
12 - Who's That Girl
13 - Like A Prayer
14 - Express Yourself
15 - Cherish
16 - Oh Father
17 - Vogue

Don't get me wrong, this video collection is awesome. I previously only had the VHS video. After getting the DVD and seeing the so-called "extended version" of Lucky Star, I was REALLY disappointed. This is a REMIX video people. They totally cheesed up this video and made it look so much more dated by adding dumb effects. They shold have put in the VHS version. Also, they should have put Justify My Love on this DVD. Anyway, Madonna's videos (the original versions!) are awesome so of course she gets 5 stars.

The Immaculate Collection was released in 1990 to accompany the album of the same name. The two went hand in hand as a celebration of Madonna's incredible achievements from 1983-1990, and sold by the million. The Immaculate Collection CD sold inexcess of 22 million worldwide and is considered by many to be one of the most accomplished and essential greatest hits collections of all-time. The album was so successful that the video of the same name often gets left in the shade, which is a great shame as it contains some of the most thought-provoking and controversial works of music video art of all-time. In this review of The Immaculate Collection video, I will be rating the videos out of ten - firstly on the song, then on the video...

The Immaculate Collection opens with Lucky Star (9/10, 7/10). This amazing dance/pop song was taken from Madonna's self-titled debut album in 1984. The video isn't very good, but music videos didn't need to be in the early days of MTV. It basically consists of a white background as Madonna dances around with a few dancers. We then move onto Borderline (10/10, 9/10), a much more accomplished video. The video features Madonna aimlessly walking around the streets following the man of her dreams - yet everytime she tries to get with him, he walks away. The next video is Like A Virgin (10/10, 10/10). This was the song that made Madonna the superstar she is today with its cheeky and saucy suggestions. Madonna prances around on a gondola in Venice trying desperately to shock the world and maintain a sex-kitten image - one that would have a much greater impact seven years later! This video is followed by Material Girl (10/10, 10/10). Madonna was being compared a lot to Marilyn Monroe in the early 1980's, so she decided to encorporate this into the video for Material Girl. She re-inacts Monroe's famous scene from the 1950's classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Clad in a pink boob-tube gown and showered in jewellery, she is followed around by a legion of men. A very good video - and a classic, well it is Madonna! The next three videos are from Madonna's third album, 1986's True Blue. Papa Don't Preach (10/10, 10/10) is the fifth video on The Immaculate Collection. This worldwide No.1 smash dealt with the teenage angst and heart-ache of an unwanted pregnancy. Madonna sells the song from the bottom of her heart and the video is absolutely superb - definetly one of Madonna's greatest songs/videos ever. This video is followed by Open Your Heart (9/10, 8/10). This controversial video shows Madonna as a stripper in a peep show on a chair. This was the first time the world got to see Madonna's now legendary conical bra on full show with its gold tassles! The seventh video is La Isla Bonita (10/10, 9/10). This Spanish-influenced classic track has some beautiful lyrics and superb beats. The video is set in Spain (or Latin America) and sees Madonna in a stunning red and black polka-dot Flamenco dress. Probably the most relaxing and beautifully produced video of them all...

The Immaculate Collection continues in true Madonna style with the video to Like A Prayer (10/10, 10/10). Easily the most controversial music video of the 1980's, Madonna decided to explore themes such as a black Jesus, stigmata, interracial kissing, burning crosses and statues crying blood in her video for Like A Prayer. The controversy surrounding the video only saw record sales soar as the Like A Prayer album shifted more than 15 million copies worldwide. The video recently landed at No.2 in VH1 USA's 100 Greatest Videos Of All-Time, behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. We then move onto Express Yourself (10/10, 10/10). This huge video cost $1 million to make and was the second most expensive music video of the 1980's - second only to (again!) Michael Jackson's Thriller. In the video, Madonna is the boss of a huge company as she sits up on her pedestal with her cats, smoking cigarettes, dancing while taking the mick out of Mr Jackson (crotch grabbing, ahem!) and exploring her sexuality by getting what she wants - a real girl power video that shows women can be all the things men get praised for. The tenth video on The Immaculate Collection is Cherish (10/10, 9/10). Taken from the Like A Prayer album, this superb song is deserving of praise all-round because of Madonna's sunlight and valentine lyrics on an otherwise dark and mysterious album. The video is black and white and was directed by legendary photographer Herb Ritts, who went on to direct other famous beach videos such as that of Britney Spears' Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know. This video is followed by another black and white video, Oh Father (9/10, 8/10). This was another controversial video, condemned for its child violence. The song is about Madonna as a child and how her strict upbringing often caused her misery and pain. The final video in this collection is Vogue (10/10, 10/10) - another black and white video! This song is officially Madonna's biggest selling single to date - a record that still stands 13 years later! Madonna is seen in her famous conical bra and pays homage to 16 of her idols. The video also came in a No.8 on VH1 UK's list of the 100 Greatest Videos Of All-Time.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

I often regard The Immaculate Collection CD and video to be one of the most essential pieces of merchandise around. Just like the Erotica album and the Sex book, this collection is a must for every Madonna fanatic. To miss out on this video collection would be to ignore some of the most thought-provoking, celebrated and controversial works of music video art of all-time. Anyway, The Immaculate Collection is a must have for all you mad fans on Madonna - buy it now...from Amazon of course!