| Actors:
| Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams Iii | | Director:
| Albert Magnoli | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, Spanish, French | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Warner Home Video | | Run Time:
| 111 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| June 25, 1997 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 195 reviews |
|
Average Customer Review:
 ( 195 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 61 found the following review helpful:
It's Not Just A Music VideoJul 27, 2000
By M. Gilkey
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.]
51 of 58 found the following review helpful:
Purple Rain 20 years laterApr 23, 2004
By DEAN M. Dent
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.
39 of 46 found the following review helpful:
 Great movie....not so great DVD unfortunately...Jul 09, 1999
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.
27 of 34 found the following review helpful:
 Great movie, but the DVD? POOPSTAR!Aug 27, 2001
By SpookyChick
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.
21 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Features and A Take!Aug 05, 2004
By Brett D. Cullum
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!
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