videorama-759-859391
He's toured Vietnam, sent the stock market, and streets of New York shaking with Wall Street. Now he's visiting the talk show arena, making one hell of an impact. Talk Radio is riveting viewing, from the get go. Not a mainstream film like Platoon or Wall Street, this one is just as good, (to some infinitely better) where shock jocks would definitely relate with this film. It features an electrifying and certainly, underrated performance, by much less known actor, Bogosian, in one breakthrough performance to end all breakthrough performances. He'll hook you like candy. You won't be able to divert your attention away from this actor's intense performance. Trust me. If you can remember, He was the eccentric nutter in Under Siege 2 (again a masterpiece performance) as well as that unbalanced, bad arse drug dealer in Wonderland. Here he's a devoted and zealous talk show host, rude, crude, ill respect of people's feelings, and heading on one dangerously evident path to self destruction as well his own demise, where despite these unlikeness's, we still feel worried and concerned for this guy's welfare, while liking him too. That's how I felt about this character. Among a sea of haters, whether shock jocks, Trumps, whatever, they're are devoted lovers too. We know 'em, these controversial talk show hosts, who like to take it one notch higher, push the envelope, what have you. An Adelaide'n, I used to love listening to our own Bob Francis, putting d..kheads back in their place, or being too harsh with some callers, cutting them off, unfairly, or being way out of line, with others, where on that rare occasion, they warranted fines, court cases, even arrests. One such incident, I especially remember, involving an 81 year old women. These kind of hosts, whether Big Bad Bob, Hinch, or Laws, the most controversial Aussie talk show Hosts, the ones who tell it like it is, and aren't afraid to play dirty, and dish it straight back at them, are the ones that reel us in. We lap it up. Right near the end of the piece, Bogosian, at his finest moment, showing balls, tells his listeners, that exact point, while also candidly, if bravely admitting his real self truths and faults, as well as how he feels towards his listeners, which for me was the part of the film, that really blew me away, and shone the brightest. Unpredictable moments, those brash moments of self admittance, in characters that aren't particularly likable, though not always, mind you, I really admire. John C. McGinley, a seasoned character actor, lends great support as Bogosian's good friend and colleague, where we know what Baldwin's selfish intentions are, which first don't come to light, as Bogosian's boss, a much cliché'd traits in bosses. Baldwin gves a nice, mellow, not overplayed performance, where another particularly impressive performance, came from John Pankow (a very good actor) as the boss of a bigger radio station, L.A style, scouting out Bogosian, at probably what could be the worst time, only it doesn't go that way. Surprise, surprise. Michael Wincott just cracked me up, as Bogosian's drug crazed No 1 listener (what a wild and remarkably versatile actor this guy is) who Bogosian invites onto the show. I know why too. It's not that hard to figure. Wincott who gets second acting dibs, went onto to star in Stone's next pic, The Doors, playing Jim Morrison's manager. Ellen Greene, another great actress, again delivers a top shelf performance as Bogosian's suffering ex wife, where we take a trip back in time through sepia to happier times between the two, Bogosian, sporting long curly hair. You couldn't ask for a more perfect cast of actors here, where Stone has a gift for assembling the right ones. He's a f..kin' genius for again bringing a none finer flawless film to us, the much appreciated viewer, considering too, this went straight to video, which I much more than suspect, criminally undersold this film. The finale has a stinging and shockingly affecting tragedy to it, yet a foreboding in the moments leading up to this, like a knowing fate. What follows, in a manifold of reactive caller ins, going into the end credits. This and beyond that, is a wonderfully executed end sequence. Again flawless, one of a few film endings that have left their mark. If you haven't seen ten "Must see" films, Talk Radio should be one of em'. And any shock jock, who hasn't seen this movie, needs to be shocked. It's real. This is how these loud hosts take it. I could especially relate, in what was just another moment of great acting, when Bogosian was overwhelmed, by the chain of hate callers, where we felt like a pressure cooker, about to pop it's top. Electrifying entertainment. Unmissable. Thanks Mr Stone. These are how movies should be.
