MovieChat Forums > Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) Discussion > My favorite movie of all time...

My favorite movie of all time...

posted 16 years ago by mistresszhivago
3 replies | jump to latest

I was this in about 1988/89 or so at the age of 16 or 17. I have never really like Richard's comedy - not a fan of the profanity. But I have always respected Richard and his talent and his contributions. I love watching his movies! Strangely enough, in "Uptown Saturday Night" he MAYBE was on screen for 3 minutes and he was HILARIOUS!!! So very talented that if he were to sit in front of you and try not to speak or smile, you would crack up!!

But Jo Jo Dancer to me was a fantastic movie. Very entertaining, while telling a very tragic story. Sort of like the idea that a good comic's talent comes from a place of great pain/torture where they are very intense people when not performing -or- they're just happy-go-lucky people on and off stage. I believe Richard's came from a place of pain.

I literally watched it so many times back then that I new EVERY LINE!!! Not kidding!!!! I could speak EVERY LINE of the movie!!! I saw it the other day and could still do about 95% even now!!! Back then my family used to HATE to watch it with me, but never failed to call me in the room when it was on! I do the same with Tombstone too, by the way...

While it may not be what Hollywood considers an "award" type movie, that doesn't mean it's not a classic. It was multi-faceted, beautifully shot, great wardrobe, music out of this world (I have a cassette tape of the soundtrack - CD's were not out on the late 80's...).

I recommend everyone to take a great Saturday afternoon, run your errands, clean the house, order a pizza and your favorite dessert and watch.

"So, you quit your god damned job?" "Yeah!, Quit his job!" "Gonna be in show business. Ain't that what you told Hank down at the barber shop?"
-------
"Y'all killed two Cowboys."

[–] JoeLoebner 16 years ago

Totally agreed. One of Richard's best movies.

[–] Kelea7 15 years ago

LOL. I can't say this is my favorite movie, (I recently caught most of it on television) but I'm the same way about Richard Pryor. I've always liked his movies (See No Evil Hear No evil especially as a child) so I've watched a few that aren't to bad or caught them on television. But sometimes he's just too profane for me. Actually I'm the same way about Eddie Murphy, they're funny but too much potty mouth for me so I'll usually just watch the movies.

By the way I really like the womb joke.

You're cute in a Quasimodo kind of way.

[–] WarpedRecord 15 years ago

I have to say I'm not particularly a fan of Richard's stand-up work, which often seems to be raunch strictly for the sake of raunch, but I do enjoy the characters he played in films like "Car Wash," "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy," and I found this film very endearing. I wish his stand-up had the honesty and introspection of this film, but I think his audiences expected trash talk and he was more than willing to deliver that onstage.

It's too bad this movie didn't find more of an audience, when it was released or now, because it presents another side to a talented artist who endured a great deal of pain that originated both inside himself and among his associates. I think this film has the capacity to shock people in a way they didn't think Richard Pryor could shock – with his honesty and vulnerability.