while PR had some decent moments and a kick-ass soundtrack, Ray captured the whole tortured soul/troubled musician thing a lot better, Just imagine if Taylor Hackford had done PR instead Albert Magnoli (he was doing big busines with An Officer and A Gentleman in 1982)

i started watching 'ray' on DVD last night and after getting an hour into it, i had to turn it off and go to sleep. then i watched some more today and got up to three and a damn half hours into the movie, and it was only up to 1962!

HOW LONG IS THIS MOVIE?!?

don't get me wrong - i really like it - but does it end??? i mean, ray charles died last year, so i'm assuming the film has to come to an end at some point, but....exactly how long IS this movie?!

that said, i'd say "ray" is a better put-together movie than "purple rain" - though i don't know if it's a fair comparison, because i'm sure "ray" had a far larger budget, and it had a more established star, and the subject matter was a hot commodity in music. ya gotta remember, prince wasn't a megastar when "purple rain" came out, and to give him his own film vehicle was kinda risky and certainly a lot of corners were cut during production as a result.

just my take on it...

Ray is a better drama, Purple Rain is a better rock movie.

i think a better question might be, was "ray" a better bio pic than "what's love got to do with it"? both were straight-on biographies with artist participation, both had big hollywood budgets and strong casts, and both were based on the lives of artists who were at the end or near the end of legendary careers.

just another thought...

In all honesty, is this a serious question?

WTF?!?!? 2 completely differemt lives and genuises...COME ON MAN



I meant that in a nice way...
[Edited 2/3/05 16:02pm]

The thing I didn't like about Ray is that so much of it centered around his drug abuse and sexual promiscuity. I would've preferred more music, which is what Purple Rain offers. Ray also ended too soon -- it stopped in 1970-something, right? It didn't feel complete. Now as far as acting goes, Ray had some of the best!

WELL I AM PARTIAL! RAY TOTALLY is PHENOMENAL and JAMIE FOXX SHOULD WIN HANDS DOWN as he IS GREAT!!!! I LOVE this MOVIE.

Zelaira said:

Okay who hijack Zel's account?

Anxiety said:

I saw Ray in the cinema today and it certainly didn't seem like 3 hours. Maybe just over 2 but my only complaint was it ended too soon and rather abrubtly at around 1970.

I wouldn't really compare it to Purple Rain, they're too different. Some of the scenes in Ray had me close to tears. Jamie Foxx deserves the Oscar.

i'm watching the "extended" DVD version, which has the deleted scenes inserted (kinda awkwardly, might i add), and i think that on top of the inserted deleted scenes, they also added a lot more footage than what was shown in theaters. this sucker is LONG!

They are both two very different films.

Anxiety said:

No, is Ray better than Lady Sings The Blues...

silverchild said:

'lady sings the blues' has certain merits, but (and i know i'll get flameage for this) it was primarily a vanity piece for diana ross. i mean, how was that chihuahua of a stick figure with a high voice gonna portray billie holiday? i like diana ross in other movies and i like other music of hers, but that was just a huge mismatch of a mess to me, verging on an unintentional camp classic.

Anxiety said:

Yeah, it was a little overblown 4 me too. But, I did read something in the Entertainment Weekly magazine the movie reviews and they compared Ray with LSTB? I guess it was something about the drug abuse, ego, and fame the movies featured?!
[Edited 2/3/05 21:07pm]

PurpleKnight said:

What he said.

Might I add that another good music genius bio-pic that might be a more apt comparison (and that also focuses quite a bit on drug use) is Clint Eastwood's "Bird". Of course I can't really judge the comparative caliber of Jamie versus Forest Whitaker's performances because I have no idea what Charlie Parker was like as a person, but both are very good, and I'd say very similar movies.

Ray is the better film, but PR has a spot in my heart!

Ray is a better movie.
Purple Rain is a better movie.

Neither is inherently better, and it depends on who you ask, but maybe you are asking which one I like better? I've got to say Purple Rain.

Anxiety said:

-----
It may have been a vanity project but Miss Ross kicked ass in that movie.
I am not a big fan of Miss Ross but you have got to give her credit.

PurpleKnight said:

-----
Purple Rain is good for the amount of money and time that was put into. None of the stars are actors so I don't think anyone had high expectations for seeing great acting.

laurarichardson said:

i'll give her credit where it's due - i liked her in 'the wiz' and i liked her in 'mahogany'. but i think those roles were more suited to her looks and talents (even if dorothy should have been, ahem, a bit younger). it goes without saying that she's accomplished a lot of amazing things - in my opinion, 'lady sings the blues' wouldn't place near the top of that list. you disagree - it's allowed!

Marrk said:

seriously. ray and pr are in two totally different leagues to begin with (biographical film and your basic rawk film, respectively) so it ain't like we're comparing, say, wattstax and woodstock. see what i'm sayin?

Anxiety said:

-----
I guess we will disagree because her acting in Mahogany is awful and most critics panned her performance in that movie. It really ended her acting carreer.

laurarichardson said:

didn't keep her from getting cast in 'the wiz', apparently.

though the less said about 'out of darkness' and 'double platinum' the better, i suppose.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

1) as a film buff i dont see anything wrong with comparing two movies..even if the movies are of different natures..

2) Ray obviously is the better crafted film...Anxiety, the studio's did you a huge deservice by releasing Ray without the option of watching the original version verses the alternate..

3) EW compared Ray with a host of music "BIO" films..it wasnt just Lady Sings The Blues....they also mentioned The Buddy Holly Story, the loretta lynn film staring Sissy Spacek and a host of others..It was part of their Oscar coverage...It detailed how music bio's are sure fire ways of getting oscar nominations....Poor Gary Busey, it was all downhill after that..

4) Sure, Lady Sings The Blues (and Ray for that matter) arent proper representations of the people they are bio'ing...but, thats films....creative liscenses be damned.....the point of a film is to provoke thought or to entertain.....and *that* is what a film should be judged on..IMHO...

good thread and responces!!!!

nah, the DVD has both versions. i chose to watch the "extended" version...i just had no idea it was extended by three hours! and while some of the re-editing of some of the scenes is kind of clunky, it seems like they made an interesting decision to add 'deleted scenes' into a version of the film that was already longer than the theatrical cut...i think.

all i know is, what i saw was LONG. but it was good. i liked it.

U simply can't fault the acting in Purple Rain, especially from the girl who was thrown in the dumpster. U can hardly notice the mike in the scene where Jerome and Kid Creole walk down the st. and Morgan Freeman put in a heroic performance playing Prince's father.

I haven't seen Ray yet but I believe Denzel is magnificent as Stevie Wonder.

omnithanos said:

u should never re-freeze sea bass. may u live 2 C rae dawn chong.

Hey I saw her already, she was in Commando but I was very disappointed that she wasn't oriental with a name like that. It felt like they were taking the micky.
And what was with Prince sitting behind Arnie at the Globes, were they trying to start a fight?

I'd just like to add that I love how U have Princess Superstar among your favourites on your profile. Are U the guy from the bad babysitter video?


That was meant for Anxiety, duh.
[Edited 2/4/05 7:51am]