HOW WOULD YOU HAVE MADE GRAFFITI BRIDGE BETTER?

Okay we all recognize the obvious:

Weak script
Poor Direction
Bland Cinematography
Cheap looking set
Even Cheaper looking clothes
Uninteresting Characters
Bridge between PR and GF not clear but intentional
Bad Acting



So how would you improve the movie specifically, if you had the opportunity to redo it? Cast changes? Added storyline? Remove anything in particular? Add anything in particular? Favorite Director/Writer/Producer? Set Location? Soundtrack? What would you do?


GRAFFITI BRIDGE ORG RE-RELEASE!




I for one would have completely omitted Ingrid Chavez as the ill fated weak muse from heaven - or whatever the hell she was supposed to be. I also would not have the Kid and Morris be competing club owners. Senseless. I would have cast Appolonia as Morris' girlfriend with a back storyline on how the Kid started hitting her again when fame took a turn for the worse. Plus I would not allow the Kid to talk to himself. EVER!

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

i would have just jumped straight to the credits after the titles

unique said:

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

I always thought the problem with Graffiti Bridge is 2 things.

First is that it gets stuck in between being a Motion Picture and a Musical.

Second, would have been to make the performed music in the movie sound more "live" than "studio".

To make it better would be to have gone one way or the other, preferably the Motion Picture route.

It really should have been more like Purple Rain musically being that most of it was performed live and sounded like it was live and the other songs to be more incidental like When Doves Cry or God (Love Theme) was in Purple Rain.

This being said, Then there should've been 2 album releases for this movie.

First being a "Prince" album
1. "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got"
2. "New Power Generation"
3. "The Question of U"
5. "Elephants & Flowers"
6. "We Can Funk"
7. "Joy In Repetition"
8. "Tick, Tick, Bang"
9. "Thieves in the Temple"
10. "Still Would Stand All Time"

The second being an alternative Soundtrack album
1. "Release It"
2. "Round and Round"
3. "Love Machine"
4. "Shake!"
5. "The Latest Fashion"
6. "Melody Cool" (performed by Mavis Staples) – 3:40
7. "Graffiti Bridge" – 3:52
8. "New Power Generation (Pt. II)
[Edited 6/19/09 12:34pm]

if he would've put the original versions of We can funk and still would stand on time... on that album

By keeping the lens cap on

Never released it.

Or let Magnoli write another one and direct it. Prince proved in 1986 that he couldn't direct. WHY oh WHY did they let him do it again???

ernestsewell said:

blueautumn said:

sorry-i hated this project-detested it,

sort of in his defence a little-mabey if he'd have stopped and concentrated on the movie-at the time he was doing the nude tour-and editing the movie in hotel rooms at night, and as we know-the costume design, the music.....he had way too much going on so-if we could goo back in time and improve it-id have notdone the nude tour and concentratd on the movie-and NOT have ruined can't stop and we can funk

he sooooo does not suit a beard too lol

just 2 Things.

Hired a scriptwriter, LISTENED to the script writer and trust them enought to let them get on with their job..

Hired a Movie director with music experience, LISTENED to the Director and trust them enough to let them get on with their job..

I have no issue with casting costumes or songs.....

One minute they want peace……

Then do everything to make it go away.

I think we should do a fan edit. Who's with me!

if it means having to watch it again-I'll pass lol

Here's a few ideas for the fan edit.

The "Can't Stop this Feeling I got" outtake. Can be used as the last scene that runs into the credits.

"The Latest Fashion" outtake will be used as the last battle between The Kid, and Morris.

The scene where The Kid has his father gun by the bridge. Could use a few auto clips from Purple Rain. Where his dad calls to him "Come here!" When he wants to commmit suicide.

That's all I can come up with right now. I have to work!

Intoxication does wonders for this film.

DesireeNevermind said:

Okay we all recognize the obvious:

Weak script
Poor Direction
Bland Cinematography
Cheap looking set
Even Cheaper looking clothes
Uninteresting Characters
Bridge between PR and GF not clear but intentional
Bad Acting



So how would you improve the movie specifically, if you had the opportunity to redo it? Cast changes? Added storyline? Remove anything in particular? Add anything in particular? Favorite Director/Writer/Producer? Set Location? Soundtrack? What would you do?


GRAFFITI BRIDGE ORG RE-RELEASE!




