By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Nearly four decades after its debut, one of the greatest concert films in music history is returning to theaters. Prince’s Sign o’ the Times—a dazzling mix of live performance and cinematic spectacle—will screen globally in IMAX theaters for one week only beginning August 29, offering fans a rare chance to experience the Purple One at the height of his powers.
Originally released in 1987, Sign o’ the Times was born out of Prince’s chart-topping double album of the same name, his first project after disbanding The Revolution. The concert film blended live tour footage with reshoots at his Paisley Park Studios, delivering a cinematic performance that critics and fans have since placed among the greatest of its kind. While its initial theatrical run was modest, the film grew into a cult classic on VHS, long before being celebrated as a masterwork of the genre.
The new IMAX restoration, developed with Mercury Studios, FilmRise, and Paisley Park Enterprises, amplifies the original with enhanced visuals and remastered audio. The format accentuates both Prince’s unmatched showmanship and the brilliance of his band, which included guitarist Mico Weaver, bassist Levi Seacer Jr., keyboardist Dr. Fink, and horn players Atlanta Bliss and Eric Leeds. But perhaps most striking is the spotlight on the women who shaped the performance: dancer Cat Glover’s kinetic energy, Boni Boyer’s soaring vocals, and Sheila E.’s explosive drum solo that nearly shakes the screen apart.
Critics once hailed the film with breathless praise, declaring it “the greatest concert movie ever made” and saying it “makes Michael Jackson look nailed to the floor.” The IMAX revival confirms why. From Prince’s crabwalk across the stage into a split and spin, to intimate piano interludes and the gospel-tinged finale of “The Cross,” the performance captures him as singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, dancer, and conductor all at once.
For longtime fans, the film represents Prince at his creative zenith, the moment when pop instincts and daring innovation aligned perfectly. For those who never witnessed him live, this one-week IMAX run is more than nostalgia, an essential cultural event. As Prince himself once said of his devotion to sound quality, “You can hear all the humanity in it. This is a top-of-the-line, sonically exquisite piece of work. You hear all the effort.”
Sign o’ the Times is not just a concert film, it’s Prince in full flight, demanding to be seen and heard as he intended. And now, for one week only, audiences can finally do just that, larger and louder than ever before.
