Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling | Diahnne Abbott, Debbie Allen

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling | Diahnne Abbott, Debbie Allen | A GOOD EXPERIENCE

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Jo Jo Dancer, Your...

	Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling Diahnne Abbott, Debbie Allen Sony Pictures, 2002 average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

After severely burning himself in a drug incident a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 12/21/2004 Starring: Richard Pryor Art Evans Run time: 98 minutes Rating: R Director: Richard Pryor

The Life and Times of Richard Pryor

Basically, my title sums it up. Richard Pryor plays pretty much himself here (why he chose the non de plume "Jo Jo Dancer" was probably to change the names of all characters in the film to protect the innocent). Aside from his army days and getting kicked out of school, as much of the major stuff that could be compressed in 2 hrs is here-growing up in the house of prostitution, the effect this had on his psyche, his troubled relationship with his father (it's really sad and embarrassing to watch a grown Pryor get cursed and slapped around by his Dad in front of his young wife), his early struggles in showbiz, drking and dope problems, etc. etc.

But Pryor's sermon near the end is a relavation and would have been a perfect coda to end his comedy career in films (this film was made at the time he began to get the symptoms of MS). Sadly, later abominations such as "Another You," "Moving," "Critical Condition," and "Harlem Nights" (REALLY tragic considering the talent involved) did not do well for his legacy. But if you stop here, this is a great way to remember the genius that was Richard Pryor (RIP).

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A GOOD EXPERIENCE

ITS RICHARD PRYOR THERES NO MORE TO SAY IT DIDNT HAVE TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FILM BUT THE SKITS SHOWED A SIDE OF PRYOR THAT WAS REAL A PART OF HIS LIFE THAT HE REGRETS BUT KNOWS THAT IT MADE HIM SMARTER

Great Film

I'm a true Richard Pryor fan from the time I was a child. I remember going to one of my friends house and his older brother would leave out the album (That N*****s crazy) and we would sneak and listen to it. I was hooked yI currently own most of his Vinyl records to this day.

What more could anyone ask but to have a entertainer tell his/her lifestory and also relive it all (good & bad) by playing the role of themselves. I haven't seen or heard of anyone doing this. other folks have either played them or it was a biography. Jojo Dancer is a true hit based on the life of the comedian. It really shows the depth of a man that grew up in hard times dealing with liquor houses, drug abuse, prostitution etc but he managed to be THE most influencial comedian of the 20th and now 21st century. I HIGHLY recommend this film. For true Richard Pryor fans I promise, you will not be disappointed.

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That negro's awesome!

Trashmouthed funnyman Richard Pryor makes his directorial debut in this story about a comedian's rise to fame and fortune. Pryor's fans also loved him in other laugh-filled favorites like SILVER STREAK,WHICH WAY IS UP?,STIR CRAZY,BREWSTER'S MILLIONS,THE TOY,HARLEM NIGHTS,SEE NO EVIL HEAR NO EVIL and ANOTHER YOU. I even like him as the(cameo)adult Pharoah in WHOLLY MOSES!. Great support from Debbie Allen(TV's FAME) and Tanya Boyd. This film reunites Pryor and Boyd who both worked in WM.

Richard Pryor, up close and personal

Watching "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" is a bit like being in a bar, sitting next to a total stranger who begins to tell you his life story. It's an uncomfortable situation and you find yourself alternately embarrased and appalled, but totally engrossed and ultimately sympathic to this man's plight. You begin to wonder how a man who has suffered so much can produce so many laughs.
The movie is autobiographical, with artistic license taken from time to time, but it really gets at the soul of the man who was Richard Pryor. Many Pryor fans may be shocked -- not at the language, but with the emotional frankness with which Richard reveals himself. And he admits that he has brought much sorrow on himself and the ones who have loved him.
Casual fans will probably be put off by the lack of laughs, but those willing to dig a little deeper will come away with an understanding of Pryor and the pain that he was able to forge into incredible comedy -- comedy that exposed more truth about society than many artists, philosophers, writers, or social reformers of the 20th century.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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