I for one would have completely omitted Ingrid Chavez as the ill fated weak muse from heaven - or whatever the hell she was supposed to be. I also would not have the Kid and Morris be competing club owners. Senseless. I would have cast Appolonia as Morris' girlfriend with a back storyline on how the Kid started hitting her again when fame took a turn for the worse. Plus I would not allow the Kid to talk to himself. EVER!

indyenna said:

DesireeNevermind said:

Okay we all recognize the obvious:

Weak script
Poor Direction
Bland Cinematography
Cheap looking set
Even Cheaper looking clothes
Uninteresting Characters
Bridge between PR and GF not clear but intentional
Bad Acting



So how would you improve the movie specifically, if you had the opportunity to redo it? Cast changes? Added storyline? Remove anything in particular? Add anything in particular? Favorite Director/Writer/Producer? Set Location? Soundtrack? What would you do?


GRAFFITI BRIDGE ORG RE-RELEASE!




I for one would have completely omitted Ingrid Chavez as the ill fated weak muse from heaven - or whatever the hell she was supposed to be. I also would not have the Kid and Morris be competing club owners. Senseless. I would have cast Appolonia as Morris' girlfriend with a back storyline on how the Kid started hitting her again when fame took a turn for the worse. Plus I would not allow the Kid to talk to himself. EVER!

I think that I would made it an animated movie directed by Ralph Bakshi. Like Japanese anime. The music would've had to been a bit basic: Vocals. Drums. Bass. Guitar. Piano. No samples. No synths. No drum machines. Limited the use of effects processors a lot.

I think that the script should've been reworked as an action drama and a musical. Jason Statham (Cartoon version) would've been Prince's half-naked bodyguard that whups THE TIME's ass for fuggin' up GLAM SLAM.

blueautumn said:

Let Crispin Glover direct it.

contrapposto said:

Let Crispin Glover direct it.

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

Although I didn't like the set of the movie, an unrealistic set does not destroy a film. It can even add a unique visual effect to a movie, and at times, Graffiti Bridge is gorgeous like the stage set of SOTT, if a bit sterile.


What Graffiti Bridge needed , to me, was this:



1). If Prince is going to be the protagonist, the movie going audience (not just new power butt puppet fans) need a reason to care about him. In Pixar's "Finding Nemo", we care about Nemo because of the major loss at the beginning of the movie. Losing Nemo would make it all the more tragic, and added an emotional element to the story line. In Graffiti Bridge, even though the movie starts off with voice dialogue to his 'father', we're never given anymore real substance to that story line. Nor are does it give the character any true motivation. It's like a dead idea. Completely superfluous. The audience needs a reason to care.

2). If Aura is suppose to be his divine Muse, yet she's getting drunk with Morriss and his camp friends, then try to at least explain why she's so confusing. Plus, convey to us how they could possible develope an attraction towards each other cause the onscreen romance is almost as unbelievable as Micheal Jackson kissing Lisa Marie at the MTV Music Awards--the audience doesn't believe it. In Purple Rain, Appolonia's instant attraction to Prince could have been due to any number of motivations--love at first sight, Avarice, loneliness..anything.... and it played well into the bleak desperate quality of the movie. In Graffiti Bridge, you just get this really boring love interest that likes to read terrible poetry. By the time she dies, you almost wish they'd done it in slow motion, and I don't know about you guys--but I laugh my ass off at that scene.

3) If "Still Would Stand All Time" has enough power to turn the hearts of 'thugs' like Morriss Day , then at least show him as more than a one dimensional character preceding the final scene. Cause when they finally do their little 'hug', every non-Prince fan in the audience will be scratching their heads--and certainly all the straight ones brave enough to continue through the movie after the Tick Tick Bang performance will not buy the emotional conversion. You can't show one dimensional characters in a movie and at the last scene, reveal a softer side to them...it's too late at that point.

4) The battle of the bands : lawd. I mean, if Prince is trying to keep his club, we NEED to know why it is so important to him. What does he gain to lose? What are his options? I mean, it's just not believable. And in a movie like this, suspension of disbelief is required, but there's a point where it becomes silly.

5) The musical performances: Open the movie with something fierce. For fucks sake, Fiddler on the Roof opened with more 'umph'. If you're trying to recapture an audience (the American pop audience has an attention span of no more than 2 or 3 years), then 'wow' them. They're not going to be 'wow' by the plot--that's for sure.

