Anarchy TV: The Movie

Channel 69 is the local public access station that plays shows like "Political Jeopardy" and "Eat Me." The shows lambast the establishment, and push free speech and individualism. It is run by cute couple Jerry (Jonathan Penner) and Natalie (Jessica Hecht), hilarious paranoid Frank (Matt Winston), Katie (Moon Zappa), and Sid (Dweezil Zappa). Natalie is also a teacher, working her political agenda into subversive elementary school plays, much to the principal's (Mink Stole) chagrin.

Natalie's dad is Reverend Wright (Alan Thicke), who buys the television station, disowns his daughter, and throws the group out onto the street. They try to protest their plight, but no one seems to care as no one was watching them in the first place. They hold a couple of disastrous rallies, where all their friends butt heads about their personal beliefs. They are thrown in jail, and eventually bailed out by Oriental prostitute/fan Tiffany (Tamayo Otsuki).

As the Christian station broadcasts on their station, the group hatches a new plan. They take the station by force and begin broadcasting their stuff again, much to the yawns and indifference of the viewing public. Even the police and press do not care. Frank discovers a safe in the station that holds the key to all his off-the-wall beliefs, and sets about breaking the combination.

Tiffany suddenly gets a great idea, and viewers begin tuning in- nude aerobics will do that. Soon, the little station terrorists find themselves to be media darlings, and people tune in, shedding their inhibitions and clothes as well. Eventually the film ends in Frank's shooting, as he discovers proof that the government executed radical Abbey Archer (George Wendt) with microwaves.

The film plays like a goofball version of "UHF." The film makers wisely lampoon conservatives as well as liberals, but usually spends way too much time beating it into their audience. The final few minutes, featuring the shooting, brings down all the silly fun of the film, and really ends on a sour note. The entire government-as-assassins angle absolutely fails.

Moon and Dweezil Zappa are very funny in supporting roles, as is Ahmet as an abusive cop. Matt Winston is a riot as paranoid Frank, questioning everyone's motives. The sketches in the film run hot and cold, but it helps that a middle ground is found. If you are offended by a joke one minute, Blanks finds something for you to laugh at the next. Actually, with free speech and personal freedom being preached, the political group who come off best in the film are the libertarians, not anarchists.

"Anarchy TV" is not great, but it has more laughs than some big screen successes, and contains off color humor that works better than any "American Pie" film. I recommend it, unless full frontal nudity (both sexes) and anti-establishment humor really bothers you...

This is unrated, and contains mild physical violence, mild gun violence, strong profanity, very strong female nudity, strong male nudity, strong sexual references, drug abuse, drug references, and adult situations.


Great film, funny stuff, but do we need the nudity?   July 12, 2001
 2 out of 15 found this review helpful

I loved this movie, but the gratuitous nudity was a bit of a turn-off. It had nothing to do with the story and seemed like the director's way of jacking up the rating. I'm a big musical fan of the various Zappas and was happy to see Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva in a film together. Dweezil Zappa's character is refreshingly sarcastic and the entire cast of Anarchy TV is very funny. This spoofish movie is a definite fave. The public access show "Eat Me" is my favorite, with some foul-mouthed kiddies that make the movie complete.

Funny stuff.


Anarchy TV   June 30, 2000
 9 out of 13 found this review helpful

The film is a quite funny and refreshingly affirmative counter-culture take on religious hypocracy, police brutality and racism. It contains an amusing send up of so-called family values. I took my 14 year old son to see it. It is a healthful antedote to the banal and unimaginative twaddle on TV and in the movies.