INTERVIEW : 2007-02-07 Joseph Arthur on Prince’s Purple Rain (by Jay Sweet)


As Prince stood with his arms raised triumphantly in the Superbowl halftime rain looking like a Little Richard Oompa-Loompa, I realized heck, this little dude still manages to win me over every time.

Whether its baggin’ Apollonia and an EARLY 90’s Kim Bassinger, or rippin’, lickin’ or humpin’ that ensignia/guitar of his, Prince has always been at the top of his or any other game. Music needs more lunatics like Prince. Prince can do no wrong. 
The guy is the black Bowie, just when you think he has strutted too far over into the “maybe-I-have-a-penis-maybe-I don’t-fraggle-rock-on-ice-unitard-assless chaps” stage, he reminds you that he has more originality in his nail polish stained pinkie than the entire mascared mob of today’s angst ridden wannabes combined. 
How incredible would it be if he played Bonnaroo, Cochella, or Newport Jazz. Hell, he’d blow the doors off Telluride Bluegrass if given the nod. 
While the Police playing Fenway this summer will be a highlight, if Prince played Fenway they might paint the Green Monster purple. This is why I asked Sweettalk’s Chief Film Critic and self depreciating megalomaniac, 

Joseph Arthur to review Purple Rain: Take it away Joe....


Purple Rain as seen by me

“I’m not a woman

I’m not a man

I am something that you never understand”

Prince sings at the end of purple rain which could just as easily been called super tranny

When was the last time you’ve seen it?

Its basically Prince riding a fancy purple bike wearing high heels with a telecaster strapped to his back

One time he runs down Morris Day who is drunk and trying to make off with his girl Apalonia who incidently has enormous breasts

Cerise kept calling him a tranny as we watched and shrieked with glee everytime he did anything femmy which was almost every scene

This movie brings the pain tho when his father who might or might not be played by laurence fishburne keeps beating his mom until finally he shoots himself in the head after which Prince has the nightmare vision of himself hanging from the rafter in the basement by a rope he then proceeds to shatter all the cans of tomatoes and perservatives with a giant stick. Like a tranny james dean in the eighties at the end he sings “baby I’m a star” and if you break it down the journey of purple rain is all about his journey into stardom the explosion of which is blown up out of his parents misery and comes into full bloom only after his father trys to bloww his own head off. I” never meant to cause you any trouble
I never meant to cause you any pain”

Prince suffers thru the entire picture and one still can’t help but wonder how he dances so well in such high heels

The other thing about prince that one might suspect even beyond his genius songcraft(cuz let’s face it kids where has that
gotten me lol) as the reason he is a mega star is because his
smile is stuff of legend so cute sinister twisted and shattered with girl teeth and pussy lips he even has vagina hair on his lip. Everyone loves prince. Super tranny he should be my vice president

Its crazy that his dad didn’t die from the self inflicted gun shot wound to the head and near the end befor he busts out his greatest masterpiece which I’m not kidding sounds like a joe cocker song. Purple rain. His dad a self inflicted gun shot wound and a bandage around his head his woman, princes mom, who incidentally looks about the same age as prince but that could be because his chest is so hairy (possibly should have waxed it; I like it but just saying might have made him look younger, anyhoo) she is bowing over the man like mary

Prince is jesus

I can’t help it everybody

You see what you are in everyone

You all are jesus

Just like prince

Just like me

Super Tranny

Ps

There is that seen backstage where prince shows us his talent for ventriliquism
Wendy and lisa want him to take their song seriously (which turns out to be the music for purple rain) he answers with a puppet which could be taken as a sign that he is still under the control of his dysfunctional family
He answers with a high voice withot moving his lips and looking into the mirror at himself and the puppet
He is alienated
Alone and afraid
His masterpiece is blooming underneath
And it is the spirit of collaboration which will finally take him home




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