I know, I know...where the hell have I been, right? Living my life, probably. I told you guys I wasn't going to be consistent with this. As a matter of fact, I realize that the "you guys" I'm talking to right now are only the legion of voices trapped inside my own head. That's one reason I don't feel badly for going almost a year without a post. It's not like anyone was really clamoring to hear what I had to say in the first place, now was it? Anyway, I do have a lot of things to comment on and who knows? I may actually get to some of them. Here's a start:
1. PIRATE RADIO (2009)
An ensemble comedy (titled The Boat That Rocked in the UK) in which the romance takes place between the young people of the '60s and pop music. It's about a band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that, incomprehensibly, preferred jazz. Stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost (Simon Pegg’s sidekick in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) and Kenneth Branaugh.
2. FM (1978)
Believe it or not, this is the movie that made me want to be in radio. Q-SKY is the #1 radio station in Los Angeles mainly because of the music they play, and running the station the way they want to. It has led them to a ratings success. The movie focuses on the battle between Jeff and his corporate bosses, who want more advertising and less music. Stars Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Alex Karras and the late great Cleavon Little.
6. TALK RADIO (1988)
An acerbic radio talk show host based in Dallas starts what could be an important few days when he discovers that his controversial late night show is about to be "picked up" by a nationwide network of radio stations. However, all is not perfect for him, because on top of troubles with his love life and fears that the management of the network will try to alter the content of his show he has to cope with a neo-nazi group who have been angered by his forthright opinions. Starring Eric Bogosian, Ellen Greene and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Oliver Stone.
7. PUMP UP THE VOLUME (1990)
Mark is an intelligent but shy teenager who has just moved to Arizona from the East Coast. His parents give him a short-wave radio so he can talk to his pals, but instead he sets up shop as pirate deejay Hard Harry, who becomes a hero to his peers while inspiring the wrath of the local high school principal. When one of Harry's listeners commits suicide and Harry-inspired chaos breaks out at the school, the authorities are called in to put a stop to Harry's broadcasts. Stars Christian Slater.
TALK TO ME (2007)
The true life story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C., vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Petey to fully express himself - sometimes to outrageous effect - and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. He forges a friendship and a partnership with fellow prison inmate Milo's brother Dewey Hughes. Through the years, Petey's "The truth just is" style --- on - and off-air - would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be. Starring Don Cheadle.
8. PRIVATE PARTS (1997)
I am not now nor have I ever been a huge Howard Stern fan. That said, this is a surprisingly tender film that, at its heart is a valentine to Stern’s then-wife Alison. Having always wanted to be a disc-jockey, Howard Stern works his way painfully from radio at his 1970's college station to a big Detroit station. It is with a move to Washington that he hits on an outrageous off-the-wall style that catches audience attention. Despite his on-air blue talk, at home he is a loving husband. He needs all the support he can get when he joins NBC in New York and comes up against a very different vision of radio. Starring Howard Stern, Mary McCormack, Paul Giamatti and Stern’s real-life radio team.
9. J-MEN FOREVER (1979)
I LOVE this movie. Phil Procter and Peter Bergman of the comedy troupe Firesign Theatre piece together scraps of old Saturday morning serials to create a new story, nothing like the one their creator’s originally intended! The Lightning Bug has a multi-prong scheme to enslave the earth. First, he creates a crack airstaff of mind-controlled disc jockeys (really, is there any other kind?) to blast the world with rock and roll, then once everyone is distracted by the music, he introduces marijuana. New dialogue and creative editing make this film a late night classic. Starring Proctor and Bergman and the original series stars from the forties.
10. THE NIGHT LISTENER (2006)
Radio host Gabriel Noone, begins by telling his intriguing life stories to his night listeners. A book agent gives Gabriel an unpublished book, written by a 14-year old boy, Pete Boland. Pete's book is about the abused childhood and suffering he went through at the hands of his parents and their friends. Gabriel talks to Pete on the phone and begins to bond with Pete, but things are very strange when Gabriel tries to meet Pete and discovers that there is a possibility that Pete may not exist. Starring Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Rory Culkin and Joe Morton.
11. RADIO DAYS (1987)
One of the few Woody Allen films not to feature himself, Radio Days is the story of several generations of a family packed into a pre-War Rockaway house that always have the radio on. The fearless Masked Avenger, breakfast-show socialites (and philanderers) Roger and Irene, and Sally the Cigarette Girl are almost important as, say, whether the Pacific is a better ocean than the Atlantic, or even what your dad actually does for a living. Starring a huge cast that includes Julie Kavner, Wallace Shawn and Seth Green.
