The 10 Best Acting Performances by Musicians in Movies

ust because someone is a musical artist does not mean that they cannot act. Sometimes they can even act better than they sing. Here are the 10 best acting performances by musicians in movies:

1. Cher in “Moonstruck”

Cher in “Moonstruck”

Cher made a name for herself as a pop star in the 60s and the 70s, but in 1987 she showed that she could act as well. She won an Oscar for her portrayal of a middle-aged woman trying not to fall in love with the younger brother of her fiance. 

2. Barbara Streisand in “The Way We Were”

Like Cher, Streisand first made a name for herself as a singer. Even before this 1973 film, she had proven she could act. But her performance in this star-crossed love story demonstrated that she could act without the aid of music. 

3. Ice Cube in “Boyz n the Hood”

In 1991, Ice Cube — who was born O’Shea Jackson Jr. — showed that even rappers can act. It helped that the part was written for him and was about a character who was not much different from him. 

4. Madonna in “A League of Their Own”

Madonna was one of the biggest pop stars in the world when she performed in this 1992 film. While she had been in some films prior to this, this movie would be the one that would demonstrate that she could act as well as she can sing. 

5. Prince in “Purple Rain”

Prince was already a huge music star when he starred in this 1984 film loosely based on his life. But this movie, in which he acted for the first time in his life, showed that he had the charisma to be a superstar. 

6. Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls”


Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls”

Many singers have catapulted to fame through TV competitions, but Jennifer Hudson did not even place in “American Idol.” Still, she won a role in this 2006 film, and she won an Oscar for it, too. 

7. Dolly Parton in “9 to 5”

Country music sensation Dolly Parton had never acted before starring in this 1980 film about harassment in the workplace, where she wowed moviegoers and critics alike. 

8. Mark Wahlberg in “Boogie Nights”

Like Ice Cube, Mark Wahlberg started his career as a rapper, back when he was known as Marky Mark. But in this 1997 film he rocketed to fame as an actor, playing an ill-fated porn star. 

9. Björk in “Dancer in the Dark”

The 10 Best Acting Performances by Musicians in Movies
The 10 Best Acting Performances by Musicians in Movies

Björk was an international music sensation prior to starring in this 2000 film about a factory worker who is going blind. The role won her a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival that year. 

10. Eminem in “8 Mile”

Rapper Eminem — whose real name is Marshall Mathers — won the hearts of audiences everywhere for his performance in this 2002 film, which is largely based on his own life. Jump to top

5 Good Things That Came Out of Bad Movies

Everyone has their own taste, but there are some movies that we can all hopefully agree are just bad. These are ones that have ridiculous plots, awful acting, and inept direction. If you’re someone who sees the glass as half-full, though, you should be able to admit that some good can be wrought from bad movies. Even if these movies were awful, their results weren’t so bad.

5 Good Things That Came Out of Bad Movies

5 Good Things That Came Out of Bad Movies

After Earth

The downward trajectory of M. Night Shyamalan’s career was painful to watch. “After Earth” might not be the worst addition to his filmography, but the sci-fi film, starring Will and Jaden Smith, is still a colossal misfire that audiences stayed away from. Shyamalan wisely scaled things back significantly with his next film, the well-received “The Visit.” Then, “Split” shocked and delighted audiences. Going through rough patches is common for directors, but not all of them can get out of them. 

The Emoji Movie

Remember when movies, particularly animated ones, were a way to escape your daily life and all the sights and sounds you’re exposed to ad nauseam? Well, “The Emoji Movie,” an 86-minute excuse to show kids how awesome various apps are, might be the nadir of cross-promotional cinema. Savaged by critics and gifted with multiple Razzies (including Worst Picture), “The Emoji Movie” could be the end of forced branding in children’s films. 

The Room

No film in recent memory has been as synonymous with “so bad, it’s good” as Tommy Wiseau’s misguided melodrama, “The Room.” Ostensibly the story of a man dealing with his fiancée’s infidelity, “The Room” has earned its cult status through inexplicable scenes involving drug dealers and football, and for some of the most ridiculous dialogue you’ve ever heard. In doing everything wrong, “The Room” somehow ends up doing everything right. 

