Talk Radio (1988)

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers (WGA):

Stephen Singular (book)
Eric Bogosian (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 December 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The last neighborhood in America.

Plot:

A rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.

Plot Keywords:

Hatred | Telephone | Tragic Ending | Shot To Death | Murder

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Eric Bogosian	...	Barry Champlain
Ellen Greene	...	Ellen
Leslie Hope	...	Laura
John C. McGinley	...	Stu
Alec Baldwin	...	Dan
John Pankow	...	Dietz
Michael Wincott	...	Kent / Michael / Joe
Linda Atkinson	...	Sheila Fleming
Robert Trebor	...	Jeffrey Fisher / Francine
Zach Grenier	...	Sid Greenberg
Tony Frank	...	Dino
Harlan Jordan	...	Coach Armstrong
Bill Johnson	...	Fan #1
Kevin Howard	...	Fan #2
Anna Levine	...	Woman at Basketball Game / Denise
Bruno Rubeo	...	Terry
Pirie MacDonald	...	Judge Willard
Allan Corduner	...	Vince / Morris
Mimi Cochran	...	Girl #1
Teresa Bell	...	Girl #2 / Lucy
Rockets Redglare	...	Killer / Redneck Caller
Angus G. Wynne III	...	Engineer
Chip Moody	...	Announcer
David Poynter	...	Engineer
Peter Zapp	...	Josh / Vincent (voice)
Carl Kissin	...	Glen (voice)
Park Overall	...	Debbie / Agnes (voice) / Theresa (voice)
Michele Mariana	...	Rhonda / Elderly Woman (voice) / Julia (voice)
Earl Hindman	...	Chet / Black John / Jerry (voice)
John Seitz	...	Bob (voice)
Kyle McClaran	...	Arnold (voice)
Dee Pylano	...	Nancy (voice)
Daniel Escobar	...	Frank (voice)
William De Acutis	...	John the Rapist / Ralph (voice) (as Bill DeAcutis)
Frederica Meister	...	Sexy Woman (voice)
Luis Barajas	...	Fred (voice)
Vernie Bailey	...	Jackie (voice)
Martin Raymer	...	Arnold (voice)
Alan Clark	...	Larry (voice)
Moby	...	Station Announcer / Newscaster (voice)
John B. Wells	...	V.D. (voice)
Leigh French	...	Newscaster (voice)
Walter Lynn	...	Newscaster (voice)

Directed by
Oliver Stone

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen Singular		(book "Talked To Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg")
Eric Bogosian		(play creator) &
Tad Savinar		(play creator)
Eric Bogosian		(play)
Eric Bogosian		(screenplay) &
Oliver Stone		(screenplay)

Produced by
A. Kitman Ho	....	producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
Diane Schneier	....	associate producer
Greg Strangis	....	executive producer
Sam Strangis	....	executive producer
Neal Weisman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Stewart Copeland

Cinematography by
Robert Richardson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Brenner
Joe Hutshing		(co-editor)

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia
Billy Hopkins

Production Design by
Bruno Rubeo

Art Direction by
Milo

Set Decoration by
Derek R. Hill

Costume Design by
Ellen Mirojnick

Makeup Department
Martha Marek Beresford	....	hair stylist
Sharon Ilson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jane Bartelme	....	unit manager
Michael Flynn	....	executive in charge of production
Clayton Townsend	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vebe Borge	....	second assistant director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	first assistant director (as Joseph Reidy)

Art Department
Don 'Tex' Clark	....	set dresser (as Don Clark)
Mike Parsons	....	property master
Barry Phillips	....	assistant art director
Craig Pittman	....	set dresser
Joe Sharber	....	stand-by props
Phil Shirey	....	set dresser
J. Grey Smith	....	lead man (as Grey Smith)
Floyd Gentry	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Terry Lynn Allen	....	dialogue editor (as Terry Allen)
Lorna Anderson	....	dialogue editor
Lon Bender	....	supervising sound editor (as Lon E. Bender)
Neal Burger	....	dialogue editor
Harry Cohen	....	digital sound effects designer
Tom Dionne	....	sound effects editor
Scott Martin Gershin	....	sound designer
Avram D. Gold	....	dialogue editor (as Avram Gold)
Lewis Goldstein	....	dialogue editor (as Lew Goldstein)
Douglas Greenfield	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Patrick M. Griffith	....	post-production sound supervisor
Victor Grodecki	....	dialogue editor
Penny Lee Hallin	....	assistant dialogue editor
Kevin Hearst	....	dialogue editor
Sherry Klein	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gerry Lentz	....	foley editor
Gerry Lentz	....	foley recordist
Kim Maitland	....	sound recordist
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound mixer
Joseph A. Mayer	....	adr supervisor (as Joseph Mayer)
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
T.J. O'Mara	....	boom operator
Kelly Oxford	....	assistant dialogue editor
Dan M. Rich	....	dialogue editor (as Dan Rich)
David M. Roberts	....	utility sound (as David Roberts)
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Ann Scibelli	....	sound effects editor
R. Russell Smith	....	sound effects editor (as Rusty Smith)
Cathie Speakman	....	sound editor
Wylie Stateman	....	supervising sound editor
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen Toback	....	sound effects editor
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
Jeff Vaughn	....	foley editor
Jeff Vaughn	....	foley recordist

