Radio Movie Reviews

I hesitated because I already have one DVD played by Galway and, it's rather expensive.

Anyway, I bought it. But I couldn't finish it in one go, not just because it's rather long, but becasue of it's primitive production. The first part wasn't too good. The footage was as bad as one could imagine and so was the photography. Don't expect to see Rampal's embrochure, the picture quality is so poor that you have to use your own imagination to figure out what exactly it was. Most of the time, we have too wide an angle with only a few close-ups. And when we do, it's just a profile and then shot from such an angle (e.g. in Couperin for no apparent reason, and in Haydon, in order to cover the harpsichord ) that we only have 3/4 of the profile, about 1/3 or 1/4 of his mouth! There are some nice shots from Bach though. Anyway, the support Rampal got from the orchestra also leaves much to be desired.

BUT, if you want to have a glimpse of this Maestro, you dont have much choice. There aren't much devilish technique (in the narrow sense), not even in his cadenzas. Some beautiful tonguing, yes and of course an immense sense of musicality. He may not be as expressive as Schwarzkopff, one of the century's top sopranos, and it's as intriquing as Szryng, if not because of the limitations of the instrument. He is so close to any of the two. The colour of his tone is such that it has a life of it's own. And in different piece, you get almost a completely different tone as though it's a different kind of instrument. And the secret of this Maestro, other than his musicality, lies in the absolute control of his breath.

So the result, the second time I went back to it, I finished it in one breath. A whole world of difference from any other flutist in film so far. Wood wind, or any wind players or even vocalists or string players won't want to miss this great performances.

The sound is however barely acceptable. 5 stars, despite poor picture qualities.

I hesitated because I already have one DVD played by Galway and, it's rather expensive.

Anyway, I bought it. But I couldn't finish it in one go, not just because it's length, but becasue of it's primitive production. The footage was as bad as one could imagine and so was the photography. Don't expect to see Rampal's embrochure, the picture quality is so poor that often you have to use your own imagination to figure out what exactly it was. Most of the time, we have too wide an angle with only a few close-ups. And when we do, it's just a profile and then shot from such an angle that we only have 3/4 of the profile with less than 1/2 of his mouth! There are some nice shots from his Bach though. Anyway, the support Rampal got from the last orchestra also leaves much to be desired even though the first one is much better.

BUT, if you want to have a glimpse of this Maestro, you dont have much choice. There aren't much devilish technique ( in the narrow sense) here, not even in his cadenzas. Some beautiful tonguing, yes and of course an immense sense of musicality. He may not be as expressive as Schwzarkopff, one of the century's top sopranos, and it's a tiny bit less intriquing than Szeryng, one of the most lyrical violinists of the century, all because of the limitations of the instrument. But he is so very close to the two of them. The colour of his tone is so warm that it has a life of it's own and that in different piece, you get almost different tone as though it's a different kind of instrument. And the secret of this Maestro, other than his musicality, lies in the absolute control of his breath.

So the result, the second time I went back to it, I finished it in one breath. A whole world of difference from any other flutist in film including Galway. Wood wind, or any wind players or even vocalists or string players won't want to miss this great performances.

The sound is however barely acceptable. 5 stars, despite poor picture qualities.

See the other review by me.

When it comes to Playboy video's, I really don't get excited. But I was at a party, and one of the guys had this video. It is probably the best Playboy Video ever made. It is tastefully done, and the women are beutiful. This is a must have for any man's video collection.

VHF radio is only good for about 25 miles - and that's line of sight, if someone is listening! In this program, well-known electronics author Gordon West shows how to install and use this valuable marine electronic device for communications, weather reports and many other functions.

February 3, 2004 is the final release date for Newsradio seasons 1-2 DVD,

i am a huge NewsRadio fan (just like many here) and i woke up this morning and got an email saying "Releasae date for NewsRadio"

anyways, February 3, 2004 is the day.

'Genius' is a word that you would seldom connect to an American comedy series, but Newsradio is without doubt one of the best programs to come out of the United States in the last 50 years...if ever. Not only were the scripts so strong, but the balance of characters was phenomenal. They all had unique and conflicting persona's that came together to produce something quite real and special. And always funny. I literally fell in love with this show, and by the looks of things so have many others.

