ufoclub said:

herb4 said:

Sign O the Times is the best Prince movie and he even tried to muck that one up with hints of a "plot"

Come to think of it, he did this a lot and it almost always sucked and detracted from the film

If only Albert Magnoli had directed Under the Cherry Moon (since he did direct "Purple Rain", ghost directed "Sign o' the Times", and directed the Batdance and Partyman videos. He knew how to work a cinematic version of Prince.

Exactly.Prince should have used Al Magnoli to direct all of his films.He is a really skilled director.Actually,he was supposed to direct Graffiti Bridge but he and Prince had artistic differences.

A director like Julien Temple could've brought the scale and dynamics that I think Prince was going for. Of course, Absolute Beginners released in the same year was also a bomb and critically panned.

I do give Prince credit for trying something completely different from Purple Rain which was colorful,bright, but dour and serious full of musical numbers. UTCM was black and white, lighthearted in tone, and a few musical moments.

SoulAlive said:

ufoclub said:

If only Albert Magnoli had directed Under the Cherry Moon (since he did direct "Purple Rain", ghost directed "Sign o' the Times", and directed the Batdance and Partyman videos. He knew how to work a cinematic version of Prince.

Exactly.Prince should have used Al Magnoli to direct all of his films.He is a really skilled director.Actually,he was supposed to direct Graffiti Bridge but he and Prince had artistic differences.

i was waiting for ufo to chime in, he's probably the most knowledgable on the subject. I still say prince had potential but his ego squelched it. Even still, for an amateur the film is great, only problem with that criteria is, millions of people won't go see a great amateur film.

Prince said he put his heart and soul into this film and everything means something...so i say f those who cant appreciate it

1) Wasn't Purple Rain 2 (movie or soundtrack) 2) Bad acting 3) Bad writing

herb4 said:

Let's face it, the whole film was pretty rough all the way around.

Prince's character was a petulant, arrogant, preening weirdo. The "comedy" bits fell flat. The "drama" was ham fisted and self serving. There were little to no musical performances, which is what Prince does best. It's next to impossible to relate to and isn't goofy enough to be a farce or serious enough to be an effective morality tale.

I'm embarrased to show it to people. It sucks that this and GB are so cemented with prince's public legacy while stuff like Exodus and Joy in Repetition from It Aint Over are buried in obscurity. It sucks that so much of what Prince made public, especially "effort" stuff like his movies and live DVD's fail to scratch the surface of his brilliance. Sign o the Times notwithstanding but even that one was overdubbed and sound staged.

His videos aren't great. Purple Rain had a certain edgy "spark" to it that resonated but 90% of that was due to his live performances. I don't even think Prince was all that bad an actor but he never got a real chance to show it, especially directing himself. Cast as an oddball villain or in a Willy Wonka remake and he might have had a more solid silver screen legacy.

UTCM is horrible and the critics were right.

Yes, I agree. I deliberately avoided watching it for years after seeing Graffiti Bridge, and only recently sat down with it following Prince’s death. I've been a hardcore fan since the early 90s, but I'm also a genuine film lover. Yep, it was terrible.

Sign O The Times is Prince’s best film for me, despite the absurd decision to lip sync (from the greatest performer on the planet!). Purple Rain works in spite some really clunky moments. I agree that Prince actually showed some promise as an actor/screen presence, but he needed to trust the genius of others, take direction and relinquish creative control. One of his greatest flaws in my view was his inability to truly collaborate and properly judge his limitations. His ego often won out over the work. Prince puzzles me to be comepletely honest – he was clearly intelligent in many ways, but such a fool in so many others.

