Pump Up the Volume Reviews

To be honest, I find it really difficult to judge this movie. Indeed, there is a little of nostalgia involved in this case, I must have been 12 or 13 years old when I watched the damned thing and since it was about some teenagers, I really connected with the characters. Of course, the plot is a little bit ridiculous and I’m pretty sure that for any grown-up, it is pretty much impossible to really enjoy it but the fact remains that it actually embodies many feelings and fears that all teenagers must experience around that age. The point is that the whole pirate radio thing was rather preposterous and to conclude with a big chase involving the police and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) was rather underwhelming. And, yet, if you keep in mind that the whole thing is basically some teenage fantasy, it does actually work very well on that level. Back in those days, Christian Slater, who was only 20 years old at the time but already a seasoned actor, was one of the greatest hopes and many including me thought he would become one of the most interesting actors of his generation but, nowadays, his work usually ends up in the direct-to-DVD bin. To conclude, even though it is a flawed picture, I have really a weak spot for the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look.

personally I think this is one of Slaters best films. Feel good movie well acted and holds the interest.

I just love this movie, even though I'm way past my teenage years.
Of course it has its flaws, but it's also one of the best movies I know that portrait teenagers in the early 90s. The setting reminds me of "My so called life", a great TV Series also set in the early 90s.
The Soundtrack is amazing and diverse (from Leonard Cohen to the Beastie Boys) and the lead actors, Samantha Matthis and Christian Slater, deliver a spot on performance, especially Christian Slater.
Sadly there aren't many teen dramas, but this one is somewhere on the top spots.