Rent Radio On (1979)
3.3 of 5 from 87 ratings
1h 40min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Following a young London DJ (David Beames) on the road to Bristol to investigate the mysterious death of his brother, 'Radio On' offers a unique, compelling and even mythic vision of a late 1970s England, stalled between failed hopes of cultural and social change and the imminent upheavals of Thatcherism. Stunningly photographed in luminous monochrome by Martin Schäfer, and driven by a startling new wave soundtrack - and early screen performance by Sting - 'Radio On' is ripe for rediscovery.
- Actors:
- David Beames, Lisa Kreuzer, Sandy Ratcliff, Andrew Byatt, Sue Jones-Davies, Sting, Sabina Michael, Katja Kersten, Paul Hollywood, Adrian Jones, Cyril Kent, Bernard Mistovski, Nina Pace, Joseph Riordan, David Squire, Kim Taylforth, Tilly Vosburgh, Sally Watkins
- Directors:
- Christopher Petit
- Producers:
- Keith Griffiths
- Writers:
- Christopher Petit, Heidi Adolph
- Studio:
- BFI Video
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Best Film Quests and Adventures, Films by Genre, The Golden Age of British Pop Musicals, A Brief History of Film..., The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Wim Wenders, Top 10 Films About Radio: Rock to Rap, Top Films
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 17/05/2021
- Run Time:
- 104 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Stereo
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Newly recorded audio interview in which director Chris Petit revisits key scenes in 'Radio On' (2021, 52 mins)
- New interview with film writer Jason Wood (2021, 54 mins)
- Interview with Chris Petit and producer Keith Griffiths (2008, 42 mins)
- Radio On (remix) (1998, 24 mins): a digital video essay with radical disruption of the original soundtrack by Wire's Bruce Gilbert
- Coping With Cupid (1991, 18 mins): three blondes from another planet land on Earth to conduct research into romantic love in this short film directed by musician and author Viv Albertine
- On the Road (1972 + 1975, 47 mins): a pair of public information films, with 'L for Logic' providing a flashback to driving tests in the 1970s and 'The Motorway File', directed by Ferdinand Fairfax (Jeeves and Wooster, Danger UXB), on the dangers of motorway driving
- Original Trailer
- Image Gallery
More like Radio On
Reviews (1) of Radio On
Drive Nowhere. Feel Everything - Radio On review by griggs
Radio On is a rare British road movie – let’s be honest, no one wants to watch someone crawling around the M25 in real-time. This is entirely different: eerie, slow, and hypnotic, with Wim Wenders’ fingerprints all over it. He produced it, his ex-wife stars, and one of his regular collaborators is behind the camera, capturing a hauntingly still, greyscale Britain at the moment fundamental to its future, with Thatcher newly elected. It’s low-budget, patient, sensitive, and kind. There’s barely any plot, even less dialogue, but the music, engine noise, radio silence, and bleak news broadcasts do the talking. Mesmerising stuff.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.