Talk Radio (1988)

Date	User	Rating
Jan 19, 2022	matthagen	53 _57th
At times mesmerizing, other times stuck in the mud. In many ways, the worst in humanity is on display. I'm not sure that I liked the end, but I can recommend the journey overall.
Jan 03, 2022	Yiannos	70 _71st
Excellent performance by Bogosian who delivers searing monologues that hammer home points with genuine ferocity. While aspects of the film have dated, the critique of the culture of rage and resentment, which is more extreme now due to digital technology and increasing fragmentation, resulting in the proliferation of echo chambers across the political spectrum, remains timely and relevant. It's also interesting to watch Stone operate in such a restricted setting.
Jul 10, 2021	eatbeans	9 _86th
A movie that's aged well, if you can get past the 80s hair and clothes, and seeing a child Alec Baldwin, you can see many really good acting performances.
May 31, 2021	Karbonaich	75 _41st
w/ Buket
Dec 04, 2020	Neonman	91 _93rd
Despite all limitations for this stage-play-esque film, it remains riveting all throughout. Fun as hell to watch, more fun to listen to, a truly present and prescient story for the culture that grew up on shock-jocks (up to the shock-jocks in podcasts today). So much of Barry's rants work brilliantly to criticise the society he's in, which includes criticisms of himself, which start off slyly, but become horrendously clear that his broadcast ravings are at himself -- relatable!
Oct 27, 2019	JohnSandwich	85 _90th
So close to being a pure masterpiece. Held back only by the inexplicable inclusion of a lengthy, visually ugly, wholly unnecessary flashback sequence, which brings the movie to a complete halt for 20ish minutes right in the middle of it. Considering the many good choices Stone makes here, that sequence is just truly baffling (even more so since the play version it's based on wisely never leaves the radio station setting). Other than that I loved it.
Mar 20, 2018	Filligan	81 _44th
This is very much a film adapted from the stage. Stone does what he can where he can with the script to remind us this is a film and can break the limitations of the stage, but it still feels contained in a simplistic way. Structurally, there's not much exciting here, including Bogosian's yawn-inducing romantic interest with his ex-wife. Dialogue is where this film shines. It still feels stark and shocking thirty years later, and Bogosian is full game for it.
Mar 12, 2018	WWallce4prez	81 _77th
Stone's follow up to an incredibly productive 1986 and 1987 is a restrained, even when loud, satire on entertainment and the freedom of speech. Everything inside the studio is fantastic, with its frantic and claustrophobic blocking. A lengthy flashback is odd and unnecessary in an otherwise great film.
Jan 19, 2018	feublo	70 _30th
Eric B is so obnoxious and entertaining but the story felt fabricated and barely touched on the topics it raised throughout the screenplay.
Jun 04, 2017	SirStuckey	70 _56th
Bogosian is quite good. Everything not involving when he was on air felt out of place and a true step down. Like many movies made from plays the dialogue feels a bit over-the-top but because of the nature of actual talk radio often feeling the same way it didn't bother me as much as a lot of the others.
Feb 06, 2017	schnofel	42 _26th
110 min of (self) hatred.
Feb 21, 2015	hsncrspywl	67 _41st
As others have noted, Bogosian is the glue that holds the film together, with a fantastic performance. However, the film never really sheds it's stage play roots, which makes everything not inside the radio station seem superfluous, and even some of the stuff inside it feels like Oliver Stone using his characters as mouthpieces, rather than dialogue coming naturally from their personalities. By the end the movie feels a little too obvious and a little too aimless.
Oct 02, 2013	glm01	76 _53rd
75.500
Feb 09, 2013	BillyShears	85 _86th
I can't even remember the last time i stumbled naturally onto a talk radio program while futzing around but I can tell you every time I did I left gaining nothing important. I'm so used to fat Alec Baldwin now when I see the thinner model I go for a loop.
Aug 05, 2012	wetwillies	90 _80th
Gained a lot of respect for Oliver Stone after this one. The scenes in the studio are impeccably shot. He makes it feel like a prison, with Champlain trapped by all of his insane callers. The scenes that don't take place in the studio are much less satisfactory and maybe even unnecessary for the most part, but I'm so impressed by the rest that I don't really care. Eric Bogosian is fantastic.
Jun 07, 2012	stuie299	45 _4th
Outdated and boring. Totally lacking in plot and slower than an old lady behind the wheel of a car. Bogosian did a decent job as the lead but the film kept trying to be more meaningful than it actually was. I was disappointed by how uninteresting the callers were. Except for maybe one Neo-Nazi all of the callers stayed on the surface and barely discussed the topics they were talking about. This could have been an interesting premise but the movie struggled to developed anything of substance.
Dec 15, 2011	glm	77 _59th
77.000
Jan 03, 2011	Coheed	40 _14th
An occasionally engaging Oliver Stone film about a shock jock radio presenter, but for the most part it really was not engaging and had nothing really of interest on the subject.
Nov 12, 2009	ted	60 _31st
Bogosian's performance makes for a compelling lead character, but I needed more of a plot. The national syndication storyline did nothing for me.
Sep 02, 2009	janus	80 _77th
Bogosian is sophomoric yet intense. The movie is great when he's on the air (at least 70 percent of the film) but nothing special otherwise.
Aug 14, 2007	djross	70 _76th
Develops a certain critical power. Probably Stone's second-best movie after SALVADOR.
Aug 14, 2007	MartinTeller	72 _41st
Entertaining when Bogosian is on the air, meandering and dull otherwise.
Apr 07, 2007	Stain	95 _90th
A funny, grim, and quite scary portrait of not so much the jerkoff central character but of the society that has created him
Dec 21, 2006	prozac	96 _0th
What can I say about a classic.....Since i love everything involving radio, this "shock jock" which was based on Alan Berg was captivating and Eric B. puts on an oscar worthy performance. Two dildo's way up.

Average Percentile 60.95% from 437 Ratings