Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Hitchcoc I was born just after this era diminished. There were still radio shows that I would occasionally listen to, but when my dad brought home the Admiral (television, that is), we became a TV family. This film is one of those that allows the listener to enter a soft world that we wish really existed. During the radio experience, we had two world wars and a depression. So Americans had to live in their heads, their imaginations. The characters who spoke from that little box (seldom resembling the people they played) used their voices to pull us out of the mundane and the dangerous, and let us encounter every manner of experience. For all of his foibles, Woody Allen is the master of nostalgia. Here her presents some vignettes that have a core in our feelings and our loves. If asked to describe a radio hero, each would have described their own, like leaves and snowflakes, all different.

grantss A man reminisces about his youth, growing up in the 1930s and 40s in New York. We see and hear stories of himself, his parents, neighbours and friends and local celebrities. The common denominator in all the stories and in the overarching plot is the presence of the radio - it brought music, news, stories, escape and comfort, made stars of everyday people and was often the glue in families and relationships.A wonderfully sentimental, nostalgic and funny homage to radio from Woody Allen. Though the story in the movie doesn't fit his life story exactly you can see how it could be very close to it. It's also a history lesson, as many of radio's seminal moments from the 30s and 40s are covered (eg Orson Welles's War of the Worlds). Moreover, the broad feeling of nostalgia for a time and experience that cannot be relived and retrieved is very palpable and emotional.It's not all sentimentality though. The movie largely consists of episodes and vignettes from the narrator's memory. Many of these scenes are absurdly funny (Mia Farrow with the gangster takes the cake, but the prize-winning burglars aren't far behind). Allen allows his imagination to go wild, and it takes him to some wonderfully offbeat places.Performances are great too. No Woody Allen himself (except as narrator), but we have a young Seth Green effectively playing Woody Allen as a child, and doing a solid job. Good work too from Julie Kavner and Michael Tucker as his parents. The supporting cast is huge, due to the many mini-stories within the movie, and includes many Woody Allen favorites: Mia Farrow, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Tony Roberts. Some only have one or two lines (or, in Diane Keaton's case, one song). Nobody puts a foot wrong. William H Macy and Larry David, unknowns at the time, have minor, non-speaking parts.

jarrodmcdonald-1 I am watching RADIO DAYS on Hulu as I write this. Supposedly Roger Ebert gave it four stars. I don't think all the simultaneous parallel plot lines work. The one with Mia Farrow's radio star is virtually disconnected from everything else. At least the other characters cross paths peripherally, but her story is mostly standalone and almost belongs to another movie. I think some of the bits meant to be humorous try too hard to be 'funny.' The kid getting whipped by the rabbi and his parents over the decoder ring was definitely overplayed. The Miss Gordon episode, where the boys had seen the substitute teacher undressing in front of a mirror seemed off to me. Kids that age would be giggling, embarrassed that they had seen her partially naked. They wouldn't be acting lascivious, especially if they hadn't reached puberty yet and clearly these boys were too young to have hit puberty.Another issue I have with the film is that Allen doesn't let the actors bring their own unique performance styles into the roles. Basically they are all mouthing, like puppets, Allen's latest jokes or exasperated musings-- and they all (including the women) sound like extensions of Allen's own persona. So basically it's like having Allen playing every part, just the faces and shapes of the characters are different. On the upside, the music is good. I particularly liked hearing the Carmen Miranda tune. And the coffee jingle with Kitty Carlisle Hart is certainly a highlight.

namashi_1 Woody Allen aka Mr.Cinema, Wins Again with 'Radio Days'. A Gem from the late 1980's. it's well-written, well-directed & even well-acted! 'Radio Days' Synopsis: A nostalgic look at radio's golden age focusing on one ordinary family and the various performers in the medium.'Radio Days' is a funny & light-hearted film, that doesn't fail to engage. Allen's Screenplay pays tribute to the euphoria of Radio. He intelligently executes funny yet sad vignettes that lead the narrative. The characters are expertly crafted & so is the dialogue. Allan's Direction, as always, is proficient. Cinematography by the legendary Carlo Di Palma, is perfect. Editing is fine. Performance-Wise: Mia Farrow is tremendous. She's so natural. Dianne Wiest is superb, as always. Julie Kavner is another topper. She's first-rate. And of-course, Woody, who narrates the story, is delightful. On the whole, 'Radio Days' is a winner. Two Thumbs Up!