Jason Teasley and Mark Radulich review movies currently on streaming services: The Wiz/Purple Rain/DreamGirls Movie Review! First up is The Wiz (1978) (PVOD). Then we move on to Purple Rain (1984). Finally we review Dreamgirls (2006).

The Wiz is a 1978 American musical fantasy adventure film directed by Sidney Lumet. Adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical, the film reimagines the classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum with an African American cast. Dorothy, a 24-year-old teacher from Harlem, is magically transported to the urban-fantasy Land of Oz. On her travels seeking help from the mysterious Wiz, Dorothy befriends a Scarecrow, a robot called Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion.

The Wiz was theatrically released the following year on October 24, 1978, to critical and commercial failure. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with many unfavorably comparing the film to its source material. Some critics criticized the casting of Ross as Dorothy, while others criticized the direction of Lumet, who was considered a poor choice for directing a musical. Despite its initial failure, critics have become more favorable in recent years, and it has become a cult classic among audiences, Ross’s fanbase, Jackson’s fanbase and Oz enthusiasts.

Purple Rain is a 1984 American romantic rock musical drama film scored by and starring Prince in his acting debut. Developed to showcase his talents, it contains several concert sequences, featuring Prince and his band The Revolution. The film is directed by Albert Magnoli, who later became Prince’s manager, from a screenplay by Magnoli and William Blinn. The cast also features Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos and Clarence Williams III.

It grossed $70.3 million worldwide, against its $7.2 million budget. The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Publications and critics have regarded Purple Rain as one of the greatest musical films. In 2019, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and its superstar act the Supremes. The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as “The Dreams” and their manipulative record executive.

The film adaptation features an ensemble cast, starring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy with Jennifer Hudson, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson in supporting roles. In addition to the original compositions by composer Henry Krieger and lyricist Tom Eyen, four new songs, composed by Krieger with various lyricists, were added for the film. The film marks the acting debut of Hudson, a former American Idol contestant.

Dreamgirls debuted in four special road show engagements starting on December 4, 2006, before its nationwide release on December 15, 2006. With a production budget of $80 million, Dreamgirls is one of the most expensive films to feature a predominant African-American starring cast in American film history.[3] The film received positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised Condon’s direction, the soundtrack, costume and production design, and performances of the cast, in particular Hudson and Murphy, and was also a commercial success, grossing $155.4 million worldwide.[4] At the 79th Academy Awards, the film received a leading eight nominations, winning Best Supporting Actress (for Hudson), and Best Sound Mixing. At the 64th Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards, including for the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

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Kicking off Black History Month with a focus on Black Musicals, The Wiz/Purple Rain/DreamGirls Movie Review

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About Triple Feature

The name says it all, a triumvirate of movies reviewed by Mark Radulich and Co that usually all have some kind theme that ties them together. There’s usually at least one new release included along with two other movies that could be older or also new releases too.

About Radulich in Broadcasting’s Beginnings

Mark Radulich has been an internet personality since 2004 with his Progressive Conservatism blog. He then took that blog to the airwaves and created a podcast for it. It then changed to PC Live. After that, he brought out the 411mania Ground and Pound Radio as well.

Also, Mark would partner up with another 411mania alum, Sean Comer, to create the movie franchise review podcast Long Road to Ruin and then Robert Cooper to create the metal album review podcast, The Metal Hammer of Doom. Robert Winfree took over the MMA show and then added his own podcast, Everybody Loves a Bad Guy. That’s when the Radulich in Broadcasting Network was born. Joining Winfree in having their own podcasts were super fan’s Jesse Starcher (Source Material). Finally, Winfree and Radulich added a weekly movie review show to the ever-growing lists of podcasts on the Network.

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