Genius...

Newsradio is one of the funniest, best acted shows that I have ever seen. All of the characters are wonderfully acted and the writing is exquisite. I cannot wait until they finally decide to release the DVD of Newsradio, because I will be one of the first to buy it. Since FOX has cancelled it form their lineup and put some annoying show "classmates" on in it's place, I have not been able to find it on television on any channel. After Phil Hartman left however, the shows started to get a little repetitive, but they were still very funny and Jon Lovitz's character would still make me laugh. So c'mon already you guys! Everyone's ready for the Newsradio DVD!! :)

This film was a very good in-depth look at the people who were most responsible for bringing radio to the masses. However, I find it distressing that Nikola Tesla was never mentioned once in this documentary. Everyone remembers Marconi as the "father" of radio, but it was actually Tesla, in his experiments with the wireless transmission of power, who invented radio and who was the true father. Ken Burns would have done good to at least mention that fact. Other than this discrepancy, the documentary is a very good look into the early history of radio.

This documentary skillfully tells the story of the three men most responsible for what radio has become today. It is also the story of radio.

Burns portrays brilliant yet egocentric FM radio inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong as the centerpiece of his film. Armstrong's friendship with RCA Chairman David Sarnoff and his personal and legal troubles with Lee DeForest and later Sarnoff are really the center of the documentary.

While Armstrong's story is somewhat heartbreaking, Sarnoff's story is alternately despicable and inspiring. It shows his rise from a Russian immigrant selling papers on the street to become, at his death, one of the most cutthroat and powerful people in entertainment.

Then, there's Lee deForest. He's portrayed as a flamboyant self promoter that built his life and career on the backs of others including Armstrong.

With the stories of these three men is also the story of radio from its early days. Burns weaves together old-time broadcasts and many interviews with popular public figures, people who knew Armstrong, deForest, and Sarnoff, and individuals associated with early radio. I acknowledge the earlier review that says the movie slights Tesla...it does. The documentary probably should have mentioned Tesla in some way, but the focus of the movie is more on the lines of the three men that made radio what it is today.

You will laugh at Lee Deforest, and you will feel deep sorrow in your heart for Edwin Armstrong. You may even hate David Sarnoff a bit. Ken Burns is a great filmmaker, and he's working with great material here. He clearly has a message in this movie. I wish Hollywood would get ahold of this book and make it into a feature-length movie. The documentary based on the book is really and truly a masterpiece. I recommend this documentary to anyone interested in the medium of radio or television. I also recommend this film to anyone interested in inventing or the history of inventing in general.

I first saw "Empire of the Air" on PBS when it debuted in 1991. At the time, I was a junior in high school and I had heard that there was going to be a program about Radio on PBS. All I can say is this is a great program for anyone who loves Radio and Television, and it really captures not only the history behind Broadcasting and Broadcast engineering, but it also examines the lives of the great men who built the legacy of the Broadcast industry into what it is today. I also have the book that this program is based on, and it is excellent too. Ken Burns has a unique way of telling a story and taking a viewer into another place and time that few documentary filmakers today are really able to do. The late actor Jason Robards narrates this film, and he was the right guy to have as a narrator for this production. Ken Burns proved with the Civil War series that he is a master storyteller, and I will also be buying "The Civil War" DVD set in the near future. I have a degree in Broadcasting from Eastern Kentucky University and we watched this program in a couple of my classes. One professor I had told us that the film could tell us more about the history of Radio and Television in two hours than he could ever hope to. That is saying a lot, because it was coming from a professor with a PhD. who had been teaching Broadcasting for probably 20 years. I am also an amateur radio operator, and there is a little of the history that ham radio operators played in the role of Broadcasting depicted in this film as well. I have been waiting for about 4 years for PBS to finally release "Empire of the Air" on DVD, and I will be buying this title shortly. I highly recommend this video, it is able to take the viewer to another place and time before the age of entertainment that we know today when families would gather around the radio for their news and entertainment. It is really a shame in some ways that we have lost a lot of the kind of closeness that Radio brought to families so many years ago. All I can say is Ken Burns is a genius!