Biggest miss in cinematic musical history was not casting Prince as Willy WOnka in the remake instead of Johnny Depp. God, what a soundtrack and a career move that would have been. Prince practically WAS the Willy Wonka of music. Eccentric, odd, well meaning, reclusive, musical, whimsical, dedicated to the craft, living in his own "factory"...

herb4 said:

Biggest miss in cinematic musical history was not casting Prince as Willy WOnka in the remake instead of Johnny Depp. God, what a soundtrack and a career move that would have been. Prince practically WAS the Willy Wonka of music. Eccentric, odd, well meaning, reclusive, musical, whimsical, dedicated to the craft, living in his own "factory"...

never thought about that but it's true. didn't they talk of mj being him too? Prince, I thought, became way more comfortable in front of the camera in later years, it wasn't acting in the batman partyman videos but he was never more open and in concert with the cameras, mugging like the cartoons and movies he grew up on, smiling deliciously, blowing up bubbles etc.., never better. He could have done more.

PeteSilas said:

herb4 said:

Biggest miss in cinematic musical history was not casting Prince as Willy WOnka in the remake instead of Johnny Depp. God, what a soundtrack and a career move that would have been. Prince practically WAS the Willy Wonka of music. Eccentric, odd, well meaning, reclusive, musical, whimsical, dedicated to the craft, living in his own "factory"...

never thought about that but it's true. didn't they talk of mj being him too? Prince, I thought, became way more comfortable in front of the camera in later years, it wasn't acting in the batman partyman videos but he was never more open and in concert with the cameras, mugging like the cartoons and movies he grew up on, smiling deliciously, blowing up bubbles etc.., never better. He could have done more.

Not certain but I know Depp based his performance in part on MJ, which was a HUGE mistake for...um...several reasons.

I've posted the Wonka/Prince idea before to little feedback but to me it's a perfect fit, right down to the private factory, the music and the purple frilly clothes. Prince was NOT a bad actor, so long as you kept himin his range, and certainly had charisma. With UTCM there was no one to do that but seriously just picture that film with Prince as the lead.

He'd barely have to act. The musical numbers would write themselves.

Only thing gone from his previous movies would be a romantic interest but that's probably for the best. Paisley Park practically WAS The Chocolate Factory (of music). There's this strange, private unassuming building where magical things run by a reclusive eccentric genius at his craft who enjoys music, art, surrealism, helping people, fashion and creating the best product he can who only invites a SELECT FEW into his inner world beyond his creations.

With a Wonka film, you have a misunderstood, semi creepy (in the eyes of the public), mysterious "weirdo" who is pure genius but has trust issues, who surrounds himself with yes men while building his own private world dedicated to ONE THING. He's friendly but sometimes off putting and, most importantly, given to spontaneous outbursts of song (that Prince could write). I picture him performing with the oompa loompas, noodling around on a piano ballad, an acopella number or two and strumming the guitar while they ride the boat down teh chocolate river.

The barriers would be Prince's willingess to accept direction and, probably more troubling for him, no sexy chicks or ladies man angle

ya, it'd be cool, prince should have done more at any rate. some of these films you guys mention prince did, i haven't seen. I saw the madhouse project, not bad. Music is a jealous mistress though and that was probably a huge factor, music is all consuming.

herb4 said:

PeteSilas said:

never thought about that but it's true. didn't they talk of mj being him too? Prince, I thought, became way more comfortable in front of the camera in later years, it wasn't acting in the batman partyman videos but he was never more open and in concert with the cameras, mugging like the cartoons and movies he grew up on, smiling deliciously, blowing up bubbles etc.., never better. He could have done more.

Not certain but I know Depp based his performance in part on MJ, which was a HUGE mistake for...um...several reasons.

I've posted the Wonka/Prince idea before to little feedback but to me it's a perfect fit, right down to the private factory, the music and the purple frilly clothes. Prince was NOT a bad actor, so long as you kept himin his range, and certainly had charisma. With UTCM there was no one to do that but seriously just picture that film with Prince as the lead.

He'd barely have to act. The musical numbers would write themselves.

