Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling

I found this film to be a really good depiction of Richard Pryor's life. But, I would've used the actual story of his life instead of using a fictional character to depict his life. Only a suggestion though Richard. But besides that, it is a great bio that has charm and laughs along the way (that later reminded me of Andy Kaufman's Man on the Moon). Trivia note- Pryor wrote, produced, directed (his first real film, though he directed Richard Pryor Here and Now) and starred in this film, which would be his last film to have writer, producer and director on his credits (he now has MS). A-

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.

...this movie resonates all the more of the difficult life he lived and the humor that somehow came out of it.

Pryor begins life as the son of a Prostitute, later turns his hyper energy into Theatre (thanks to a school teacher who he later gave his 1st Emmey to), turns to drug and alcohol addiction, is savagely burned during a bad freebase accident, is diagnosed with MS, is forced to spend his life in a wheelchair and throughout goes through many divorces. And the man is funny - what a genius (campare to Beethoven's life).

Props to Richard Pryor for sharing his life and also for being the 1st African-American comedian to take on 'race' and actually making it work.

Pryor was the Man!

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.