Videodrome

[Chigur]

When I saw this film it seriously wierded me out, and assuming that that's the intended effect I would almost certainly say that it's a good film.
Is it just me, or do three-quaters of Cronenberg's films involve some grotesque body mutilation? Existenz, Crash, Scanners and Videodrome to say the least.
I mean he's definitely toned it down in recent years, but come on. That scene with the soup in Existenz is just gross.

[Neville]

Cronenberg has always been fascinated with the idea of body mutation, don't ask me why. You can see that from his very early films. I'm not that sure if he has toned it down deliberately or simply the idea has evolved somehow during the years. You could say that some of the characters in his latest film are mutants / monsters but in a more subtle way. Take the gangsters from "Eastern Promises", they have somehow evolved from normal people, but one could argue their behaviour and social rules are so extreme that they are no longer human.

As for the Chinese restaurant scene in "Existenz", my guess is that he was poking fun at his own obsession with weirdness.

[RapscallionJones]

This is an absolute favorite of mine.  The idea of media saturation, where does reality end and fantasy begin and so on is still relevant today, maybe even now more than ever.  A couple of years back I was tapped by a t-shirt company to make a shirt for the movie.  We did two and printed one.  My favorite was the one they didn't use.



This is the one they used:

[HarlotBug3]

Something that struck me as odd is that the movie never "takes off" like such movies are wont to do.  By that, I mean the pacing.  The film continues to be weird and present strange images and situations, but it does so at the same deliberate pace the entire time.

Thank you for describing what I couldn't put my finger on when trying to review this film myself. I'm suprised with myself that it's taken me this long to recognize the director's talent, specifically for making movies that strike with more than their content. Frankly, Eastern Promises wasn't a big deal as a script, but the presentation gave it more depth and umpf* than it deserved.

[KYGOTC]

I watched the trailer for this one on youtube and I ALMOST wanted to go out and buy it, but it seemed kinda like a movie that looks cool from a few screenshots, but ends up being really boring. Kinda like "The Stuff". Maybe i get it offa nexflix or something.

[Oldskool138]

I watched the trailer for this one on youtube and I ALMOST wanted to go out and buy it, but it seemed kinda like a movie that looks cool from a few screenshots, but ends up being really boring. Kinda like "The Stuff". Maybe i get it offa nexflix or something.

The pace is deliberate and it adds the f'ed up feeling the whole movie has.

[Jim H]

The last time I watched this movie I watched it while semi-drunk with a friend who'd never seen it before.  To say the least, it makes it a lot harder to follow.  I can't really suggest anyone else try it, heh.

But yeah, interesting film.  Great effects work.  It does reward a bit on multiple viewings too, I think.

[The_Lonely_Lady]

I have this on DVD, probably because I like Debbie Harry, but I think it's got some great ideas. I agree about the pacing but I think it's always enjoyable, especially if you think about it a bit afterwards. I read a book about some of the imagery which suggested the lips on the TV screen and the slot in his stomach were supposed to represent vaginas, I never thought about that before. Kind of makes it even sleazier.

[BTM]

(spoilers for Videodrome and Existenz)




Ever notice the endings to BOTH of these movies are rather similar?  We've got the whole someone getting shot, and the "Death to this, long live that!" chant?

Just thought that was kind of interesting...

[BeyondTheGrave]

I haven't seen this in awhile but from my reaction I did like it. I mean even if you hate it at least you get to see Debbie Harry nude.