Sparkle

This is the best movie about a musician. It is about Diana Ross and Supremse.Some of the songs are really their songs some from Aretha Franklins.I've seen so many films about a real existed singers such as <What's Love got to do with it>< Walk the Line> Coal Miiner's Daughrer><Sweet Dreams><Love& Mercy-Beach Boys> and cannot count them all. But among them, even after the final rolling of the credit, I couldn's stand up to take the DVD disc out from the player. I was so deeply moved by the story and the music too.And of course my favourite singer Irene Cara.Since I heard her song WHAT A FEELING, her voice was so perfect. She was like a muse to me when I was a kid. I never thought that she will act.The story is about Irene Kara strugling to succeed as a singer (group).First she start as one of the member but when the lead singer had trouble with heroine and her boyfriend and took out and one other woman also took out and she being left alone, she had to gather a new team.It was not the girls I was really moved. It was the manager and the Irene Kara's boyfriend who grown up in Harmelm. He dealt with this mob buy he own money for the recording the first album and when he wanted to turn back the money, he wanted to invest since they are famous not and all.The boyfriend/manager knew that he should get rid of this guy. He is a bad seed.The day when finally new teamed up group is having the first concert, the mob guy kidnaps the boyfriend/manager and threatens him by using gun almost about to kill him. But you know he was grown in Harlem and he know that even if he will be killed, he has to end this relationship.The mobs did everything to convince him but failed. He was a strong man.He appears to the concert a little late but he did with a bit smile in his face.

Brought back memories

I love the movie SPARKLE and I'm so glad I finally bought the DVD.Named as the precursor and inspiration to the Broadway musical  Dreamgirls  (and eventually movie  Dreamgirls (Two-Disc Showstopper Edition) ), the film is about a group of friends--three of them sisters--and the different paths their lives take as they deal with life in the Harlem ghetto in the late 50s and 60s.Don't let the cutesy title fool you; SPARKLE is a dark drama about pain and joy, and the nearly impossible task of trying to lift one's life out of poverty. There are some fantastic musical numbers and the dresses are fab, but this is far from the glamorous "Dreamgirls."Fantastic songs and score by Curtis Mayfield punctuate the drama on screen and the dark lighting creates a stifling atmosphere that puts the viewer smack dab in the middle of poverty...where the only light shines is on the performer up on the stage.The transfer to DVD is gorgeous! It's about time this cult favorite was released on DVD.It also includes the trailer narrated by Casey Kasem and includes a separate CD from the Aretha Franklin album  Sparkle: Music From The Warner Bros. Motion Picture ..The bonus CD contains 5 out of the 8 songs that were on the album/CD. Songs not on the bonus are:JUMPI GET HIGHROCK WITH MEOne note about the soundtrack: I really wish they would add the original vocals from the movie (done by Irene Cara, Lonette Mckee and Dawn Smith) to the soundtrack. Don't get me wrong, I love Aretha but the arrangements are so different on some songs that I don't like it.And beside, Cara and Mckee sound wonderful, particularly Cara's solo on "Precious Lord Take My Hand." Oh well, I guess we can't have it all!

This one is so much better than the remake.. the story line and the music is better

I haven't reviewed a purchase in years, but this gem from long-ago deserves it.It resembles Dreamgirls only superficially. Sparkle was about, and made with, unbroken gritty realism, as a film of the early 1970s (think The French Connection)...which makes the glamour and polish of the musical numbers even more effective. Lonette McKee is a mesmerizing performer; smooth and sensuous onstage; either in relaxed command or intense to the point of intimidating, offstage. (No one bursts into song offstage.) Irene Cara matures subtly from a timid teenager backing up her stunning and confident elder sister into a poised and accomplished star in her own right. Philip Michael Thomas gets to show more life than he ever did later on Miami Vice. Dorian Harewood nails a tricky role with the early talent that caught Stanley Kubrick's notice for Full Metal Jacket.As a middle-aged suburban classical-music lover, I'm not certain whether Curtis Mayfield's songs are too far ahead of the period, but they're so good you won't care.The direction is pointed with well-chosen details: a scene opens on a shot of Satin's two-tone wingtips...at a cockfight; a nightspot favored by African-Americans has an overdressed platinum blonde who, like her dog, never speaks but never leaves; the singing trio's mother, smooth-tempered and congenial no matter WHAT goes down, watches proudly from the wings of Carnegie Hall, against a background of stage electricians working their enormous circuit boards...My wife vaguely remembered the film's release, and this particular evening had counted on watching something else...but thanked me for this. And while I didn't fall in love with anyone in it, as I had with Jennifer Hudson, I praise it for delivering on it's modest ambitions without schmaltz or sentiment or wishing away the pain of what several characters endured, and did not all survive.

Can you imagine a black version of grease? This is it, outstanding movie inspiring movies such as the five heartbeats, the temptations, the jacksons, Jersey boys, and even the sapphires etc outstanding movie produced by the guy who produced Saturday night fever, (Italians dancing to black music) and grease (white people dancing to black music)This film has it all, great music, great sound track and a great sound trackEven though it was Whitney Houston favourite movie and she produced an updated version of this movie, I feel that the original is in a class of its own

Some very powerful themes and character plays. Not a picture perfect movie by any stretch but quite pleasantly, it's not not as cliched as might originally be suspected. As one who only recently watched the original 1970-something feature film, I have to say this modern adaptation is a superior and very intelligent remake. The performances delivered by the key characters is convincing and compelling! PLEASE watch it - I would be most surprised if you're disappointed!

DVD arrived in good time. Although movie old it's a great one to watch. I would recommend. Enjoyed watching. 1

A reminder of how the pop music scene developed, we tend to forgot those early days, a wakeup call for those who were not around then.

No problem with both DVD ,their where both excellent .picture quality brilliant and sound quality very good no complain at all come pair to the other three DVD I purchase was let down.