Pump Up The Volume

Excellent little film from the early nineties that has slipped into obscurity. I've often wondered if its challenging and cynical adolescent themes made it somewhat undesirable for distributors. At any rate, I'm a fan.

 

“Everybody knows that the dice were loaded, everybody knows that the good guys lost.”

 

Saw it upon its release in Australia (January, 1991?): amazingly, it actually received limited theatrical distribution here! We were huge fans of Heathers, so the film was on our radar due to Christian Slater. It was a great screening, and we were really lucky to see it with an appreciative, intelligent crowd. It was one of the few films pitched at Gen X that didn't feel patronising (somewhat akin to River's Edge, etc.) Even more importantly, it was slightly ahead of the game with its musical content (Pixies, Concrete Blonde, Rollins, Cowboy Junkies) in a pop culture world that was pre-Internet and pre-Nevermind and still regarded Axl Rose as the height of civil disobedience. The soundtrack definitely made an impact upon my circle (and I still hold the UK surf version of 'Wave of Mutilation' to be the definitive version).

 

Hard to forget Harry.

 

Great film, I just watched the Blu ray a few weeks
ago and really enjoyed it. I had not seen it in many
years and love the music and vibe of the the film.

 

Dance dance

 

Forgot all about it and haven't seen it in over 25 years. I need to see it again. Thanks for reminding me, I loved it the first time I saw it.

 

Howdy:

I was the boom operator on Pump up the Volume so very many (many!) moons ago.

As I recall, it was a pretty fun shoot (excluding all those freezing nights out in Saugus, that is)… oh, and the director, Allan Moyle, was a rascal. Super good guy.

Talk hard, baby!


~Huck

 

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing. What's the deal with the diploma?

 

You are very welcome.

It was a gag (along with the inflatable doll) from the Prop Dept. referencing the chronic masturbater line in a scene previously shot.

I also found this call sheet from three days before we wrapped (we later did three days of reshoots in February of ’90). So strange to remember when all call sheets were handwritten. Man, those 2nd 2nds sure earned their dough scribbling those up every day, way back when. Yikes!


~Huck

 

Wow what a trip to see all those posts from Huck! Very cool.

Anyway, always had a soft spot for this one and loved the soundtrack (infinitely superior version of Wave of Mutilation and awesome Soundgarden track Heretic) - just wanted to say they did a really good job with the recent Blu-ray release and it's the best I've ever seen the movie look. Well worth picking up at under $20
https://www.amazon.com/Pump-Up-Blu-ray-Christian-Slater/dp/B08SYKT8GM

 

Just because I had it handy, here's the call sheet for day one (of three) for some pick-ups we did without Christian in early '90. Those were the final three days spent shooting Pump up the Volume.


~Huck

 

Great stories..glad the movie has aged well. I haven't seen it I many years,but loved it when it was released.

 

New Line was too cheap to have a cast/crew screening but Allan arranged for my then-girlfriend (seen here holding a balloon/tag that got us into the after-party across the street at the Roosevelt Hotel) and me to attend the premiere at the Chinese.

That was the first and only time I ever saw the picture… but I'm glad it (apparently) still resonates with some folks!


~Huck

 

You really owe yourself a second viewing (and report back to us here with your thoughts!).

 

I liked it, bought the sound track. The Rollins/Bad Brains version of Kick out the Jams,is my favorite version.

 

And it has the great Annie Ross in it!

 

I’m not sure I recall which character’s bedroom set this was but, judging by his overflowing pockets, I’m thinking our gaffer must have won Dollar Day that particular evening!

Although, as drawing a winner is typically the last thing done at the end of each workweek after camera wrap, I’m not sure why it appears he’s still working.

Hmmmm… it's a Pump up the Volume mystery!


~Huck

 

I've never seen this movie, but this thread made me try to hunt it down. I couldn't find it on any of the streaming services nor on Verizon OD. I'm sure it'll appear sometime.

 

“Cresswood is a maggot pusswad” ranks right up there with “It was Barzini all along”

 

Might have to rent it the old fashioned way. I've never seen it available to stream.

 

First soundtrack I ever bought.