Private Parts (1997)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Pretty Good

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

A man so hated & loathed for being outspoken, raunchy, and possessing a juvenile sense of humor (whose ultimate goal was simply this: to illicit great laughs to be had by all & good ratings to keep him on-the-air) finds plenty of opposition as he departs from his formal university education & enters into the difficult journey of achieving a successful broadcast entertainment career!Howard Stern is by far one of the most under-appreciated, overlooked, unjustly blacklisted, guilty-until-proved-innocent humans on Earth! I have listened & watched the Stern Show since the early 90's when the show was finally coming into its own, and reaching global audiences, as opposed to the 80's, when Stern nation was just barely reaching East & West Coast listeners. I realize Howard Stern's reputation & outlook on life while being a "shock jock" is too much to handle for lots of uptight victims of a sheltered upbringing; the morality hypocrites in this country - where freedom of expression/speech is often tested, ridiculed, and ultimately determined to be just a farce. This country will never outgrow CENSORSHIP. But for many of us in this intelligent, open-minded, love- laugh-live army of dedicated fans... we wouldn't want it any other way!In Private Parts, Howard Stern gives us insight into the career-long battle with the FCC, and shows us his human side where he shares his experiences of becoming a father, a husband, and a great & loyal friend to all who are deserving. Thanks to his many lifelong critics (who are just embittered fans anyway!), there may be a lot to dislike about someone who is so often misunderstood and dismissed as "an overgrown man child"... whatever opinion you may have about Howard Stern and his empire, you simply cannot deny his genius & overall success!

Big fan since DC 101 days and the 'let it all out' format leads listeners to believe they have a clue about his life. I recall thinking this confidently until I read a very obscure clip in a Palm Springs newspaper that he was divorcing his first wife, wtf? He complained incessantly about his lack of privacy at home, his daughter demanding ice water before bed and things of that nature. However, every married man has marital complaints and the topic did make good radio fodder, especially for the lovelorn, henpecked demographic.I enjoyed this film immensely as the characters were played mostly by themselves with surprising ability. I had no idea that Howard was so handsome during this timeframe as well as gorgeous Robin.I appreciate one man's victory to overcome the staid radio format and share more personal information with various ostracized groups. I have never met a porn star and found it fascinating to hear their life adventures. Same with many of the wild, zany characters that littered his program daily.My biggest disappointment of the script is that it did not portray how he treats his assistants with great disdain. I never found that entertaining, but this aspect is an integral part of his show. I know Howard expects perfection but pays poorly and takes advantage of those who are competent. My only real complaint about his persona. He invites all into a secret world of misfits, outcasts, and miscreants that otherwise would have no voice. I applaud his effort to mainstream the outliers of society and attempt to humanize them. I was extremely shocked and saddened that he remarried, albeit to a beautiful, gracious model, that made the major theme of this film fall flat. He started therapy with the famous Dr. Sarno which relies heavily on expressing your deepest emotions and suppressed rage. I believe this is what precipitated his need to live a different life.I did not follow his program to satellite radio and have missed his crazy antics but after so many years of the same shock jock tactics, now with the F word, I am bored.If you were ever a fan of the show this is a delightful Horatio Alger like tale with caveats. Be prepared for blunt discussions on sex and variant behavior. I felt Mary McCormacks role was so underplayed and mousy. Her voice barely registered and her lines were spoken so quickly like a scared cat. Her beauty carried the role but did not suffice to play against such a hard boiled character like Howard. Most likely intentional direction by Thomas as every scene is dubbed with construction noise or traffic, extremely annoying! The FCC story was never mentioned when Howard, supportive of the war post 9/11 (his most memorable broadcast fyi), takes a turn to defile the leaders decisions and suddenly licensing issues prevail.This film was a delightful surprise in that it portrayed the radio persona well with insight into the personal realm. High Recommend!

PRIVATE PARTS is the hysterically funny and raunchy film version of the autobiography of the self-proclaimed "King of All Media"- Howard Stern which is a comedic chronicle of his rise from college communications student to the #1 radio disc jockey in New York, who has shocked audiences and kept the FCC on their toes for years with his shocking and outrageous on the air antics that have offended audiences, sponsors, and even his own family with equal opportunity. Breezily directed by Betty Thomas (THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE), Stern offers a comic tour-De-force here, playing himself and recreating some of his most outrageous radio stunts, aided by radio cohorts Robin Quivers and Fred Norris, also playing themselves. Stern is backed up by a solid cast including Mary McCormick (lovely as Stern's wife Allison), Michael Murphy, Allison Janney, Jonathan Hadary, Paul Hecht, and towering above them all, Paul Giamatti, who officially became a movie star with his roll-on-the floor funny turn as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, Howard's program director at WNBC, who challenges Stern at every turn but never gets the best of him. The film is hysterical from start to finish and features cameo appearances from John Stamos, Mia Farrow, Carol Alt, Ozzy Ozbourne, Dee Snider, AC/DC, and another of Stern's radio buddies, Stuttering John. A laugh-out loud comedy that entertains right through the closing credits. Not for the kids. Beware of edited prints.

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!