Customer Reviews

Purple Rain [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

"Purple Rain" is a great film to commemorate Prince's career, which he stars and writes and performs the songs. Most people remember this film mostly for its catchy songs that changed music history forever. Its plot is also something worth remembering. Its combination of storylines within The Kid's life blends wonderfully: his struggle to stay employed in the Minneapolis club where he performs, falling in love with Apollonia, and confronting his demons of frequently witnessing his abusive father in action. Certain scenes give it edge and drama that keeps audiences interested and that accent the characters' surroungings. The emotional impact is always present, namely the fight scenes. Therefore, the film is more than just a long music video. Such film quality makes it worth watching multiple times. The actors offer their own emotional theme to the film. Though certain roles were not demanding, Prince's role as The Kid is his acting best of his career.

The music featured in "Purple Rain" has since become instant classics. Though every Prince hit is genius, these songs remain his best in his career. Its soundtrack stayed at #1 for 24 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts, sold 11 million copies in the US, and spawned four smash hits. Prince earned two Grammys and an Oscar for his song "Purple Rain". These songs combine pop, R&B, funk, rock, and soul beautifully. They alone make the film worth watching; yet, they don't distract from the plot. There has since not been a music-based film like it, not even "8 Mile" (2002).

"Purple Rain" is a great film for music and/or Prince fans for viewing pleasure. Those looking for more should also buy the soundtrack. Such combination gives fans great entertainment pleasure.

This is a great movie. No doubt about that.
But wait. This is 2004 ~ and a 20th Anniversary Edition is slated to be released in August. From the looks of the new edition, I will then give this the five stars it deserves (it already deserves five stars as a film....just not as a DVD release).
Hold on to your money until then.
(...)

It took a viewing of the 'Purple Rain' DVD to really realize
how important this movie is to understanding Prince's world.His
ontage performance in the film exhibit an uncontrollable fire
that few have been able to replicate but the movie itself is a
DRAMA-plain and simple.It revolves around Prince as a conflicted
rock star on the Minneapolis club scene who's confused by tentions within his band,abusive parents and a very sexist additude towards woman,including his sexy girlfriend Appolonia,
whom he at one point actually hits in the film.Is it autobiographical?I don't know but despite some rather quistionable acting on the part of some of the musicians this
movie is an entertaing rock movie AND a poignant ( and sometimes
frightening) anti-abuse film because in the end Prince's abusive
father attemps suiside,Prince learns a lesson about how to treat woman and learns to live with and control his demons.A surprizing film I would rate as such:
BEYOND 5 stars for the music

Ditto for the performances
4 stars for theplot
1 1/2 stars for some of the acting
Not bad overall!

Finally saw this flick for the first time all the way through tonight. Part of my ongoing reacquaintance with Prince in the wake of the return to form in Musicology.

My aunt found this misogynistic; my sister considers this one of her favorite movies of all time. For me, Prince throws down the gauntlet as the post-modern James Brown with slammin microphone throwdowns, total onstage command, and a similar inability to construct love. I saw so many justifications for why I avoided Prince as a teenager in this film. Throwing women in dumpster, the lake scene, slapping women around, some of this was tough to watch for me. Perhaps I am too sensitive. Prince doesn't really act, not that you should expect him to. Sometimes he models on his bike or pouts in his dressing room. Other times he gives knockout performances. The best parts of Purple Rain for me could have been condensed to a sequence of music videos. But a storyline focused Prince to give him pop megastardom and its a vital mid80s cultural document. For that reason alone anyone interested in music should check this film out.

Morris Day was classic for me just about all the way through. He was funny and I dug the funk of his band. I dig tracks like the Bird.

I agree with other reviewers who complained about the shoddy DVD in its fullscreen only format and its lack of extras. Equally shoddy is the fact that Warners has not come out with a deluxe soundtrack that includes stuff by Apollonia 6 and the Time. I'd love to have a soundtrack like the deluxe soundtrack for "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff that delves into all of the great music to come out of this film and that features all the bands under Prince's influence at the time.

The film has a lousy message and poor acting but at least it focused Prince on a project that many consider his most consistent musical statement.

I still prefer the Prince of Sign O the Times to the Prince of Purple Rain because of the greater maturity. But I recognize this movie as a stepping stone in his evolution as an artist and as a man and I recommend it to all curious about his music as a window into the paradoxes of his world and his artistry.

5 stars for the music
2 stars for DVD quality
2 stars for plot

3 stars overall.

--SD

To all of you who, like me, wondered why this
DVD was so crappy with no extras, etc., in
the next few weeks "Purple Rain" the 20th Anniversary
2-DVD set in widescreen format, with extras, & a remastered
soundtrack complete with 8 accompanying videos will be
released! (Eureka!!) Also, "under The Cherry Moon",
"Sign O' The Times" and the sucky sequel to "Purple Rain"
1990's "Graffitti Bridge" will all be released in the same
kind of format with extras!

