Simply A Masterpiece

People are voting emotionally.

Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Radio Days is an unrelenting ode to radio in the 1940's, to all the memories that so many millions of Americans surely have connected to songs and shows on the radio and memories of the radio itself. To sing this ode, the movie presents a number of wild and strange stories all somehow accompanied by what was playing on the airwaves. And while the movie pays tribute to a unique warmth, grit, and glamor of that particular decade coupled with the last golden days of radio, I think that it can speak to how anyone growing up in the past century has connected moments in our lives to radio, music, shows, movies, art, and even video games in ways that make no sense at all yet make perfect sense to us.So the movie very much accomplishes its goal, however the method is very heavy-handed. The first half of the movie is not a lot more than a series of caricatures playing out very contrived situations. Some of them would be comedy genius if they were really allowed to play out, but the movie moves so fast through them that it's hard to get attached. The characters during this time feel like there is little more beyond the surface, unfortunately a bit like community theater. Not to mention that the film relies on a narrator to make anything hold together, and even he can't deliver convincing transitions from one scene to another.The second half of the movie slows down, and suddenly the characters become real people, and the wild situations sink in and become funny. In the end it's an entertaining and endearing movie, but I personally thought it was almost overshadowed by the director's very clear motives. If the people and the memories of the era are so worthy of an ode, he should have let it all speak for itself!

This movie starts with two burglars answering the phone during a break-in. They win the radio contest and the next day, the homeowners are shocked by the arrival of the winnings after finding their home robbed. Woody Allen narrates this nostalgic recollection of vignettes during his childhood. Joe (Seth Green) lives in Rockaway Beach with his parents Tess (Julie Kavner) and Martin (Michael Tucker) as well as an extended family. His imagination and his memories deliver stories about the people in his life and the radio they listen to. There is the War of the Worlds broadcast. Joe's favorite character is the Masked Avenger. There are also stories about the radio peronalities and aspiring actress cigarette-girl Sally White (Mia Farrow).Woody delivers a loving tribute to the concept of radio through the eyes of childhood. This has a large cast with wide ranging vignettes. It's imaginative, touching, and fun. The characters are specific and compelling. There is a terrific veneer of memory. Through all the surreal and the real, there is the love of family and radio that transcends the screen onto the audience.

Yes It Is A Very Funny Movie, But More Importantly It Is Most Likely Woody Allen's Most Important Work ... While My Memories Are Not Made Up Of The "Radio Days" The Message Is Not Lost On Me ... A Message That Our Most Valuable Possessions Are Our Memories, Be They Radio, TV, School, Family Get Together's, Your First Love Etc ... A Wonderful Tribute To The Era Of Radio (Media That Managed To Bring The Country Together, Instead Of Separating It The Way Media Does Today) ... As Always The Story Is Littered With The Most Incredible Characters (A Trade Mark Of His Movies) And Wonderful Stories ... The Cast Is Stella In It's Performances And Woody Allen's Voice Narrating The Story Brings A Genuine Feel To The Movie ... Filled With Laughter, Fun And Some Touching Memories Both Personal And World Wide This Is A Movie Worthy Of Being A National Archive Film ... The Sets Are Magnificent, Even If You Don't Remember Those Days There Is No Doubt In Your Mind That The Set And Costumes Are Authentic ... I Remember Clearly As A Kid Standing In Line For 2 Hours In Front Of Radio City Music Hall, Whining And Complaining About Being Tired And Cold ... Then The Overwhelming Feeling Of Awe As I Stepped Into The Hall For The Very First Time ... Radio Days Is A Brilliant Movie About Days Gone By And Easily (In My Opinion) Woody Allen's Best Work ... Ty For Such A Marvelous Movie

1987's Radio Days is Woody Allen's nostalgic look at an era gone by, when families used to gather in front of the radio instead of the television.Woody's imaginative, Oscar-nominated screenplay recalls his childhood in Brooklyn, weaving family stories with radio programs that ignite certain memories for him.Seth Green had one of his first major film roles as Joe, a fictionalized Woody, whose loopy behavior with his family generates big laughs and connections with radio shows of the period and certain fictional and non-fictional radio personalities.Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner are wonderful as Joe's parents...his dad spends the story trying to hide what he does for a living and Mom loves to listen to a morning radio program hosted by glamorous Irene and Roger, a glamorous couple who it is revealed has an open relationship, resulting in Roger's affair with a cigarette girl named Sally (Mia Farrow), a character who becomes central to multiple story lines.Josh Mostel and Renee Lippin are funny as Joe's aunt and uncle. Aunt Ceil drives her hubby crazy because her favorite radio program stars a ventriloquist. Dianne Wiest plays Joe's other aunt, who loves to listen to music on the radio and wants nothing more than a husband. Since the story is centered around radio, music is a key element of the story and Woody's wonderful taste in music is utilized to great effect here and if you don't blink, you will catch a musical cameo by Woody's favorite leading lady, Diane Keaton.Woody scores big here with a winning comedy that produces equal doses of laughter and warmth.