Border Radio (1987)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Directors:

Allison Anders
Dean Lent

Writers:

Allison Anders (writer)
Dean Lent (writer)

Release Date:

November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Jeff Bailey. His wife wants him back. His band wants him on stage. Some thugs want his head. ...He wants another beer.

Plot:

Three musicians take money that is owed to them from a job and flee to Mexico. |

Plot Keywords:

Musician | Cult Favorite | Band | Directorial Debut | Roadie

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Chris D.	...	Jeff Bailey
Chris Shearer	...	Chris
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dave Alvin	...	Dave
Devon Anders	...	Devon
Luanna Anders	...	Lu
Iris Berry	...	Scenester
Julie Christensen	...	Door girl
John Doe	...	Dean
Eddie Flowers	...	Thug
Texacala Jones	...	Babysitter
Chuck Shepard	...	Expatriate
Sebastian Sopeland	...	Thug
Craig Stark	...	Thug

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baja California, Mexico

Company:

Coyote Productions

Trivia:

This movie was originally financed by Vic Tayback, who played Mel the cook on the TV show "Alice" (1976).

Movie Connections:

References Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)

Soundtrack:

Lilly White Hands

On DVD at last!

Originally scripted as a grim film noir homage, a series of financial dry spells stretched out the film's production schedule to three years, whereupon the screen story underwent as many dramatic changes as any of the hard-living bands from the music scene the film adopts as its backdrop.

Star Chris D. insists in the DVD's supplemental features that the original script's noir aspects are what attracted him to the project, but it was only once he became involved that the thing took shape as a "rock movie," with the added participation of D.'s friends (and sometime bandmates) like John Doe and Dave Alvin. Alvin went on to create an eclectic and memorable score for the film (now out of print, sadly), with players culled from friends and colleagues from X, Los Lobos, The Blasters and other local heroes.

Not every film could survive three filmmakers AND active contributions by everyone in the cast, but then it's a rare project that manages to pack this much simpatico talent onto one movie poster.

Additional DVD extras include deleted scenes, a potent "trailer" (including several moments not in the finished film) set to a driving musical score, and a pair of loose, enjoyable commentary tracks. Another welcome addition is Chris D. and The Flesh Eaters' vintage ain't-no-WAY-this-is-running-on-MTV music video for their classic "The Wedding Dice" (comically mangled by Chris Shearer in the film itself).

Had it followed its intended "straight noir" course, BORDER RADIO may well have survived as an interesting curio; but as it turned out, the film stands as a fitting elegy to an era, both in its depiction of a musical phenomenon's sunset and for its unique collaborative approach to film-making. That both still feel like breaths of fresh air twenty years on only stands as a testament to their legitimacy.

Like so many of the "lost" bands of the music scene it salutes with unabashed affection, BORDER RADIO is ripe for rediscovery.