6) It's too obvious in the scenes with Prince and Ingrid that he think's he's really cute. Whatever your opinions on his looks, when somebody is trying to act cute, it's not cute....it's annoying. His little pouty faces, etc. etc. simply weren't pullled off well. It was obvious he was playing it up for the camera, and when you can tell the actor is aware of the camera, it ruins the scene.

7) The movie felt like a hot ghetto mess version of Guys and Dolls but without Sinatra or Brando's stage presence. I'm not sure how he could have improved on it as I don't take issue with the set, but it didn't work with the type of movie he was making.

8) Add tension to the script. Give the audience a reason to care. Not just about the characters but the overall script.

9) During Purple Rain, Prince was 'cool'. Everybody loved him. He was everywhere. By the time Graffiti Bridge was released, Prince was no longer 'in'. Again, the movie could have given his career a bump if it had just been interesting.

C:\Otaassk~.exe




The new best Prince M&M thread ever: http://prince.org/msg/7/323876

vivid is my new boo!

I think it should have been the original script with Kim Basinger but make it a feature length animation.

ernestsewell said:

indyenna said:

There was no saving this movie. To make it better, you'd have to blow it up and start from scratch.

I love Prince... yet... this was the WORST movie I have ever seen. Bar none. It's right down there with Zoolander, Gigli and Jason IX: Jason Visits Outer Space and then takes Manhattan... or whatever that crap was called.

The soundtrack was pretty good, but the movie was just hideous! I remember seeing people yawn in the theatre, and just flat out laugh... not at something that was funny, but at the whole concept of the movie.

And it was cheap... and just total garBAGE!

Embarrassing to see. What's even MORE embarrassing was that I UNDERSTOOD the movie. I understood what Prince was going for... and it still sucked.

In fact... let me reanswer this question.

I would have made Graffiti Bridge better by telling Prince... and I quote:

"NO, you cannot make this movie. Now get the hell out of my office, and put some pants on!"

MantuaPharoah said:

I knew you guys would be hard but dayum...you guys make it seem like GF was not even worthy of being an infomercial

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

I would have taken all the women out, yeah I'm jealous, so what??

[Edited 6/19/09 15:51pm]

My quick thoughts: This movie was a waste of the characters created in “Purple Rain”. A movie showing the perils of fame and fortune would have been more interesting.

The Kid is married to a Hollywood actress and spends more time on the Hollywood prowl than in the studio. After more than a few failed albums, production projects and movies, his record company is ready to move on to its newest pot of gold, which happens to be someone the Kid fired from his band (one of many).

The Time and Wendy & Lisa have formed a production company, Pandemonium Productions(think LaFace) and work with all of the who’s who in the record industry (I would use real musical acts). Billy’s bother (who managed the Kid after Billy died) has been stealing money and The Kid hits the skids. Tired of his self loathing and abusive behavior his Hollywood wife leaves him facing a future of living out his days as a has-been or fighting his way back to the top.

A “wake up” conversation with a coked out Jerome Benton opens the eyes of the Kid and he realizes how many folks he’s crapped on. His need for resolution leads him to Pandemonium Productions and a showdown battle with his younger rival.

Insert flames here -->

Xtraordinary said:

My quick thoughts: This movie was a waste of the characters created in “Purple Rain”. A movie showing the perils of fame and fortune would have been more interesting.

The Kid is married to a Hollywood actress and spends more time on the Hollywood prowl than in the studio. After more than a few failed albums, production projects and movies, his record company is ready to move on to its newest pot of gold, which happens to be someone the Kid fired from his band (one of many).

The Time and Wendy & Lisa have formed a production company, Pandemonium Productions(think LaFace) and work with all of the who’s who in the record industry (I would use real musical acts). Billy’s bother (who managed the Kid after Billy died) has been stealing money and The Kid hits the skids. Tired of his self loathing and abusive behavior his Hollywood wife leaves him facing a future of living out his days as a has-been or fighting his way back to the top.

A “wake up” conversation with a coked out Jerome Benton opens the eyes of the Kid and he realizes how many folks he’s crapped on. His need for resolution leads him to Pandemonium Productions and a showdown battle with his younger rival.

Insert flames here -->

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!