Don’t miss this rare chance to hear Prince’s film debut screen from an exceedingly rare 35mm print with a stellar 4–track magnetic soundtrack, a now-dormant multi-channel sound process known for its rich, full sound.
In this legendary, breakthrough film, Prince basically portrays himself as “The Kid”, a talented Minneapolis musician who retains an ongoing spot at the First Avenue nightclub with his band, The Revolution. Beset by emotional and physical abuse at home from his hot-tempered father (the always intense Clarence Williams III) and tormented mother (played by Olga Karlatos, veteran of such Italian cinematic milestones as Zombie and Once Upon A Time in America) and stifled by problems with his rebellious band as well as his prime rivals (Morris Day and Time), Prince reaches a creative crisis. His girlfriend, Apollonia (Apollonia Kotero), conned by Morris to front a new girl band, Apollonia 6, ostensibly to replace The Kid’s The Revolution as club headliners, and his family life violently coming to a head, sparks The Kid to achieve a creative breakthrough. Sterling performances of “When Doves Cry”,“Darling Nikki” and his newest composition, “Purple Rain” (which he dedicates to his tormented, frustrated-musician father), punctuate this moving chronicle of Prince’s musical evolution, shot by cinematographer, Donald E. Thorin, in a palette of gorgeous, urban neon hues. Purple Rain received an Oscar for Best Original Sound Score, and the film grossed over $68 million in the USA from a comparatively small $7 million budget.