Only thing gone from his previous movies would be a romantic interest but that's probably for the best. Paisley Park practically WAS The Chocolate Factory (of music). There's this strange, private unassuming building where magical things run by a reclusive eccentric genius at his craft who enjoys music, art, surrealism, helping people, fashion and creating the best product he can who only invites a SELECT FEW into his inner world beyond his creations.

With a Wonka film, you have a misunderstood, semi creepy (in the eyes of the public), mysterious "weirdo" who is pure genius but has trust issues, who surrounds himself with yes men while building his own private world dedicated to ONE THING. He's friendly but sometimes off putting and, most importantly, given to spontaneous outbursts of song (that Prince could write). I picture him performing with the oompa loompas, noodling around on a piano ballad, an acopella number or two and strumming the guitar while they ride the boat down teh chocolate river.

The barriers would be Prince's willingess to accept direction and, probably more troubling for him, no sexy chicks or ladies man angle

SoulAlive said:

Off topic. I thought the Honest Man sequence was a nice shout out to Korla Pandit who was a black American who pretended to be an Indian to play white clubs in the late 40s and 50s.

lrn36 said:

A director like Julien Temple could've brought the scale and dynamics that I think Prince was going for. Of course, Absolute Beginners released in the same year was also a bomb and critically panned.

I do give Prince credit for trying something completely different from Purple Rain which was colorful,bright, but dour and serious full of musical numbers. UTCM was black and white, lighthearted in tone, and a few musical moments.

Melancholy rebuffs.
UTCM has fantastic shots. As a good critic said, Prince displays all first time directors flaws (the white piano on the cliff helicopter shot), but also great qualities.

There's this fantastic back and forth 360° panoramic of restaurant tables, with couples situations morphing. The high angle of the opening credits is impeccable. Francesca Annis is gret, and is tragically under-employed. That opening! Imagine the whole movie to these levels.

Another good critic vaporizes the Moon, and there is every right to be pissed at the waste of opportunity.
UTCM could have been that great a masterpiece. Prince just thought he could shot a movie as fast as he could make albums. He didn't let go (he ended up DIRECTING it, Lawd) to the pros.
But would he be Prince?

Prince was just sending pop culture to kids, ain't no big deal of a movie.
It started a whole pop jazzy scene.
This is a rock'n'roll movie, as much as "Purple Rain". A blaxploitation one.
Black folks get exploited sexually (rich cougars going to Africa for Holly Days twenty years after that and counting), musically (Prince pictures himself as a whore musician, the star system's glamourous bitch, the mask Christopher has to lift), spiritually (Mary has to let go as much as Christopher, but then again she leaves him on a jet. The lack of chemistry doesn't help).

Underneath, it's never stated, but UTCM is about Rich White Men hating Free Black Menestrels guts (by not letting a sixties artist like Prince have a sixties kinda release planning).
Powerful White Men shoot black people in the back.
This is a social commentary and Prince diverts the tragic doing a funky loop and swirl.
And guess what, he was right. Black people are still being shot in the back.
Thirty years after Reagania. Thirty years after Public Enemy.
And the beauty of young designers and creators that inspired "High Fashion"
and the whole of Parade, that Paris, has turned into LVMH, Vuitton, Gucci
being billionaire corporations vomiting visual nightmares polluting every taste.

This is the start of the Warner Wars.
Prince is pissed off at the star system and is going to spend
his Purple Rain millions on the subject, but in a way so witty
no one's gonna notice. It's about a black man not losing his funk
when surrounded by riches. Biography in the making.
And he also sends the mot beautiful "thank you" a son can give to John L. Nelson, given the history between the two. Prince still spanks him though, saying that the womanizer life leads nowhere.
"I'd rather be shot in the back". All the "With Love There Is No Death".
Prince believed the most important things is to stay hippie, even if it is at the risk of your career.
"True fans will always love. I will not be dead as an artist.".

Is it a suicidal tendency narcissistic movie?
Since when Thanatos and Eros in art equals to suicide and self-importance?
How wait. Romeo and Juliet.