popcorninhell
If ever there was a director who exemplified the liberal Hollywood attitude that many people scour at, Oliver Stone is that man. Since gaining prominence in the 1980's for such classic and caustic socio-political statements as Wall Street (1987), Platoon (1986) and Salvador (1986), Oliver Stone has since become a mouthpiece for issues ranging from the importance of Wikileaks to Scientologist rights in Germany.Whatever you may think of his politics you have to admit his films are powerful and poignant pieces of art; not the least of which is his tiny 1988 indie-flick Talk Radio. Released a year after the influential Wall Street and a year before the infamous Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Talk Radio never really made waves or felt especially important except for those familiar with the subject matter.The film is primarily based off of two main sources; the play Talk Radio written by Eric Bogosian and the book Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg written by Stephen Singular. Incidentally Bogosian earnestly plays the lead role surly shock jock Barry Champlain, a role he first starred in when the play showcased in Oregon. You may remember him, as I did the first viewing, as the bad guy in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995). I remember thinking the man had a sinister vibe and a great voice. Both traits serve him well in the role of Barry but his emotional investment in the character, no doubt from years of playing him, creates a level of unseen yet often felt intensity.It is that intensity that becomes the spirit of Talk Radio. You match it with the whims of a singularly passionate director and you have yourself a story that's way, way, way too big for its britches. This is not altogether a bad thing. The claustrophobic atmosphere of a fishbowl radio studio coupled with the incessant calling of a masochistic listening public dialing on the phone every two seconds makes things almost too hard to bare. The tension leads to a boiling point and catharsis near the end of the film when Barry finally looses it and spits bile into the airwaves. He chastises and insults his listeners with a barrage of taunts and pessimistic musings all of which falls on deaf ears.While Talk Radio is essentially a one-man-show, supporting cast does include the versatile Alec Baldwin as well as the enigmatic and underutilized Ellen Greene. One would wish that in a movie so filled to the hilt with rub-against-the-grain cynicism, calmer heads would give the story and audience a much needed respite. This is not the case in Talk Radio however. The only time we see Barry or anyone for that matter outside of the studio is briefly at a basketball game and in a flashback.That kind of overwhelming energy flow however can be forgiven given the subject matter. Barry isn't just a churlish radio personality but a target of anti-Semitic harassment. Many of the callers Barry is charged with communicating on his program are neo-Nazis and racists whom he gives airtime for the soul purpose of cutting them down the size. In those moments Barry is seen as a man of conscious but far from a good man in general.Just like in Salvador, Born on the Fourth of July, et al., Talk Radio is ultimately a character study about a man who has lost his faith in humanity. He sees a sliver of hope and salvation but finds it dashed by fate and the powers that be. Few main characters from the works of Oliver Stone come from favorable stock. They are our antiheros, the cautionary tales; the men we don't want to be.Oliver Stone is certainly a man I don't want to be. While I say what I must, I am far from a firebrand and polemic figure of the Hollywood elite. Yet Stone is a fascinating figure that draws my attention both in his movies and in his political advocacy. Some cannot divorce the man from the artistry but I implore you that even if you're not a fan of Oliver Stone, you take a good look and listen to Talk Radio.http://theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/
tieman64
More fast talking macho pyrotechnics from "Oliver Stone", a director whose love for alpha men borders on the homo-erotic."Talk Radio" revolves around Barry Champlain, a self loathing radio host who molests his callers through a microphone. Though he spends the entire film seated at a desk, Barry exudes pure sonic physicality, using his alpha dog swagger to simultaneously masturbate his listeners and cut them apart like a radio DJ rapist. In between these acts of audio sex, Barry indulges in doing what Oliver Stone's filmography does best; ranting about political and social corruption in the most didactic and obvious ways possible."Radio" is fast, fun and gripping, the audience watching as Barry explodes, implodes, yells and reveals – rarely – glimpses of his own wounded psyche. Like the stage play upon which it is based, "Radio" then launches into a subplot about 1960s styled social passion being repackaged for 80s styled profit. Barry is himself your typical hippie truth teller, albeit one who has been seduced by power, adopting ridiculously cartoonish (and wholly constructed) personas in order to both connect to viewers and convey an illusion of potency. But this potency, and Barry's very identity, is based on self-delusion, the film drawing parallels between Barry's alienation, cynicism, impotency, hypocrisy and anger, and the very bigots who call and listen to his show.As it was based on a stage play (by Eric Bogosian), it's no surprise that "Radio" takes place at one location and unfolds on a fairly small, single set. Still, Stone keeps the pace fast. Though at times goofy, he, like Barry, inserts enough energy and muscular trickery to keep us entertained.8/10 – Stone's films tend to age badly, but "Talk Radio" has held up very well. Whilst most of his films are overproduced and self-important, this one is sparse and self-depreciating. It's also Stone's most autobiographical film, though perhaps unintentionally so. Worth two viewings.
