Under The Cherry Moon [1986] dir Prince

Under the Cherry Moon (1986)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092133/




Under the Cherry Moon is a 1986 movie directed by and starring Prince as a gigolo named Christopher Tracy and Time

member Jerome Benton as his partner, Tricky . Together the pair swindle beautiful French women. The situation gets

complicated when Christopher falls in love with heiress Mary Sharon (Kristin Scott Thomas) after planning to swindle her

when he finds out that she receives a $50 million trust fund on her 21st birthday. Mary's father Isaac (Steven Berkoff)

disapproves of the romance and provides an excellent adversary for Tracy.

Prince ... Christopher Tracy


Jerome Benton ... Tricky


Kristin Scott Thomas ... Mary Sharon


Steven Berkoff ... Mr. Sharon


Emmanuelle Sallet ... Katy


Alexandra Stewart ... Mrs. Sharon


Francesca Annis ... Mrs. Wellington


Pamela Ludwig ... Girlfriend


Barbara Stall ... Girlfriend


Karen Geerlings ... Girlfriend


Victor Spinetti ... The Jaded Three #1


Myriam Tadesse ... The Jaded Three #2


Moune De Vivier ... The Jaded Three #3


Amoury Desjardins ... Young Boy at Party


Garance Tosello ... Young Girl at Party

Release


The movie was released in processed black-and-white but was filmed in color. It was filmed on location in and around

Nice, France, partly to ensure that there was good weather for filming and also to ensure that Prince was free of

American film unions. The movie attempts to combine different styles and themes, including a musical, romantic comedy

and drama. The film's soundtrack album, Parade, was generally received much better (particularly in Europe) than the

film itself, and featured the hit single "Kiss".

Critiques


At the time of its release in 1986, many critics were expecting, in one form or another, a direct sequel to Purple

Rain. However, barring a performance of "Girls & Boys" by Prince in a French restaurant, most of the

soundtrack remains as background music, thus shaving much commercial potential off the film. The majority of critics

were unimpressed, citing Prince as a self-indulgent egomaniac, although there was praise for the film's cinematography

by Michael Ballhaus, a favorite of Martin Scorsese (Age of Innocence, Gangs of New York).

Directing


The film was originally slated to be directed by Mary Lambert, the director behind some of Madonna's most famous music

videos, but after disagreements about the film's direction, Prince took over directing. She was credited only as a

creative consultant in the movie's credits. Much of her input was disregarded and numerous drafts of the screenplay

exist to show the revisions the story went through. It's a good assumption that had Lambert stayed on and focused on the

film, the commercial appeal and story line might not have suffered under Prince's often one-take approach to filming a

scene. This lack of direction shows in scenes like the conga scene at Mary's birthday party, as an example.

Cast


The cast was also changed during pre-production. Prince originally had planned to have Susannah play Mary Sharon, but

it was clear she couldn't act and was replaced by Kristin Scott Thomas. Isaac Sharon was originally slated to be played

by Terrance Stamp, although he didn't like the direction the film was going and eventually quit, replaced by Steven

Berkoff. Emmanuelle Sallet who played Katie in the final version was originally included in a much smaller role, but had

her part expanded after she met with Prince over dinner. Allegedly, the part of Mary's mother was also much larger, but

was cut down in the final draft of the screenplay.

Filming


Filmed with a budget of about $12 million, Under the Cherry Moon failed to gain any breakout audience, despite much

pre-publicity (including a special MTV premiere in Sheridan, Wyoming). It only just managed to make back $10,090,429 as

the total US gross, and current figures (if VHS/DVD rentals and sales are included) stand at about $12.5 million. It was

this commercial failure that only exasperated the already existing tensions and feud with Prince and Warner

Brothers’ which began in 1981 when Warner Brothers refused to release a one-off single called "Let's

Dance". Prince later reworked it as "Let's Work" on the Controversy album.

In retrospect it is easy to see the influences that Prince used to construct his failed comedy pastiche. From Fellini's

"8 1/2" (Prince has made reference to viewing Fellini films in lyrics such as "The Good Life") to

the slapstick humor of Abbott and Costello (the sequence involving the ladder, the telephone call from Mary to

Christopher), Prince's intentions went over the heads of teenage audiences and the film was a disaster, although like

most quirky bad films, it does have a cult following. The film is very camp. Roger Ebert has stated "I understand

what he was trying to do." - "At The Movies" television show. On the same show, his then partner Gene

Siskel said, "It looks as though Prince is trying to combine a Fred Astaire movie with a perfume commercial."

The problem it would seem is that his idea was not a commercial one.

"Christopher Tracy's Parade"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"New Position"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"I Wonder U"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Under The Cherry Moon"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Girls & Boys"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Life Can be so Nice"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Venus de Milo"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Mountains"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Do U Lie?"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Kiss"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Anotherloverholenyohead"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Sometimes It Snows in April"


From the album "Parade"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Alexa De Paris"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"Love or Money"


Performed by Prince and The Revolution

"An Honest Man"


Written by Prince

Razzie Awards





1987 Won Razzie Award Worst Actor Prince


1987 Won Razzie Award Worst Director Prince


1987 Won Razzie Award Worst Original Song Prince For the song "Love or Money".


1987 Won Razzie Award Worst Picture Robert Cavallo Joseph Ruffalo Steven Fargnoli Tied with Howard the Duck (1986)


1987 Won Razzie Award Worst Supporting Actor Jerome Benton


1987 Nominated Razzie Award Worst New Star Kristin Scott Thomas


1987 Nominated Razzie Award Worst Screenplay Becky Johnston


1987 Nominated Razzie Award Worst Supporting Actress Kristin Scott Thomas