A year after starring in cult favorite Heathers, Christian Slater made noise with another movie that has since earned a loyal following. Decades before podcasters started using their medium for raw confessionals, writer-director Allan Moyle’s Pump Up the Volume featured Slater as a high school student and pirate radio DJ who causes a stir with candid commentary from his alter ego, “Hard Harry.”
Moyle, who would later helm the well-regarded 1995 teen movie Empire Records, had written an unpublished novel that became the basis for Pump Up the Volume. John Cusack was considered for the role before it went to Slater.
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“I’m quite surprised that it got greenlit when it did, but I doubt very much that it would get greenlit today,” says producer Rupert Harvey, who notes that New Line’s later projects, including the Lord of the Rings franchise, were considerably more ambitious. Scott Paulin, Ellen Greene and Samantha Mathis rounded out the Pump Up cast, with Frank Zappa’s son Ahmet and Seth Green in supporting roles.
Harvey recalls a lengthy postproduction process to secure rights to songs from buzzy artists like Beastie Boys, Pixies, Ice-T and Soundgarden. The producer also remembers having to edit out some of the spicier language to achieve an R-rating for the film, which would later get attention for a scene involving Hard Harry simulating on-air masturbation.
Pump Up the Volume debuted Aug. 22, 1990. Despite positive critical response, the movie topped out at $11 million at the box office ($28 million today). Harvey was involved in talks for a TV series more than 10 years ago, just as podcasting was finding its footing; although there was a pilot script, the project fizzled out.
As for why the film remains relevant, Harvey shares, “It really gave voice to a lot of voiceless people, and that’s what adolescence is about.”
This story appeared in the Aug. 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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