UTCM is a catastrophe. It was so bad that it did irreperable harm to Prince's music career imo. A significant percentage of people just could not take the guy seriously after that disaster.

I'm with the OP. I can understand critics not liking it... but it wasn't THAT bad...

It's crap.

If you think this is good cinema -you need to get out more.

If you enjoy the film personally, that's your right!!

LinnLM1 said:

I disagree completely. Not that many people saw it, so how would it do irreparable harm to Prince's music career?

Plus, his next album was Sign o' the Times, which had some huge hits worldwide, including U Got the Look, which made it to #2 on the charts.

I agree that it was a catastrophe at the box office, but I just don't think it was so bad. (Of course, I'm a Prince fan though.)

In all honestly and in my opinion, I think Around the World in a Day did more harm to his career. Pop Life and Rasperry Beret were hits and the album sold well, but it sold well based on the success of Purple Rain, and was considered "disappointing". Ever Prince said that he should have waited until he had better material before releasing his next album.

I remember many friends telling me that "Prince's new album sucks". (Of course, I disagreed) But the fact that more people heard ATWIAD and that it wasn't a smash "content-wise", I think that ATWIAD album did more to hurt Prince's career than UTCM.

MantuaPharoah said:

UTCM hurt Prince's movie career more than anything. After that he couldn't shake the idea that he made great music and horrible movies. Of course he kinda earned that reputation.

As far as ATWIAD goes, it definitely hurt his music career in the short term, since it was so different from what the masses who'd bought Purple Rain and 1999 expected. Long term it probably helped him in that after ATWIAD people didn't expect him to try and follow up Purple Rain with another Purple Rain. Unlike MJ, who was viewed as always chasing the success of Thriller, Prince shed himself of chasing Purple Rain's success with ATWIAD and that probably helped him in the long run.

npggirl77 said:[quote]

PurpleMedley122 said:

I think it was at a time when mullet rock by Bruce Springsteen and Mister Mister was at its top and little camp looking black twinks were not middle America quality. Prince was not a very masculine role model and the Purple Rain hysteria had died down. The direction of Parade and ATWIAD had isolated some of his black fans that were into his funk and roll, and generally the movie was crap.
It had some truly funny scenes, but the production and acting was totally cardboard and I think the black and white sealed it as a camp novelty, also the music is not prominent like it was in Purple Rain. The characters are not very likeable either. In Purple Rain he was the struggling hard working wannabe rock star of a humble background. Here hes a high consuming, materialistic, self caressing, little twerp. Hes a gigolo whose only goal is to make money and even though he reforms the movie still glamourises the good life and is every reason why it all came crashing down in October 1987. Somer of the outfits are hideous (Shoulder padded, embroided white double breasted jackets) and I think he spent $10.98 million of $11 million budget on his mascara bill!
[Edited 7/23/09 16:00pm]

ElCapitan said:

Well said.

LinnLM1 said:

Who are these significant percentage that lacked a spine to say they was digging something the media told them to hate on? The movie wasn't Oscarworthy but it was what it was meant to be fun and over the top. Prince wasn't playing a tragically deep character like the Kid in Purple Rain and Jerome was there for comedic relief. Everybody was pissed that it wasn't another in the club jam session/battle of the bands movie with a shot of some neophytes tits thrown in for an R rating.

Mars23 said:

Yup, that right there. Dreadful acting.

To be honest I think it is funny. I remember I was like 8 when my mom took me.... the theater was packed and everyone was laughing. I am surprised it didn't do better. JMO I like.



Yoou know I was just thinking....A lot of the humor was inside jokes I am sure and some of it just went over white America's head. JMO

GetAwayFromMe said:

Mannnn... that's not bad acting! That's probably exactly how the shot in the back would go down!!!

It would have been a bad script and film if when Prince got shot, his head just exploded in slow motion.

THAT would have made it a terrible film.

Lots of reason... it get it! I got it! But it wasn't "dreadful". lol

I think we should all write to this critic and show some love for OUR MOVIE!!

I did!!!!


http://jabootu.net/?p=701

I just LOVE the movie.

I hate it mostly because there was a time when I took it seriously.

And I'm really embarrassed about that.

I just don't dig black and white movies. I like colour and I'm sure that there are other people who feel the same. Kristen Scott Thomas - I don't like her, so that's another reason I am not keen. Cold as ice.