FM

Rating:
Summary: Terribly dated
Review: This film is so dated, it's almost difficult to watch. The great crisis here is they may sell advertising on this station to the U. S. Army! Okay, in the post-Vietnam Era, that may have seemed like a terrible moral crime. But in the post Reagan era, it just comes across as politically correct to the extreme. Still a good look at music/radio of the late 70s. If you work in broadcasting you'll enjoy looking at the older boards, cart machines, and so on. It is very funny, however, to hear this station refer to itself as playing "the non-commercial sound" of the 70s, and then hear one very commercial song after another being played, including "Baby Come Back" which is about a commerical a song as you can get. If you do enjoy the music of the 70s, there is a lot here to like. It's just that the big crisis in plot really doesn't generate sympathy. Also, the drug culture it promotes is out of place out of the 1970s.

Rating:
Summary: No static at all, baby.
Review: This is a classic film that possibly inspired TV's WKRP. Unlike some films, it is chock full of notable music and artists. The atmosphere is a throwback to simplier times. I first saw this film back in 1988 when i was in high school. I thought it was pretty good. Too bad I wasn't old enough to go that Jimmy Buffett concert. The one thing I love about this movie is that it is put into mini storylines. That is what makes this movie interesting and unique. Martin Mull is likeable as Eric Swan, the station's self-centered DJ. If you watch closely, you'll notice some of the smiliar traits that the DJs have with the WKRP DJs (Jeff Dugan=Andy Travis, Eric Swan=Dr. Johnny Fever, Prince of Darkness=Venus Flytrap, Bobby Douglas=Bailey Quarters). Give this one a try. It will really take you back.

Rating:
Summary: A movie about a era of radio now long gone
Review: This movie is not a masterpiece by a long shot, but it is a movie that encapsulates a golden era of music and radio that is long gone.

The overall story is about a fictitious radio station in Los Angeles facing a battle with the station owners over what advertising will be broadcast on the radio, namely the new advertising spots by the US Army that would help the station owners to increase profits.

Watching this film, it is interesting to see how insignificant the conflict with the corporate machine is in this movie than if the same movie were made in the modern day. The owners of the FM radio station in Los Angeles we are told, own 10 radio stations across the country. Today, it would not be uncommon for a communications corporate giant to own 10 radio stations in each city, thereby creating a monopoly and eliminating any dissent whatsoever. Disc jockeys running late to spin the records, and disc jockeys who couldn't get the tape machine to play their sponsors' advertisements without technical difficulties could easily be eliminated today with computer software automation. What little automation a radio station did not have could easily be eliminated if those who spun the records chose to go on strike, as did those at the end of this movie. The station's broadcasting location could easily be switched to another location by a simple click of a computer mouse, until the conflict was removed.

Corporate commentary aside, this movie is a great period piece to watch -- Disc Jockey's with larger than life egos, a radio station that likes to give the listeners what they want to hear, including free live concert broadcasts featuring Linda Ronstadt, and live broadcasts of disc jockeys from the local record store.

The DVD has the movie preview for this film, and at the end of it, is shown the FM soundtrack double album. I have heard this album, and it is one of the best soundtrack albums ever made for a movie -- where the film is average in quality, the music album is far superior to the film. This movie is not big on telling a story, but it is big on the music.

Rating:
Summary: a realistic look at 70s radio
Review: this movie will take you back to when rock music came into being.. it takes me back to when i was in late elementary-early jr. high school listing to my little am radio that would sit in the palm of my hand. music like the EAGLES and STEELY DAN, are really timless. if you look in the background, notice all the posters of the then really poupular musicians.. its a real precious little time-capsul that will take you back to when music wasnt gothic,or grunge. give it a try, and reminice where you were in the 70's at that time.. to bad we cant go back to some of the concerts they show. the buffet concert would have been wild!