TrivialPursuit said:

Militant said:

Hell, Prince didn't even have a keyboard player in the movie, they used Philip C who was the hairdresser!!! If the movie had *always* been a battle of the bands between The Kid's band and The Time, a la Purple Rain, then it seems pretty obvious that Prince would have given this band a name, explored their personalities (TC Ellis being desperate to rap doesn't count), given them all at least one line or some backstory, etc, etc.

.

I never knew who Philip was, but now I do. The thing is, Dr. Fink always said Prince told him to just rehearse the band, and that there wasn't really room for him in the movie. Hell, there was room for Rosie, and the hairdresser, why not put Fink in there instead? He had one real line in Purple Rain, so I'm sure he could have laid out the "BANG" line that Philip C. got.

.

I'm not sure editing is the main culprit. A lot of stuff was repeated, over and over, which reeks of lack of creativity when it comes to writing lines for actors to tell a story. "Stella" was used a lot, and it's a silly phrase. "Damn, this is embarrassing" was used twice in a row by Miko Weaver, which was just as bad as the misaligned hand clap (also by Weaver) in SOTT's "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" opening. Prince emoting for half of the movie didn't help matters.

.

The whole thing looked like a cartoon, or the back alley where MC Skat Cat from Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract" video would hang out, or where Mick Jagger really did the "Harlem Shuffle". I kept waiting for Jaggar and Bowie to pop out of one of those fake buildings and sing "Dancing In The Streets. Then it's so glaringly juxtaposted with the outdoor shots driving around Minneapolis - it's almost like two different movies.

.

Prince just tried to rewrite Purple Rain, and failed miserably at it. To his credit, he did say, "I learned I can't direct movies", later on.

.

And we still dont know what's just around the corner.

suomynona said:

CAL3 said:

With all due respect, I would put forth that anyone who claims GB is "the worst film ever made" has never seen a truly bad movie.

(By the way - I cited a similar, yet worse, example earlier: McCartney's "Broad Street")

I have over 4,000 movies in my collection. A couple of years ago, I saw nearly 400 movies in a calendar year. I've seen a LOT of movies, and every time I see a terrible film, I go -- "Nope -- not as bad as Graffiti Bridge."

You have to separate your Prince fandom from the film to be objective (and honest) about how terrible it is.

I guess a lot of it comes down to subjectivity in general, not just Prince fandom. You're right though, I can't see GB as anything other than a Prince fan who went to theaters on opening night and bought the movie on VHS, LD, DVD, and would gladly pony up for a Blu-ray edition.

Yeah, it's a bad movie. But I don't think it's any easier to declare it the "worst ever" than to declare "(fill in the blank)" the "greatest ever."

Incidentally, I went with my dad - a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool NON-Prince fan in every conceivable way - to see 'Graffiti' in theaters. And while he didn't like it, I distinctly remember him enjoying the Mavis sequence. Point being, even someone with absolutely no predisposition to like the movie still found something to like...

Totally anecdotal of course, hardly a case study. Just sayin'...

[Edited 5/18/16 11:51am]

the movie's got a claustrophobic feel to it. I don't remember any meaningful scenes that were taped outside

.

Ingrid Chavez was cute but her acting chops were pretty much non existent

.

gonna revisit this movie soon, it's been a while

[Edited 5/18/16 11:54am]

I wish a bootleg would come out of the version cut together that DIDNT try to force it to seem like a Purple Rain style drama. The original edit that was more like a musical. Just look at the outtake of "Can't Stop This Feeling" or the Bollywood style battle of "The Latest Fashion". I think it's all on youtube now.

I recently re-watched this and I did not remember it being this bad the first time I watched it. The 2 things that bother me most about Graffiti Bridge.

1. Prince is almost afraid to talk. So many opportunities seem to be lost where there was dialogue needed or actually written and he chose to not say anything. Perhaps it was edited out?

2. This is NOT a sequel to Purple Rain. Not sure why this conjecture keeps coming up. Purple Rain happened in a normal ecosystem where people live and work and the musical performances had specific purpose behind them. GB is in a weird world where everything is arbitrary and false and it's almost always night time.

computerblue77 said:

I recently re-watched this and I did not remember it being this bad the first time I watched it. The 2 things that bother me most about Graffiti Bridge.