12. BAD CHANNELS (1992)
Like J-Men Forever, I’ve used a lot of drops from this one at various radio stations over the years. An alien lands in a small town and promptly takes over the local radio station. The disk jockey, Dan O' Dare, well known for his publicity stunts, becomes a hostage. The alien uses the radio station and Dan's amused audience to target and subsequently shrink women for his collection. Stars MTV’s Martha Quinn.
13. AMERICAN GRAFITTI (1973)
It's the last night of the summer in 1962 before Curt Henderson and his good friend Steve Bolander have to leave their small town and start college. Throughout a night of cruising, drag racing, fights, and picking up girls, punctuated by popular music of the time, they both struggle with whether or not they have made the right decision and confront the reality of approaching adulthood. What’s the radio connection? How about when Curt sneaks into the local station to get romantic advice from Wolfman Jack? Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Charles Martin Smith, Harrison Ford, MacKenzie Phillips, Paul LeMat, Wolfman Jack, Kathleen Quinlan and Suzanne Somers as the Woman in White. Written and directed by George Lucas.
14. POWER 98 (1996)
Has anyone EVER heard of this movie before? Karlin Pickett is a Los Angeles disc jockey who shocks his audience with outrageous stunts and crude jokes. Jon Price is a young DJ who joins the show. When women start turning up dead and the alleged killer keeps calling the station, the ratings go sky high and the cops begin looking for clues on Power 98. Stars Eric Roberts, Jason Gedrick and 90210’s Jennie Garth.
RADIO IN THE MOVIES ( or why radio is NOT a visual medium in more ways than one!)
As I may have mentioned once or twice, I was in radio for over thirty years. I'm currently involved in the start-up of a new online radio station. I haven't thought much about radio or whether or not I missed it in a while and so it's been weird to dredge all this stuff up again...and amazingly, to find I actually still care about it. There's also a new movie out right now called Pirate Radio. Based on actual events if not an actual radio station, Pirate Radio (titled The Boat That Rocked in the UK) is about a group of illegal broadcasters back in the sixties and seventies and their run-ins with the music industry and the law. It's a great flick and that plus the online station got me to thinking about other movies about radio and when I realized that I couldn't think of that many, it got me researching movies about radio and I STILL didn't find as many as I thought there would be. As far as I can tell, there are less than twenty movies that feature radio as a primary part of the story. So, because I'm on vacation this week and because radio is so very much on my mind all of a sudden, I decided to make a list:
1. PIRATE RADIO (2009)An ensemble comedy (titled The Boat That Rocked in the UK) in which the romance takes place between the young people of the '60s and pop music. It's about a band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that, incomprehensibly, preferred jazz. Stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost (Simon Pegg’s sidekick in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) and Kenneth Branaugh.
2. FM (1978)Believe it or not, this is the movie that made me want to be in radio. Q-SKY is the #1 radio station in Los Angeles mainly because of the music they play, and running the station the way they want to. It has led them to a ratings success. The movie focuses on the battle between Jeff and his corporate bosses, who want more advertising and less music. Stars Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Alex Karras and the late great Cleavon Little.
3. PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971)
In the city of Carmel, the popular disc-jockey David Garver has one night stand with Evelyn Draper, a strange he met in a bar after his show. The woman, indeed a deranged obsessed fan, stalks David and threatens his life, his girl-friend Tobie Williams, his friends and even his job. Starring Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walters and Donna Mills.
In the city of Carmel, the popular disc-jockey David Garver has one night stand with Evelyn Draper, a strange he met in a bar after his show. The woman, indeed a deranged obsessed fan, stalks David and threatens his life, his girl-friend Tobie Williams, his friends and even his job. Starring Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walters and Donna Mills.
4. AMERICAN HOT WAX (1978)
This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950's. Freed was a source of great controversy: criticized by conservatives for corrupting youth with the "devil's music"; hated by racists for promoting African American music for white consumption; persecuted by law enforcement officials and finally brought down by the "payola" scandals. Stars Tim McIntire, Larraine Newman and Jay Leno as “Mookie”.
5. AIR HEADS (1994)
Chazz, Rex, and Pip are a band known as The Lone Rangers, and all they're looking for is some attention. But when they take over a radio station with fake guns in order to get their song played over the airwaves, they get a little more than they bargained for. Starring Adam Sandler, Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Chris Farley, Michael McKean, Judd Nelson and Ernie Hudson.
