On this episode we look at films on talk show breakdowns. This comes naturally to us since we already have a failed talk show in this very podcast, so we watch two other gentlemen dealing with their own personal demons in the format. In Oliver Stone’s 1988 film adaptation of Eric Bogosian’s stage play, Bogosian plays Barry. A rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.

Barry and Talk Radio go up against the shock jock Jack, played by Jeff Bridges in the 1991 movie THE FISHER KING, directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Richard Lagravenese. Here instead of a breakdown on air, we see the damage that can be done off air, as an offhand remark sends a listener into a restaurant with a gun, where he guns down a man’s wife and causes the husband played by Robin Williams to hide his grief by living in a fantasy world.

Heavy stuff, with strange doses of comedy make for a perfect double feature to followup new to video WELCOME TO ME.