Richard Pryor’s “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling” (1986) is a harsh, unusual and wildly entertaining drama by producer/co-writer/director/star Pryor about his life as much as that time.

Ostensibly “The Richard Pryor Story,” although containing only some stand-up routines, a single scene exploring his movie profession, and plenty of scenes depicting his self-destructive habits and drug habit.

When this movie arrived in 1986, everybody was all too conscious that Pryor, the stand-up sensation who turned an enormous movie star, had been hospitalized after a lot of his physique was severely burned whereas freebasing cocaine. Pryor’s post-rehab comeback, included live performance movies, enjoying the quasi-villain in “Superman III” (1983), main a couple of dangerous films that had been large hits (just like the wretched however enormously profitable “The Toy”) and even trying a “Sesame Road”-esque Saturday morning program known as “Pryor’s Place” (1984).

If the concept was to endear himself again to his fanbase and connect with a brand new, youthful viewers, then the very last thing Pryor wanted was making a film like “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling.”

Pryor’s movie depicts among the darkest moments of his life, with Pryor replaying these vignettes, a lot of which had been seemingly as painful for him to play as they’re for us to look at. Here’s a work that would have felt congratulatory or cloyingly sympathetic, however Pryor goes precisely in the wrong way.

His movie admirably by no means performs like a self-righteous plea for forgiveness.

Pryor avoids making excuses or looking for to reshape himself for a mainstream viewers. To say the least, it’s a daring work. Lengthy out of print, “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling” is now again, due to a nice re-creation from The Criterion Assortment.

Jo Jo Dancer often is the character’s identify, however the story is all Pryor’s. The title character is, as Pryor’s bio and particularly his stand-up routines knowledgeable us, a toddler who was raised in a brothel. Early promise and failures as a slapstick comedian lead Dancer to discover edgier materials on stage, which is when his comedian talents sharpen but additionally when the temptation and substance abuse begins.

Pryor weirdly has the story start with Dancer/himself within the hospital, the place, wrapped in bandages, Dancer’s soul leaves his physique and Pryor, enjoying a unadorned ghost, offers acidic commentary (however no ironic self-deflection or excuses) on the incident.

The flashbacks unravel in standard order, however Pryor typically cuts again to the hospital room, the place the burned Dancer seems to be a goner, whereas Dancer’s soul revisits pivotal encounters that formed his life.

Contemplating how mainstream, protected and celebratory latest films on everybody from Freddie Mercury, Bob Marley, Elton John and Tupac Shakur (to call a couple of) have been, it’s refreshing and downright radical to see how Pryor shapes this.

Pryor’s Jo Jo Dancer is a proficient artist and grateful survivor, however that doesn’t imply Pryor is letting himself and/or the character off the hook. It’s as if Pryor made this as a cautionary story to himself as a lot as his fanbase.

The story angle of Dancer’s soul chopping unfastened and searching again on his life might have confirmed to be a mawkish misstep, to not point out painfully sentimental, however Pryor principally makes that work.

The rationale why a lot of that is highly effective is because of how terrific Pryor’s efficiency is. As a substitute of freezing up in his directorial debut (in addition to producing, writing and starring), Pryor’s capability to tug off such a frightening artistic juggling act is superb.

Contemplating how demanding the function of Jo Jo Dancer is (the harrowing free base scene, a cabaret efficiency and a public nude scene), Pryor’s extraordinary and principally dramatic efficiency impresses for a way a lot nerve it should have taken him.

“Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling” is simply too restricted in its timespan and working time to be definitive and much tougher to look at than any of his followers might have anticipated. Nevertheless, alongside his concert events “Richard Pryor: Reside in Live performance” (1979) and “Richard Pryor: Reside on the Sundown Strip” (1982) and Pryor’s wonderful lead flip in “Blue Collar” (1978), “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling” is unmissable.

The Criterion launch has an attention-grabbing dialogue of Pryor’s affect by actor/filmmaker Robert Townsend; I like Townsend (his “Hollywood Shuffle” is fantastic) however a extra definitive reflection on Pryor’s life would seemingly come from his former “Harlem Nights” (1989) co-star Eddie Murphy.

A greater characteristic on the disc is an prolonged 1986 interview between Pryor and Dick Cavett, which begins properly, turns right into a trainwreck, overcomes this and grows fascinating, then turns into embarrassing till it finally ends up with an incredible dialogue.

Cavett asks probing questions and shoots himself within the foot all through, and Pryor permits himself to be as weak as he’s humorous. It’s among the many most fascinating discussions I’ve ever seen somebody have with Pryor.

Over time, many information retailers have reported makes an attempt to make a brand new movie on Pryor’s life; after Pryor’s dying in 2005, everybody from Marlon Wayans to Mike Epps had been as soon as connected to introduced however unmade films about Pryor.

Now, in a time when film biopics have turn into not solely routine however too treasured concerning the individuals they’re portraying, it’s price noting {that a} movie about Pryor might cowl loads of floor…and certain wind up nowhere close to as harrowing as Pryor’s personal film about himself.