DEAD AIR
US, 1994, 90 minutes, Colour.
Gregory Hines, Debrah Farentino, Laura Harrington, Beau Starr.
Directed by Fred Walton.
Dead Air is a psychological murder mystery. The focus is on Gregory Hines as a radio announcer, good at his work, haunted by the murder of his girlfriend, Katherine, and sensing, in his dreams, that he will be killed by her sister.
Relocating to Arizona, he receives threats at the radio station. He dates a young woman he meets in a bar and finds that she has been killed. Meanwhile, an alleged psychology student is interviewing him for her thesis. She gradually reveals that she is the sister of the murdered woman in Los Angeles.
The police see Hines as a witness to the murder, then as a suspect. As the film progresses, his assistant is murdered, he is set up and shot, survives and continues, with the help of the police, to track down the killer. At the end, it is revealed that he has a double personality, his real identity, the identity on the radio. In one of his personas he has committed the murders. He finally confronts his girlfriend's sister and makes her shoot him.
The film is well acted, portrays the police investigation, gives the film a twist (perhaps people were suspecting the sister as the murderer). Fred Walton made a number of films like this including When a Stranger Calls.
1. Interesting murder mystery? Psychological study? Credible?
2. The Arizona locations: the radio station, its surroundings, the town? The musical score and its atmosphere for character and for the issues?
3. The title, the radio station, the night hours for the radio? The programs, the music, the requests? Mark and his successful work in Los Angeles? Relocating to Arizona?
4. The opening, the focus on Mark, his dream, Katherine and her death, the mysterious woman with the gun about to shoot Mark? The replaying of this scene throughout the film? Its fulfilment?
5. Mark, at work, his phrase, "Don't waste my time," speaking on behalf of the radio station? His relationship with the head, the discussions about the raise in salary? The compere who followed him, his comments on Mark's skills? The young man ringing up with the request, Mark hanging up on him, his reappearance at the end - seemingly sinister? His having an alibi for the murders?
6. The mysterious woman, her voice, the comments, giving the audience clues (but thinking she was the insane one) by saying that she identified with Mark and was inside him? The importance of the two names, the discussions about each name and his different personalities? His becoming frightened by the phone calls?
7. His meeting Julie in the bar, their becoming friends, the night together, her murder, the phone call, his going to her house, helping the police?
8. Karen and her request for the interview, at the diner, the questions and Mark's answers? The background of identity, personality, responsibility, guilt? His attraction towards Karen? Her later reappearance, the affair? His checking on her, finding that she was not a student? Her reappearance, explaining that she was Katherine's sister, the questionnaire to interrogate him? Her believing him? The finale, her coming to the station, his threatening her, her understanding his two personalities? Her not wanting to shoot him, his forcing her?
9. His recording the detective stories, the echoes of the '40s private eyes? Susan and her assistance, the special effects? Her murder, the gun set up at the door, his being shot, not killed, going to hospital? The pathos of her death?
10. The police, friendship with Mark, suspect, the interrogation? The stakeout at the studio, the tape with no voice on it? Suspicions, lack of suspicion?
11. The build-up to the finale, the flowers and cards in the studio, Mark is dead? The phone calls? The build-up to the finale, his own bewilderment, talking to Laura, his understanding of his responsibility, the two personalities, his regrets, killing himself?
12. An effective psychological thriller - belying the expectations of the audience and making them think further about the characters and their suspicions.
