Synopsis
A rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.
Scores
Overall Score
55.6
Popularity Percentile (Year)
59.1%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
37.1%
Review Aggregate
80.0
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 82% of 38 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize character-driven, thought-provoking, dark. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
character-driventhought-provokingdarkvisually strikingpsychologicalfunnytragicsuspensefulstylizedcoming of age
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Bogosian | 1988 | $193,000 | $511,000 | (est) |
| Alec Baldwin | 1988 | $119,000 | $314,000 | (est) |
| Ellen Greene | 1988 | $89,000 | $237,000 | (est) |
| Leslie Hope | 1988 | $73,000 | $193,000 | (est) |
| John C. McGinley | 1988 | $62,000 | $166,000 | (est) |
| John Pankow | 1988 | $55,000 | $146,000 | (est) |
| Michael Wincott | 1988 | $49,000 | $131,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score84.0
RT critic review count49
Rotten Tomatoes audience score81.0
RT audience rating count5,000
IMDb rating7.2
IMDb votes15,292
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1988 | $3,468,572 | $9,197,726 |
| International | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1988 | $3,468,572 | $9,197,726 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1988 | $1,734,286 | $4,598,863 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1988 | $10,562,000 | $28,007,603 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1988 | $5,525,000 | $14,650,824 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1988 | $1,387,429 | $3,679,091 |
| Total Revenues | 1988 | $19,208,715 | $50,936,381 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1988 | $4,000,000 | $10,606,932 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1988 | $1,978,000 (est) | $5,245,128 (est) |
| Participations | 1988 | $768,000 | $2,036,531 |
| Residuals ? | 1988 | $1,248,000 | $3,309,363 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1988 | $800,000 | $2,121,386 |
| Total Expenses | 1988 | $8,794,000 | $23,319,339 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1988 | $10,414,715 | $27,617,042 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | A Few Good Men | 1992 | Shared genres: 4 | 94.7 | $106,272,887 |
 | The House of Yes | 1997 | Shared genres: 4 | 43.3 | $13,619,451 |
 | The 24th Day | 2004 | Shared genres: 4 | 32.0 | $4,071,230 |
 | Oleanna | 1994 | Shared genres: 4 | 22.8 | $3,108,458 |
 | The Dark Knight | 2008 | Shared genres: 3 | 98.6 | $250,967,554 |