RADIOLAND MURDERS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 4.0
Date Released: 10/21/94 Running Length: 1:47 Rated: PG (Brief nudity, cartoon violence)
Starring: Mary Stuart Masterson, Brian Benben, Ned Beatty, Michael Lerner, Scott Michael Campbell, Christopher Lloyd, Stephen Tobolowsky, Michael McKean, Corbin Bernsen, Brion James, Harvey Korman Director: Mel Smith Producers: Rick McCallum and Fred Roos Screenplay: Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz and Jeff Reno & Ron Osborne based on a story by George Lucas Cinematography: David Tattersall Music: Joel McNeely Released by Universal Pictures
In the '70s and '80s, George Lucas had the Midas touch. Combining the STAR WARS saga with the adventures of Indiana Jones, Lucas amassed a great deal of prestige for himself as well as a lot of money for his distributors. Thus, with Lucas' name featured so prominently in the credits for RADIOLAND MURDERS (executive producer and story), it's reasonable to have high expectations for the film (especially if you haven't seen the dreadful previews). Unfortunately, in this case, instead of gold, we've been given dross.
RADIOLAND MURDERS is like some horrible concoction synthesizing elements of THE HUDSUCKER PROXY and BRAIN DONORS, and setting them in the world of David Lynch's ON THE AIR. This film has more gags in it than anything this side of a Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker production, too few of which work. Admittedly, slapstick (like almost all comedy) is extremely subjective, but you have to have a rather low laughter threshold to find much of the sit-com style humor in RADIOLAND MURDERS to be more funny than tedious.
The first twenty minutes of the film are actually relatively promising, with lots of fast cuts and snappy dialogue. With an inventive script, this sort of pace could have made for a wonderfully wild ride. Unfortunately, RADIOLAND MURDERS' screenplay is empty, resulting in a movie whose frantic style makes it more tiresome and chaotic than fast-paced.
The story takes place in radio's heyday during the inaugural on-air night for the new fourth network, WBN. Based in Chicago, WBN has been set up as a rival to NBC, CBS, and ABC. It has an impressive list of programs, including such nightly favorites as "The Black Whip," "Home Is Where the Heart Is," "Gork: Son of Fire," and (my personal favorite) "Johnny Ace: Hard-Boiled Dick."
As the night's festivities get underway, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson), the station's General Secretary, is running around trying to get everyone in position while fending off the apologetic advances of a husband (Brian Benben) she believes to be unfaithful. Disorder rules, and things really start to get messy when an unauthorized voice makes an menacing pronouncement over an open mike. Shortly thereafter, the first of many deaths occurs. Even the arrival of Lt. Cross (Michael Lerner) of the Chicago Police Department can't stop the killings--and the prime suspect turns out to be Penny's husband, Roger.
I won't claim that there are no laughs in this film, although most of my chuckles came from witty one-liners rather than the endless attempts at slapstick. However, the movie's limited comic success doesn't justify one-hundred seven minutes of idiotic plotting and pointless zaniness. Silly motion pictures are often enjoyable, but only when there's a modicum of creativity and inventiveness behind them. RADIOLAND MURDERS lacks those qualities.
Of course, with ILM involved in the production, the visual and audio effects are expected to be top-notch, which they are. The cast is also impressive, although, other than Mary Stuart Masterson, Brian Benben, and Scott Michael Campbell, few of them get much screen time, and no one is given an opportunity to really shine. RADIOLAND MURDERS is a movie of gimmicks, not actors.
As a pioneering picture for the "future wave of special effects," RADIOLAND MURDERS makes an effective proving ground. As a piece of entertainment, its value is somewhat more dubious. Lucas, his four screenwriters, and director Mel Smith try hard to make us laugh but, as was the case in John Turturro's four-cylinder misfire BRAIN DONORS, this motion picture reinforces the simple truth that jokes don't necessarily equate to humor.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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