Ep 53: Purple Rain

Dearly beloved CFX fans, we are gathered here today to evaluate this thing called Purple Rain. Will it stand the test of time forever or just a mighty long time…well, we’re here to tell U. That’s right, we evaluate the film, the music and the artist (thankfully known as Prince which is good because I don’t know how to print that damned symbol…). What about the movie? Should U “dig” the picture or “smash” it? Is the music “sheer perfection” or is there “something wrong with the machinery”? Is Prince a genius, a “Messiah”, something “that we’ll never comprehend”? We go all the way back to the beginning, from Prince’s troubled childhood in Minneapolis, to his slow rise in crossover popularity that eventually led to his commercial (and probably artistic peak) in the 1984 film and album Purple Rain. We also discuss the aftermath of his career and discuss whether Prince was a musical genius or just really talented. Let us guide U and, hopefully, along the way, U will also learn…

• Who “Darling Nikki” is and what inspired Prince to name his lead actress Apollonia
• How to commandeer an official university vehicle so you and your friends can go see the Prince concert
• How Slip’s concert dance moves inspired deep admiration (ok…more like laughter)
• Who was the unlikely inspiration for Purple Rain’s iconic theme song
• Which Jim Henson creation film critic Vincent Canby compared Prince to in his less than favorable review of the film
• Who the real star of Purple Rain was…and it wasn’t Prince….
• And, finally, how Siskel and Ebert covered their boners with....humanity…

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