Radio On
Encyclopedia
Radio On is a film directed by Christopher Petit and released in 1979
. It is a rare example of a British
road movie
, shot in black and white and featuring music from a number of New Wave
bands from the time, as well as established artists such as Kraftwerk
and David Bowie
. It is a grim but fascinating journey through late seventies Britain by way of a road trip from London
to Bristol
, with Robert a DJ (played by David Beames) attempting to investigate the suicide
of his brother. David Beames's character is a disc jockey at a radio station based on the United Biscuits Network
, which broadcast to factories owned by United Biscuits
.
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
. It is a rare example of a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
road movie
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
, shot in black and white and featuring music from a number of New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
bands from the time, as well as established artists such as Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. It is a grim but fascinating journey through late seventies Britain by way of a road trip from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, with Robert a DJ (played by David Beames) attempting to investigate the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of his brother. David Beames's character is a disc jockey at a radio station based on the United Biscuits Network
United Biscuits Network
United Biscuits Network was an internal radio station serving the factories of United Biscuits. It was in operation from 1970 to 1979.-About:...
, which broadcast to factories owned by United Biscuits
United Biscuits
__FORCETOC__United Biscuits is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits, McVitie's biscuits, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets...
.
Cast
- David Beames as Robert
- Andrew Byatt as Deserter
- Paul Hollywood as Kid
- Adrian Jones
- Sue Jones-DaviesSue Jones-DaviesSue Jones-Davies is a Welsh actress and singer, who appeared as Judith in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian. Mayor of Aberystwyth from 2008–2009, she now serves as town councillor.-Early life and education:Sue Jones-Davies was born in Wales...
as Girl - Cyril Kent
- Katja Kersten
- Lisa KreuzerLisa KreuzerLisa Kreuzer is a German television and film actress.Co-Star with Dennis Hopper in 1975 film My American Friend, German French co-production....
as Ingrid - Sabina Michael as Aunt
- Bernard Mistovski
- Nina Pace
- Sandy RatcliffSandy RatcliffAlexandria "Sandy" Ratcliff is an English former actress. Ratcliff made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she is best known for being one of the original cast members in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in the 1980s...
as Kathy - Joseph Riordan
- David Squire
- Sting as Just Like Eddie
- Kim TaylforthKim TaylforthKim Taylforth is an English actress. She is the sister of actress Gillian Taylforth.Her earliest TV appearance was in the scrapyard sitcom, Steptoe and Son, when she was 15 years old. Aged 19, she starred as 'Janet' in the 1979 TV film The Knowledge about a group of aspiring Londoners learning...