This could have been so bad: instead, it's a masterpiece
I SO enjoyed this movie.
I watched this movie without realizing until close to the end that Howard Stern was playing himself.
I was a radio announcer myself, during the period when Stern got going. This movie has the 'feel' of reality to it. I recognized so many of the people I worked with in this movie. Every radio station has some of them. The studios of the period were just like this.
Of course, this movie was severely compressed in time and space. Radio is like warfare: lengthy periods of utter boredom punctuated by periods of pure panic. We don't need to see the slow bits. Each hour of on-air radio presentation requires something like three hours of preparation: we don't see the hard work that goes into such a show.
We do see a very funny and entertaining movie. Don't forget, I was in the industry at the time this all happened: and this one feels 'real' to me.
Many autobiographical pieces by "stars" turn into awful sycophantic schmaltz-fests. This one didn't. It could have been awful. Most of this kind are. This one... is excellent.
And if you've never worked in broadcasting -- it's still very funny!
I watched this movie without realizing until close to the end that Howard Stern was playing himself.
I was a radio announcer myself, during the period when Stern got going. This movie has the 'feel' of reality to it. I recognized so many of the people I worked with in this movie. Every radio station has some of them. The studios of the period were just like this.
Of course, this movie was severely compressed in time and space. Radio is like warfare: lengthy periods of utter boredom punctuated by periods of pure panic. We don't need to see the slow bits. Each hour of on-air radio presentation requires something like three hours of preparation: we don't see the hard work that goes into such a show.
We do see a very funny and entertaining movie. Don't forget, I was in the industry at the time this all happened: and this one feels 'real' to me.
Many autobiographical pieces by "stars" turn into awful sycophantic schmaltz-fests. This one didn't. It could have been awful. Most of this kind are. This one... is excellent.
And if you've never worked in broadcasting -- it's still very funny!
- jgmcghie
- 23 janv. 2007