Barry is a shock jock who entertains the undemanding public by fielding calls from assorted nutcases, racists and ignorami. He keeps them at arm's length with an acid tongue and quick wit.
His show goes national, and the threats he gets on the job seem to intensify. He gets suspicious packages sent to the studio, and one of his weirder callers shows up for an up-close-and-personal interview. He has a downward spiral.
"Talk Radio" is an interesting one. Most of the movie is Bogosian as Barry talking into a microphone. The voice talents on offer are extraordinary, but the biggest stand-out of all is Michael Wincott, when he finally appears as the dark side of the "Bill & Ted" or Jeff Spicoli type of stoned heavy metal fan. This might be his best performance.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. For one thing, it doesn't seem to have a clear narrative focus. I was surprised when Barry lost it. The climactic scene comes out of nowhere. We actually get very little of what he thinks and feels about his bottom-feeding profession. He acts the scene well, but it doesn't connect.
His show goes national, and the threats he gets on the job seem to intensify. He gets suspicious packages sent to the studio, and one of his weirder callers shows up for an up-close-and-personal interview. He has a downward spiral.
"Talk Radio" is an interesting one. Most of the movie is Bogosian as Barry talking into a microphone. The voice talents on offer are extraordinary, but the biggest stand-out of all is Michael Wincott, when he finally appears as the dark side of the "Bill & Ted" or Jeff Spicoli type of stoned heavy metal fan. This might be his best performance.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. For one thing, it doesn't seem to have a clear narrative focus. I was surprised when Barry lost it. The climactic scene comes out of nowhere. We actually get very little of what he thinks and feels about his bottom-feeding profession. He acts the scene well, but it doesn't connect.