Chris D. (the lead singer of The Flesh Eaters) stars as a musician named Jeff who gets stiffed out of some money by the promoter of his last gig. In retaliation, he robs the place with the help of his buddy (John Doe from X), and he splits to Mexico. As soon as he does this, his manager informs his wife Lu (Luanna Anders) that the band is about to hit the big time. While waiting for her husband to return, she winds up having an affair with Jeff’s roadie and best friend, Chris (Chris Shearer), which naturally complicates matters.
Border Radio was one of those deals where the filmmakers started off with a short film and expanded to feature length. It certainly feels that way too because of its herky-jerky nature. The segments where characters are interviewed and give their answers straight to the camera don’t really add much to the film or give much depth to the characters. I have a feeling they were only there to pad out the running time.
Directed by Allison (Gas Food Lodging) Anders, Dean (future cinematographer for Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman) Lent, and Kurt (Poison Ivy: The New Seduction) Voss, Border Radio owes a heavy debt to Jim Jarmusch. It’s in black and white, has a very loose narrative, and the characters are all obsessed with rock n’ roll. While there are bits and pieces that work here and there, the mosaic approach ultimately yields uneven results. Some of the performances are solid (especially Doe, who would go on to play a supporting role in Road House the next year), but the languid pacing and overall repetitive nature of the film (there’s a lot of scenes of guys sitting around noodling on their guitar) prevents the viewer from really engaging with the picture.
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