Purple Rain (Widescreen Special Edition)

A classic movie must-have in your collection! Prince at his best playing the greatest songs of his career (I believe).

I just recently bought Purple Rain on dvd. It is now my all-time favorite movie!! Prince is one of my favorite artists and I love the messages behind his music. I had the soundtrack way before I saw the movie. So it was more enjoyable to sing along with the songs. I am also going to see Prince in Atlanta on 8/10. I can't wait!! If his performances are anything like on PURPLE RAIN I can't wait. They are completely mesmerizing. I have to say though his music more than made up for his acting skills. Apollonia was delectable and Morris Day was funny and is quite talented himself. But the last 20 minutes after Morris Day performs the Bird is where the real magic happens. I finally understood the message behind the music. PURPLE RAIN was already one of my all-time fave songs, but after his father whot himself in the head, it made it that much more emotional. The guitar riff in that song is the heavens opening up! THere has never been a song more beautiful than PURPLE RAIN then he goes into another one of my faves I WOULD DIE 4 U its also a beautiful song with some of the best lyrics I have ever heard. Even if you're not a Prince fan, watch this movie. It is one of the most important musical movies ever!! You know Prince won an Oscar for the score, plus Grammys so you know it was good. I mean this movie is in a class all by itself just like Prince, in a class all by himself!!

Condemned for years to a truly mediocre DVD version, Prince's epochal 1984 effort Purple Rain has finally been awarded the reissue it was waiting for. With commentaries, previously-unseen documentaries and numerous pop videos, this 20th anniversary edition has more than enough bells and whistles on it to compensate for the failings of its DVD predecessor.
All of which, of course, wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference if the film itself wasn't up to scratch. Purple Rain, fortunately, doesn't have this problem. It is, quite possibly, the Greatest Vanity Picture Ever: a monumental edifice to the ego, excess and brilliance of the little man on whose life it is very loosely based. Prince plays The Kid, a talented musician who must rise above his turbulent family life and self-obsession if he is to get with the hot chick and have everyone love his ass forevermore. It's contrived stuff, but surprisingly well-played: Prince himself is pretty effective, Clarence Williams III delivers a nuanced turn as his dad, and Morris Day and Jerome Benton do a neat comedy double-act as The Kid's rivals.
That said, the drama is pretty incidental to the musical set-pieces: Prince's place is on stage, and he doesn't disappoint here - be it getting jiggy with a speaker stack in "Darlin Nicki", or putting his heart on his spangled sleeve for the title track. Whilst parts of the film may now seem hilariously dated - dig the motorcyle, the formation dancers, and the "tough" fellas in the crowd - there's no denying the impact and vitality of the stageshow itself. And, as a period piece, this one beats the competition hands down.