Pump Up the Volume (film)

Pump Up the Volume is a 1990 film about a shy teenager who runs a pirate radio station and causes an uproar when he speaks his mind and enthralls fellow teens.
 * Written and directed by Allan Moyle.

Talk Hard. (taglines)

Mark Hunter

 * You ever get the feeling that everything in America is completely fucked up? You know that feeling that the whole country is like, one inch away from saying, "That's it! Forget it!". I mean, think about it. Everything's polluted. The environment, the government, the schools, you name it. Speaking of schools, I was walking the hallowed halls the other day and I ask myself, "Is there life after high school?" Because I can't face tomorrow, let alone a whole year than shit. Yeah, you got it, folks. It's me again with a little attitude for all of you out there in Whitebread Land. All you nice people living in the middle of America, the beautiful. Let's see, we're on, uh, 92 FM tonight, and it feels like a nice, clean little band so far. No one else is using it, price is right. And, yes, folks, you guessed it. Tonight, I'm as horny as a ten peckered owl, so stay tuned because this is Hard Harry reminding you to eat your cereal with a fork and do your homework in the dark.
 * Okay. Down to business. I got my Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi, and, uh, I got my Black Jack gum here, and I got that feeling. Mmm. Yeah, that familiar feeling that something rank is going down out there. [puts needle on record player, and "Everybody Knows" plays] [Leonard Cohen: ♪ Everybody knows that the dice are loaded. Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed. Everybody knows the war is over. Everybody knows the good guys lost. Everybody knows the fight was fixed. The poor stay poor, the rich get rich. That's how it goes. Everybody knows. Everybody knows that the boat is leaking. Everybody knows that the captain lied. Everybody got this broken feeling, like their father or their dog just died. Everybody talking to their pockets. Everybody wants a box of chocolates, and a long-stem rose. Everybody knows. Everybody knows that you love me, baby. Everybody knows that you really do. Everybody knows that you've been faithful. Ah, give or take a night or two. Everybody knows you've been discreet. ♪] Yeah, I can smell it. I can almost taste it. The rankness in the air. It's everywhere. It's running through that old pipeline out there, trickling along the dumb concrete river and coming up through the drains of those lovely track homes we all live in.
 * Guess who? It's 10 o'clock, do you care where your parents are?
 * Talk hard, I like that. It's like a dirty thought in a nice clean mind.
 * You hear about some kid who did something stupid, something desperate; what possessed him? How could he do such a terrible thing? Well, it's really quite simple, actually. Consider the life of a teenager - you have parents, teachers telling you what to do, you have movies, magazines and TV telling you what to do, but you know what you have to do. Your job, your purpose is to get accepted, get a cute girlfriend, think up something great to do with the rest of your life. What if you're confused and can't imagine a career? What if you're funny looking and can't get a girlfriend? You see, no-one wants to hear it. But the terrible secret is that being young is sometimes less fun than being dead.
 * I'm sick of being ashamed. I don't mind being dejected and rejected, but I'm not going to be ashamed about it. At least pain is real. I mean, you look around and you see nothing is real, but at least the pain is real.
 * They say I'm disturbed. Well, of course I'm disturbed. I mean, we're all disturbed. And if we're not, why not? Doesn't this blend of blindness and blandness want to make you do something crazy? Then why not do something crazy? It makes a helluva lot more sense than blowing your fucking brains out.
 * 'Dear Harry, I think you're boring and obnoxious and have a high opinion of yourself.' Course some of you are probably thinking I sent this one to myself. 'I think school is okay if you just look at it right. I mean I like your music, but I really don't see why you can't be cheerful for one second.' I'll tell you since you asked. I just arrived in this stupid suburb. I have no friends, no money, no car, no license. And even if I did have a license all I can do is drive out to some stupid mall. Maybe if I'm lucky play some fucking video games, smoke a joint and get stupid. You see, there's nothing to do anymore. Everything decent's been done. All the great themes have been used up. Turned into theme parks. So I don't really find it exactly cheerful to be living in the middle of a totally, like, exhausted decade where there's nothing to look forward to and no one to look up to.
 * You see I didn't plan it like this. My dumb dad got me this shortwave radio set so I could just talk to my buddies back east. But I couldn't reach anybody. So I just imagined I was talking to nobody, I imagined nobody listening. Maybe I imagined there would be one person out there... And then one day I woke up, and I realized I was never going to be normal, so I said, "Fuck it." I said, "So be it." And Happy Harry Hard-On was born. But I never meant to hurt anyone. I never meant to hurt anyone. I'm sorry Malcolm. I never said, "Don't do it."
 * We're all worried, we're all in pain. That just comes with having eyes and having ears. But just remember one thing - it can't get any worse, it can only get better. High school is the bottom, being a teenager sucks, but that's the point, surviving it is the whole point. Quitting is not going to make you stronger, living will. So just hang on and hang in there.
 * OK, this is really me now. No more hiding. Listen, we're all worried, we're all in pain. That just comes with having eyes and with having ears. But just remember one thing, it can't get any worse, it can only get better. I mean High School is the bottom. Being a teenager sucks! But that's the point, surviving it is the whole point! Quitting is not going to make you strong, living will. So just hang on and hang in there. You know, I know all about the hating and the sneering. I'm a member of the "why bother" generation myself. But why did I bother to come out here tonight, and why did you? I mean, It's time. It's begins with us, not with politicians, the experts or the teachers but with us. With you and with me. The ones who need it most. I gotta believe, with everything in me, the whole world is longing for healing. Even the trees, the earth itself are crying out for it. You can hear it everywhere. Same kinda healing I desperately needed and I finally feel has begun, with you.

Nora Diniro

 * I say do it. I don't care what, just do it. Jam me, jack me, push me, pull me, talk hard.

Dialogue

 * Mark Hunter: Okay. Down to business. I got my Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi, and, uh, I got my Black Jack gum here, and I got that feeling. Mmm. Yeah, that familiar feeling that something rank is going down out there. [puts needle on record player, and "Everybody Knows" plays]
 * Leonard Cohen: ♪ Everybody knows that the dice are loaded. ♪ ♪ Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows the war is over. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows the good guys lost. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows the fight was fixed. ♪ ♪ The poor stay poor, the rich get rich. ♪ ♪ That's how it goes. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows that the boat is leaking. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows that the captain lied. ♪ ♪ Everybody got this broken feeling, like their father or their dog just died. ♪ ♪ Everybody talking to their pockets. ♪ ♪ Everybody wants a box of chocolates, and a long-stem rose. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows that you love me, baby. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows that you really do. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows that you've been faithful. ♪ ♪ Ah, give or take a night or two. ♪ ♪ Everybody knows you've been discreet. ♪
 * Mark Hunter: Yeah, I can smell it. I can almost taste it; The rankness in the air. It's everywhere. It's running through that old pipeline out there, trickling along the dumb concrete river, and comin' up through the drains of those lovely tract homes we all live in.

Taglines

 * The Voice of a Generation.
 * Steal the Air.
 * Talk Hard.

Cast

 * Christian Slater - Mark Hunter (Hard Harry)
 * Samantha Mathis - Nora Diniro
 * Annie Ross - Loretta Creswood
 * Scott Paulin - Brian Hunter
 * Mimi Kennedy - Marla Hunter
 * Anthony Lucero - Malcolm Kaiser
 * Billy Morrissette - Mazz Mazzilli
 * Robert Schenkkan - David Deaver
 * Cheryl Pollak - Paige Woodward
 * Ellen Greene - Jan Emerson
 * Ahmet Zappa - Jaime