Special Effects by
Dyan Traynor	....	effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sharon Alley	....	second assistant camera
Jerry G. Callaway	....	aerial photographer
Mark Shane Davis	....	key grip (as Mark Davis)
Jonathan D. Guerra	....	electrician (as Jon Guerra)
Johnny Gutierrez	....	rigging electrician
John Johns	....	video playback operator
Steve Lang	....	grip
Fred L. McLane	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Fred McLane)
Reinhart 'Rayteam' Peschke	....	gaffer
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	director of photography: second unit (as Phil Pfeiffer)
Toby Phillips	....	steadicam operator
Bill Pierson	....	dolly grip
David Rudd	....	first assistant camera
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Frank Scheidbach	....	best boy
John Shoemaker	....	electrician
John Patrick Smith	....	camera trainee (as Patrick Smith)
Peter J. Verrando	....	24 frame video operator (as Pete Verrando)
Mark A. Hatley	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Matthew W. Davis	....	casting assistant
Ed Johnston	....	casting: Texas
Carl Scaglione	....	casting assistant: Texas
Katherine Venti	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara A. Baker	....	wardrobe assistant (as Barbara Baker)
Sawnie Baldridge	....	costume supervisor (as Sawnie Baldridge Smith)
Stephen M. Chudej	....	costumer (as Stephen Chudej)
Mayes C. Rubeo	....	assistant to costume designer (as Mayes Castillero de Rubeo)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	additional negative cutter
Jana Carroll	....	apprentice editor
Bob Hagans	....	color timer
Michele Perrone	....	assistant editor (as Michelle Perrone)
Melody Platt	....	apprentice editor
Marcelo Sansevieri	....	assistant editor
Pietro Scalia	....	assistant editor
Emmy Scharlatt	....	assistant editor
Amy Urema	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Budd Carr	....	music supervisor
Niki Freegard	....	music coordinator
Carlton Kaller	....	music editor (as Carl Kaller)
Jeff Seitz	....	music co-producer
Jeff Seitz	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Alvin Milliken	....	driver (as Alvin Milliken Jr.)
Billy Milliken	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Bill Abbott	....	key technical advisor
Judith Lee Berg	....	consultant
David Bradstreet	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
David A. Brink	....	production assistant (as David Brink)
Billy Crawford	....	film courier
Elon Dershowitz	....	assistant: Edward R. Pressman
Cindy Fairfield	....	studio manager
Catherine M. Griffin	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Robert Grindrod	....	assistant auditor
Sandy Hollis	....	craft service
Andrea Jaffe	....	publicist
Myra Lebo	....	office staff executive assistant: Pressman Films, Los Angeles
Deborah Lupard	....	key production assistant
Susan Malerstein	....	script supervisor
Lisa Mashburn	....	bookkeeper: Los Angeles
Dan Perri	....	title designer: main titles
Sandra Maltz Saccio	....	production secretary: Pressman films, Los Angeles (as Sandra Maltz)
Elisabeth Seldes	....	assistant: Oliver Stone
Christina Stauffer	....	production assistant
Barbara-Ann Stein	....	auditor
Leeann Stonebreaker	....	production coordinator
Elizabeth Stone	....	spiritual advisor: Naijo No Ko
Layne Teaff	....	production assistant
Art Tizon	....	office coordinator: Los Angeles
Peter J. Verrando	....	technician: broadcast electronics (as Pete Verrando)
Anath White	....	technical advisor
Mike Childress	....	stage manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cineplex-Odeon Films
• Ten-Four Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures
• VTI Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• EFX Systems  digital sound
• J.G. Films  negative cutting
• Optical House, The  opticals
• Otto Nemenz International  camera and lenses
• R/Greenberg Associates  additional optical effects
• Soundelux  dialogue editing

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:18 (1989-2005) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:15 (re-rating: 2005) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Building One, Studios at Las Colinas - 6301 North O'Connor Road, Irving, Texas, USA

Company:

Cineplex-Odeon Films

Trivia:

In his research for the film version, actor Eric Bogosian often watched the on-air production of Tom Leykis' talk show, then originating from Los Angeles station KFI. Bogosian's fictional character in the film shares many speech patterns and mannerisms with real-life talker Leykis.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After picking up Ellen from the airport the car that Barry is driving is in "Park." This can be seen in the shots through the windshield.

Quotes:

Barry: I should hang; I'm a hypocrite. I ask for sincerity and I lie. I denounce the system as I embrace it. I want money and power and prestige: I want ratings and success. And I don't give a damn about you, or the world. That's the truth: for that I could say I'm sorry, but I won't. Why should I? I mean who the hell are you anyways you...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Fisher King (1991)

Soundtrack:

Bad to the Bone

An interesting film, though it could've been stronger

I tend to be inclined towards movies about people who choose to cross the barriers of censorship, and express what they really want to express. Eric Bogosian's character of Barry is like Howard Stern, but much more intelligent. The character itself is very fascinating. As an Oliver Stone film, I guess I was expecting more. The film sags a bit during the third act. Plus, it's pretty obvious that "Talk Radio" is based on a play, with its long dialogue scenes. But overall, the film works. Bogosian is great in the lead, and the fact that he also wrote the play from which the movie was based on probably helped him. If you want to check out one of Stone's greater films, I better suggest you check out "JFK" or "Salvador." This is not his best work, but a good movie nonetheless.