Pirate Radio

[kludge]

I saw Pirate Radio with the spouse on saturday night, and thought some of you might like a review...

Someone called it "A soundtrack in search of a movie", and it's a lot closer to the truth than should be comfortable. At one point, a song comes up with the same name as a particular character, and I realized that her name was probably chosen just so they could use that song. Um, blech?

I was disappointed not because it's a bad movie, but because it should have been much better than it was. The producers were responsible for two of the finest, most subtle ensemble-cast romantic comedies of the modern era - the classic Four Weddings and a Funeral, and the more recent Love Actually. Those are GREAT movies and I highly recommend them. Pirate Radio, though? Not so much.

To some extent, the characters are shallow. That's always a problem with large ensemble casts, but historically, they have been able to pull off characters that are unique and compelling. This time, they're just names and tics, for the most part. I found it hard to care about them even when I wanted to. But the problem was exacerbated by a lack of plausible, relevant conflicts among a cast of mostly men, trapped on a ship together for months on end. The rivalries and deceits were a joke. It was just dumb.

But the worst sin - and this is very much a generational bias for me - is the movie's drastic case of "Baby Boomers invented everything that was ever cool and rebellious and we stuck it to the Man, man!" As a Gen-X baby, I've spent my whole life living in what the Baby Boomers believe is their shadow, and it's really damned annoying. This movie is so smug about 1960s music and counterculture that you wanna puke.

The soundtrack, though, is worthy of some smugness. Lots and lots of great stuff. Too bad I didn't care if any of the characters lived or died by the end, though.

[trisonic]

The truth of Pirate Radio in the UK is far stranger than fiction and more complicated. It was all over by 1967.

Best, Pete.

[kludge]

Originally Posted by trisonic

The truth of Pirate Radio in the UK is far stranger than fiction and more complicated. It was all over by 1967.

Best, Pete.

I think that's part of what bugs me. The background history is so interesting, the story should have been more interesting too. But the relationship between pirate radio and the authorities was about as serious as a Keystone Kops chase in the movie.

[bluesjunior]

Originally Posted by kludge

I think that's part of what bugs me. The background history is so interesting, the story should have been more interesting too. But the relationship between pirate radio and the authorities was about as serious as a Keystone Kops chase in the movie.

I was born in 1950 and in the UK before pirate radio there was about two hours of "pop" music on the BBC light service weekly. The alternative was radio Luxembourg which transmitted pop songs all night and with the invention of the transistor radio led to a whole generation of kids listening to it through a single earplug hoping that your parents wouldn't come in and catch you as you were supposed to be sleeping.

I think any Brit aged between 55-65 or so will watch this film like I did and think that it definitely catches the vibe of the time. As it was pitched as a comedy the producers have made the government and police to come across as bumpkins but believe you me the British "Establishment" was terrified of what was happening in the 60's. Their whole world was coming apart and they didn't understand it at all and did all they could to destroy it.

It was the whole culture they were at war with. Not only against pirate radio but also the campaign which resulted in the show trial against the publishers of IT(International Times) an underground paper for "Obscenity" and ended with the Times attack on the establishment under the front page headline article, "Who breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel" in response to the jailing of Mick Jagger and Keith Richard for possession of drugs.

It has been mentioned on these forums before but people who didn't experience the cultural upheaval of the 60's will never truly understand it. It was the most exciting and revolutionary of times and you really had to be there to experience it. This film and another one called "Across the Universe" really bring me back to that magical, crazy time when unharnessed creativity abounded like few other periods before and none since.

[joolzriff]

i used to listen too radio caroline in the mid 80's...exellent station,bbc radio 1 wouldnt play cool stuff so caroline was IT! good stuff

[Guitar55]

Originally Posted by kludge

....But the worst sin - and this is very much a generational bias for me - is the movie's drastic case of "Baby Boomers invented everything that was ever cool and rebellious and we stuck it to the Man, man!" As a Gen-X baby, I've spent my whole life living in what the Baby Boomers believe is their shadow, and it's really damned annoying. This movie is so smug about 1960s music and counterculture that you wanna puke.

Well I guess you can be smug if you're right.

As I just posted in the "What's your favorite era of Rock music?" thread

Everything from post-doo-wop like The Four Seasons to Motown, Memphis, The Beatles and the British Invasion, Psychedlia, Folk Music, Jazz, the birth of Hard Rock, and the birth of Country Rock, no other decade gave us the breadth and quantity of quality music over such diverse styles as the 1960's.

[rhinocaster]

Zombie thread.

Saw it last night as my wife and I stumbled across it on cable.

The soundtrack and Bill Nighy are worth the time regardless of the rest of it. The rest of it WAS worthwhile for both of us. Sweet, silly and dumb. It's not going to change the world like the actual people and music of those times, but we had fun.

[Roadeye]

I saw it too and thought it sucked. The low point for me was when they played "Won't Get Fooled Again" and it was supposed to be what, 1967?

Once again, Hollywood kills a good idea.

[Teleplayer]

I enjoyed it. I wasn't aware Pirate Radio was supposed to send an artistic message like Citizen Kane or Battleship Potemkin.

I simply watched it as if it was decent entertainment with some good music. Maybe I should have critiqued it with a more watchful eye.

[RCCola]

I thought it was entertaining. They bust each other's balls a lot in a very British way. The ending was pretty heart-warming. And, yes, the music was awesome.

[onemind]

A few nice moments, some cringe-worthy ones...agree with the original poster, (though the soundtrack could have been even better)