Customer Reviews

Purple Rain [HD DVD]

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Leonard Maltin's review missed the main point of this movie. The movie is not primarily about a young musician who "struggles to gain acceptance for his own brand of ... rock music". Instead, the movie is about a man who has acquired his not only some of his father's musical interest and talent, but also his father's emotional instability and occasional abusiveness towards others, especially women. Maltin is correct that Prince's character is sexist and unappealing, but that's crucial to the movie. By playing his character as emotionally unstable, insensitive, and occasionally cruel, Prince de-glamourizes the cool, rebellious rock star image, showing that fame and talent are neither a guaranteed road to happiness nor a good excuse for being cruel to your girlfriend. This movie, rather than being a "soppy story" wrapped around concert footage, is instead genuinely literary. The concert footage is not an excuse for a movie; some of the concert footage is integral to the story. The title song, "Purple Rain", is used very effectively in the movie as a point of conflict between Prince and two of his female bandmates.

This movie, like Quadrophenia, would make a good subject for an English literature class targeted towards aimlessly rebellious under-achievers (rather than the 4.0 GPA high school students that most English literature classes are designed for).

[This review is based on the VHS version of the movie.]

I remember when I recently saw Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back,Jay showed his affinity towards Morris Day and the Time.Then some teenagers called Purple Rain "a crappy 80's movie".Although most of Y generation view Purple Rain like the second coming of Grease 2,Purple Rain rocked back in '84 with people actually dancing in the isles.
This movie finally brought Prince into the mainstream and showed the genius that he was.Although he'd been making records since 1978,he made his mark with such albums as Dirty Mind, Controversy,and 1999(his breakout album with his first top ten hit Little Red Corvette)but only to a limited R&B and underground market.But once Purple Rain hit,things were never the same.The movie also brought Morris Day and The Time to the mainstream which unfortunately they would soon break up to never enjoy the fruits.
The movie is pretty much about a musician called The Kid (Prince) who dreams of making it despite his troubled homelife and a rival band, The Time.The movie has it's fair share of bad acting as well as misogyny ("That ain't Lake Minnitonka")it's the musical numbers as well as Morris Day's comic timing that steals the show.The music still sounds fresh, especially the minimalist When Doves Cry which could even be released today.
Hopefully Warner brothers will release a 20th anniversary edition DVD with loads of extras as well as deleted scenes which were featured in the trailer.And with Prince's comeback in 2004 including his Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction, Grammy performance and tour,it would really be the year of Prince.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Purple Rain and Prince 's (the artist) music, but this DVD was kind of disappointing. The video quality of the transfer looks pretty good for its age, but why isn't there a widescreen version? The production notes that Warner puts on their DVDs are annoying and glare off the TV. Oh, and a trailer. I know this isn't a special edition, but there was so much stuff that could have been used. I guess you get what you pay for though. The movie gets 5 stars, but the DVD gets a 2/5.

Features on this two-disc set include:
1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
English DD5.1 Surround
French DD1.0 Mono
English, French and Spanish subtitles
Audio Commentary with Director Albert Magnoli, Producer Robert Cavallo and Cinematographer Donald E. Thorin
All-new documentary on the Minneapolis music scene, the importance of the First Avenue club and Prince?s career prior to Purple Rain
All-new documentary on the making of the movie and the Academy Award winning music
All-new documentary on the impact of the movie and music on Pop Culture, the response from Prince?s fans and the enduring legacy of Purple Rain
Music Videos:
Let's go Crazy - Prince
take me with u - Prince
When Doves Cry - Prince
I Would Die 4 U/Baby I'm a Star - Prince
Purple Rain - Prince
Jungle Love - The Time
The Bird - The Time
Sex Shooter - Apollonia 6
TV Special : The 1984 MTV Premiere Party
Theatrical Trailer : Purple Rain, Graffiti Bridge and Under the Cherry Moon

This is a vast improvement on the bare bones FULLSCREEN version of PURPLE RAIN out there. Go ahead and trade those in! This looks like the real deal. Prince has never been more electric, and the film is pretty good. The music is what makes it! And it's a great piece of 80s nostalgia to boot. I'm putting on my purple raincoat, my hoop earring, and sitting down to watch a simpler time when all we had to worry about was if Wendy and Lisa were happy being in the Revolution! If you own one Prince movie ... this one's it!

Okay, okay, okay-- only 3 stars for one of the greatest rock movies ever made... but it received very poor DVD treatment. This was one of the highest grossing theatrical releases of 1984. It took everyone by surprise that summer, and made Warner Bros. a LOT of money. So are there any music videos as bonus materials? NO. Are there any interview clips, new or old? NO. Is there any commentary from director or screenwriter? NO. IS THE MOVIE PRESENTED IN WIDESCREEN FORMAT?? Inexplicably, NO!! This was an OSCAR winning film (Best Song Score). Yes, it is relatively inexpensive, but c'mon-- it could have at least been letter boxed!! The only features are some production notes and a trailer. I wouldn't recommend purchasing this, especially if you already own the VHS version. The movie? For what it is, 5 stars. The DVD? 1 star. I split the difference. Hopefully Warner Bros. will wise up and release all four of Prince's films in a deluxe box set.

