Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling

1986
R
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

Richard Pryor in Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)

After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.

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Stand-Up Biography Comedy Drama

After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.After severely burning himself in a drug incident, a comedian has a near death experience in which he reviews his life.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Trivia
The dark side of Jo Jo's (Richard Pryor's) growing acclaim in the film's story line is a reliance first on booze, then drugs. It is an aspect of the film which, Pryor admits, was painful to evoke as a writer, director, and actor. He said, "I look at the movie now and ask myself, 'Why did you show people that?' But I had no choice. It was something I had to do. I won't cop out, trying to explain why Jo Jo, or I, did drugs. I know why. I understand it even better after making the picture. But it's all there on film for people to take as they see fit. I'm one of the lucky ones. I was gone, crazy, out of my mind. But I'm alive."

Goofs
A 1980's Lincoln Town Car appears twice during the "Young Jojo" sequence: Over Young Jojo's shoulder during closeups when he looks back at "Older Jojo" sitting at the corner store, and then again briefly parked in front of the family house a few minutes later when he returns home and is chastised by his grandmother for playing on the lawn.

Quotes
Jo Jo Dancer: [to his wife as he gets on the bus] I'm gonna write you, I'm gonna write you.

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: Last Resort/Short Circuit/Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling/Broken Rainbow (1986)

Soundtracks
My Destiny
Produced by Arif Mardin, Philippe Saisse and Chaka Khan
Written and Performed by Chaka Khan
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

User reviews16

Review

Featured review

10/10

Richard At His Best

I hadn't thought about this movie for some time. I was in this movie. I was a King County deputy (outside Seattle) at the time working off duty for set security on this movie and was invited to be in it. I am one of the two cops (the one with all the hair) at the end of the movie confronting Richard Pryor. It was very interesting being involved in this movie. I got to meet Cycely and Richard Pryor and actually small talk for a bit with them between scenes. As far as the movie itself - I enjoyed it. It is funny and actually touching in parts. There were parts of this movie that were redone at a later date to "soften" it up some for the new improved Pryor (after his accident). The kids in this movie were great and some of them were actually disabled to some degree. Yes, I agree it would be interesting to see how some of the kids are doing now..24 yrs later. By the way, I don't have all the hair anymore. It is interesting to watch a movie filmed in your home area. Watch this movie...it is worth it. Sherlock