The April 2002 issue of SAVOY magazine - a cool African American version of GQ - listed the greatest black movies ever and Purple Rain made the cut. It says Prince put Minneapolis, Morris Day, and Apollonia Kotero on the map.

Whew! I thought it was for "well acted" movies!

I was worried for a sec.

It sure did put Minneapolis on the map...before Purple Rain, Minneapolis was a quiet little burg of about 1,500 people.

Minneapolis, morris day... yes, appolonia, i dont think so. whats his problem with all these talentless females? beauy...yes, talent...no. now, kristen thomas scott made herself a name...kim basinger...but she never would work with him. prince himself, is NOT a bad actor. with a more talented cast he might have gone further as an actor or at least graffiti bridge may have been worth something BESIDES THE GREAT MUSIC. parade could have used MORE music, but what there was was great. plus graffiti bridge's scenic background was utterly cheap and depressing!!!UTCM'S live filming in the south of france was very stylish!. i loved that movie.

BLACKMF said:

I hope theY didnt forget sidney portier in "RAISIN IN THE SUN" and "GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER".

I would say also say important. "Purple Rain" was a huge success, over $75 million at the box office, and it had a black man in the lead. His character wasn't a stereotypical gang thug, he didn't have to die in the end, and his character wasn't punished by being put in his place. His character was successful! In 1984 that was amazing. Racism wasn't there -- people were just people. It really was a slice of Prince's vision of what the world could be. Those things alone made "Purple Rain" important. Plus the fact that the songs actually moved the narrative forward and helped build the story. The acting may be stilted, but in terms of black cinema, "Purple Rain" was a mile stone.

Spike Lee felt that Purple Rain was a very important movie 4 that time. Helping him being a young up & coming black movie director, who at that time had yet come out with his first movie "Shes Gotta Have It". Having that foundation of Purple Rain, let him see that blacks can run there own show & B a success in Hollywood~ At the sametime... Purple Rain turned out 2 B a big hit in "84" a surprise 2 many with a music score worthy of a Oscar....So seeing that it didn't get into the typical black themes (pimps-pushers-thugs) that people love milking, made the movie refreshing 2 see. Some may B hard on the movie...and speak otherwise...but I was there paying over & over again....seeing many others doing as well...so Love it or hate it, he set the world ablaze in "84"..the rest is history~

Under The Cherry Moon is great! I love that movie.