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Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling (1986)

tomatometer

No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 0

audience

66

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 3,225

My Rating

Movie Info

Popular African-American comedian Jo Jo Dancer is severely burned while free-basing cocaine. Producer/director/writer Richard Pryor insists that the movie is not autobiographical. While hovering between life and death, Dancer flashes back to his childhood, when he grew up in a brothel. Producer/director/writer Richard Pryor insists that the movie is not autobiographical. Dancer decides to become a comic, but has a great many difficulties rising to stardom until he begins making scatological

R,

Drama, Comedy

Rocco Urbisci, Paul Mooney, Richard Pryor, Rocco Urbishi

Feb 19, 2002

Cast

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Critic Reviews for Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling

All Critics (12) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (5) | DVD (5)

Awesome!

October 11, 2008
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Completely forgettable

January 23, 2004
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

The sorrow is real, the pity is palpable - but Richard Pryor should have let someone else film his life story.

August 3, 2002
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

If it hadn't been directed by its subject, it would have been a great disservice. As such, it's just a major disappointment.

March 11, 2002 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide
Jeremy Heilman
Apollo Guide
View all critic reviews (12)

Audience Reviews for Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling

View All
It isn't the best directed film, but the film excels most when Pryor is allowed to illustrate very painful, true elements from his life (he maintains this film isn't autobiographical, but since he's pretty much the only black comedian raised in a brothel with several wives, a drug issue, and an accident that set him on fire while freebasing, it is clear that is not entirely accurate). Whether it be the burning accident that almost took his life (which frames most of this story), his destructive behavior in each of his many marriages, his conversion from a Bill Cosby type act to a dark and profane but brilliant social commentator, the film touches on these elements in a way that brings them to life and Pryor's comedic virtuosity is constantly evident. The film falls flat when it is pulled away from Richard, especially during the nightclub scenes, and the severely 80's soundtrack from Herbie Hancock is pretty camp at this point. It is a very flawed film with some secondary performances that are wildly forgettable and an "Its a Wonderful Life" type theme that has mixed results (sometimes its hilarious, sometimes heavy handed), but it still is a treat and a real insight for fans of the comedian.
January 13, 2012
mikelclayton
Michael Clayton
The somewhat true/somewhat made up audiobiography movie about the late, GREAT Richard Pryor. Parts of this movie are at various turns: Funny, painful, insightful, and obvious BS. So...I give this the rating it deserves...a mixed one for a mixed movie. Still, worth a watch until the Bio Pic happens.
January 4, 2008
SonnyLighstrome
Keith Munden

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling Quotes

    1. Michelle: Fuck me? No, fuck you, honey! Fuck you and anyone who looks like you!
    – Submitted by Rated N (11 months ago)
View all quotes (1)

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Latest News on Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling

December 12, 2005:
Richard Pryor Passes Away at 65
Richard Pryor passed away yesterday morning, and while he's probably best remembered for his...

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Movie: ID: 14336 Title: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling Release Date: 1986-05-02 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1

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