By Jason O'Brien jaobrien@charter.net
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Oliver Stone's darkest film has to be Talk Radio, a probing film that looks into the world of radio talk shows. Eric Bogosian plays Barry Champlain, a radio talk show host of an evening talk show which tackles all sorts of controversial topics - Barry is the type of personality who revels in bringing up controversial topics and probing the minds and motivations of those faceless listeners out there who call into the show. Barry doesn't mind angering people, and the film builds up to one particular listener finally killing Barry himself - hushing this outspoken voice once and for all.
The film was adapted from Bogosian's stage play (Here's a brief portion of the stage play) and is one of the most intriguing and perhaps most challenging to make of Stone's films. With this film, Stone had the challenge of making a thriller that takes place, for the most part, in the radio studio. Stone employs interesting and unique camera angles to heighten the suspense, and during the final sequence when Barry is lashing out against his listeners Stone keeps the camera moving around Barry, where it finally looks as if the room is moving while Barry remains stationary - it's a very interesting sequence. The film is quite a departure from what we are usually used to with Stone in that it is a very closed off, claustrophobic world in which the film exists in - we spend so much of the movie inside the studio, that when the outside world intervenes (when Barry invites a listener to come in to see the show) it feels like an intrusion and the real world is a faceless group of listeners who keep calling in, letting Barry press their buttons, until they simply cannot stand it anymore. Barry's murder is intended to send a signal to those with a voice to watch what they say - instead, we simply realize it is an act by a psycho, and the listeners are left to ponder what their lives will be like without Barry Champlain to talk to and listen to. Throughout the film, Stone uses several interesting and unique camera angles and techniques to tell the points in the story - for instance, we realize as the film goes on that the job has always been more important to Barry, and that's why ultimately he does not accept the apology of his ex-wife and he slowly detaches himself from everyone, including the listeners - a brilliant scene is when his wife calls in for the second time as Sheryl Ann, and approaches the glass to see Barry in the studio - we see both their images in the glass, and as Barry begins to tell the story of the dog who loses both bones, her image fades into darkness - the darkness of Barry's own loneliness and self-centeredness which become his destruction.
At one point in the film, Barry responds to a caller who can't tell him why she enjoys the show - these listeners only have him - the listeners thrive on hearing that others are in pain - Barry can't take it anymore - the last caller to his show tells him that he should be at home and even invites him over - he says I'll wait for you. Come over later. In a way, this film begins to hearken to the themes told much more strongly in Natural Born Killers - the lust of us as a public for everything bad and disgusting in society. Talk Radio is a very unique study into this world, and a mesmerizing film experience that stays with you long after the film is over.
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The film is partially based on the story of radio talk show host Alan Berg, who was also killed. The film strikes a chord as it makes us wonder if we speak out or say too much to offend people, there are people out there who can't stand it, and will do whatever it takes to silence us. Barry speaks out to his listeners and we eventually see that he is getting tired of those people, a faceless group who seemingly have nothing better to do than to listen and call in to radio talk shows. 
Stone has many other memorable images in the film - the image of the city when a caller proclaims he's about to go rape another woman, Barry in silence in darkness in the studio when he concedes to the audience that they are stuck with each other, the sepia tones of the flashback sequence where we see Barry's life and the first destruction of his marriage, Barry opening the package sent to him by Chet - a Nazi flag which he drapes over his shoulder while he continues to talk on the air. The film also contains some humorous moments, mostly in the scenes between Barry and the studio boss, played very well by Alec Baldwin. In one scene, Barry defends his right to put Kent on the show, a young teenage punk who continually calls the show with pranks about his girlfriend nearing death from overdoses on drugs. This is my show, I'll put who I want on my show - if I want Charles Manson on my show, I'll put him on the show - how about this, I'll put David Berkowitz, Bernard Getz, and John Hinckley on, and we'll do an episode on gun control - how about that postman in Oklahoma who killed 14 people, Dan - he killed his boss! And we'll bring you on as a special guest!