Cinematic and Musical Brilliance.

My older sister Portia took me to see this movie on the big screen when it was first released and my life has never been the same since! I truly did not know what to expect, so when it turned out to be a concert film featuring his touring band of 87-88, I was thrilled!
The sheer scope of the the music and the colorful, eclectic way it's presented make this easily the best concert film ever made. The stage set is a duplicate of the great artwork from the album cover and the tunes range from oldies (a brief, joyous sing-along to his classic "Little Red Corvette") to the songs comprising his double-LP "Sign 'O' The Times". Throughout, Prince plays blazing guitar and even switches to drums, piano and organ on a few tunes. His band is top notch and they're given ample room to prove it on the Charlie Parker instrumental "Now's The Time". Sheila E's drum solo steals the show and makes the audience go wild! The film is worth owning for that moment alone!
If you're not a Prince devotee', this brilliant film and it's music will make you a believer and a fan for life.

BEWARE the DVD!

It appears the DVD version of this spectacular concert is a bootleg manufactured in Brazil.
It does not appear to be official at all. Nothing stating any affiliation with Prince or Warner Bros. appears on the packaging aside from the name 'Prince.'
The quality of the packaging is poor with a photograph from the 'Purple Rain' era on the cover and no inserts at all.
'Extras' include 'fotos'(pictures of Prince mostly taken from 'sign...' or post name change. Pictures that are frequently seen. Nothing that you can't find in a quick online search.), 'biografia'(What appears to be a biography of Prince...in Spanish!), and 'discografia'(All the album covers through 'The Rainbow Children' and the release year of each album...I didn't take the time to check the accuracy.)..
After waiting months to receive this, I was extremely disappointed and I would recommend getting the VHS version if you are considering this.
It is a legendary performance that needs to be seen, but if you must have a DVD version, you could probably make one of your own from the VHS version that would surpass this one as far as quality goes.

WHAT THE PEOPLE NEED

When this hit the big screen back in 1987 I could not see it. I was a mere 13 yrs old and everyone around me gave me a hard time for listening to Prince. Needless to say that those people are no longer a part of my life and SOTT (Sign o the Times) lives on in my heart forever. I still have the album and its maxi singles at home awaiting for me to purchase my self promised turn table to record them. I just cannot wait!!! In the pantheon of rock Prince of old is every bit as amazing in a way the the gloved one could never be. It seperates the hyped ones from the trully gifted people who do more than rely on out dated dancing and empty songs that fade into the furniture. Prince is trully king no matter what the critics may say. This show is trully breathtaking today and a million miles ahead of its time. It is painful to see Alicia Keys attempt to sing (warbble) her way through How Come You don't Call Me Anymore. Why bother when you are NOT Prince??? SOTT features Prince in his second Warner Bros. video release with Sheila E.,the late Boni Boyer,Atlanta Bliss, Miko Weaver, Eric Leeds, and also Dr. Fink (the only remaining member of The Revolution) on keybords in a rousing performance that only serves to put the dance, shimmy, shake, and razzle dazzle on a masterpiece of an album. Among SOTT's highlights are I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, The Cross, and Forever In My Life. The late Boni Boyer sizzles and sings her heart out on Forever in My Life in this breathtaking performance that is worth the price of admission alone. It is trully because of all the love, labor and effort that went behind this amazing production that Warner Bros. should do everything possible to do this on DVD the right way!!! Everyone is entitled to complain about the inferior DVD and rightfully so however, Warner Bros. is to blame for the mess. I am also a big fan of other groups and have witnessed how we as fans often settle for a little less just to get our fix. It's all a part of keeping the memories alive. It's part of our who we are and how the music reflects and connects with us. The album and film is what people today are still trying to capture. It's astounding that the album did not sell as big as Purple Rain considering that the album is made of the funk, the love ballads, crunchy heavy metal chords, and poetic magic that is every bit as tasty as anything that came before!Don't miss out on this show and album because this is the stuff that is NOW and will always be ahead of its time. Do yourself a favor and buy this album and VHS tape show. It will only make you a better listener.