(Credit: DVDtown.com
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Directed by
Mel Smith
Cast:
Brian Benben …. Roger Henderson
Mary Stuart Masterson …. Penny Henderson
Ned Beatty …. General Walt Whalen
George Burns …. Milt Lackey
Scott Michael Campbell …. Billy
Brion James …. Bernie King
Michael Lerner …. Lieutenant Cross
Michael McKean …. Rick Rochester
Jeffrey Tambor …. Walt Whalen, Jr.
Stephen Tobolowsky …. Max Applewhite
Christopher Lloyd …. Zoltan
Larry Miller …. Herman Katzenback
Anita Morris …. Claudette Katsenback
Corbin Bernsen …. Dexter Morris
Rosemary Clooney …. Anna
Bob Goldthwait …. Wild Writer
There was a time in Hollywood when the Slapstick comedy was more than just fart jokes and toilet humor. Believe it or not, the genre was actually a type of art form, with names like Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers making people laugh with their razor sharp wit as much as they did with sight gags. It must have been these types of films that inspired George Lucas to write Radioland Murders; a picture with tons of energy, snappy dialogue, and pratfalls galore. Directed by Mel Smith, the film is not a total success, but Radioland Murders is also not nearly the disaster that critics said it was upon its release.
The film concerns the premiere of a 1930’s radio network, WBN, and specifically one of its head writers, Roger Henderson (Brian Benben). Henderson is not having a good night to say the least. Not only is his wife, Penny (Mary Stuart Masterson), leaving him, but with only minutes to go before WBN’s first broadcast, it’s decreed that every script written for the event has been thrown out and must be rewritten before the actors hit the stage for each radio play. Then to totally thrown things into the drink, someone starts knocking off the network’s various employees in a series of grisly murders, and poor Roger is set up to take the fall.
To say that Radioland Murders has a great cast would be a doozy of an understatement. Boasting comedy veterans such as Michael McKean, Ned Beatty, Jeffrey Tambor, Christopher Lloyd, Larry Miller, and even George Burns, most of these guys could make you laugh out loud in their sleep. Benben and Masterson also keep the quips light and funny as they run room to room, bickering up a storm while trying to avoid being the killer’s next victim.
Even though they aren’t given any lines, Michael McKean and Christopher Lloyd are especially funny in the movie, making use of their wonderful comic timing. McKean plays WBN’s band leader, and is given the opportunity to show off his physical comedy prowess in a series of goofy sequences involving a rotating floor, as well as a succession of musical numbers. Lloyd looks perfectly at home as the station’s sound effects guru, sporting a mad scientist-type haircut and throwing around different gadgets to get just the right noise needed for every sketch in the broadcast.
The majority of the jokes here are solid, with Benben having to shoulder much of the film’s gags, and doing so with gusto. Whether taking a door in the face or having to wear a Chiquita style dress, Benben is great at sacrificing himself for a good laugh. He and Masterson also are also able to carry off Lucas’ banter, which has way more spark here than it has in the last decade making his Star Wars prequels.
Where the film goes awry is in its murder mystery. The whole thing plays out similarly to Jonathan Lynn’s Clue, but by the time we get to end, the clues and back story we’ve gotten are so vague that we don’t really care as much as we should. Not helping is that most of the characters that are killed off either aren’t on screen very long or aren’t likeable enough to really get emotionally involved about them. To boot, the film’s finale seems perfunctory instead of the inspirational homage it wants to be, which really hurts the film overall.
Still, with madcap energy throughout the picture, there’s enough here to like. Benben gives Roger Henderson everything he’s got and turns in a very likable performance. Perhaps if the film had focused more on the mishaps of an opening night and less on the murder mystery, the movie may have soared instead of limping across the finish line like it does. As it stands, Radioland Murders is a fun romp, but a little disappointing considering the pedigree.
Score:7/10
The Video
Radioland Murders looks terrific on this disc, with Universal supplying a wonderful transfer and crystal clear print. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1
The Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is just as good, making the musical numbers pop and giving each joke the snap it deserved.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Theatrical Trailer
Theatrical Trailer – Not only is this the only feature on this disc, but the DVD does not even include a “scene selections” menu, which should be a must for any DVD.
Score:1/10
| InsidePulse’s Ratings for Radioland Murders | |
The Inside Pulse
Radioland Murders is a charming throwback, but has too many plot threads to really be anything even remotely resembling the greatness that George Lucas was used to at the time. Still the movie is fun, even with its flaws. Too bad that Universal has really let us down with this disc, as the DVD doesn’t even have “scene selections” and has the Theatrical Trailer as its only Extra.
