Talk Radio (film)

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Talk Radio
Directed by Oliver Stone
Produced by A. Kitman Ho
Edward R. Pressman
Written by Oliver Stone
Eric Bogosian (also play)
Tad Savinar (play)
Stephen Singular (book)
Starring Eric Bogosian
Ellen Greene
Leslie Hope
John C. McGinley
Alec Baldwin
John Pankow
Michael Wincott
Robert Trebor
Tony Frank
Anna Levine
Rockets Redglare
Park Overall
Earl Hindman
Music by Stewart Copeland
Cinematography Robert Richardson
Editing by David Brenner
Distributed by Universal Studios
Release date(s) December 21 1988(USA)
Running time 110 minutes
Country USA
Language English
Budget $4,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Talk Radio is a 1988 film, starring Eric Bogosian as a controversial "shock jock" It is directed by Oliver Stone, and is based on the real life murder of radio host Alan Berg by Neo-Nazis[1], and the book about those events, Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg by Stephen Singular, and the play by Eric Bogosian and Tad Savinar.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Barry Champlain, a Jewish radio personality in Dallas, Texas, is a host who has a sense of humor and the knack at cutting down some people. Champlain's radio show is about to go nationwide. He was a former suit salesman who got his rise to fame by his guest shot on the Jeff Fisher radio show, then the boss gives him his own show. Barry has his share of nutcases calling in and trying to intimidate him. Barry has been known to push a few buttons in people, sometimes he gets threatening fan mail. His rise to fame has a very big price tag to it and not only with the nutcases but with him alienating more people from him.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Trivia

  • In his research for the film version, actor Eric Bogosian often watched the on-air production of Tom Leykis' talk show, then originating from Los Angeles station KFI. Bogosian's fictional character in the film shares many speech patterns and mannerisms with real-life talker Leykis.
  • Eric Bogosian wrote the screenplay with help from director Oliver Stone. The screenplay was almost entirely based on Bogosian's original play and some biographical information about Alan Berg, a talk show host in Denver who was murdered in 1984 by white supremacists.
  • The Playboy that John C. McGinley is reading has an interview with Oliver Stone in it.
  • The original play takes place entirely during the on-air broadcast and there are no scenes outside the radio station. Also, there is no attempt on Barry Champlain's life.

[edit] External links


Films by Oliver Stone

Feature Films
Seizure | The Hand | Salvador | Platoon | Wall Street | Talk Radio | Born on the Fourth of July | The Doors | JFK | Heaven & Earth | Natural Born Killers | Nixon | U-Turn | Any Given Sunday | Alexander | World Trade Center | Son of the Morning Star
Documentaries
Comandante | Looking For Fidel

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