Talk Radio (1988)

It tries very hard, but it fails to really connect...

Oliver Stone is a director who has yet to really wow me. I know that he is loved by many, but the films I've seen of his have been less than satisfying for me. Granted, I have not seen `Nixon' or `JFK' yet, and I do plan on seeing them soon, but I really was hoping that `Talk Radio' was going to change my mind on the controversial director.

It hasn't.

The idea and overall concept behind `Talk Radio' is actually quite intelligent. Taking accounts from the true life murder of radio DJ Alan Berg, the film has an underlying ring of truth to every word, which helps in areas where the film is lacking. As the final frames ignite the screen one is left pondering some very weighty matters, such as the world's fascination with the obscene. This is a prominent subject throughout the film, one that Barry Champlain (the fictitious DJ representing Berg) brings up quite a bit, especially as his mental state spirals towards the films end.

The film follows Champlain, a former suit tailor who caught a big break and ran with it. His spicy personality and `no holds bar' attitude have kept him quite popular with the late night listeners, and his show is now being considered for national syndication. Champlain is insistent that, if this deal goes through, he is not changing his style in anyway to appease the big corporations.

Take it or leave it.

The film focuses on a particularly bad night. The callers keep getting more and more obscene and sadistic and this is taking a toll on the already edgy Champlain. His ex-wife is in the studio for what promises the first night of syndication, but problems off the air cause Champlain's dreams to shatter; and persistent callers keep messing with his nerves.

The film has some very strong opinions about society and youth and our attitudes towards one another, and it has the perfect outlet for those opinions, but sadly the film fails to really deliver them as strongly and defiantly as they could have. There are a few areas that could have been cleaned up. For starters, the flashback scenes were unnecessary. They take away from the apparent increase of suspense Stone was trying to permeate the film with. That suspense never truly kicks in until the last few moments (the walk to the car) and in essence the final brutal scene is dampened by the fact that the balance of the film seems forced. In fact, the suspense seems so forced that the film comes off rather hokey in areas. Eric Bogosian is obviously very devoted to this film and this story (he wrote the stage play from which the film is spawned, but his delivery is rather obnoxious and deters the audience from the message of the film. He comes off bitter and preachy as apposed to genuinely concerned.

This is disappointing, because the message here is very poignant today. We live in a world consumed with gloom and obsessed with misery, and this is the very caution that Champlain is throwing in our face. If it had been handled better it could have been one of the most socially important films of the 80's, maybe even today. Instead it is the film that could have been great but has to settle for decent. September 30, 2008

Free Speech, or Is It?

Directed by Oliver Stone, from the play of the same name, it is Dallas radio going out to the misfits who can't sleep at night and constantly call in to be castigated and abused by this irritable talk show shost. Barry Champagne gave me a headache, like Michael Savage used to do. I called a local talk show taking up two hours on my favorite station and asked them to "give us our music back." Words can injure and kill; they can cause permanent damage. The unstable callers are dangerous to themselves and to others as this movie showed so eloquently and one had to die for his religious persuation and born as Jewish. It just took one misfit who had the gall and gun to put this abrasive, insensitive (on and off the air) out of commission. He looked a lot like Seinfeld.

His ex-wife called him a troublemaker, a "con man" who wouldn't know how love feels. He forces callers to confess on the air to crimes. He gets everyone all riled up but insists that his boss be his "buddy." Radio people are never as you imagine they would. At first, it's always disappointing and a bit of a shock; the beautiful voice never matches the face or personality. That's why they are on radio and not t.v., funny or not. He and his listeners are in love with his voice and think he is kind. Wrong. He declared that there is nothing more boring than people who love you and tends to live in a dream world.

Like so many people, educated and ignorant, they believe what they read in the newspaper. He had a breakdown on the air and his erratic soliloquy talked him out of a job and he left some dead air (taboo on the live shows of radio or t.v.), while his listeners took his tirade as a joke except for the one waiting in the parking lot outside the station. August 5, 2008

Talkin' about radio

Where do I begin?
Oliver Stone certainly reached deep into the corner of his brain for this one and the results were superb.
Eric Bogosian is at his finest here & will keep you gripped the whole way.
Based on the stage play (where the whole thing is the on-air parts), and the book: Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg, the outside scenes with his wife & girlfriend are Stones creation.
The callers hit Barry with the most diverse subjects & they will either piss you off or have you rolling on the floor laughing.
It also gives the viewer a look into the business of radio. Many people think it's all just one big party there, but as you will soon see, it has a very serious money making element.

A good purchase for your personal collection & worth a re-watch now & again. February 13, 2008

A Bit Dated But Still Worth Watching

Eric Bogosian is incredible in his fierce creation of "Barry Champlaign", a glib but angry Dallas talk show host. The movie is said to be inspired by the story of Denver radio personality Alan Berg who met a similar fate to Barry's but Bogosian's character owes much more in looks and style to Howard Stern. The film has many good performances throughout with Alec Baldwin doing some of his best work in the supporting role of Barry's boss. Set in a time before the internet changed mass media forever the film is a bit dated and though well acted the character Kent it truly a product of the 80's. November 23, 2007

Bravo Talk Radio

This film is one that doesn't seem like it would entertain you for a couple of hours but does a wonderful job in doing so. Gritty and dark this is a film I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to add to the collection.

Would have to be in my top 10 movies of the 80's. May 13, 2007

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