Director: David Cronenberg
Genre: Horror/
Thriller/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 87
minutes
Year:
1983
Starring: James Woods,
Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky, Lerslie Carlson, Jack Creley, Lynne
Gorman, Julie Khaner, Reiner Schwartz, David Bolt, Lally Cadeau, Henry Gomez
Description: A programmer
(James Woods) at a TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches
for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast.
Review: “Videodrome”
gained cult status soon after its release due to David Cronenberg’s innovative
vision of mass media and the intertwining of body and technology; by now it has
been called a prophetic film, as the director seemed to predict as early as
1983 how obsessed people would become with internet technology. Just look at
the scene in which Max Renn walks through a room where homeless people in rooms
are getting their own much-needed dose of cable-television.
“Videodrome” revolves around
cable television operator Max Renn who is constantly looking for even more challenging
and controversial material. When his sidekick shows a recording of a video
named Videodrome, Renn’s world view begins to rapidly shift. Terrible hallucinations
plague his brain. Searching for the how and why of his physical decline, he discovers
the programs of television guru Brian O’Blivion, who explains tat the show gave
him a brain tumor. The evil Barry Convex begins programming Renn with live
videos, which he inserts into his body. For Renn, who mutates into a killing
machine, there seems to be no turning back.
After so many years, “Videodrome”
is still disturbing, thought-provoking and at time particularly unpleasant
viewing experience. And overall it’s a very weird movie. Director David Cronenberg
devised a few iconic scenes that will leave very few viewers unmoved. The mutating
bodies of Renn and Convex seem to be the consequences of the destructive power
of VIdeodrom broadcast, which are meant to make weak America strong as the rest
of the world gets tougher and tougher.
Even though it’s a creepy,
weird and disturbing horror movie, the 80s vibe is a bit funny as well. But “Videodrome”
has lost none of its power.
Rating: 3, 5/ 5
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