Rock'n'Roll movie, beautifully shot. Baz Luhrmann will never recover.
UTCM pays tribute to an era before it, and freezes in eternal eighties frame
jokes long gone: "we got Porsche, we got cable", how #Gillette is that today?
But then Prince amends himself with a fantastic girl and boy ping-pong:
"- I need an old man with money.
- Who needs money when you have youth?"

MARY

What's this?



CHRISTOPHER

Soul. What's this?

My Year Of Flops Case File #102 Under The Cherry Moon

Nathan Rabin

1/15/08 10:12am

Filed to: FILM

[Edited 1/29/19 5:15am]

PeteSilas said:

This review is quite lengthy but one of the funniest ones I've read surrounding the movie

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

Terrible movie compared to Purple Rain. Only to be topped by the more atrocious GB.

That's my guess anyways. Both have aged horrifically complared to PR.

herb4 said:

This review is quite lengthy but one of the funniest ones I've read surrounding the movie

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

Too lengthy, had no desire to try and finish, but the parts I did read, only reminded me of how truly awful the movie was! .....I know that some of us loved Prince to the degree where we thought everything he did was adorable, but once the blindfolds are off, you realize that so wasn't the case! In all honesty, UTCM was a horribly bad movie, and Prince's character was annoying and not funny, and certainly not adorable, at all!

Mary Sharon's house (Villa Eilenroc) is still beautiful, and therein still is the sofa Prince was eating grapes and playing on. Grrr!

iZsaZsa said:

herb4 said:

This review is quite lengthy but one of the funniest ones I've read surrounding the movie

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

It is funny!

« [...] In any case, we open in an elegant smoky dive and meet Our Hero, one Christopher Tracy (Prince). He is seated at a piano, presumably a very small one. His attire consists of a sparkly lamé matador jacket equipped with Joan Crawford shoulder pads, a poofy pirate shirt/cravat, and a tall headband/scarf apparently made from one of Liberace’s old cummerbunds.

This artifact lacks a lid, allowing a Tribble-sized blotch of Prince’s greasy coiled locks to erupt upward. The result suggests what the show Prison Break would be like if the lead character were played by Little Richard’s Hair.

As you can imagine, the viewer is soon nearly choking on the raw clouds of testosterone currently emanating from the TV. This ultra-macho figure, we are unsurprised to learn via the Narrator, is “a bad boy.” She affectionately clucks, “Only one thing mattered to Christopher: money.” Certainly from the evidence before us, scripts and acting didn’t strike him as priorities.

[...] »

[Edited 1/29/19 14:03pm]

[Edited 1/29/19 14:04pm]

bonatoc said:

FUNKNROLL said:

PeteSilas said:

He was funny but Morris delivery was different, prince's "funny" was always because he was so fucking queer (not meaning in the sexual sense, in the bizarre sense).

This. Prince’s humor was fearless, random, and required connecting many dots. When you get it you realize you are reading a strange mind. By contrast, Morris (character) was a shameless self-deprecating cad. No mystery, hat you see is what you get. The humor was watching a hot mess play out.

that's right BUT, prince created the morris character and he was the character. Morris Hayes describes how they'd talk with that silly voice when they'd bust each other's chops. Morris Day was cool/funny prince was bizarre/wierd/funny. the story of the "wrecka stow" comes from a real life event when the asshole boss Prince went up to Paul Peterson and demanded "read this!" Paul tried to read it, and got really nervous and stammered "wrecka stow" and then Prince told him the punch line and laughed, I think pauls response was "just wierd".

also, said it before but it bears repeating, jerome did the best acting job out of all the minneapolis set, by far in my opinion. He should have done more acting, maybe the only one who had any potential. They say morris but he wasn't as good as jerome.

PeteSilas said:

I do not unerstand why aany critics would not like Under The Cherry Moon? Had some great songs from the movie. KISS was one fo them.

42Kristen said: