Review of Talk Radio (1988) by Ricky M — 03 Apr 2012
Oliver Stone makes films that make you think, and this one is no exception. This movie is based on a play by Eric Bogosian and Tad Savinar and the book "Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg", written by Stephen Singular and based on a real story. The picture takes a look on the right of free speech and about rocking the boat with possible repercussions thereof, and the moral is either white or black - no grey zones to talk about.
In the picture it's said that "you can love him, you can hate him, but you can't stop listen to him". To me that is best described by a train wreck about to happen; one can't do anything to stop it, but for some bizarre reason one can't turn away from it either. The whole thing takes place during a few days in a studio in Texas and that's about it when it comes to scenery. Agreed, it's not much, but on the other hand nothing more is needed to tell this story.
Bogosian not only co-wrote the screenplay with Stone, he also plays the role of Barry Champlain in this movie. The only actor I'm concerned about is John. C. McGinley. I've seen him in quite a few roles, but he always bears the same look with eyebrows that mostly signals surprise - sometimes less, sometimes more so. Among the people calling in I could hear the voice of one Park Overall - mostly thanks to her very distinctive dialect.
This review of Talk Radio (1988) was written by Ricky M on 03 Apr 2012.
Talk Radio has generally received positive reviews.
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