Talk Radio (film)

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Talk Radio

Theatrical release poster
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
Joe Hutshing
Distributed by Universal Studios
Release date(s) December 21 1988(USA)
Running time 110 minutes
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Budget $4,000,000 (estimated)
Allmovie profile
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 in combination on the play by Eric Bogosian and Tad Savinar and on the real life murder of radio host Alan Berg by Neo-Nazis[1], which was chronicled in the book, Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg by Stephen Singular.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Barry Champlain, a Jewish radio personality in Dallas, Texas, is a host with a sense of humor and a knack for cutting people down and having controversial, often libertarian political views.

Champlain's radio show is about to go nationwide. A former suit salesman, he achieves his rise to fame through a guest shot on the Jeff Fisher radio show. He is subsequently given his own show. Barry has a substantial number of hostile callers trying to intimidate him and sometimes receives threatening fan mail, such as when one caller makes a bomb threat. His rise to fame is accompanied not only with attention from radical elements, but also with the alienation of his wife. Barry eventually pours out his emotions on the audience, telling them how much he despises them.

The film ends with Barry being assassinated by a presumably racist listener. As the credits role, people call into the radio show and talk about Barry's life and death.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Trivia

  • The original play takes place entirely during the on-air broadcast and there are no scenes outside the radio station. Moreover, Barry's murder is not depicted or even suggested in the original play.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Oliver Stone
Feature films
Seizure (1974) • The Hand (1981) • Salvador (1986) • Platoon (1986) • Wall Street (1987) • Talk Radio (1988) • Born on the Fourth of July (1989) • The Doors (1991) • JFK (1991) • Heaven & Earth (1993) • Natural Born Killers (1994) • Nixon (1995) • U Turn (1997) • Any Given Sunday (1999) • Alexander (2004) • World Trade Center (2006) • W. (2008)
Documentaries
Persona Non Grata (TV 2003) • Comandante (2003) • Looking for Fidel (2004)