Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling

I won't conceal that Richard Pryor is one my favorite comic actor ever, all those fabulous funny comedies side by side with Gene Wilder are priceless, his acerbic and harsh words mocking their own black people shaken the system in America, after reaches at stardom as best stand up comic, he made a huge successful career as actor, in this autobiography after virtually committed suicide burning himself doped in drugs and booze.

Aiming for starting over he managed a rereading of his personal life since the beginning as boy living with his grandmother and his early steps in show business aid by Satin Doll and passing by several marriages, thru his spirit he saw his own mistakes and bearing in mind how should made something different in order to reroute his tragic life, it somehow sheds lights in obscure past of Pryor life, as how he starting drugs himself in a poisoned environment and wrong wives and companions, then he entered in merry-go-round of self-destruction that let him attempts against own life.

Wrote, produced and directed by Pryor it sounds as crying for help, obviously later it proved be fruitless, due he was back at wrong road again, even so this failure picture had many accurate elements concerning Pryor's persona, worthwhile a look, unfortunately this picture didn't arrive here in any format.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1989 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.5.

Jo Jo Dancer (Richard Pryor) is a successful comedian. In a drunken haze, he severely burns himself. His spirit watches his wounded body in his hospital bed and recalls his journey to that point. As a child, Jo Jo grew up in the brothel with his mother. As a young man, he decides to go to the big city Cleveland to try his hand in stand up. His father beats him up and his young wife is too afraid to go with him. He gets a gig at a strip club. As his career rises, his marriages suffer a roller-coaster ride of drug use and other difficulties.

This is a thinly-veiled personal docudrama. I think it's probably a mistake for Pryor to direct the movie himself. It's technically competent but the material is there for something much more compelling. The story never gets much tension. It's coated in a functional lifetime docudrama. An experienced director would be able to bring something more interesting in the structure and also a deeper performance from Pryor. I love Pryor as a comic and an actor. I don't love this movie quite as much.

I've always enjoyed "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" but it does have more than its fair share of flaws. The movie just doesn't work as well as it should have. Maybe Richard Pryor should have handed the direction off to a seasoned veteran rather than trying to do it himself. I don't know. The alter-ego stuff works well in some scenes and not that well in others. Visually the alter-ego is almost never convincing. "Jo Jo Dancer" is well acted but it seems to be longer than it actually is. The scenes with young Jo Jo are great. The "accident" scene is heartbreaking. Much of the stand up stuff isn't that good, especially Jo Jo's strip scene (ouch). I still watch this movie from time to time but it's just not completely satisfying. (I saw "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" in the theater when it first came out.)

I recently watched Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling (1986) on Tubi. The storyline follows a famous comedian who nearly dies from a drug overdose. As he hovers between life and death, his life flashes before him. We follow his journey throughout his life and through his near-death experience.

This film is directed by and stars Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), and also features Deborah Kaye Allen (Fame), Art Evans (Die Hard 2), Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers), and Barbara Williams (White House Down).

While this movie was just okay overall, the storyline was smart, well-written, and well-executed. It serves as a good warning. The characters felt authentic and were well portrayed. The relationships throughout the movie are sad but feel genuine. The comedy routines are hit or miss, but it's always fun to watch Pryor. The antics are predictable yet over the top. The ending is very good and makes the journey worthwhile.

In conclusion, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling is a worthwhile journey through a troubled man's life. I would score this a 6.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Its as close to an autobiography as you can get without it being one. Its sad, somewhat pathetic but beautiful and funny as well.

I hadn't watch Prior for a while so it was nice to step back into his comedic groove and revel in what made him so great.

The man was a legend :)