Review of Pump Up the Volume (2001) by Rick R — 29 Sep 2009

Pump Up The Volume (1990).

In the boring New Mexican suburbs all of the teens are listening to a nightly pirate radio broadcast put on by an anonymous student. Mark Hunter (Christian Slater) is a shy new kid at Hubert Humphrey High School. His Dad moved the family from New York to be a school board administrator.

At night Mark takes on the persona of mouthy Hard Harry during the broadcasts and has a way of telling it like it is. He's unaware of how much the student body admires and respects what he has to say.

Nora Diniro (played by beautiful, fun-sized Samantha Mathis) is the sexy student librarian who tries to find out who this Hard Harry is. Naturally, like in all teen movies, the adults and teachers are the enemy, and they're trying to go after Mark and his rap music with a vengeance.

I've always enjoyed Christian Slater movies, who always seemed to play a younger version of Jack Nicholson. He's always got a smart-assed remark. He also plays those ultra-shy stalker guys that some girls seem to love. In this film, he gets to play both characters to the hilt. It's amazing how a bookworm, electronics nerd can develop a washboard stomach.

I believe that this is Samantha Mathis's first movie too. Seth Green also makes an appearance in a bit part. I'm not sure whether he's related to Ellen Green who plays Jan Emerson in the movie.