Guess what turns 25 today? Purple Rain! Yeah, we're so old! Why, it seems like only yesterday we were made to close our eyes during the Lake Minnetonka sequence.
It's difficult not to regard this era as Prince's most-definitive. It was the '80s. The music was a mix of Glam-Rock-meets-Electro Funk with a Pop sheen. The film was a satirical roman à clef filled with pulsating concert sequences, naughty dialogue and brooding melodrama that bordered on exploitative humiliation. But, more important than any of that, was Prince's hair. So shiny!
Why is this film a classic? Well, for starters, anything that effectively portrays Morris Day as the main antagonist clearly has something going for it. Full disclosure: As a child, it was hard not to view this movie as The Gospel, and so we would go on to slightly resent Morris Day in spite of enjoying his music. Chalk it up to his over-the-top arrogance and brilliant comic timing.
On this day, the 27th of July, two thousand and nine, we would like to salute you, oh diminutive purple genius, for gifting the world with one of the best motion pictures and accompanying soundtracks in modern times. Purple Rain, although slightly narcissistic in nature (the multiple close-ups of his eyes and lips drove home the point that he was ever-so-beautiful), remains a consummate example of a showbiz drama/musical done right.
