Purple Rain

Purple Rain is playing at the Paramount and Stateside Theatres on Sunday, July 19, as part of the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series. It's the 1984 cult classic directed by Albert Magnoli, and seeing it on a big screen is a different experience than watching it at home.

The movie is a semi-autobiographical story about 'The Kid,' a talented young frontman of a Minneapolis band who pours himself into his music. Prince stars as the lead, with Apollonia Kotero and Morris Day in the supporting roles. It's as much about the music as it is about the story, and the soundtrack it spawned is still the sixth-best-selling soundtrack of all time. If you've only ever heard the songs on the radio, this is the version that puts them back in the context they were written for.

The venue itself is a piece of Austin history. The Paramount Theatre opened in 1915, making it the city's oldest surviving theatre, and it's listed as a City and State Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a cornerstone of the local arts community, and the Summer Classic Film Series is one of the ways it keeps that tradition going throughout the season.

So, if you're in the mood for a Sunday afternoon movie, Purple Rain is showing at the Paramount and Stateside Theatres on July 19. It's a 1984 classic that still holds up, and the Paramount is one of the best places in town to catch it.