You won't be disappointed!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Blistering performances.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

As a child I would ask my Parents what it was like growing up the 1940's. The War decade, no television,no bald point pens, no diet soda or even credit cards were not mainstream. My Mother would describe her youth sitting around the huge radio and listening to Jack Benny or The Shadow as well as my Father who would sneak off to the movies after Shul on Saturday. Take a bus to the Loews on Pitkin for a full day of entertainment for only one thin dime. My father also said something profound, "If it wasn't for World War II what would the newspapers write about besides the war?" Of course I couldn't imagine hearing second hand information and still wondered what it would be like as a kid growing up in the 1940's. Woody Allen's movie Radio Days nails all my answers accurately and visually with music and atmosphere. Set in Rockaway,New York in 1943 we follow and focus on two individuals, Sally White played by Mia Farrow who is naive, pretty, blonde and shapely but has a New York accent you could cut a with a knife. Even with the New Yawk accent as a hindrance didn't diminish her aspirations of being a radio star. This movie also shows us the life of a nine year old boy Joe who you assume is the narrator's character growing up and going to Public and Hebrew schools. Getting into mischief using his fund raising cash to buy a decoder ring which he heard of course on the radio to the displeasure of his parents. Having Joe's Parents meet with very conservative and physical Rabbi, (Ken Mars). as a slapping contest ensues between the grownups at the expense of the sore boy. Joe's parents are played by Julie Kavnor and Michael Tucker who constantly argue over the most mundane subjects as to which ocean is greater and old flames come up the likes of the late Sam Slotnick. Josh Mostel (Uncle Abe) who shares the home with his wife and their elderly parents as Grandpa is trying to fit a corset on dear Boby's cellulite ridden body. Uncle Abe the ichthyologist of the family always says, "Take the gas pipe." when ever he gives up. So many quirky idiosyncrasies with this family. Little Joe never finding out what his Father did for a living and Aunt Bea's (Dianne Wiest) search for the perfect Man. The Narration by Woody Allen adds to the texture of this magical timepiece. A mixture of little vignettes and radio songs and shows adds to the this walk through as we witness the turbulent decade. Yet so heartwarming and amusing that only Woody Allen's screenplay could present the feeling of actually being there. The cast is so colorful and witty. Each character bring a special spice of Americana to their roles. Allen's clever way of intertwining the radio programs with the characters in the movie. Aunt Bea's night on the town ruined by the phony Orson Wells broadcast of the famous hoax attack of Martians as her panic stricken Boyfriend leaves her alone at remote Breezy Point to fend for herself against the incoming aliens. The next day an apologetic boyfriend calls her for a second date but Bea reply's, " I've gone off to marry a Martian!" Another example is when Joe spills indelible ink from a chemistry set on his Mother's coat as the radio is playing conga music in the background to the dance steps of Aunt Bea who claims ,"You meet very interesting people in a conga line!" while an angry Father chases Joe around the house for anticipated strapping. A news bulletin interrupts the Latin beats as on the spot reporter broadcasts coverage from a well in New Jersey as a little girl is trapped at the bottom as drilling crews are on the scene trying to save the poor child. Meanwhile everyone in the house stops what they are doing including the impending chase between Father and Son as they end up holding each other to await the fate of the unfortunate little girl.The rest of the relative join together on the couch as everyone is overcome with poignant curiosity due to the distressing news. Riding on every word from the throaty announcer for any hopeful news from the well sight. Just the power of the medium called Radio. Woody Allen used certain songs which brought back personal memories for him in the development of this screenplay. Endless cameos throughout this masterpiece of broadcasting with the voices of Don Pardo and Jackson Beck. Visual appearances by Larry David, Jeff Daniels,and Kitty Carlisle Hart, Quiz Master Tony Roberts and vocalist Diane Keaton. Even New York Mets long time organist Jane Jarvis is part of an all woman's quartet. Great cast, well cast,colorful and unquestionably authentic. Bravo Mr. Allen so many questions answered.

A man reminisces about his youth, growing up in the 1930s and 40s in New York. We see and hear stories of himself, his parents, neighbours and friends and local celebrities. The common denominator in all the stories and in the overarching plot is the presence of the radio - it brought music, news, stories, escape and comfort, made stars of everyday people and was often the glue in families and relationships.A wonderfully sentimental, nostalgic and funny homage to radio from Woody Allen. Though the story in the movie doesn't fit his life story exactly you can see how it could be very close to it. It's also a history lesson, as many of radio's seminal moments from the 30s and 40s are covered (eg Orson Welles's War of the Worlds). Moreover, the broad feeling of nostalgia for a time and experience that cannot be relived and retrieved is very palpable and emotional.It's not all sentimentality though. The movie largely consists of episodes and vignettes from the narrator's memory. Many of these scenes are absurdly funny (Mia Farrow with the gangster takes the cake, but the prize-winning burglars aren't far behind). Allen allows his imagination to go wild, and it takes him to some wonderfully offbeat places.Performances are great too. No Woody Allen himself (except as narrator), but we have a young Seth Green effectively playing Woody Allen as a child, and doing a solid job. Good work too from Julie Kavner and Michael Tucker as his parents. The supporting cast is huge, due to the many mini-stories within the movie, and includes many Woody Allen favorites: Mia Farrow, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Tony Roberts. Some only have one or two lines (or, in Diane Keaton's case, one song). Nobody puts a foot wrong. William H Macy and Larry David, unknowns at the time, have minor, non-speaking parts.

I am watching RADIO DAYS on Hulu as I write this. Supposedly Roger Ebert gave it four stars. I don't think all the simultaneous parallel plot lines work. The one with Mia Farrow's radio star is virtually disconnected from everything else. At least the other characters cross paths peripherally, but her story is mostly standalone and almost belongs to another movie. I think some of the bits meant to be humorous try too hard to be 'funny.' The kid getting whipped by the rabbi and his parents over the decoder ring was definitely overplayed. The Miss Gordon episode, where the boys had seen the substitute teacher undressing in front of a mirror seemed off to me. Kids that age would be giggling, embarrassed that they had seen her partially naked. They wouldn't be acting lascivious, especially if they hadn't reached puberty yet and clearly these boys were too young to have hit puberty.Another issue I have with the film is that Allen doesn't let the actors bring their own unique performance styles into the roles. Basically they are all mouthing, like puppets, Allen's latest jokes or exasperated musings-- and they all (including the women) sound like extensions of Allen's own persona. So basically it's like having Allen playing every part, just the faces and shapes of the characters are different. On the upside, the music is good. I particularly liked hearing the Carmen Miranda tune. And the coffee jingle with Kitty Carlisle Hart is certainly a highlight.

Joe (Woody Allen), the narrator, explains how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. The young Joe (Seth Green) lives in New York City in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The tale mixes Joe's experiences with his remembrances and anecdotes, inserting his memories of the urban legends of radio stars, and is told in constantly changing plot points and vignettes.So much greatness in this film. An impressive ensemble cast (between this and "Midsummer Night", Tony Roberts really blossomed under Allen's direction). Great music, excellent stories. And a very young Seth Green, around the same time he appeared on "Amazing Stories". Who would ever have thought he was going to be huge within a decade? Ebert calls the film "so ambitious and so audacious that it almost defies description. It's a kaleidoscope of dozens of characters, settings and scenes - the most elaborate production Allen has ever made - and it's inexhaustible, spinning out one delight after another." Well said, Roger.