1. Prince is almost afraid to talk. So many opportunities seem to be lost where there was dialogue needed or actually written and he chose to not say anything. Perhaps it was edited out?

2. This is NOT a sequel to Purple Rain. Not sure why this conjecture keeps coming up. Purple Rain happened in a normal ecosystem where people live and work and the musical performances had specific purpose behind them. GB is in a weird world where everything is arbitrary and false and it's almost always night time.

1. To me, these were the times where Prince was most like himself. Better for him to have not talked than to have disappeared.

2. You know, it did seem like the only time the sun came up was when he was at the graffiti bridge.

suomynona said:

CAL3 said:

With all due respect, I would put forth that anyone who claims GB is "the worst film ever made" has never seen a truly bad movie.

(By the way - I cited a similar, yet worse, example earlier: McCartney's "Broad Street")

I have over 4,000 movies in my collection. A couple of years ago, I saw nearly 400 movies in a calendar year. I've seen a LOT of movies, and every time I see a terrible film, I go -- "Nope -- not as bad as Graffiti Bridge."

You have to separate your Prince fandom from the film to be objective (and honest) about how terrible it is.

I think part of the issue is that every one of us only has subjective tastes, no-one has an objective opinion, the closest thing we can get is posisbly a detached view as a non-Prince fan. I think often problems stem from a situation where people claim that there is just one truth and it's theirs. If we all accept that every view is subjective then we will all be fine.

As regards Graffiti Bridge I have seen many, many movies which I personally don't like as much. Some films I find uninteresting or unentertaining in my subjective interpretation.

When I first saw the movie,I thought "what a boring little town they live in" This movie should have been filmed on real locations,like Purple Rain was.

mightycow said:

the movie's got a claustrophobic feel to it. I don't remember any meaningful scenes that were taped outside

I actually didn't mind the set and thought it looked quite fun. It reminds me of the type of sets they use in plays....or like amusement parks during Halloween when they have all of the haunted houses set up. Bright, different and fun.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a crime against all that is good and just...or at least all that is coherent. All hyperbole beside it is the single worst movie theater experience of my life. It depressed me for a good 24 hours lol.

homesquid said:

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a crime against all that is good and just...or at least all that is coherent. All hyperbole beside it is the single worst movie theater experience of my life. It depressed me for a good 24 hours lol.

I feel like you're holding back.

My favorite part of the movie is the "Elephants and Flowers" performance scene.That scene worked really well.

CAL3 said:

antonb said:

A genuine contender for the worse film ever made. Anybody who thinks any different has never seen a good movie

With all due respect, I would put forth that anyone who claims GB is "the worst film ever made" has never seen a truly bad movie.

(By the way - I cited a similar, yet worse, example earlier: McCartney's "Broad Street")

What! GB IS A BAD FILM! I love Prince, but boy is this movie bad. And i have seen some bad movies in my life! Its up there! Thankyou very much!

It's so bad it's good.

I've made this comparison before.GB is alot like the 1980 fantasy/musical Xanadu.

*Both movies have a storyline that revolves around a nightclub.

*Both movies feature a female character who's not really human ("Aura" is an angel,while Olivia Newton John's character in Xanadu is a muse)

*Both movies are really just a collection of music videos.Neither film has a strong plot/storyline.

MMJas said:

It's so bad it's good.

this

OldFriends4Sale said:

I actually like Graffiti Bridge. It's fun, and it was something I didn't take too seriously when I saw it. Somebody mentione the colors - I noticed that too! I really do like the Graffiti Bridge album, including the Time songs. has anybody listend to "Shake" through headphones?? It sounds incredible. And Morris Day has great comic timing! "Where'd ya get that ass?"

I also think Ingrid Chavez is underrated! I love her speaking voice - she would have made a great voice actor, in my opinion.

There are much worse movies than Grafitti Bridge. I like it.

[Edited 5/19/16 5:39am]

[Edited 5/19/16 5:40am]

It's probably possible to find films which are, arguably, worse than GB - like an Ed Wood movie, or Shark Attack 3, or some other indie B-movies....