Barry Champlain (Eric Bogosian) is a tortured talk-radio host who feeds off the moral cesspool of his audience. His caustic worldview consumes his show and life and leads to a dazzling showdown between each; the pollution of his degenerate listeners ultimately being his own to claim. With creeping tracking shots and the camera circling Champlain like a vulture watching its prey, the main set of the radio station is kept alive. Bogosian gives a mesmerizing performance; the sharp and lonesome voices without faces over the airwaves strike a deep chord.

One of the greatest 80's movies ever with some of the greatest lines i ever heard. My favorite scene is with Kent(Michael Wincott) who is so stoned he doesn't know what planet he's on. Then there are all the callers; Debbie, Chet, Ralph, and especially the woman who says Ted Bundy could be living next door on the porch, watching T.V. eating potato chips and i wouldn't know it. Strange Air. My favorite line: " Ralph I am curious, how do you dial a phone with a straightjacket on." Eric Bogosian is so underated it is not funny. This is one of Oliver Stone's best. One year after Wall Street, he gave us this mind blowing film. Awesome

Intense, provocative and well acted, this film centres on talk show host who sparks a love-hate relationship with his callers who keep ringing him in despite all of the constant abuse he gives them. Naturally he starts getting death threats because he's a Jew and is about to become a big time radio personality all over America. The ending as is said here is a tad bit predictable but that doesn't make it any less shocking. A good film and I was surprised it was directed by Oliver Stone considering the pile of a mess he made of Natural Born Killers. Good and well worth your money

An early effort from Trey Parker of "South Park" fame. He plays a Mormon missionary who becomes a porn actor to pay for his upcoming wedding. By chance, he comes into possession of a weapon that can immobilize its target with multiple orgasms and becomes the superhero Orgazmo. With his side-kick Choda-Boy (Dian Bachar), he faces evil-doers in the porn industry and saves the local sushi bar. A very juvenile, silly comedy that misses more often than it hits, yet does feature some good laughs. Choda-Boy's hamster-style kung fu is a highlight.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone. You either love them or you hate them. Back when South Park was just a few bits of cardboard lying around a bong-filled apartment, the guys paid the bills by making this movie. And it's pure comic genius! With sight gags and one-liners everywhere, this movie demands repeated viewing, and soon you'll be quoting classic lines such as "I am Sancho", "I don't wanna sound like a queer or nothin', but I think Depeche Mode are a sweet band" and "Stuntcock!" in your sleep.
The movie follows Joe Young (Trey Parker), a young Mormon missionary to L.A., who becomes [pulled] into the porn industry one sunny afternoon while out trying to convert the heathens. He justifies this career change, as the money he earns will go toward a wedding in the Temple in Salt Lake with his "Cupcake" ("Why does the church make it so expensive to get married in the Temple?"). Hilarity ensues as a cast of pornographers (including cameos from real life skin-stars such as Ron Jeremy and Chasey Lain), racketeers and rocket scientists combine to make the movie-within-a-movie (also called Orgazmo) "the cross-over success of the decade!" (a jump cut reveals it to be the highest grossing film of all time behind Jurassic Park). But can Joe extricate himself from the sequel he's under contract to make? Will Choda-boy ever use his "hamster style" again? How can they defeat the evil A-cup/Neutered Man? Will G-fresh sign over his sushi bar to developers? And what will happen when Cupcake rolls into town? I guess you'll just have to watch it to find out...
This film is criminally under-appreciated, and hopefully, with the success of South Park, more people will be encouraged to discover the delights of the Parker/Stone back catalogue. If you're a fan of South Park, Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker or the Farrely brothers, I promise you will not be disappointed. "Oh, wait..Daddy's here to take me to choir practise. Jesus and I love you..."

This is one of the funniest movies ever made! Should be considered a "Classic."

I'm not sure who this collection is for. Die hard Stone fans (like me) already own his classics on DVD. And those new to Stone probably won't spend [this much].

But just in case we needed it, it's here. But who put this collection together? It's got the greats like 'JFK' 'Born On the Forth of July' and 'Wallstreet' but it also has Stone's follies such as 'U Turn' 'Heaven and Earth' 'Talk Radio' 'The Doors' and 'Any Given Sunday.' I believe Roger Ebert explained that when a man puts out gold five days a week he's entitled to put out lead on the weekend.

