Public Access

Watch Public Access

"Is it wise to talk to strangers?"
  • R
  • 1993
  • 1 hr 30 min
  • 5.2  (959)

Public Access is a psychological thriller film that was written by Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie in connection with a crime drama thriller. The movie was released in 1993 and features the acting talents of Ron Marquette, Bert Williams, Leigh Hunt, and many more. The story is set in a small town, and it follows the life of a stranger who decides to manipulate a local cable television station to broadcast his radical messages to the public. Public Access is a film that was recorded during the early years of cable television; therefore, it uses that as its backdrop to tell an incredibly sinister tale about power, influence and the dark side of how human beings can be seduced into becoming pawns in somebody else's scheme of manipulation. This film is about the power of television to sway the masses and how wrongly used, the stations can broadcast riots, disorder, and propaganda. However, it is also a story about the awakening of a dormant town and how a group of people comes together to fight together against evil. The movie starts with a man named Tom, played by Ron Marquette, who is a stranger in a small town called Brewster. On his arrival, he heads to the local cable television station, and he convinces one of the executives, Ray, to let him have his own program. Over time, Tom starts to make a lot of headway in the town, and the people start to treat him as their oracle. He speaks about all of the issues and problems of the town on his show, and the people who always listen to him are moved by his words, and they later start to take action to correct the injustices that they see in their society. Unfortunately, Tom soon turns into a tyrant, and on his shows, he starts to preach his dark ideas from his platform of power. The love that the town people and the cable executives had earlier shown Tom begins to sour pretty quickly, and they soon realize that they are dealing with a Master Manipulator, a blackmailer who can control their passions and desires. The audience starts to have public altercations and riots, and it becomes clear that Tom's show is having an adverse impact on the society that he had hoped to save. As everything spins out of control, the residents of the town discover Tom's true identity and question the man who had upended their way of life. Tom had always been enigmatic and pretending to work for the greater good, but at the end of the day, he had only been manipulating them all along. The danger and the deceit that brewed beneath Tom's surface are overshadowed by the way he had wielded his power through the television medium. The film depicts Brewster not only as a pre-dominantly white town but the only black character in the story is portrayed as an outsider who initially joined Tom’s cause without fully knowing his motives. The character's fate is left ambiguous, however, some believe that his presence in the story suggests the director wanted to address the idea of racism and other societal ills. Public Access is a film that presents the audience with both open and concealed storylines, generating a powerful experience that will make one empathize with the people of Brewster. The movie captures the themes that remain as important in today's era, and its ideas are still relevant with the increasing dependence of people on media activism to push for social change. In conclusion, Public Access is a film that discusses the way messages can manipulate people and uses the early days of cable television as its backdrop to explore the real and imagined effects of media. This movie shows how the "bad guy" characters can use their power to sway the public opinion and how this kind of manipulation can lead to mob mentality and destruction. The lessons from this film remain powerful and should be taken into account, especially in today's society, where sensationalism has become commonplace in media. It remains a thought-provoking masterpiece, and anyone who loves psychology thrillers or the darker side of human behavior should see it.

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Description
Public Access is a psychological thriller film that was written by Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie in connection with a crime drama thriller. The movie was released in 1993 and features the acting talents of Ron Marquette, Bert Williams, Leigh Hunt, and many more. The story is set in a small town, and it follows the life of a stranger who decides to manipulate a local cable television station to broadcast his radical messages to the public.

Public Access is a film that was recorded during the early years of cable television; therefore, it uses that as its backdrop to tell an incredibly sinister tale about power, influence and the dark side of how human beings can be seduced into becoming pawns in somebody else's scheme of manipulation. This film is about the power of television to sway the masses and how wrongly used, the stations can broadcast riots, disorder, and propaganda. However, it is also a story about the awakening of a dormant town and how a group of people comes together to fight together against evil.

The movie starts with a man named Tom, played by Ron Marquette, who is a stranger in a small town called Brewster. On his arrival, he heads to the local cable television station, and he convinces one of the executives, Ray, to let him have his own program. Over time, Tom starts to make a lot of headway in the town, and the people start to treat him as their oracle. He speaks about all of the issues and problems of the town on his show, and the people who always listen to him are moved by his words, and they later start to take action to correct the injustices that they see in their society.

Unfortunately, Tom soon turns into a tyrant, and on his shows, he starts to preach his dark ideas from his platform of power. The love that the town people and the cable executives had earlier shown Tom begins to sour pretty quickly, and they soon realize that they are dealing with a Master Manipulator, a blackmailer who can control their passions and desires. The audience starts to have public altercations and riots, and it becomes clear that Tom's show is having an adverse impact on the society that he had hoped to save.

As everything spins out of control, the residents of the town discover Tom's true identity and question the man who had upended their way of life. Tom had always been enigmatic and pretending to work for the greater good, but at the end of the day, he had only been manipulating them all along. The danger and the deceit that brewed beneath Tom's surface are overshadowed by the way he had wielded his power through the television medium.

The film depicts Brewster not only as a pre-dominantly white town but the only black character in the story is portrayed as an outsider who initially joined Tom’s cause without fully knowing his motives. The character's fate is left ambiguous, however, some believe that his presence in the story suggests the director wanted to address the idea of racism and other societal ills.

Public Access is a film that presents the audience with both open and concealed storylines, generating a powerful experience that will make one empathize with the people of Brewster. The movie captures the themes that remain as important in today's era, and its ideas are still relevant with the increasing dependence of people on media activism to push for social change.

In conclusion, Public Access is a film that discusses the way messages can manipulate people and uses the early days of cable television as its backdrop to explore the real and imagined effects of media. This movie shows how the "bad guy" characters can use their power to sway the public opinion and how this kind of manipulation can lead to mob mentality and destruction. The lessons from this film remain powerful and should be taken into account, especially in today's society, where sensationalism has become commonplace in media. It remains a thought-provoking masterpiece, and anyone who loves psychology thrillers or the darker side of human behavior should see it.

  • Release Date
    1993
  • MPAA Rating
    R
  • Runtime
    1 hr 30 min
  • Language
    English
  • IMDB Rating
    5.2  (959)