Release Date: TBA
Normally I write movie reviews for this website, but I consider this piece to be more of a public service announcement. If you see Pirate Radio USA, you will want to go to Radio Shack, drop a hundred bucks and start broadcasting from your basement tonight. Consider this your only warning.
This documentary, directed and written by Jeff Pearson, follows DJ Him and DJ Her on their quest throughout the US to find and document pirate radio stations (before they’re shut down) and the struggles that they’ve endured due to legislation making it illegal to use the airways. Not surprisingly, Pearson aka DJ Him was a pirate riding the low-frequency high seas himself, living in Seattle during its pivotal transition from indie grunge to Starbuck’s caffeinated cultural takeover. This personal connection shines through in every frame.
With a surprisingly good production value, Pirate Radio has everything a documentary needs. It’s educational, but incredibly entertaining. It’s a serious subject, but Pearson and his cohorts don’t take themselves too seriously. Above all else, it’s a story about freedom, and the entities which believe it’s getting in the way of some pretty serious money-making. On top of that, while working with such a politically motivated subject, Pearson and his co-captain Mary aka DJ Her never lose the context needed to make an interesting film. Instead of bombarding one side of the aisle with quick one-liners and Bush-bashing, they understand that it’s a bigger issue than one party, and indeed, there are many people on both sides of the fence to blame.
Mixed in with the great interviews and personal stories are the tales of a protest march, the now-famous WTO protest and legislation that holds the future of pirate radio in the balance. Concerning the WTO, Pearson shows a side of the story that was largely ignored by the major media - it was a peaceful protest egged on toward violence by the police. In fact, the protest never really did turn violent except a small number of people looting. I say a small number because a few dozen out of several thousand seems fairly, well, small.
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