Talk Radio

Almost every prolific director has a movie or two that flies under the radar. Spielberg made Sugarland Express before Jaws and I don't think many people besides me have seen Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish. But Oliver Stone? His movies are usually so brash and loud they're guaranteed impact...and yet here's the unsung 1988 film Talk Radio.

The Setup

Eric Bogosian plays Barry Champlain, a late night talk show host with an acerbic on air personality. Despite his contentious and outrageous style, and the death threats that come with it, Barry gets great news. His show is about to go national...if he can put on a show to prove himself.

I'll admit that I thought I would hate this movie at first. Champlain feels like an amalgam/precursor to every ugly radio personality from morning shock jocks to Rush Limbaugh. He makes fun of everyone who calls into his show, picks fights constantly, and seems to get off on belittling people. He's played to perfection by Eric Bogosian and the rest of the cast is filled with solid supporting roles like Alec Baldwin and John C. McGinley. So yeah I liked the movie. Here's why.

Deconstructs The Game

I think a lot of people forget that shows like Barry's are performance. He's a performative outrage machine to earn ratings and he'll do and say whatever he has to to make it work. Everyone involved is understands this is theater. He doesn't believe what he's saying, his staff generally don't take him seriously, and his listeners are playing along. As Alec Baldwin's character says, "You're the guy who hangs up on people." But that doesn't mean it doesn't bleed over.

Blurring the Line

The film makes it clear that Barry's on-air persona is a version of himself. Like his id unleash upon the general public. And being a self-centered, always right, fast-talker, means he's a pill to be around in his personal life. It's a nice reminder that if you pretend to be a monster enough, it's very easy to become one.

Unearths the Ugliness Beneath

Granted this is all a long preamble to the movie's main point. Namely that playing this part is soul-crushing. All of Barry's swagger and aggression is hiding deep human failings. He needs to be loved. He needs to be right. He needs to believe that he's something more than a performer. So when he's face to face with his audience for the first time during his audition show or being booed at sporting events its brutal. Is this actual success? Admittedly Barry's conscious and shame runs deeper than the modern equivalents, but if anything it reminds us that the people who peddle hate on daily shows, make that decision every. single. day.

The Verdict: A Nice Surprise

Well-acted and unexpectedly poignant, Talk Radio is an underseen gem. 7/10