About as 1979 as it's possible to get without actually being there
Released on Blu-ray, iTunes and Amazon Prime on 17 May 2021.
Chris Petit's 1979 cult classic is one of the most striking feature debuts in British cinema - a haunting blend of mystery story and existential road movie, crammed with eerie evocations of the English landscape. Stunningly photographed in monochrome by Wim Wenders' assistant cameraman Martin Schäfer, the film is driven by a soundtrack featuring David Bowie, Kraftwerk, Lene Lovich, Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric, Robert Fripp and Devo, and reveals an early screen performance by Sting.
Radio On is released on Blu-ray for the first time on 17 May, with lots of extras including a new audio interview with the director, who revisits key scenes, a new interview with film writer Jason Wood, Radio On (remix) - a digital video essay, and complementary films including Coping with Cupid (1991) by musician and author Viv Albertine.
As it follows a London DJ (David Beames) on the road to Bristol to investigate the death of his brother, Radio On offers a compelling, even mythic, vision of an England stalled between dashed hopes of cultural and social change and the imminent upheaval of Thatcherism. Try a clip at the link above, with Kraftwerk's Radioactivity on the soundtrack.
