FM

Discuss releases from Arrow and the films on them.

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domino harvey
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

FM

#1 Post by domino harvey » Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:56 am

Image

The airwaves crackle with the delectable sound of smooth rock in FM, a riotous comedy about the heady world of late-70s US radio.

Michael Brandon (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) stars as Jeff Dugan, the ultra-cool program director at Q-SKY Radio, LA’s number one rock station. Dugan encourages a free-wheeling culture at work, employing an array of eccentric DJ personalities: Mother (Eileen Brennan, Private Benjamin), a husky, world-weary ex-hippie; Eric Swan (Martin Mull, Clue), a mad-cap romantic looking for love, and The Prince of Darkness (Cleavon Little, Blazing Saddles), a cool cat who keeps the night-time airwaves alive. But when the station’s future is thrown in to jeopardy by corporate bosses looking to cash-in, the Q-SKY troupe are forced to batten down the hatches and turn up the volume – will a fully-fledged rock ‘n’ roll rebellion save the day?

Legendary cinematographer John A. Alonzo (Chinatown, Scarface) directs this slickly-produced rock film, which combines hilarious studio hijinks with epic footage of Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffett in concert. FM also boasts an incredible platinum-selling soundtrack featuring a pantheon of AOR greats including Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Eagles and Tom Petty (who also cameos). Now, High Fidelity meets High Definition as FM debuts on blu-ray with a selection of exciting new extras.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation transferred from original film elements
  • Uncompressed stereo 2.0 PCM audio soundtrack
  • Mono 1.0 music and effects track
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • No Static at All, a newly filmed interview with Michael Brandon, the star of FM
  • Radio Chaos, a newly filmed interview with Ezra Sacks, the writer of FM
  • The Spirit of Radio, a newly filmed video appreciation of the era of FM radio and the FM soundtrack by the film and music critic Glenn Kenny
  • Extensive gallery of original stills, promotional images and soundtrack sleeves
  • Original trailers
  • Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by writer and critic Paul Corupe

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: FM

#2 Post by zedz » Sun May 17, 2020 5:21 pm

This was competently made but pretty unremarkable (Eileen Brennan is the only actor to do much with her role), and I could never get past the disconnect of the radio station being branded 'non-commercial' and free-thinking when its playlist was the blandest of bland mainstream fare. (Yeah, in 1978 all the edgiest DJs were spinning The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac, and REO Speedwagon, and Jimmy Buffett. And no, I don't believe there were any black recording artists active in America at the time.)

I have to admit that the film does exhibit the same overweening self-importance of just about every radio DJ I've ever met, and of your average so-called "classic rock" fan, so I guess that makes the film obliviously emblematic, if nothing else.

Glenn Kenny's extra exploring the soundtrack in all its dubious glory is entertaining, though I don't know if I needed the anecdote about Foghat buying his uncle's house!

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Rayon Vert
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Re: FM

#3 Post by Rayon Vert » Sun May 17, 2020 10:36 pm

Never heard of this. Looking at the trailers, it looks eerily like WKRP in Cincinnati.

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: FM

#4 Post by zedz » Mon May 18, 2020 12:16 am

If this film had been more of a commercial success, I would have pegged WKRP as a knock-off. . . if WKRP had been more pompous and less funny.

Actually, looking at wikipedia, WKRP debuted only five months after this. That seems a pretty tight turnaround for a success-based knock-off, but maybe it was an anticipatory knock-off based on early reports of the film and the assumption that it would be good and /or successful.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: FM

#5 Post by hearthesilence » Mon May 18, 2020 8:57 am


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