"Белгілі бір құрбандық": Мадоннаның ерте қадамдары және даулы фильм тарихы

1985 film by Stephen Jon Lewicki
A Certain Sacrifice is an independent underground art film, shot on and off over two years in New York City on a low budget of just $20,000. The video release sold 50,000 copies in its first week, and the film developed a certain cult status among some of Madonna's fans and collectors by that time. It was made on a low budget between $12,000 to $20,000. The film marks the acting debut of Madonna and the directorial debut of Stephen Jon Lewicki, an aspiring filmmaker. Actor Jeremy Pattnosh wrote and performed several songs in the film, including: "Certain Sacrifice" and "Screamin' Demon Lover". Years later, in a 2000 Channel 4 documentary on Madonna's early years (titled Madonna: Naked Ambition), her Breakfast Club bandmate Dan Gilroy recalled: "I did not like that fellow who made A Certain Sacrifice, I felt he was using them big time [ ] it needed a laugh track, something".

Madonna tried to buy the rights from director Stephen Jon Lewicki, offering him $5,000 which later upped to $10,000. Stephen Lewicki invited her to view it; Madonna was reportedly unhappy with the result. According to Lewicki, she had an expression of horror on her face and screamed "Fuck you" as she stormed out of his apartment. The release caused some controversy in the press at the time, due to film's sexually explicit and violent content, Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Julie Salamon expressed: [ ] Kind of a long MTV video with thinly developed themes of sadomasochism and ritual violence". Spartanburg Herald Journals Joe Saitzman said is a basic home movie quality, the sound unbelievably bad, and the script nonexistent. In 1986, there were theatrical midnight screenings in the U. S. Edited in a one inch video to further visually obscure it, Critics said that Madonna's appearance in the film was the only reason it sold well, while Mark Bego commented it was purchased by hard core Madonna devotees only. Shortly after the video release, Lewicki received significant criticisms of "exploiting" Madonna's image, which he responded, "If people say that, I don't mind". Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli claims the film made Lewicki a "millionaire" in 1985. Lewicki subsequently claimed that he deserved the financial success that came afterward, because he had taken a risk by casting an unknown Madonna, and the money he put into the movie.