Gigli

Back in 2003, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez was arguably the most influential couple in Hollywood. Tabloids couldn’t get enough of them, but audiences clearly had their fill by the time “Gigli” rolled into theaters. A bomb for the ages, “Gigli” seems to have been the wake-up call Affleck needed to get his career back on track. He most notably found a second wind as a director, making multiple critically-acclaimed films, including Best Picture winner, “Argo.” 

Batman & Robin

When “Batman Begins” came out in 2005, it wasn’t clear if it would be a blockbuster. How did it get to the point where the bankability of one of the most iconic superheroes of all-time was in doubt? We can thank “Batman & Robin” for sullying the brand almost irreparably. Joel Schumacher’s film was a campy nightmare and put a halt to any further Caped Crusader plans. The franchise was revived with Christopher Nolan’s inspired and grittier take on Batman, and the new Batman trilogy changed the way we view comic book movies forever.

5 tips to send stress on vacation and recharge

These 5 Destressing Practices Will Restore Your Energy Levels

Between family obligations and career responsibilities, stress mounts up quickly and can leave you feeling drained and unmotivated. If you’re like most people, you don’t take the time you need to distress, believing you’re too busy to worry about stress. In fact, if you make the time to follow these five tips, you’ll find that your energy levels are restored, you feel better about life in general, and you’re more productive on a daily basis. 

Take One Vacation Per Year

Taking a vacation isn’t just about doing something fun. There are very serious health-related reasons for taking one week a year to yourself. First of all, it takes you away from those daily stressors and helps you recharge your spirit. Just getting away from the everyday frustrations in your life is enough to relieve tension, but it will also help you live longer. Studies have found that people who don’t take yearly vacations have a significantly higher mortality rate at younger ages.

Schedule Meditation into Your Day

The best thing about meditation is that it only takes a few minutes and you can do it almost anyplace. There’s no reason you can’t meditate at least once a day. You can do it in your office, your car, a secluded area of the park, or in your own home. As long as you can arrange to be left undisturbed for five to 10 minutes, any location will suffice. In addition to eliminating stress, regular meditation improves memory and boosts cognitive functioning. If you’re unsure how to get started, you can find many tutorials online.

Exercise Each Day

This may be the most important suggestion on this list. Doctors wore that failing to get a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise daily will have negative effects on your health. Ultimately, it will decrease your lifespan. Alternatively, working physical activity into your daily routine will have the opposite effect. In addition to reducing stress, it will have positive effects on mood, concentration, heart health, digestion, and respiration. In fact, there isn’t a system in the body that isn’t helped by some exercise.

Socialize with Family and Friends

Socialization is important to emotional health, so making more time for your loved ones will help you. When you spend time with family and friends, it gives you an opportunity to vent your frustrations and share your insights about your day. This is enough to relieve stress in itself. Additionally, laughing, having fun, and simply communicating with people you like will reduce stress and strengthen your emotional health. Your loved ones will appreciate it, too. This is an opportunity to attend your child’s game, or take your spouse out for dinner.

Eat a Healthier Diet

Most of us don’t realize that the foods we eat have direct effects on how we feel. One obvious example is excessive sugar intake, which gives us a quick high that only lasts for a brief period. Conversely, whole grains and a plant-based diet provides us with energy that the body regulates over a longer period of time. The vitamins, nutrients, and proteins in healthier foods also chase away feelings of anxiety and depression, while promoting better mood balance. A plant-based diet has also been found to strengthen cognitive functioning over a longer period of time, reducing the risks of developing age-related mental illnesses.
Emotional health is as vital to your wellbeing as your physical health. It may mean making some sacrifices, but taking the time to follow these suggestions will have a positive effect on your life. You’ll feel happier, be healthier, and live a longer life.

Why Marketers Need to Understand Finance

Why Marketers Need to Understand Finance

The conventional wisdom in business is to promote good coherence between all departments in an organization. For some reason, businesses tend to run into problems when it comes to the finance department. This often comes down to communication breakdowns between the marketing and finance departments. The problem is often due to a difference between the language each department uses and goals that might seem to be at odds with each other.

Marketing professionals are concerned with understanding customer perceptions about the business, and they’re willing to pay whatever is necessary to increase the company’s perceived value to the public. The finance department is tasked with delivering marketing goals while maintaining the lowest costs possible. 

