Generational movie about coming of age and the struggles of youth at a crooked highschool.one of my favorite dramas when i was a teen and love to this day.Very underrated,and delivers a war cry from teens struggling to not fall out of line in a school of shady teachers and principle.

Forgotten 90s gem. Prophetical and still relevant today

I loved this movie when it came out. I enjoyed watching Christian Slater's character broadcast his thoughts and notions and the fact he took down a corrupt high school principal was the icing on the cake. I still want my own short wave rig.

This movie was soo good I absolutely loved it it was exciting and really fun to watch but I did not like the way they ended it they needed to make a part 2 the end just got me mad the way they ended it but like in a good way it wax the most amazing movie ever this is definitely my new no.1 fave movie ever u need to watch it and Christian Slater was amazing in this he acted amazingly he really played his character well better than we'll he's an amazing actor u have to watch this movie it is a must

Almost three and a half decades after first seeing Pump Up the Volume, it has remained firmly in my top 3 favorite films of all time. It is at the tippity-top of the mountain, putting the more famous works of teen angst genre by John Hughes to shame. The writer/director was a no-compromise type of guy who still had to compromise a small bit on this film, but whatever compromises were made were good ones. Those lucky enough of my generation to find this film in the early 90s were likely introduced to Leonard Cohen for the first time. Some of the best songs from the movie didn't even make it to the official original soundtrack, luckily in the modern era a true soundtrack can and has been created on various streaming mediums. I don't think Slater and Mathis ever did work that topped Pump Up the Volume, but again I'm probably a bit bias. Top 3 after all. But I certainly became fans of them early in their careers because of PUtV.

Would have been 4 stars if I was 20, 5 stars if I was 15.

Honestly, this movie always holds a place in my heart. I love the Free Speech implications here and the message of breaking out and being yourself. We need more of this messaging

Some of the "shock jock" gags are more gross than funny, but the story of a introvert kid finding their voice on the air and standing up to the corrupt officials is engaging. It does end abruptly as it would be nice to have some closure with the kid's parents.

This is one of two movies that changed my life back in the days. Highly recommed it!

This is a very good and underrated movie. Shades of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Network, Talk Radio, Dead Poets Society and others, and somewhat of a precursor to a movie like Pleasantville. Christian Slater and Samantha Mantis are each excellent, and the film is surprisingly subversive for its era, taking on topics like suicide, homophobic bullying, censorship, anti-Capitalist angst and corruption in academia. It would be very interesting to watch a current sequel of this movie with a 50-year-old Slater and Mathis musing about what happened to them as they--the rebellious "don't trust anyone over 30" rabble-rousers--became the adults they had once protested against. The ending is predictable but does not sully the message in the final few minutes.

Is a great film, relatable characters, convey frustration of being a teen very well. Loved the soundtrack, acting was top notch, the chemistry between leads was amazing.

Stay strong! Stay hard!

That first kiss though... Teenage rebellion movies don't really get any better.

A shy new kid finds release and anonymous adulation running a pirate radio station that plays Leonard Cohen records and exposes the corruption at his elitist high school. His reign of terror gives a voice to the ignored in his Stepford Wives town and makes him a local hero to the kids who don't fit the mold. Ground breaking and clever, this forgotten gem inspired a generation of weirdos to do as wished and cast off the weight of expectations. Glorious teen rebellion against the clonal conformity of the eighties era.

The movie speaks to teen angst like nothing since The Breakfast Club and has one of the best soundtracks of all-time! Gave me my first introduction to Leonard Cohen.

It's a goofy premise on the surface. Teenaged shock-DJ on pirate radio. Teen flick. Fluff. Requisite angst of the slacker generation living in the 'burbs. WRONG. Messages within messages layer this movie, all threaded through with a truly eclectic soundtrack featuring Leonard Cohen, Ice-T and The Pixies (among others.) This movie was the moment many of us found our own voices.

It's rare a teen film like this can remain soo poignant after soo many years, but here's Pump Up the Volume, with just as much bite as when it debuted. It's a sharp, introspective social commentary, while also being a satisfying fist pumping rally against authority. All topped off with a killer soundtrack

Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis in a teen comedy-romance about using your own voice to speak up for yourself Sorta in the lines of ‘Radio Rebel' a young DJ in high school Mark Hunter takes on the secret persona of "Hard Harry" on a shortwave radio to broadcast his strong views He feels that the system of America is so screwed up and challenges the authoritative power of his school Mathis is Nora who hangs on to his every word and is the only one who knows Harry's secret But how long can he keep this up before the teachers discover who he is or until the FCC shuts him down for his outrageous beliefs? To them it's not freedom of speech or expression Mark sets ablaze a revolution in the student body; it's tough to be a teenager, it's not about giving up it's about surviving and living through it, we all have the basic right to an education and shouldn't be kicked to the curb, we should find our own voice and use it The ending felt anticlimactic but the overall message is loud and clear Im happy the filmmakers even played Everybody Knows by Concrete Blonde, one of my fav songs Even today the movies themes are universal and a rallying cry for the teenage world We all need to find our own voice and use it to speak truth to power This was also during the height of shock jocks in the early 90s The movie also acts as microcosm for corruption Pretty cool it tackled bullying, teen suicides, and gay students; almost no one listens to the troubles these people go through but thankfully there is one out there who manages to listen and speak up for them You can shut down the radio or turn off the tv but you can never silence the overall message when it goes viral for all to hear Slater and Mathis rock as leaders who both act for all the struggling listeners who need a voice to get them through the trials of life Mark never intended to start something so daring but the spotlight shined on him and it's not like he could turn away just like that Nora eggs him to continue the work he started and give these kids a reason to be hopeful in their troubled existence In the end all of us need to speak for the current generation in a world full of those more powerful who are willing to silence us A good movie that talks to us and not down

An impressive and funny movie that has a brilliant sense of humor to it.

Loved this movie! Christian Slater again proves that he is such a great actor. I liked how this movie was funny yet had quite a deep(er) meaning to it and shows what is wrong with society, how being different and thinking differently doesn't mean you don't belong.