With the sudden tragic death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, I wanted to write a review of one of his many films. And when thinking on which one, I remembered this fantastic film which has become one of my favorites. And yes, this film had two titles. It was originally titled "The Boat That Rocked" in the United Kingdom, but was retitled "Pirate Radio" when it hit North American screens.
The film, set in 1966, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Carl, who, after being expelled from school, is sent to live with his Godfather Quentin, who just happens to run a rock 'n' roll radio station named "Radio Rock" aboard a ship that's anchored in the North Sea. The various DJ's are quite an eclectic group, and their star on the microphone is a brash American who goes by the call name "The Count". Now back in the '60s, there were many different stations that operated completely unlicensed, thus the term "pirate radio". A British politician is attempting to wipe all these stations off the map because of they have what he deems "low morals". While on the ship, Carl comes of age. He falls in love, loses out on his chance thanks in part to one of the DJ's, then begins to suspect that one of the men on the ship just might actually be his father, who he has never met.
The film, set in 1966, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Carl, who, after being expelled from school, is sent to live with his Godfather Quentin, who just happens to run a rock 'n' roll radio station named "Radio Rock" aboard a ship that's anchored in the North Sea. The various DJ's are quite an eclectic group, and their star on the microphone is a brash American who goes by the call name "The Count". Now back in the '60s, there were many different stations that operated completely unlicensed, thus the term "pirate radio". A British politician is attempting to wipe all these stations off the map because of they have what he deems "low morals". While on the ship, Carl comes of age. He falls in love, loses out on his chance thanks in part to one of the DJ's, then begins to suspect that one of the men on the ship just might actually be his father, who he has never met.
This movie is just a damn good romp through not only what it was like to operate
a pirate radio station, but also through the amazing music scene of the 1960s.
Seriously, if you were to purchase the film's 2-disc soundtrack, you would
find songs from musicians like The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix,
The Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Who, Smokey Robinson & The
Miracles, David Bowie, and tons more! Seriously, I would have bought the
soundtrack even if I HADN'T watched the movie. But luckily, I did.
a pirate radio station, but also through the amazing music scene of the 1960s.
Seriously, if you were to purchase the film's 2-disc soundtrack, you would
find songs from musicians like The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix,
The Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Who, Smokey Robinson & The
Miracles, David Bowie, and tons more! Seriously, I would have bought the
soundtrack even if I HADN'T watched the movie. But luckily, I did.
The cast is just phenomenal. It's filled with heavyweights of the acting field. Made up of actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, January Jones, Nick Frost, Chris O'Dowd, and newcomers Tom Sturridge and Talulah Riley, they all work so well together and truly help you become lost in the story. Sure, the plot is sometimes a little muddled, but after a while, you don't even think about that. It's rare when you can witness a movie where it looks like every single person on the film is having a damn good time. But they brought that emotion across in spades!
I thoroughly recommend this to anyone and everyone! Now its not for kids, but once you get them into bed, you should definitely take the time to pop this amazing feature into your DVD/Blu-Ray player, sit back, and be whisked into the world of the 1960s. Allow the music to take you away, and revel in the incredible journey you're about to embark upon.