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Radio Days

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Radio Days (1987)

January. 30,1987
|
7.4
|
PG
| Comedy Music
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The Narrator tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. In the New York City of the late 1930s to the New Year's Eve 1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with contemporary anecdotes and urban legends of the radio stars.

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Reviews

Evengyny
1987/01/30

Thanks for the memories!

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ThrillMessage
1987/01/31

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

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Roman Sampson
1987/02/01

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

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Maleeha Vincent
1987/02/02

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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benm-41751
1987/02/03

Radio Days is an unrelenting ode to radio in the 1940's, to all the memories that so many millions of Americans surely have connected to songs and shows on the radio and memories of the radio itself. To sing this ode, the movie presents a number of wild and strange stories all somehow accompanied by what was playing on the airwaves. And while the movie pays tribute to a unique warmth, grit, and glamor of that particular decade coupled with the last golden days of radio, I think that it can speak to how anyone growing up in the past century has connected moments in our lives to radio, music, shows, movies, art, and even video games in ways that make no sense at all yet make perfect sense to us.So the movie very much accomplishes its goal, however the method is very heavy-handed. The first half of the movie is not a lot more than a series of caricatures playing out very contrived situations. Some of them would be comedy genius if they were really allowed to play out, but the movie moves so fast through them that it's hard to get attached. The characters during this time feel like there is little more beyond the surface, unfortunately a bit like community theater. Not to mention that the film relies on a narrator to make anything hold together, and even he can't deliver convincing transitions from one scene to another.The second half of the movie slows down, and suddenly the characters become real people, and the wild situations sink in and become funny. In the end it's an entertaining and endearing movie, but I personally thought it was almost overshadowed by the director's very clear motives. If the people and the memories of the era are so worthy of an ode, he should have let it all speak for itself!

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daoldiges
1987/02/04

I've seen this movie a couple of times now and it fits me better with each viewing. The wonderful score, cinematography, really wonderful performances and so much nostalgia for a bygone era that may or may not have been, it's just an easy delight. This film isn't at all reflective of my boyhood growing up, and yet I feel so connected to it and the messages and feelings Woods is trying to convey. Diane Wiest in particular creates a truly endearing character. I suspect that I will give this film another look before too long, and if you haven't already seen it I suggest you do so.

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g-bodyl
1987/02/05

Radio Days is a strong directorial effort by Woody Allen and it's funny, charming, and even nostalgic. This movie touches up on the fact how popular radio used to be during the golden years in the 1940's. During this time, the lives of people revolved around listening to radio and Allen does a great job in bringing this fact across. However, this is a story about family and kinship and how radio particularly affected this family.Woody Allen directed a rather charming film that is narrated by Joe and he talks about how radio influenced his childhood and he talks about his memories of his family and how radio associated with them. Not only that, but he also gives vivid descriptions on behind-the-scenes as well from the eyes of the radio personalities.This film has a strong cast led by regulars of older Woody Allen films. Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton makes some appearances here and do fairly well. Dianne Wiest had a great performance as Aunt Bea and Julie Kavner did well as Mother.Overall, this is a charming and witty film that will make you be overcome with nostalgic feelings. Even if you weren't born or alive in the 1940's, you can't but feel like you've been a part of this life someway or another. It's a great look on how radio played a part in everyone lives and how it's missed from today's society. I rate this film 8/10.

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gsygsy
1987/02/06

Hugely entertaining movie, soaked in unique kind of vinegary nostalgia: Allen never permits anything syrupy to overwhelm the script.It's a pity his relationship with Mia Farrow ended so sourly. He gives her such a terrific opportunity in RADIO DAYS, which she seizes and runs with. It may well be her best movie performance, because it's so unexpected: surely no one anticipated her coming up with anything so funny.In addition to Ms Farrow, the film is populated by a crowd of phenomenally good character actors, who can set you hooting with laughter with how they turn a one-liner or the way they react to someone else's. There's also a rich vein of poignancy, mostly mined by the ever-wonderful Dianne Wiest. For admirers of Mr Allen at his most dazzling, there's nothing better than the girl-talk scene between Ms Wiest and Julie Kavner. It's perfect.Woody Allen is, by any standard, a film-making phenomenon. One picture (sometimes two) a year since ANNIE HALL in 1977 is quite an output. I think you'd have to be a die-hard fan to deny that the quality of his work has declined, in spite of charmers like MIDNIGHT IN Paris (2011). For me, his last masterwork was BULLETS OVER Broadway (1994), but how many writer-directors make one such, let alone several? As far as I'm concerned he can put in that category MANHATTAN (1979), STARDUST MEMORIES (1980), ZELIG (1983), Broadway DANNY ROSE (1984), HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986), CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) and, towards the end of that highly fertile period, RADIO DAYS (1987).

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