Under the Cherry Moon

It had to be said. ;)

Only those who've seen and enjoy this movie know what the title means. And by saying it to others around you, you will immediately know whether they love (and therefore have seen) this movie: they'll either go "HUH??! WHAT did you say??!?!?!" or they'll laugh like anything and crow, "UNDER THE CHERRY MOON!!!!!!!" with huge enthusiasm.

I wasn't able to see this when it first came out because I was a teenager at the time and my parents would have KILLED me if I had sneaked out to watch a Prince movie! But the moment it came out on video, a friend rented it, and it turned out to be a hilariously fun movie. Sure, it has a few flaws here and there (a natural to be expected from a guy who's only previous experience with directing was with his own mind-blowing psychedelic videos), but who cares? It's hilarious, MUCH lighter than "Purple Rain" was and frothing over with delight.

Prince as "Christopher" and Jerome Benton ("Tricky") keep threatening to crack up as they deliberately bounce their way through their cartoonish antics, but it's deliberate: they look like they're having a blast. Christopher is supposed to be a gigolo who's gleefully living off the wallets of bored rich chicks until he decides to go for Mary (Kristen Scott-Thomas in her screen debut!), the rich daughter of a frightfully nightmarish millionaire... and accidentally falls in love. Jerome likes her too, and neither of the two of them know how to handle to situation as originally planned.

Prince proves that he does indeed have a sense of humour as he writes lots of cartoonish gags in for comedy relief, such as Mary's mother who keeps getting freaked out by what her daughter is doing and subsequently keeps fainting each time (those around her always catch her--obviously they're accustomed to this happening ;) ). Or when Mary shows up at the two cons' home with a sack of money that's been given to her as a birthday present while saying she thought that a "couple of old pros" like them might have ideas of what to do with it because she's supposedly stumped ("Hey, Tricky! She doesn't know what to do with that!" "Hmmm, that's a toughie... I KNOW! Why don't we SPEND it?"). Or ESPECIALLY the bedroom scene to end all bedroom scenes! But I CAN'T give THAT away, you'll just have to discover it for yourself (Done VERY cleanly... it's in silhouette, and Prince is even still fully-clothed believe it or not, you'll have to see it to believe how tastefully it's done)!

While entirely in B&W, it borders in the psychedelic with its dramatic little visual touches, original soundtrack and dreamy atmosphere in its direction. As a matter of fact, I take that back: it IS psychedelic, especially in the ending credits.

You'll either love this one or hate it. I, for one, happen to love it and (to other fans who know what I'm talking about) I must admit it had me answering my private phone line with "What it is!" for the longest time afterward, much to the bafflement of my callers. ;)

Check this one out if you want to have a fun time at the movies! No, it isn't one of those throw-down movie classics out there, but it sure is fun! I'll bet you'll end up laughing just as hard as we did all through watching it while thinking to yourself, "I never knew Prince could write a COMEDY!" And he can. He proves it.

And besides... well, hey, admit it... you're now anxious to know what "Wrecka Stow" means, now, aren't you? So don't be shy, go get it and find out for yourself some Saturday night!

When I first saw this movie I was expecting to see a really awful movie. Well, it has many weaknesses but it's also a beautifully shot, light hearted romantic comedy which is at times extremely hilarious. It even holds up after repeated viewing. So many funny and quotable scenes "The Wrecka Stow", "Tell him it's chinese", "It's the mum!", "How much money you make? Damn, couldn't you buy some cologne, man?!" and it goes on and on. And of course the soundtrack is superb. Sure, you'll have to like prince at least a bit 'cos you'll getting a lot of him (being the director, actor and composer) but once you can forgive his little faults (which I think is *not* the extreme vanity stuff cos I think that was done so over the top on purpose for fun) you'll be entertained for sure and Prince/Jerome Benton make a great comedy duo as Christopher Tracy and 'Tricky'. When things are getting more serious and dramatic it loses it's strengths a bit, but still I found this a very enjoyable movie.

Yeah, I know I only gave this movie a 7, but the vote is a relative thing. Not everything can be a 10. If I were voting on the basis of genre, then definitely a 10. Anyways, I digress. Under the Cherry Moon is the finest movie Prince ever directed (and if you've seen the abysmal Graffiti Bridge, you know what I mean), and the fact that he took over from Mary Lambert (who went on to direct the ludicrously bad Pet Sematary)at the last minute, further proves my point. Prince and erstwhile sidekick Jerome Benton play a pair of hustlers who make no bones about their profession; in fact, the fun they have is so infectious, it seems to take all the sleaze out of it. Merrily they go along until Christopher (Prince) lays eyes on Kristin Scott-Thomas and goes completely ga-ga, forgetting altogether the pair's objective of swindling her out of her fortune. This is a fun movie, one that manages to evoke the feel of a 30s screwball comedy injected with a modern sensibility. The music is among Prince's finest (and most cohesive album-wise), and most rhythmically inventive. Don't rent this expecting to see a work of cinematic art; this is pure entertainment, plain and simple. If you're looking for something you can watch strictly for fun, check this one out. For those who have seen it and love as I do, I have two words for you: Wrecka Stow!

I know a lot of people I talk to didn't like this film, but I thought it was great! Maybe one must be a big admirer of Prince's work to appreciate it or not be bothered by it being in black and white. Personally, I think it was better than 'Purple Rain', which probably was only as successful as it was due to the concert footage. Compare the acting to 'Under the Cherry Moon' and it was awful. In 'Cherry Moon', Prince and Jerome Benton were hilarious together! It was a half decent storyline, but their humor was so ridiculous, it was hilarious! I tend to find the silly stuff funny, and that's partly why I loved this film. It was so silly that it was funny!! Well, I also love Prince and his music. This film was like a modern, comedic twist to classic romance films. The ending was kind of lame, but overall I think the film was great! The film may be in black and white, but yet it's very colorful!

This must be one of the most mocked films ever, widely considered a joke. I think it was Prince's narcissistic and effeminate character that bothered audiences. The film is undeniably silly, but good and quite effective, but with a quirky quality that pushes it into the cult realm. An example is the scene in which Tracy and Tricky (Prince and Jerome Benton) meet Tracy's refined love interest at a posh restaurant and grill her: "Where do you go if you want to get a Sam Cooke album?" Tricky holds up a sign reading "Wrecka Stow" and finally, writhing in discomfort, she gets it and reluctantly answers, "the record store." Believe it or not, the film is well put together, each scene memorable in its own way and a climax that might make you cry. I've never seen a film quite like it, because (like all cult movies), it takes place in a desirable alternate world - one in which gender and race boundaries are blurred.