I remember when I recently saw Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back,Jay showed his affinity towards Morris Day and the Time.Then some teenagers called Purple Rain "a crappy 80's movie".Although most of Y generation view Purple Rain like the second coming of Grease 2,Purple Rain rocked back in '84 with people actually dancing in the isles.
This movie finally brought Prince into the mainstream and showed the genius that he was.Although he'd been making records since 1978,he made his mark with such albums as Dirty Mind, Controversy,and 1999(his breakout album with his first top ten hit Little Red Corvette)but only to a limited R&B and underground market.But once Purple Rain hit,things were never the same.The movie also brought Morris Day and The Time to the mainstream which unfortunately they would soon break up to never enjoy the fruits.
The movie is pretty much about a musician called The Kid (Prince) who dreams of making it despite his troubled homelife and a rival band, The Time.The movie has it's fair share of bad acting as well as misogyny ("That ain't Lake Minnitonka")it's the musical numbers as well as Morris Day's comic timing that steals the show.The music still sounds fresh, especially the minimalist When Doves Cry which could even be released today.
Hopefully Warner brothers will release a 20th anniversary edition DVD with loads of extras as well as deleted scenes which were featured in the trailer.And with Prince's comeback in 2004 including his Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction, Grammy performance and tour,it would really be the year of Prince.

Purple Rain is a classic film. It was an unexpected huge success. As a long time Prince fan I was happy when Purple Rain came out on DVD. While I'm happy to have Purple Rain on DVD, I was sorely disappointed with the lack of featurettes. I suppose this might have something to do with Prince's escape from Warner Brothers...

I have just witnessed the induction of Prince into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The enigmatic and abundantly gifted musician dazzled the crowd - first by opening the show with a medley of old favorites....then by lending a hand on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Watching Prince's genius on display caused my thoughts to drift back to the summer of 1984. The soul-funkster wunderkind dominated the musical landscape that year, first by his best single ("When Doves Cry") and later with the release of "Purple Rain", his first film that boasted a bevy of brilliant performances - and proved a fitting showcase for Prince's talents. However....discomfitting themes permeated the film. When you see this film listed in TV Guide, the editors describe the movie as "Prince's vanity video" - and they're not talking about Denise Matthews, the evangelist who once crooned "Nasty Girl." Two years before the release of this film, Rolling Stone's record reviewer cited the musician's troubling dichotomy via a review for the double album "1999." (The age-old double standard...[...]....the difficult crossroads between religious conviction and sexuality, etc. - Prince suffered mightily from a combination of these issues.) In 1984, that same magazine slathered sycophantic praise all over "Purple Rain" - utterly dazzled by Prince's musical talents and magnetism - and conveniently overlooking his flaws.

In 1984, I was one of those fawning admirers.

Twenty years later, I remain awed by Prince's musical genius, the prolific volume of his contributions, and his white-hot stage charisma. Beholding the diminutive musician offstage, however, is a jarring experience. He's notoriously non-verbose and palpably uncomfortable, and unfortunately these qualities are evidenced in his first movie. Moreover, the treatment of women in "Rain" is vile: Those discarded are tossed in dumpsters - those desired are slapped when recalcitrant.

Tsk, tsk, Prince: What does Jehovah (the deity Prince thanked during tonight's ceremonies) think about this - as well as most of the songs from 1980's "Dirty Mind?" Anyone who's witnessed Prince in concert (as I did in early 1985) knows that the mighty mite struggles with conflicts aplenty. At the show's midpoint, the "Artist" veered from standard performance into something just plain weird. I didn't understand it then - I don't ponder it now.

In conclusion, though, "Purple Rain" offers more-than-ample proof of Prince's undeniable prowess - at least onstage. The songs are wonderful ("Doves Cry", "Take Me With U", "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die For U"......); unlike "1999" and 1987's "Sign Of The Times", there's no filler to be found.

Prince isn't the only believer to harbor conflicts: Jimmy Swaggart evidently suffers from the same malady. Unlike the weeping willie pseudo-minister, Prince packs a powerful punch on stage, and he's far more intelligent...and certainly more compelling. That's probably why I came to regard much of "Purple Rain" with contempt: Prince is smart enough (and blessed with enough raw talent) to know the difference. For the music - I give 5 stars. For the script - a lonely 1 star. Average them out - and you wind up with three. Let's hope Prince's current "Musicology" tour boasts His Royal Badness's pervasive musical prowess, and leaves the rest in the dumpster, where no woman should have gone before.