Videodrome
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Canada
Movie Reviews of Videodrome
Movie Review: Film on TV
Summary: 4 Stars
David Cronenberg is a unique filmmaker whose vision of the world is somewhat skewed as compared with the rest of us. In Videodrome he investigates the possible insidious and damaging effects that a continuous stream of torture and death from a TV screen could have upon an individual. Well that is one possible interpretation of this film, in fact he could equally just be pushing the boundaries a bit further himself.
The film was made in 1982 when Video was just beginning to boom all over the world. It stars James Woods as Max Renn, who gives one of his best ever performances, as an executive for a small cable TV station who in searching for something new to air on the station. He discovers Videodrome, or is a duped into discovering it, and from that point on starts to hallucinate. Beyond this point it becomes difficult to know what is real and what isn't. Suffice to say, if you are not familiar with Cronenberg, things turn pretty nasty and although some of the special effects look a little dated now this certainly isn't for the squeamish.
Unless you have read a detailed synopsis by Cronenberg himself, you are likely to get to the end of this movie and wonder what it all means, which is pretty much how I felt. However its done with a style that is largely missing from a lot Hollywood movies, and that is not surprising. Cronenberg is Canadian and this is a Canadian film. It has a different feel to Hollywood movies, perhaps more akin to a European movie. I agree with the previous reviewer that towards the end the typical Cronenberg 'horror' element was overplayed, but overall this is a thought-provoking and strangely entertaining movie that I look forward to watching again.
Movie Review: Long live the new flesh.
Summary: 4 Stars
James Woods always gives strong performances in almost all his movies, in a Comedy (The Hard Way), in a Horror Film (John Carpenter`s Vampires), in a Drama (Another Day In Paradise) or in a Suspense (The General Daughter) always great as usual in these different kind of performances.He Plays-Max Renn is a Controversial Cable Programmer, he co-own an small T.V. station, he show soft-core films to hard-core violence. Then one day, a friend of his, catch on a satellite scramble a pirate T.V. show, Called-VideoDrome is torture, rape and people are murdered for real ? Once he watch it, is no turning back, he starting to have-hallucination. Then he find out, what VideoDrome really means-Invader is a television show that seduces and controls its viewers. is it meant for for whole wide world to know, what it is?
Unusaul Premise From Controversial Director-David Croneneberg (Crash, The Dead Zone, The Fly-1986) is a bit familiar from previous film-eXistenZ.
Deborah Harry of Blondie-in a small role, she plays-Nicki Brand. One of a kind, From Make-Up Artist-Rick Baker (An American Werewolf In London) are Visual Outsanding. So is that same year in 1982, an young Make-Up Artist-Rob Bottin did a Outstanding job on-John Carpenter`s The Thing. VideoDrome is not for all taste but for David Cronenberg`s Fans will have a blast, watching this new shocking vision from Science-Fiction and Horror Films. Grade:A-.
Movie Review: TV KILLERS
Summary: 4 Stars
David Cronenberg's imaginary world is full of mutilated bodies, of iron animals trying to penetrate human flesh or of mad scientists dreaming of impossible metamorphoses. It's a world you have to accept first in order to enjoy the movies of this canadian director. If you don't, you'd better skip the four or five Cronenberg's DVD actually available.VIDEODROME is a very ambitious movie about mass manipulation through television images. It describes the ineluctable fall of James Woods, a TV station headman, whose occupation is to find the most vulgar shows on earth susceptible to please the audience. He will be trapped in hallucinative nightmares when discovering the VIDEODROME show.
I think that the horror scenes are not as well integrated in the action as they will be in DEAD RINGERS a few years later. So the movie is hybrid, half horror movie half social and political pamphlet.
The image is full of white spots (How ironical !) but the audio OK.
A digestible DVD.
Movie Review: a fun sci fi thriller to watch
Summary: 4 Stars
this movie has it all: suspense, horror, eroticism, drama.
James woods and deborah harry give great perfomances in this highly stylish thriller. It certainly inspired the concept of the "RING" series. Woods's character gets immerses in a world of perversion, where a S&M tv show produces a tumor in his brain provoking massive halluciantions.He doesn't know what is real and what is fantasy anymore.
Harry's character is a kinky radio personality who finds a new form of life in videodrome.
This film makes you think, and every time I watch it, it gives more space for interpretation.
Movie Review: Hard to tear away from
Summary: 4 Stars
Very moody, somewhat psychadelic film concerning mind control via cable TV. A rougue cable station spell-binds its viewers who then do things they would not normally do. People have things in thier stomachs that you can't imagine. It has a dystopian flavor to it, and, as phantasamagorical as it is, it commands your silent attention. It leaves an after-taste remeniscent of The Eyes of Laura Mars, and Blue Velvet. Only for people like me.