Why are we reliving the horrors that even the most hardened Stone fan (like me) couldn't stand? This is clearly an attempt to get fools to spend [this much] by mixing classic films in with bad ones.

Stone began his career as a sci-fi screen writer (remember 'Conan the Barbarian') who did some part time directing (remember 'The Hand') His first hit came with 'Scareface' in 1983. By 1986 he had two Oscars under his belt and was the hottest director in Hollywood. Just when you thought things couldn't get any better, they did. Unlike most directors his films just got better and better.

But with his last film in 1999 and his last good film in 1995 Stone is not exactly a big name today.

Stone was the defining director of the late 80s and early 90s. Not only was his directing great but his films gave us a hard look at modern America. No one can take that away from him.

Here's the real lowdown.
Platoon
Wallstreet
Born on the Forth of July
JFK
Natural Born Killers
Nixon

Very good looking and full with excellent extras Set. If you like Oliver Stone's work you'll be very pleased with this Collection. You'll forget how much you paid for it, this set deserves it's own room in your house... Stankey Kubrick's and Best of Hitchcock Collections are excellent sets also.

This is a great collection. The Oliver Stone Collection it is extremely wonderful. I watched all of them. They all have great quality. I love Wall Street, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, and Any Given Sunday.

I've been hurt in the past by a lot of "classic" Woody Allen films. But this one does not disppoint. I think this is one of his best films. A nostalgic look back on his childhood in the good ole radio days. Although for once, Woody was not the highlight of a Woody movie for me. And I never thought I'd utter thses words in my entire life. But...Mia Farrow was the funniest thing about this movie (and it was a really funny movie by itself). I just loved her eating as people are discussing where to dump her body and my favorite line of her's is upon hearing of the bombing of Pearl Harbor at an inconvenient moment, she asks kind of agitated, "Who is Pearl Harbor?" The second stories would switch, and she'd pop up, I'd already be laughing. And I am by no means a Mia Farrow fan. She was just so broadly funny; maybe that's what she should have done more of. Because usually she plays such dry characters...but this was a welcome change. Woody must have loved her role too. He basically recycled her in Bullets Over Broadway with Jennifer Tilly's ditzy character (also funny). This film was just so real and honest and clearly personal to Woody, that his passion showed in the writing and the acting and made this movie one of my favorites of his (and a young Seth Green did Woody justice too).

That special blend of comedic, melancholic ideal world haze---when he gets it correctly, it is great! This is one of those Allen movies that sucks you into the remembered world, sepia toned, more than slightly un-realistic! But how realistically did we think when we were kids anyways! Great flick.

I'm a huge fan of Woody Allen (even his "clunkers"), but this is my absolute favorite Woody film. All of his films are personal, but none as personal and revealing as this...and ABSOLUTELY entertaining. Seth Green, Woody's young character, is perfect, justifying his current success. Wonderful performances from Woody's usual stock troupe (Kavner, Wiest, etc) are all in tune with the goings-on. Mia Farrow, in particular, is a hoot, especially her scenes with Danny Aiello. Woody even managed to squeeze a cameo from Diane Keaton at the end ("You Be So Nice to Come Home To"). Lovely and sweet. It's too bad the Academy eliminated the category for "Best Adapted Score", cuz this woud've won, no question. The greatest songs of the period (1940-1945) were lovingly presented, and anyone who sees this film can't help but be left with a wistful, soft and nostalgic feeling. Yes, this is my favorite Woody film.

"Radio" is the story of a man who meets a boy who changes a town. Sounds sappy, eh? Well that's the charm of "Radio" but charm was not enough to win me over and give this movie a better rating.

The movie stars film veteren Ed Harris and a star who I believe will become a future veteren actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Most of Gooding's movies are good. I heard good things about "Jerry McGuire," "Men of Honor," and "Pearl Habor." I saw him in "Rat Race," "Snow Dogs," "The Fighting Temptations," and was probally one of the only people who liked "Boat Trip." But when these two great actors come together, you would think that it would make one heck of a movie. But people are wrong all the time and I was just wrong thinking of it being a great movie. The problem with "Radio" did not rest with the performances of the actors. All of the actors put there best into the role, but the problem was that the script and the story was too weak. Too sappy. Too much. I felt like I was watching the same thing that I've seen in tons of other films. It was just another tearjerker about a mentally challenged person who changes a life or many lives. That genre is just getting old.

