Synopsis
Mark Hunter, a lonely high school student, uses his shortwave radio to moonlight as the popular pirate DJ "Hard Harry." When his show gets blamed for a teen committing suicide, the students clash with high school faculty and the authorities.
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Cast
- Christian SlaterMark Hunter
- Samantha MathisNora Diniro
- Annie RossLoretta Creswood
- Scott PaulinBrian Hunter
- Mimi KennedyMarla Hunter
- Andy RomanoMurdock
- Keith Stuart ThayerLuis Chavez
- Cheryl PollakPaige Woodward
- Jeff ChamberlainMr. Woodward
- Lala SloatmanJanie
Recommendations
- 100
Chicago Reader
A clarion call for freedom and collective action both hopeful and energizing, it qualifies as a generational statement as Rebel Without a Cause did in the 50s, but without the defeatism and masochism. Not to be missed. - 88
ReelViews
Pump Up the Volume, in addition to presenting an engaging story, has tapped into a universal truth about rebels with causes. - 88
Boston Globe
It's a celebration of free expression that treats youth like a fierce and beautiful animal, and never attempts to tame it. In Pump Up the Volume, the "why-bother" generation finds a voice, and begins to bother. [22 Aug 1990, p.47] - 80
The New York Times
Working within the confines of the teen-age genre film, Pump Up the Volume succeeds in sounding a surprising number of honest, heartfelt notes. - 80
Variety
Writer-director Allan Moyle's story about a shy high school student who galvanizes an Arizona suburb with a rebellious pirate radio show has rambunctious energy and defiant attitude. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Though the film is fitted with a basic, teen-rebel plot, its true substance comes from Mark's commentary. His observations are generally interesting and witty, and they almost always have the ring of truth. [22 Aug 1990, p.37] - 75
Chicago Tribune
Pump Up the Volume, an exceedingly well-written teenager-full-of-angst melodrama about a high school student who operates a pirate radio broadcast that criticizes parents and teachers while revealing the turmoil of adolescence. - 63
Rolling Stone
Roaring into the microphone with all the passion he can't put into his life, Slater gives this movie what it otherwise so desperately lacks: a reason for being.