But the incredible thing about GB is that it was a release from a major studio and a semi-sequel to a number one movie (which had won a friggin Oscar).

In that context it is a mind-warpingly bad film.

But I'm still going to watch it again at the weekend.

TrivialPursuit said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Madonna was supposed to be in it, when the Lovesexy band was still on board:Sheila E Cat etc

Cat took off Boni left for Australia and Sheila E and Prince part ways because of her 4th album and then her back issues/lung collapsed

Kim Bassinger was next to be in it? I believe

.

Boni & Prince fought a lot, especially by the time the Lovesexy Tour was going on. Many reports noted where they'd walk to the stage in the dark for the beginning of the show, or out after the end, or whatever, and just be yelling at each other. Boni would give it right back to Prince, which I actually enjoyed about her.

.

In the Lovesexy tour videos that are out there (Dortmund, Toronto), when she and Cat are interacting with Prince, and Boni shoots Prince a snarl, and says "he's a liar...and a cheat", just how much of her face was truly rooted in "fuck you, ya MFer!" at that point. haha

Yeah I heard about those back n forths with Prince & Boni.

Technically she signed to work with Sheila E on her 3rd album, and then Prince cuts that short. For all we know she might have respected him but not liked him.

I love the SOTT/Lovesexy band, but in so many ways they would never have gone beyond 1989.

Too many of them were interconnected to the 1982-1986 years, and he seemed to be shutting down that 'emotional' tie.

lol I have to watch that over, watch Boni's face lol

luv2tha99s said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I don't know if we wanted another PR movie. I LOVE UTCM, but I can also tell the parts where Prince took over. For me the majority of the movie was good. BUT it should have had band scenes. Not like in Purple Rain. But at Mary Sharon's birthday party (Day & Night) Jill Jones w/the Revolution should have been playing Mia Bocca. Prince & the Revolution should have been doing New Position / I Wonder U. Since he was a hired musician, that would have been a perfect reason to be at her party. It made no real sense for CHristopher & Tricky to show up at this millionairess house/party, out of the blue.

the musicians could have been his band of gypies. The Family doing High Fashion or Desire. The Girls & Boys video could have easily fit that scene where Girls & Boys was performed. Sheila E A Love Bizarre

All the album songs did not have to be performed but key songs featuring the band and the proteges, background musical performance scenes etc

Great ideas! I always thought that P should have taken more time to develop the movie. He should have combined some tracks from Around the World in a Day as well as Parade songs. Maybe start off the flick with Christopher Tracy in MN performing "America" and "Pop Life". He grows tired of the US and wants to travel with his band to more exotic places like the south of France. After he gets to Europe, money issues cause him and the Rev to have to travel by train. He and the band perform "Around the world in a day" ON TOP of the train!! He gets to the beach and....has to take work as a pianist for hire etc..

I remember after getting ATWIAD my brother and I for some reason just assumed there was going to be some kind of movie to follow. So we were connecting each song to what the scenes would be like.

I hear what you are saying. Would a Color 2 Black n White movie work? The first part in MN doing ATWIAD songs the movie is in color, then as they go 2 France it goes Black n White -Parade

That is a fun idea you gave. So many options.

missfee said:

I actually didn't mind the set and thought it looked quite fun. It reminds me of the type of sets they use in plays....or like amusement parks during Halloween when they have all of the haunted houses set up. Bright, different and fun.

really? I think the sets were terrible.As someone mentioned,the movie has a claustophobic feel.Seven Corners seems like a boring little town that these people are trapped in

At an early stage,Purple Rain director Albert Magnoli was involved with this movie.He was gonna direct it,but he and Prince had some kind of disagreement.He mentioned something about wanting to take the movie "to the next level" but Prince had other ideas.

It makes Under the Cherry Moon look like Casablanca.

Billed as a sort of sequel to Purple Rain, it was anything but .... I was so dissappointed after taking my girlfriend to see it in the theater.

In my opinion it was pretty awful. Worst thing about the movie: Aura whispering...

[img:$uid]http://image.blingee.com/images17/content/output/000/000/000/6be/642254440_1469541.gif[/img:$uid]