This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950's. Freed was a source of great controversy: criticized by conservatives for corrupting youth with the "devil's music"; hated by racists for promoting African American music for white consumption; persecuted by law enforcement officials and finally brought down by the "payola" scandals. Stars Tim McIntire, Larraine Newman and Jay Leno as “Mookie”.
5. AIR HEADS (1994)Chazz, Rex, and Pip are a band known as The Lone Rangers, and all they're looking for is some attention. But when they take over a radio station with fake guns in order to get their song played over the airwaves, they get a little more than they bargained for. Starring Adam Sandler, Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Chris Farley, Michael McKean, Judd Nelson and Ernie Hudson.
6. TALK RADIO (1988)An acerbic radio talk show host based in Dallas starts what could be an important few days when he discovers that his controversial late night show is about to be "picked up" by a nationwide network of radio stations. However, all is not perfect for him, because on top of troubles with his love life and fears that the management of the network will try to alter the content of his show he has to cope with a neo-nazi group who have been angered by his forthright opinions. Starring Eric Bogosian, Ellen Greene and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Oliver Stone.
7. PUMP UP THE VOLUME (1990)Mark is an intelligent but shy teenager who has just moved to Arizona from the East Coast. His parents give him a short-wave radio so he can talk to his pals, but instead he sets up shop as pirate deejay Hard Harry, who becomes a hero to his peers while inspiring the wrath of the local high school principal. When one of Harry's listeners commits suicide and Harry-inspired chaos breaks out at the school, the authorities are called in to put a stop to Harry's broadcasts. Stars Christian Slater.
TALK TO ME (2007)The true life story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C., vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Petey to fully express himself - sometimes to outrageous effect - and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. He forges a friendship and a partnership with fellow prison inmate Milo's brother Dewey Hughes. Through the years, Petey's "The truth just is" style --- on - and off-air - would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be. Starring Don Cheadle.
8. PRIVATE PARTS (1997)I am not now nor have I ever been a huge Howard Stern fan. That said, this is a surprisingly tender film that, at its heart is a valentine to Stern’s then-wife Alison. Having always wanted to be a disc-jockey, Howard Stern works his way painfully from radio at his 1970's college station to a big Detroit station. It is with a move to Washington that he hits on an outrageous off-the-wall style that catches audience attention. Despite his on-air blue talk, at home he is a loving husband. He needs all the support he can get when he joins NBC in New York and comes up against a very different vision of radio. Starring Howard Stern, Mary McCormack, Paul Giamatti and Stern’s real-life radio team.
9. J-MEN FOREVER (1979)I LOVE this movie. Phil Procter and Peter Bergman of the comedy troupe Firesign Theatre piece together scraps of old Saturday morning serials to create a new story, nothing like the one their creator’s originally intended! The Lightning Bug has a multi-prong scheme to enslave the earth. First, he creates a crack airstaff of mind-controlled disc jockeys (really, is there any other kind?) to blast the world with rock and roll, then once everyone is distracted by the music, he introduces marijuana. New dialogue and creative editing make this film a late night classic. Starring Proctor and Bergman and the original series stars from the forties.
10. THE NIGHT LISTENER (2006)Radio host Gabriel Noone, begins by telling his intriguing life stories to his night listeners. A book agent gives Gabriel an unpublished book, written by a 14-year old boy, Pete Boland. Pete's book is about the abused childhood and suffering he went through at the hands of his parents and their friends. Gabriel talks to Pete on the phone and begins to bond with Pete, but things are very strange when Gabriel tries to meet Pete and discovers that there is a possibility that Pete may not exist. Starring Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Rory Culkin and Joe Morton.
11. RADIO DAYS (1987)One of the few Woody Allen films not to feature himself, Radio Days is the story of several generations of a family packed into a pre-War Rockaway house that always have the radio on. The fearless Masked Avenger, breakfast-show socialites (and philanderers) Roger and Irene, and Sally the Cigarette Girl are almost important as, say, whether the Pacific is a better ocean than the Atlantic, or even what your dad actually does for a living. Starring a huge cast that includes Julie Kavner, Wallace Shawn and Seth Green.
12. BAD CHANNELS (1992)Like J-Men Forever, I’ve used a lot of drops from this one at various radio stations over the years. An alien lands in a small town and promptly takes over the local radio station. The disk jockey, Dan O' Dare, well known for his publicity stunts, becomes a hostage. The alien uses the radio station and Dan's amused audience to target and subsequently shrink women for his collection. Stars MTV’s Martha Quinn.