Why finance and marketing don’t always get along well

One problem between these two areas of business is language, but an even more potent factor is that marketers fail to understand certain finance concepts. Marketing professionals need to know how to frame their communications to finance so it is more attuned to the finance professional’s mindset. 

Marketing people see increased business traffic and customer loyalty as a win for the business. However, when they propose marketing campaigns to finance for approval, they often fail to show actual dollar amounts and cash flow advantages of the proposed activities. 

How language plays a key role

It’s somewhat ironic that marketing CMOs often forget one of the most important rules of marketing when dealing with the CFO. That is to speak the language of the target audience. In order to succeed with a marketing proposal, the language needs to include figures of increased revenue versus expenditures over set time periods. 

The finance department will need a lot of specific information to make its decision, but this is data that the marketing department usually has, so this shouldn’t pose as a barrier to moving forward. For example, marketing has details about metrics, implementation and process. 

The next step is to educate the finance department about actions that will incentivize customers through the use of perception, feedback and mindshare. Marketing also measures online factors like site visits, email subscriptions and bounce rates. After all the specifics are added up, the next step is to calculate the total cost of acquiring new customers as a result of the changes to the marketing solutions. 

Pitching the proposal to finance

The marketing strategy details have been outlined in a way that finance can understand, but it still has to present the data in a way that is easy for the finance department understand. You could use tables or spreadsheets that finance professionals are familiar with in order to bring the message home and seal the deal. 

Marketing is important for all aspects of a business. That’s why marketing and finance professionals need to work together seamlessly. This can be accomplished when both sides adopt the mindset and presentation styles of the other. When everyone understands each other, the business can make better decisions.

The 15 Best Music Documentaries of All Time

The 15 Best Music Documentaries of All Time
The 15 Best Music Documentaries of All Time

Music enthusiasts will delight in these top 15 documentaries, offering a cornucopia of varying styles and sounds:

GIMME SHELTER: Although there are many documentaries about the Rolling Stones, none are as comprehensive as this gem from the Maysles brothers. This film chronicles the last weeks of the infamous 1969 tour of the United States, climaxing with the violent concert at Altamont Speedway. 

BOB DYLAN: DON’T LOOK BACK: Well-respected filmmaker DA Pennebaker follows Bob Dylan on his 1965 tour of Great Britain. 

IN BED WITH MADONNA: Alek Keshishian chronicles pop star Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour, giving special emphasis to her entourage of dancers. 

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB: This 1999 documentary garnered an Oscar nomination for its portrayal of the Cuban ensemble band and the emergence of this cultural phenomenon in America. 

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON: Director Jeff Feuerzeig offers a sympathetic look at folk musician Daniel Johnston as he struggles to balance his music with his debilitating bipolar disorder. 

DOA: A RITE OF PASSAGE: This quintessential punk documentary is a film diary of the 1978 US tour of the Sex Pistols, giving a glimpse into the dynamic between Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. 

METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER: The timing of this film was such that it was able to accurately document the falling apart of heavy metal giant Metallica as they struggle with the downfalls of success. 

AMY: This Oscar-winning documentary follows the tumultuous life of Amy Winehouse from the early hope-filled days all the way to the singer’s tragic end. 

STARSHAPED: British pop band Blur is the focus of this documentary right before their rise to stardom. 

I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART: A FILM ABOUT WILCO: Photographer Sam Jones was able to capture Wilco at the bottom as they were released from their label and were forced to drop two of their band members. The film also chronicles the bounce back with the release of the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album. 

20 FEET FROM STARDOM: As unsung musical heroes, concert backup singers finally get their voice in this documentary from Morgan Neville. 

DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY: This film exposes a 2004 bash thrown by Dave Chapelle with invited performers including Lauryn Hill and Kayne West. A political undertone is a commentary on the culture of the times. 

RUDE BOY: Director Jack Hazan demonstrates the technique of using both documentary filmmaking skills and staged reality to create an accurate and entertaining portrayal of The Clash. 

THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART I: This film documents punk music and the American response to the movement with performances by iconic bands such as X and Black Flag and Germs. 

THE ROAD TO GOD KNOWS WHERE: The less glamorous parts of band road life are chronicled in this film following the Bad Seeds and their 1989 US tour.