The movie starts with a young man named James Robert Kennedy, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. He is pushing a shopping cart down a dirt road, having fun. Every day he does this and he passes the sports field where he sees Coach Harold Jones helping his football team pratice for the upcoming season. The team includes Johnny, son of banker Frank Clay. Also couching team is Honeycutt. Harry focuses on football all the time during the season which neglects his wife Linda and their teenage daughter Mary Ellen who is a cheerleader for the team. Though Harry discovers James when the other boys on the team are making fun of him. He nicknames his Radio and brings him home to his mother, Maggie. Harry lets Radio hang around on the field bu Frank believes that he is becoming a disraction and the football team is becoming less of a team, and more of a social club. Then harry lets Radio sit in his class. Harry is a teacher at the school. Principal Daniels has a problem with that since Radio is not an official student. Problems arise from Radio in his personal life as they begin to educate him and learn more about how his father died, how his mother always works long hours at a hospital, and how he is just like all of the other kids, just a little different then them.

The acting was amazing. I've stated that already, but I just want to stress the point. Gooding Jr. especially. He was just amazing. He played the part of Radio so well, that people who never saw that actor would probally think that the actor was an actual mentally challenged person. All of the actors put so much love in their characters. Whenever you saw Radio on the screen, you just had to smile because he was so innocent. He did nothing wrong, yet half of the town is angry at him just for being different. But they are really just scared. They are scared of what they believe is not normal, when Radio is just as normal as you and me. It's a sad thing, being angry at innocent things, at different things. Because in exterior does not matter. Towards the end of the movie Ed Harris says that they havn't been teaching Radio, he's been teaching them. Radio has been teaching them. He taught them that it is ok to be scared of things you don't understand, but it wasn't ok to take out angry on them because of their difference.

ENJOY!

Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements.

My class went to see this movie on a field trip. Some of them thought it was boring, but I think it is cause they dont really have any emotional feeling or understanding for the plot. However the story is so touching and has a great moral, and loads of us students got that too. I am never going to forget this movie. When I think of it today, I still get tears in my eyes. It was so sad! Normally I just think, "Oh its just a movie," but the thing is that this is based on a true story and also it affects loads of peoples lives, including mine. What is so important to me is helping people with disabilities. I cried when Radio started crying cause football was over, I felt so bad for him - I could feel his innocence and pain. Then when his mom hugged him I felt my heart, like, lurch. I really cried when his mom died. I felt so sorry and bad for him, especially since it was just after Xmas and he is such a sweet innocent person! And also, I dont no why but when he got the radio for Xmas and was dancing, that touched me. I felt so bad and had tears when he got arrested, cause it was Xmas and he was so scared and so innocent. Anyways, this movie really touched me and I will carry it with me forever. I would go see it again but it was so sad that I don't think I will for awhile. I loved it though.

Radio is a movie based on a true story that is vastly improved because of the excellent performances by its cast. Football coach Harold Jones sees a young mentally challenged young man walk by his team's practice everyday and begins to take an interest in him. Jones invites him to help out at practice and basically be part of the team. Soon the young man, James Robert Kennedy aka Radio, begins to have an influence on all those around him. Radio even goes to school by helping out Coach Jones and going to classes himself. Some people in the small South Carolina town do not approve of Radio and begin to make steps to have him examined by professionals and possibly move him out of town. Radio is a very good movie from beginning to end that will keep you riveted throughout. The story is great, the acting even better, and the emotions are very real as you watch this movie.

Cuba Gooding JR is great as James Robert Kennedy, aka Radio, the mentally challenged young man who becomes involved with the town's football team and its coach, Harold Jones. Jones is played by Ed Harris in a very good role for him as the thoughtful coach who is suffering through family problems of his own. The relationship between Radio and Jones is the most important in the movie and easily the very best. Some scenes are truly touching as the two men interact with each other. The film also stars Alfre Woodward as the school principal, Debra Winger as Jones' wife, and several other familiar faces who all turn in good roles. Radio is a very good movie that benefits greatly from the impressive performances turned in by its two main stars. This is a movie that may make you cry several times, but it is very enjoyable and well worth a watch. Go check out Radio!