13. AMERICAN GRAFITTI (1973)It's the last night of the summer in 1962 before Curt Henderson and his good friend Steve Bolander have to leave their small town and start college. Throughout a night of cruising, drag racing, fights, and picking up girls, punctuated by popular music of the time, they both struggle with whether or not they have made the right decision and confront the reality of approaching adulthood. What’s the radio connection? How about when Curt sneaks into the local station to get romantic advice from Wolfman Jack? Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Charles Martin Smith, Harrison Ford, MacKenzie Phillips, Paul LeMat, Wolfman Jack, Kathleen Quinlan and Suzanne Somers as the Woman in White. Written and directed by George Lucas.
14. POWER 98 (1996)Has anyone EVER heard of this movie before? Karlin Pickett is a Los Angeles disc jockey who shocks his audience with outrageous stunts and crude jokes. Jon Price is a young DJ who joins the show. When women start turning up dead and the alleged killer keeps calling the station, the ratings go sky high and the cops begin looking for clues on Power 98. Stars Eric Roberts, Jason Gedrick and 90210’s Jennie Garth.
15. WUSA (1970)
How about that? A film so obscure IMDB doesn’t even have a poster for it! They barely even have a listing! But look at that cast! This movie must really have sucked to be so under the radar with this bunch attached to it. Rheinhardt, a cynical drifter, gets a job as an announcer for right-wing radio station WUSA in New Orleans. Rheinhardt is content to parrot WUSA's reactionary editorial stance on the air, even if he doesn't agree with it. And when events start spinning out of control, even Rheinhardt finds he must take a stand. Stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Perkins, Pat Hingle and Cloris Leachman.
16. PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (2006)
"A Prairie Home Companion", is a down home radio variety show recorded and performed live in front of an audience in a theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. A show from another era, "A Prairie Home Companion" has been canceled. The regulars are performing on the last show, including Dusty & Lefty, singing/guitar playing cowboys with a risqué sense of humor, and the Johnson Girls, a sister singing duo of Rhonda and Yolanda who have a penchant for talking over each other. As the show goes on, the regulars, backstage, talk about their lives in relation to the show. Starring Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin. Directed by Robert Altman.
How about that? A film so obscure IMDB doesn’t even have a poster for it! They barely even have a listing! But look at that cast! This movie must really have sucked to be so under the radar with this bunch attached to it. Rheinhardt, a cynical drifter, gets a job as an announcer for right-wing radio station WUSA in New Orleans. Rheinhardt is content to parrot WUSA's reactionary editorial stance on the air, even if he doesn't agree with it. And when events start spinning out of control, even Rheinhardt finds he must take a stand. Stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Perkins, Pat Hingle and Cloris Leachman.
16. PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (2006)"A Prairie Home Companion", is a down home radio variety show recorded and performed live in front of an audience in a theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. A show from another era, "A Prairie Home Companion" has been canceled. The regulars are performing on the last show, including Dusty & Lefty, singing/guitar playing cowboys with a risqué sense of humor, and the Johnson Girls, a sister singing duo of Rhonda and Yolanda who have a penchant for talking over each other. As the show goes on, the regulars, backstage, talk about their lives in relation to the show. Starring Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin. Directed by Robert Altman.
So, what do you think? Most of these synopsis came from our friends at the Internet Movie DataBase, so don't blame me if you don't like them. The real question is, did I leave any out? Don't hit me with stuff like A Star is Born or O Brother Where Art Thou or Coal Miner's Daughter that just had DJ's in them. We're looking for movies about radio...And yes, I realize that that definition could arguably disqualify American Graffiti, but those kids had the radio on for that entire flick and Wolfman had more lines that half the cast, so as far as I'm concerned, it stays. Do your homework and who knows? Maybe by the time I come back to this blog (hopefully not in another year!), we'll have some additions to the list.
Ok - so I have been racking my brain trying to come up with another movie for your list (I got excited when I remembered "Pump Up The Volume", only to realize it was already on the list...), and tonight one hit me - "Good Morning Vietnam"! :) I would think it would qualify given your criteria, right?
ReplyDelete(Another one just came to mind - although it will probably need the same "generous" definition of a "radio movie" that you gave "American Grafitti" - "The Warriors". Admittedly, not a movie about radio per se, but the DJ in it definitely played an important role.)