The script is full of non sequiturs, melodrama, and makeup with streaks of ghastly color that could only come from the 80s. Other than the two actors playing Prince's parents, Apollonia Kotero is the only castmember with acting experience, and only from a toothpaste commercial at that! If you've ever wondered what drummer Bobby Z's speaking voice is like, here's your big chance! Oddly, the best looking member of Prince's band, Brown Mark, is the only one without lines (though he purses his lips with the technique of a DeNiro). The sound is great and the print in good shape. The DVD extras (movie trailer, production notes) are okay but not significant enough on their own to purchase it. The moment Morris Day wickedly asks the depressed Prince "How's the family?" is enough to justify the purchase. Get it as a time capsule, wonder why most questions in the dialogue aren't acknowledged by the character being asked. Ponder why large plastic buttons over the front trouser flap never took off as a fashion. Prepare to explain to your children why hair back then was so tall and thick, and don't just blame it on Minnesota. Feel shame at the time in your life or your friend's life when harlequin/clown masks and dolls seemed oh-so-poignant lingering on display in candle-fortified rooms. Get your bag of Doritos and enjoy a time when popular music held the imagination of both the selective and the hoi polloi at the same time. The best special effect of the movie? Apollonia putting on her skin-tight leather outfit seconds after jumping into a lake. This was before CGI! Marvel at the time when Prince aspired to mean something more than solid music, and actually did.

This is just an HD-DVD review so I'll make this as simple as I can.

The movie? A classic. "The Kid" and his struggles to be a musical star, dealing with his family problems at home, and attempting to court Appelonia. What really made this movie such a classic wasn't really the backstory, it was the musical performances. "Jungle Love" by Morris Day and the Time, still a classic on radio to this day. Prince's performances, most notably and memorably, "Purple Rain" which was performed with such heart that you can feel the emotion behind the song.

So how does it translate to HD-DVD? Well, it does look better than the regular DVD version, but it's definitely not the optimal quality that it could have been. The "it's an old movie" excuse doesn't fly, because Casablanca was done in superb fashion. So it's absolutely not "The Look of Perfect".

That said, the audio is top notch. Surround is in full form and you can hear everything very well - a must for a movie that is centered around musical performances. Clearly the Sound of Perfect.

In my opinion, getting this movie for $20 is a great deal. But don't expect a King Kong experience.

By far, Purple Rain is Prince's best screen performance and arguably his best music score. The semi-autobiographical story takes place in Minniapolis where Prince plays the Kid --an up and coming club musician whose tortured soul can only find solace in his unique and occassionaly misunderstood music that is performed by himself and his band the Revolution. The Kid's music not only serves as a channeled cartharsis for the pent up frustrations caused by an abusive home life , but also as a battle ground for the incessant rivalry between himself and his nemesis Morris with his band the Time. The two not only compete for elite music status, but also, for the attentions of the Kid's love interest, the sexy Appolonia Kotero. Appolonia is caught in a power play between Prince's affections and Morris's desire capitalize off of her potentially bankable music talents. A talent, that if proven up to par, could knock Prince's character out of the club scene all together. She must also confront the inherited trait of abuse that the Kid has adopted from his father. Only after coming home to a horrific scene does the Kid begin to see the error of his ways, and an insight begins that is so powerful, it culminates into the climatic and errie song "Purple Rain." A song of redemption that not only speaks of the Kids's internal rebirth, but of a symbolism embodied in the color purple that represents a new beginning and a rain that is sybolic of a cleansing.

This is one of my faves,this movie was made back when Prince was in his prime!!! I've had this on VHS,Standard Full Frame DVD,The 2 DVD 20th Ann. Special Edition and now I bought the Blu Ray,the PQ,sound and extras are top notch and the good news is that it contains ALL the extras that were on the 20th Ann 2 DVD set,go you get 2 DVD's worth of great content on one nice Blu Ray Disc,plus you get better pic,sound etc!!! And the Blu Ray is actually cheaper than the 2 DVD set!!! Recommended! A+

This is a GREAT blu-ray disc of a great movie. The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is awesome and the extras are great.

Even though Blu-Ray is great, I really wasn't expecting a whole lot out of the picture quality on this. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! I watched it on a 60 inch, 1080p projection TV and it looked fantastic.

Buy this quickly and try to get in on the "Buy One, Get One" offer!