"The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye."
"Television is reality, and reality is less than television."
"It has something...that you don't have, Max. It has a philosophy, and that is what makes it dangerous."
"Long live the new flesh."
Happy Halloween my ghosties and ghoulies. With The Virus still raging, I imagine most of you will be glued to your tv screens tonight. So, why not start out my Halloween night reviews with a horror film about television? Let's get lost in the screen with David Cronenberg's Videodrome.
In Videodrome, Max Renn (James Woods), a producer for a sleazy low-budget tv station is looking for the next big thing. In his search, he stumbles across a hidden, secret snuff tv show called Videodrome. It doesn't take long before he becomes obsessed with it, and as he watches more and more he starts to have vivid hallucinations. Intrigued, Max embarks on a quest to discover the truth and the reality behind Videodrome, eventually becoming embroiled in an ever-deepening conspiracy. When his hallucinations become impossible to distinguish from reality, things take a turn for the worst.
Videodrome is directed and penned by horror master David Cronenberg, and this is one of his masterpieces (alongside The Fly). The script is sublime, and his direction is pitch-perfect. Videodrome takes place in a world that has become over-saturated and obsessed with television. The tv dominates every day life, or is about to. The world crafted here is very similar to our own, and is all the more terrifying for it.
In this world, we follow Max Renn. It is his job to be obsessed with and about television. He is a man of few ethics and scruples. He doesn't believe in anything but television, making him a perfect target for the gospel of Videodrome. James Woods plays Max, and does a phenomenal performance. He manages to take a somewhat sleazy character and make him likable and cool. Woods looks consistently cool, almost like a character out of a noir. This might be appropriate as Videodrome is, at its heart, a fascinating and scary mystery that doubles as a vicious commentary on our world.
Videodrome is a film that takes a hard look at our (unhealthy?) obsession with television, and how it can warp and shape our minds and our experienced (and maybe even shared) reality. It understands that tv can be used for good or ill, and that it has the ability to control and influence our minds and thoughts. The flick finds some very true, very disturbing things to say that should resonate with audiences long after the film has ended.
If someone was to ever have the (unwise) idea to remake Videodrome for our modern day, I imagine that they could take the proceedings in a different direction and instead to choose to focus on society's current obsession with internet, smartphones, and technology. That said, Videodrome is a film that is still very much relevant today. It still holds up.
The effects in Videodrome are stunning, impressive, and disturbing (But not so disturbing that they are borderline unwatchable ala the effects in The Fly and Naked Lunch). Rick Baker was in charge of the effects, and it shows. They are fascinating, quite icky, and hard to forget (especially the scene where Woods presses his face into a tv screen. It's beautiful, odd, surreal, and effective) . We get gun-hands, videocassettes and television sets that inhale and exhale, scar tissue that opens up into gaping wounds into which objects can be inserted or retrieved, and more.
James Woods is not the only actor that impresses here. Debbie Harry (aka Blondie) plays the sexy and overstimulated Nikki Brand, who shares Max's obsession with Videodrome. She is beautiful, but odd. Jack Creley plays Brian O'Blivion, the founder and creator of Videodrome. He has some strong beliefs about the future of television, and offers some words of warning to Max about his creation. Sonja Smits plays Bianca O'Blivion, the daughter of Brian who is the head of operations for Cathode Ray Mission, a homeless shelter where those being housed inside are encouraged to watch hours of television non-stop. Both Bianca and her father are mysterious figures. Are they good or bad, what are their true intentions?
Leslie Carlson plays Barry Convex, the head of a glasses manufacturer called Spectacular Optical. He is another mysterious figure that is also a disciple of television, and might have some big, bad plans for Videodrome. Peter Dvorsky plays Harlan, the operater of Max's station's unauthorized satellite dish (He is referred to as a pirate). Harlan is a good friend of Max's, whose allegiances will be tested before the end of the film.
Videodrome is a film that has a lot on its mind, and it isn't shy about sharing it's thoughts. It's a trippy, surreal, acid-trip of a film that only gets weirder and more unhinged the longer it goes on. The last 30 minutes or so really pull a mindfuck on the audience, as we, much like Max, are unable to tell where hallucinations end and reality begins (and vice versa). Videodrome is an unforgettable, challenging, intelligent masterpiece that will disturb, thrill, and amuse. Check it out, just don't be surprised if you find it hard to shake off long after the end credits have rolled.
5 STARS
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