Videodrome

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I enjoyed this, and it is probably my favorite Cronenberg film and I really dig Debbie Harry.  But it is disturbing and after a couple watches I decided I "got it".   This barely falls into the "Too disturbing" category".   A few years ago I decided I watched films to escape life, not to make me feel worse and disturbed. I'm glad I saw it a few times, and now I probably won't see it again.  But I do dig Debbie Harry, did I mention that?
-Ed

[JaseSF]

It does seem to be the favourite Cronenberg film for most fans. I actually like NAKED LUNCH, THE DEAD ZONE and THE FLY (1986) better myself.

[Torgo]

  But I do dig Debbie Harry, did I mention that?
-Ed

She was most definitely quite the babe back in the day.  Hell of a singer as well.

[Oldskool138]

I bought this movie on a whim last year.  There's a Fear Factory song where the chorus is "Long Live the New Flesh" which I thought was cryptic and cool.  After a little bit of research, I found out it was a line from "Videodrome".  I'm a hard person to creep out.  "In the Mouth of Madness" and "Clockwork Orange" (the first couple of times I saw it) fall into that category.  I watched "Videodrome" for the first time in an empty house with the lights off.  The imagery is indeed disturbing but what really got to me was the overall atmosphere of the movie.  There was a sense of insanity lurking below the surface of the movie and it would show itself too you via Prof. O'blivion, the chest slit, and videotapes.

Plus the acting is top-notch.  The pride of Warwick, RI, James Woods, starts off cocksure and sleazy.  Then ends up a slave to his hallucinations.  Debbie Harry's character reminds me of a girl I used to know.  Always looking for the next extreme kick and then being consumed by it.

It is a wonderfully strange and surreal movie.  This should be in the "Good Movies" section!

[Andrew]

Plus the acting is top-notch.  The pride of Warwick, RI, James Woods, starts off cocksure and sleazy.  Then ends up a slave to his hallucinations.  Debbie Harry's character reminds me of a girl I used to know.  Always looking for the next extreme kick and then being consumed by it.

I thought that James Woods was out of his depth in a few of the scenes, he almost seemed like an amateur.  Deborah Harry was strange, because she also came off as trying to act beyond her talent, but it seemed to just make her character more believable.

It is a wonderfully strange and surreal movie.  This should be in the "Good Movies" section!

It fits the sort of b-movies, cult films, and bad movies that I started the site about, hence it goes here.  Another person might start a topic about "Videodrome" and choose to put it in the Good Movies section.

EDIT:  Fixed a spelling mistake.

[Oldskool138]

I thought this was one of Woods' better, if not best performance (the other one would be in "Once Upon a Time in America").  Most characters he plays are slime-balls.  In "Videodrome" his character goes on a surreal journey.  I think a lot of people think Woods is overmatched with the material is because you only see him in those slime-ball roles with very little character development. 

Or maybe I'm biased since he and I are from RI and, let's face it, not too many actors come out of the Ocean State. 

[Neville]

Watched it, but was not impressed. Maybe it was that because its reputation I was expecting something more extreme... or more funny to watch. As Andrew said there, the pace is very slow throughout the whole movie, and I kept expecting the movie to pick up some steam.

Still, I enjoyed certain things. The imagery, for sure. Can't imagine any other movie where you can see James Woods f**king a color TV. Or James Woods' performance. That man should get better work, or at least work that doesn't require him to go over the top, even if he's good at that.

I'll have to see this one again, but I found other Cronemberg's films, such as "eXistenZ" far more accesible. And fun.

[Just Plain Horse]

I think that while "Videodrome" is interesting- not to mention very fetishistic- it's a bit too weird to be placed among the "good movie" category. Not that I'm knocking it- I liked Naked Lunch and Altered States a bit better- it's just not a movie one tends to think of among the greats made by Hitchcock, Kubrick and the like. That said, see you in Pittsburg.

[Pilgermann]

I'm always up for watching a Cronenberg movie even though I really only enjoy a couple that I've seen, those being eXistenZ, The Fly.  I haven't seen Videodrome, though (and  many others), but I really want to.  I watched Naked Lunch recently, and while it was weird and interesting, I felt that it would mainly appeal to William S. Burroughs fans.  Although *SPOILER!* it's worth seeing to watch Roy Scheider tear out of a butch lookin' woman costume and to hear him say "Mugwump jism can't be beat!"  Wow!

[T-Rex Television]

I've been wanting to watch this movie since i've heard of it a short while ago, but one quick thing I was wondering is, does this movie have any/a lot of nude/sex scenes in it? Kind of a weird qquestion,but ive read a couple reviews on websites and it sort of talks about it a bit. Thanks, just want to make sure (cause I wont be allowed to watch it if it is, ugh parents..)

[Torgo]

I've been wanting to watch this movie since i've heard of it a short while ago, but one quick thing I was wondering is, does this movie have any/a lot of nude/sex scenes in it? Kind of a weird qquestion,but ive read a couple reviews on websites and it sort of talks about it a bit. Thanks, just want to make sure (cause I wont be allowed to watch it if it is, ugh parents..)

There's one scene in which you see James Woods and Debbie Harry nude while he's piercing her ear, but I don't think you actually see any humping (though it's been a while since I watched it).

But there's some really disturbing sexual violence during the parts in which James Woods is watching the Videodrome transmissions that are really in your face.

[Andrew]

There is a fairly soft-core sex scene between Deborah and Woods.  If I remember correctly, she also has some nudity and there is some S&M sex stuff in the Videodrome stuff.

[alaskadoc]

hands down the worst movie I have ever seen. 
Found this web page via google. after 20+ years I wanted to see what others thought of it.

[Bonehead-XL]

FACTS: Videodrome is:

Still David Cronenberg's best movie.

One of the best horror films of the 1980s.

One of the best horror films of all time, period.

James Wood's best performance.

This is the truth.

[Oldskool138]

FACTS: Videodrome is:

Still David Cronenberg's best movie.

One of the best horror films of the 1980s.

One of the best horror films of all time, period.

James Wood's best performance.

This is the truth.

This movie does elicit a visceral reaction from people.  Either you love it (or were scared) by it or you hated it.