Radiant City

Gary Burns (Director), Jim Brown (Director) Rated:

Unrated

Format: DVD

11 ratings

IMDb6.9/10.0

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March 4, 2008

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Editorial Reviews

Surrealist filmmaker Gary Burns (Waydowntown, A Problem with Fear) joins journalist Jim Brown on an outing to the `burbs. Amidst the fresh foundations of monster homes, the two explore the dark side of suburbia and create a provocative reflection on why we live the way we do. Playing off sitcoms and reality TV, Burns and Brown turn the documentary genre inside out, crafting a vivid account of life in The Late Suburban Age.

Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.53 inches; 4 Ounces
Director ‏ : ‎ Gary Burns, Jim Brown
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC, Dolby
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 33 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2008
Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Studio ‏ : ‎ Koch Lorber Films
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001139ZJC
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #326,650 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #20,577 in Documentary (Movies & TV)
- #33,727 in Comedy (Movies & TV)
- #56,397 in Drama DVDs

Customer Reviews:
11 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		60%
4 star 0% (0%)		0%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star		40%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Doctor A.

A Wake-Up Call

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2009

Verified Purchase

Wow! What a wake-up call for the current American suburban life style and the often dysfunctional values that sustain it. From our hour-plus commutes in mind numbing traffic, to our grossly overpriced cookie-cutter tract homes, to the always busy, busy, busy moms and dads shuttling kids from one programmed activity to another, this is a shocking and all too accurate portrait of the American "anxious class."

It is unlikely that anybody could watch this 90-minute mocumentary without sensing their daily personal reality slapping them in the face. This powerful video brought to mind the lyrics of John Lennon from a bygone era, "A working class hero is so hard to be. They keep you doped on religion, sex and TV. And you think you're so clever and classless and free. But you're still [just] peasants as far as I can see!" Perhaps it's time for all of us to reevaluate the American dream... that is unless your house is already in foreclosure.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

A Reader

Superb!

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2008

Verified Purchase

Critical view of suburbia by a filmmaker who grew up there. Interviews with realtors, experts on city planning and architecture, mixed in with footage of the Moss family's daily routines. Never boring and very educational. Basically spells out why things seem so bleak and everyone needs anti-depressants to cope. (HINT: Its not because of a chemical imbalance in the brain, as your body's reaction to your environment is quite natural) Should be mandatory viewing by all. Other documentaries about suburbia I recommend are: The End of Suburbia, Escape from Suburbia, Subdivided, Gimme Green.

6 people found this helpful

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Michael Williams

I recommend it highly

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016

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A superb, tricky little documentary that has its say with economy, clarity, and even a little suspense. Saying more about the narrative of the film would spoil the viewer's surprise and pleasure, so I'll withhold details: I'll only say that it's both inventive and insightful. I recommend it highly.

Helpful

Eric Eberle

Love this movie

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

I dunno about the end though but the rest is a great look at suburbia

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Larkin Breed

life on the moon

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2008

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i really enjoyed this dvd. the topic is timely, the photography is stark but beautiful and the actors are appealing. in addition, the movie is funny with just a tinge of terror. it's imbued with subtle canadian humor.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Preston C. Enright

Critical, tender and funny look at suburbia.

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2008

This is a funny and informative look at life in suburbia.
It's like a mix between The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American D Ream and This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) .
The actors, just regular folk, are simply wonderful.
The film is interspersed with comments from community design scholar James Howard Kunstler who wrote The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape .

The National Film Board of Canada helped in the production of this film. They've been involved in many excellent films, including The Corporation and Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media .
People who are interested in the topics of suburbia, peak oil and human society will also want to check out A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash .

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Zutron

Suburbia really is as scary as you think

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2009

Outstanding documentary on why people choose the suburbs and what they find when they get there. Outstanding commentary is interspersed with interviews of a family that is engaging from the get go (I hope the boy has an agent--loved him!). Funny, interesting, sad, it serves as a cry for something different.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

AlchemystAZ

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014

Verified Purchase

Delightful and able to convince you of, of, the blight you live in. Surprise ending! WOW!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Robert V. L. Johnstone

It's a brilliant combination of real-life documentary with a bit of a ...

Reviewed in Canada on July 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I've been looking for this "mockumentary" ever since I saw it when it came out. It's a brilliant combination of real-life documentary with a bit of a surprise that I won't ruin for you. If you're into urban planning or are at all concerned about the sprawl of our cities, this is a must-see, and it is still fresh with a lot of relevant issues. The fact that it was made and filmed in my home town of Calgary is a nice bonus, but its audience is really anyone who has ever lived in a major North American city.

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