When I was in film school I was given the advice, “Never let perfection get in the way if you’re onto something good.” Here is an excellent example. Allan Moyle wrote this cult comedy/drama about a teenager who broadcasts, his own pirate radio station to the other teens at his school, riding a whirlwind of trouble. The premise sounds far-fetched now that the social media landscape has changed so completely. It’s a sloppy movie with head-scratching moments, held together by a great soundtrack and Christian Slater’s performance as the demonic sweetheart who goes by “Hard Harry”.
The film crashed at the box office, but quickly became a cult hit on cable because it’s onto something with the various stories of students feeling like they have nobody who understands their problems and their anger. It encourages you to find creative, artistic outlets for these suppressed impulses because expressing yourself gives you power over negative emotions. Today, Hard Harry’s pirate radio is an outdated concept, but this isn’t just the best film about being a teen in the 1990s, it has ideas which are still important today.
Leave A Comment