Talk Radio

Bogosian co-scripts and stars in this adaptation of his play about 'shock broadcasting' (the provocation of extremist attitudes), here expanded to incorporate details from Stephen Singular's book Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg. Barry Champlain (Bogosian) is a late-night radio host based in Dallas. He indulges in a perversely abusive relationship with callers. It's a formula that works, and Champlain is offered a chance for national syndication. But his tendency towards self-destruction gets into full swing, and he brings his ex-wife (Greene) to Dallas for what amounts to a distressing, seemingly pointless stroll down memory lane. Much too long, these flashbacks are decidedly less effective than the studio-bound sequences which focus on Champlain's mania and rapid-fire exchange with his lonely, lunatic fans, one of whom finally gets out of hand. At these moments, Champlain's distorted perspective is compelling, despite Stone's sometimes flashy direction as he attempts to wrest cinematic qualities out of the essentially stagey material.