Blucher One of the worst movies I've ever seen

GazerRise Fantastic!

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Alistair Olson After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

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.

Steve Pulaski Barry Champlain (Eric Bogosian) is a contemptuous talk radio personality in the Dallas area, boasting a caustic sense of humor his listeners love and his detractors loathe. Most of his phone calls involve loners, drunks, sex fiends, neo-Nazis, and many other unique souls, all of whom finding themselves cut down several sizes when they are placed on air with Barry, who gives them a far-left rant they never anticipated. Barry gets off on lambasting the public, often ignoring the instructions of his stressed boss Dan (Alec Baldwin), his long-suffering producer/girlfriend Laura (Leslie Hope), and powerless program director Dietz (John Pankow), all of whom preparing themselves for a national broadcast for Barry's program due to commence very soon.Oliver Stone plunges us into the lives of this soul in Talk Radio, arguably his most underrated film, and a soul, for that matter, who most of us would probably hate if we came in contact with in real life. There are hints of self-loathing on Barry's behalf throughout the entire film. Consider the scene when a sensuous caller dials into Barry's program and questions why he uses his intelligence to belittle people for their opinions and goes on to say it's because he is scared and fickle. Barry's face becomes void of any expression; the cool guy smirk and upturned eyebrows are traded for a blank stare and moistening skin. Barry is often greeted with so many strange, incompetent, sometimes incoherent callers that never question his personal ethos that when he finally finds a caller who does such a thing, he is momentarily silenced.Yet, despite infrequent setbacks like this, Barry persists on, turning talk radio dialogues into personal monologues driven by condemnation of culture, societal ethics, and misfit culture. When he has the mic, he is in charge above all and his greed monopolizes the entire scenario. He's like a more politically charged and less charismatic Howard Stern. He's stripped of every inherent thing likable about radio personalities, and yet, I found him to be one of the most fascinating anti-heroes and despicable characters I had ever seen committed to film. This very idea is what's exposed throughout Talk Radio; we are fascinated and entranced by people like Barry, who give us what we need to fulfill our ugliest human desires, metaphorically cleansing ourselves of deprivation, and yet, dirtying us up with a whole new layer of muck and rancid human hate.Writers Stone, Bogosian, Tad Savinar, and Stephen Singular (author of Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg, concerning the life of radio personality Alan Berg, whom Barry Champlain is based upon) deeply consider this notion whilst fleshing out Barry into a thoroughly watchable presence. If Barry endlessly spewed hate without a shred of wit, we wouldn't buy it. However, Barry is smooth in his conversation, immaculate in his diction, and his ability to go off on two to three minute monologues, featuring a plethora of adjectives and complex political ideas, is nothing shy of entrancing. Bogosian gives an Oscar worthy performance in one of his few film roles (and only starring roles), making incredible use of the smallest film setting next to an elevator. His impeccable vocal delivery, which manages to send shivers down spines when he goes from casual conversation to intense, politically/racially-charged monologue, and his subtle, but very noticeable, mannerisms are all on point with every scene in the film.Talk Radio is also a film of sublime aesthetic quality, thanks to Stone and cinematographer Robert Richardson (who later went from working with Stone to working with Martin Scorsese on films like The Aviator and Hugo) making the most out of the tight-knit radio room. Every square-inch of the room is at Stone and Richardson's disposal, as they allow the camera to linger on shots of the radio switchboard, the yellow/red ON-AIR light, which becomes a blinding sight during a couple extreme closeups, the TV screen, which shows which callers are on hold, and, probably the most mesmerizing of all, as stated, Bogosian's facial expressions. These small transitory scenes allow for a huge impact on the overall project in terms of effectively creating a darker, more sinister mood and Stone and company certainly don't skimp on them. It's inclusions like these that make a good film into a great film, or even make a great film an incredible film.Above all, Talk Radio catches Stone in a mood of critiquing the media's influence on culture, even before Stone was haled for directing Natural Born Killers; what happens when dark, perverse programs like Barry's become the staple for a nation's culture? The opening monologue of Barry's has him condemning American culture as predicated upon pornography and slasher films, and Stone, in turn, spends the next one-hundred and forty-six minutes examining this idea. Through vivid camera angles, a magnificent and deep central performance, an immersing story and character at the core that do nothing but make the audience turn a mirror onto themselves, and gripping pacing throughout the entire film, Talk Radio is a masterclass of pulpy thriller filmmaking masquerading, though occasionally operating, as a drama.Starring: Eric Bogosian, Alec Baldwin, Leslie Hope, Ellen Greene, and John Pankow. Directed by: Oliver Stone.

mazec666 Sandwiched between his Oscar-winning films WALL STREET and BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, Oliver Stone brilliantly blends co-writer/actor Eric Bogosian's original stage play with the real life murder of Denver radio show host Alan Berg in what is often called his most underrated film to date.Dallas radio show host Barry Champlain's penchant for abusing and pushing people's buttons has led him to an offer he couldn't refuse...A chance for taking his show to national syndication. Upon hearing the news, Champlain subjects his ex-wife (Ellen Greene, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL) along with his co-workers to an unforgettable night of offending his audience. But somewhere, a mysterious killer is lurking in the shadows...Bogosian gives probably an ingenious performance as the arrogant host with intense energy and bravura presence. Another actor that also stood out is Michael Wincott (THE DOORS, THE CROW) as the air-headed metal kid who somehow ended up as an unscheduled guest. At the center of this chaos is Greene who brings sincerity and concern to her committed performance.Stone delivers a live-wire satire on "Shock radio" and the politics of adjusting Barry Champlain's controversial persona for the masses. However, the issue of media predominance would later be revisited in NATURAL BORN KILLERS six years later.TALK RADIO is a film that gets you to the core. It is an underrated experience that you will never forget.

itamarscomix Talk Radio is a heavy-handed treatment of Eric Bogosian's superb stage play; Oliver Stone has never been famous for his subtlety or minimalism and he's having a hard time dealing with it, adding dramatic camera angles and lighting effects that don't always compliment the dialog. But it's still understated compared to Stone's other films, and his over-the-top touches aren't enough to really detract from the excellent text or from Bogosian's brilliant performance, that makes every expression and every facial twitch count, although they do spoil the ending. The film's great moments are its smallest, the ones where Bogosian is alone with his microphone, and in those moments it's truly a disturbing pleasure. With a more fitting director - maybe Scorsese, maybe Jarmusch or Lumet - it could have been a masterpiece, instead it's a solid and effective film that has stood the test of time surprisingly well and still packs a punch.