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‘Purple Rain’ With Bill Simmons and Wesley Morris

August 27, 2024 · Purple Rain (1984) · Drama · Music · Romance · 2:00:53 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 13:37Purple Rain — Purple (the color) because of how Apex Mountain-y Prince was in Purple Rain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:47Prince is 'maybe the all-time example of Apex Mountain' (album out, movie a huge hit); also rules yes on Apollonia, The Time, the Minnesota sound, magazine-masturbating, riding a motorcycle with five-inch lifts, and Lake Minnetonka; no on Clarence Williams III and First Avenue (still kicking)
Wesley Morris▶ 1:40:09Mostly assents to Bill's rapid-fire calls; his one hesitation is the Minnesota sound — 'I'm just thinking about Jimmy and Terry and Janet' (i.e., Jam & Lewis/Janet peaks were still ahead)

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 30:31The first 11 minutes of this movie - the opening sequence with 'Let's Go Crazy' and 'Jungle Love' performances
Wesley Morris▶ 35:45The moment during 'Jungle Love' where the dancers in the balcony start synchronized dancing - one guy starts, then the guy to his left, doing the arm thing

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:40First Avenue nightclub

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:45No

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:10John Travolta — Discusses Warner Brothers wanting John Travolta instead of Prince, Prince wanting Gina Gershon for the girlfriend role, and the casting journey from Vanity to Gershon to Jennifer Beals to finally Apollonia
Wesley Morris▶ 1:34:44Liza Minnelli — Explores how the movie would be different if Apollonia could actually act, suggests giving the role to a real actress like Liza Minnelli instead of 'just some beautiful woman'

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:33Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise - says Cruise could at least give it a whirl, acknowledges Hanks as the kid would be weird
Wesley Morris▶ 1:41:54Tom Cruise — Reluctantly agrees with Cruise but emphasizes how inappropriate it would be to recast this role given the original performance

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:16Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as Billy the Club, could also work as Jerome or in multiple parts
Wesley Morris▶ 1:47:23Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson (agrees and quotes his lines)

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:46The soundtrack

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:57Jerome is a valet; the kid and Jill the waitress had a thing; you'd get removed for masturbating in a hotel lobby; he'd keep the Modern Airs over Apollonia 6; Yankee Doodle Dandy was the first diss track
Wesley Morris▶ 1:47:59Jerome is classically a valet; the kid and Jill definitely had a relationship 100%; depends on the hotel for the masturbation question

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:198 Mile — Purple Rain then 8 Mile
Wesley Morris▶ 1:51:108 Mile — Would go Graffiti Bridge for fun, 8 Mile for accuracy, but agrees 8 Mile must go first in the double feature

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:53:43Never Get Married - the scene where the character delivers this advice instead of something profound

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:53:56Prince — Prince in an absolute unequivocal landslide

Movies Referenced (16)

8 Mile (2002)

5 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 59:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

King Kong (2005)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 57:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chicago (2002)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grease (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walk the Line (2005)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Star Is Born (2018)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

1 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 29:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Den of Thieves (2018)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Terry Lewis

4 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 5:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Albert Magnoli

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Purple Rain▶ 28:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eric Covello

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Oblivion▶ 27:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Lester

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for A Hard Day's Night▶ 10:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (60)

Michael Jackson

23 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 3:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Sparks

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Purple Rain▶ 48:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerome Benton

16 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Purple Rain, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back▶ 34:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jill Jones

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Purple Rain▶ 32:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Morris Day

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Purple Rain, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back▶ 9:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Beatles

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 7:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Murphy

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 3:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 1:41:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Brown

4 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for The Blues Brothers, Django Unchained▶ 16:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Romo

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 1:36:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Whitney Houston

4 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for The Bodyguard, The Preacher's Wife, Waiting to Exhale▶ 5:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Cosby

3 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 3:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Al Gore

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for An Inconvenient Truth▶ 1:38:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Cosby

2 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for 2 Guns▶ 3:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Blinn

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Purple Rain▶ 28:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ama Quao

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 43:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Johnny Cash

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Walk the Line▶ 8:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 19:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