AMC Theatres is reviving Prince’s defining film Purple Rain in his memory and showing it in theaters across the US today through Thurs., April 28. Prince won an Oscar for the musical score of the 1984 film, which is said to contain elements of autobiography.
Reviewing Purple Rain, the San Francisco Chronicle in 1999 wrote that ”is a time capsule of style and attitude. It does what musicals are supposed to do: It rides the underlying currents of its moment and renders them glorious.” The New York Times’ 1984 review, in contrast, was scathing, calling the film “a cardboard come-on to the record it contains” and “completely without humor.”
The Times wrote:
Purple Rain is playing in theaters but it demonstrates the skills of the recording industry far more effectively than it does those of movie making. Though its women characters are supposed to be strong and independent, they are suckers for the men who knock them around with brutal regularity.
The film is also available to view in the US on online services Amazon $AMZN, YouTube, and iTunes, and is being aired on the VH1 and MTV television channels.
Here’s a list of the AMC theaters showing the film:
