DominickMEvans

The year 1939 was a hectic year for radio especially if you were working at WBN. At the time, WBN, a small, fictional station set in Chicago, Illinois was to become the fourth national radio network in the United States. Everyone was ready for the big night. The investors were relaxing in the lounge awaiting a good show. The writers were rewriting their scripts and the actors were poised and ready.

WBN was going to make a huge splash as the number four station in the nation! Well that is, if anyone was alive by the end of the night. There seemed to be a small problem at WBN during the national premiere. The problem was murder. There were numerous problems. Murder really was not the only one.

This farcical comedy has all the elements to make you laugh, shock you, and leave you satisfied if you're looking at it from a non-traditional view.

Multiple plots weave throughout Radioland Murders that all revolve around the WBN national broadcast. The story begins with a soon-to-be divorced husband (Roger) and wife (Penny), played by Mary Stuart Masterson (of Fried Green Tomatoes fame) and Brian Benben (from Dream On).

It seems that Roger Henderson had a roving eye, which landed him flat on his back. The real problem, though, was that his loving wife Penny caught him with the Va-Va-Voom girl, Claudette Katsenback (Anita Morris). While Penny tried to keep WBN organized as the station manager's secretary, Roger ignored his writing duties in an attempt to get his wife back.

Soon we are introduced to the director, Walt Whalen Jr. (played by Jeffrey Tambor). Walt Whalen Jr. is only the director because Walt Whalen Sr. (Ned Beatty) is the owner of the WBN network. Junior isn't a very good director.

If you're in the film industry you can't help but laugh at his inept ability to direct or even make simple decisions for himself. Many times Whalen looks on with his trademark blank stare as he adjusts his toupee, whimpering over the need to decide whether to cue music or the announcer. Usually it is up to Penny to chime in with the proper direction.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. One of the band members dies on stage. The scripts are horrible and late arriving after having to be re-written at the last minute and everyone is in an emotional rush. To make matters worse, a strange voice keeps coming over the intercom and no one knows where it is coming from. All they do know is that someone gets popped every time they hear the voice and no one knows who is going to be next.

They also know that every time someone is murdered, the person attached to the scene of the crime is Roger Henderson. Sure, Roger is bumbling, clumsy, and maybe even untrustworthy (just ask his wife), but a murderer? Radioland Murders takes you through the performance on the scene as they try to determine who is murdering the staff of WBN and who is going to be next.

It clocks in at close to two hours. If you are a fan of farcical comedies, it will feel like the movie is just the right length. You don't feel rushed and the multiple plots are entertaining as you watch them unfold. Whether you are trying to guess who did it during this whodunit or not, the character development will amuse you.

Celebrities fill the lineup in this movie from well known names like Masterson, George Burns (this was his last movie) and Rosemary Clooney to many names you won't recognize that are attached to people with faces that will look all too familiar.

If you're a fan of vintage ideas and radio shows you will find this movie to be a treat. This type of movie is rare, as is its fan base, so this movie will not appeal to everyone. If you are a fan of the movie Noises Off, then Radioland Murders should be right up your alley.

The critics were not fond of this movie when it came out and many wondered what George Lucas was thinking when he came up with the idea. However, you cannot always believe the hype of critics and if you are one that this type of movie appeals to. you will be in theatrical heaven.

I went in not sure what to expect. I was expecting more of a drama because of the movie's title. By nature I am a much bigger fan of dramas than comedies. This one hit me by surprise though. I began laughing almost immediately and continued to do so most of the way through. It was not the typical movie by any stretch, but that is what made it worth watching.

I recommend you check it out as a rental before you buy it. If you like it, buy it. It is one of those movies, which you will want to watch more than once. This is especially true if you get the meaning, the context, and the slapstick enjoyment from the melodrama of the radio celebrities in Radioland Murders.

I give it four stars.

September 11, 2001 is a moment that will forever live in the infamy of American History. Nearly everyone that was old enough to remember the attacks remembers what they were doing when it happened and how it has affected them all these years later. So, as the news for this movie began circling I was immediately and anxiously awaiting the release. In fact, it was the most anticipated movie of my summer.

Oliver Stone rarely disappoints when it comes to epic movies. In the past, movies like Alexander and Natural Born Killers have struck a chord in many people and left their mark on society. World Trade Center is set to do the same thing.

While there have been complaints that this movie was made too soon it was backed by the families and the men who were affected by this event the most. It was handled beautifully with plenty of emotion and a powerhouse cast of actors that knew just how to make you feel that you were in the middle of it all and that your life was as affected as theirs was.

Nicolas Cage heads up the cast playing John McLoughlin, the Sergeant that led a small group of Port Authority police officers into the towers to help rescue people trapped. Cage offers a glimpse of an emotional side showing strength and fear with only his voice as we watch the events unfold with baited breath.

Michael Pena, while slightly unknown compared to Cage, is simply a scene-stealer. Pena beautifully portrays William Jimeno, one of the Port Authority officers, who is stuck with Cage's McLoughlin beneath a pile of rubble. Pena moved into the Jimeno house to prepare for the role and the studying definitely helped. His performance was filled with emotion, force, and desperation. It was everything necessary to bring the movie together perfectly.

The lead women roles of Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal showed us how the wives of these men held on to memories when the lives of their husbands hung in the balance. We watched the turn of events in their minds and on their faces as life went from normal to unimaginable in a moment's time.

A small bit part by Stephen Dorff also added to the strength of the movie. The horror of the events are as evident on his face as the tears in his eyes as he plays Scott Strauss, the man that came in and saved the lives of Jimeno and McLoughlin.

People might liken this to be an attempt on Stone's part to make a stir, but they could not be more wrong. McLoughlin and Jimeno both have writing credits on the movie and their input heavily influenced the production. If you are looking for a touching, heart-wrenching story that could have been an action-flick but was unfortunately true, then this movie is for you.

If you see one movie this summer see World Trade Center. It is well worth the time and tears you will spend watching it.

Originally Published on Thursday, August 24, 2006 Copyright 2006: Ashtyn Evans and Literary Illusions