My dad said that purple rain was only popular because of the music and because Prince was so popular at the time, but i think its a gr8 movie all round.

It's a great movie if you are a Prince fan.

Meanwhile, GB is a crappy film even if you are a huge Prince fan.

JCL04 said:

Your Dad is wrong "Purple Rain" helped Prince Become a superstar. The soundtrack is very good and stands on it's own. I purchased the the sound track (& all 12'' singles) after seeing the film. The long version of "Lets Go Crazy" caught my attention. I still like it today.

i just missed the euphoria caused by the movie pr, i got in2 p just after the movie had left the cinema's in 84.i got in2 him after diggin wdc so ive been a fan 4 20 years and in my opinion pr is just ok.as i said i was never caught up with the hysteria surrounding the film so mayb thats why i prefer wait 4 it utcm now i love this movie !!! much better than pr.

Purple Rain as a stand alone film is a vanity filled piece of shit until you hear the absolutely amazing music in it.

There's plot holes, and the acting is horrid, but none of that matters once those classic songs play.

So, I'd say it's a good movie overall, in spite of its obvious flaws.

Excellent movie!

I love "Purple Rain" I didn't see it when it came out in 1984 cuz I was a baby but I saw it when I was older and love it, I wish I could have been appollonia!

When the movie came out,I remember having lots of arguments with people who insisted that the movie was only a success because of the music.Alot of critics were saying the same thing,but I think it's a great film.Yes,we know that prince isn't the world's greatest actor and yes,we know that the music is the best thing about the film.But still,it's a good rock n' roll story (probably the best "music film" of the 80s).

RupertZ said:

I just Purple Rain a couple of weeks ago and it was great!
Purple Rain is an average movie in general, but real fun for Prince fans. Despite acting and holes I give it an 8. I found Under the cherry moon for more enjoyable. More quirky Prince humor and over the top drama. '...Butterscotch, chocolate...no way..'
GB was embarrassing. It made very little sense, the set was ridiculous and Prince set an all time record for pouting.

I can't wait for the DVD releases of the 80's stuff.

You have to put yourself into the context of the time.....

Prince was already a "known" artist having charted with Soft & Wet, I Wanna Be Your Lover, etc., but, from the marketing perspective, he was still mainly an R&B artist and was pigeon-holed on the "Black" charts.

Remember that back then the charts and the radio formats were very segregated. R&B was only on the R&B stations. Rock was on the rock stations. Top 40 was pop, disco and some rock. With Dirty Mind and the more "punk" sound, he began to attract a much more varied audience across races -- something that the marketing machine wasn't sure what to do with. He was building a cross-cultural following on the underground circuit, mainly through extensive touring. With Controversy and 1999, Prince was further blending the various formats, but at least the "dance" stuff could be pushed into R&B and Top 40. When MTV started to put LRC into rotation, the buzz about Prince spread a little further into the mainstream.

When the movie came out, it was a combination of things that turned it all into something greater than the sum of its parts. I don't think it was just the music or just the movie -- it was a whole vibe, a whole cultural vibe that exactly hit on popular culture. Folks were ready for something cool, edgy, over-the-top, glamorous and mysterious. Prince and the whole Minneapolis sound provided a different world that people really latched on to. It was the 80s and excess was the word of the day.

When Purple Rain came out, it was a perfect cross-over, not just on the music charts, but it was able to generate number one singles, a number one album, a number one movie, music videos...even fashion was effected (if you were of age in 1984, don't try to tell me you didn't have a pair of high-heeled ankle boots, a camisole and at least one pair of finger-less gloves! LOL!). The whole joining of races was intriguing -- black and white in the same band? -- The sound was a "new" mix of rock and soul. Androgyny was big. And sex! Prince was talking about stuff NO ONE talked about in that way at that time. And Prince himself was unlike anything people had seen before. A black guy dressed in lace and heavy makeup, playing guitar and driving all the ladies insane?? WTF? Created a HUGE buzz.

So, the movie or the music -- chicken or the egg? They both kinda went together and fed off of each other. Regardless, Prince was suddenly a household name on a world scale.

Was the film good? Depends on what criteria you apply. It's not an epic, but it is a pretty good formula rock 'n roll movie with passable acting, humor, tension and a plot that at least makes sense. Throw in the outstanding musical numbers that perfectly capture a star at his prime and you've got a classic.

I didnt' think the movie was sooo wonderful.. Prince can't act his way out of a paper bag.. however the music was good and I do think it WAS a main reason it was popular!

it's a good film with lotsa memorable lines....answer me, motherfucker!!! seriously, pr is pretty boss. i don't care at all for the soundtrack on its own, but with the movie it's just lovely.