 [Larger view] | Videodrome
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 The New Flesh Will Never Get Old | |
| Over twenty years have passed since the release of this movie, and it still continues to amaze, confuse, disgust, and genuinely entertain viewers. David Cronenberg struck us with ideas that are still frightening to this day, and we love him for it.
This movie is based around the broadcast of a snuff show, during which people are tortured and murdered. When Max Renn, played by James Woods, tries to find the origin of this show, the reality of the movie becomes manipulated. Blurring real life with hallucinations, the viewer is taken through the exact feeling and horror that Max Renn experiences. The people who have seen this movie are usually split into those who praise the genius and timelessness of it, and those who find it to be utter garbage. If you like your movies clean cut and wrapped up nice and neat, do not attempt to watch this. Though not as out there as a David Lynch movie, this will surely have you questioning what happened several times. However, if you want an experimental blend of science fiction and horror, do not pass by this DVD on your next trip to the video store. | |
 Criterion disc still wanting. | |
| What more could I possibly want? How about that screenplay that everyone says blew them away? Videodrome was a film that, appropriately enough, went through various transformations - and one of the things I was hoping for from Criterion's disc was a guided tour through the film's circuitous evolution.
So I was also a bit bummed to find that the outtakes that showed up in MCA's bastardized TV version didn't make it, as well as the some of the unused footage described in Video Watchdog's excellent article a few years back. It was always evident that 'Videodrome' was, to a great degree, made in the editing - so I am very interested in knowing about the different versions and possible paths that never were. The still galleries are good, but nowhere near complete. There have been a number of shots circulated of effects and scenes that never made it into the film that aren't represented here. Where, for instance, is the shot of Peter Dvorsky with an eye in the palm of his hand? The "bootleg video" sections have some really nice materials - but there is no way to watch the videodrome transmission footage without commentary. This is especially irritating when we can hear that live sound was shot - as opposed to the 'Samurai Dreams' footage, which was shot without sound and can be played silent or with two commentaries. The 'Apollo and Dionysis' footage is MIA - but I won't make a big deal over that. All of this aside, Criterion's 'Videodrome' is still a welcome release with a lot of nice additions that I didn't expect. The film itself is remarkable. It made a BIG impression on me when I was fifteen, and it still holds up. The effects probably look more like effects - but they have an aesthetic, which sets them apart from a lot of the more pedestrian rubber FX of the eighties and most of the flat looking CGI we see now. If we look at Murnau's silent 'Faust' today, the effects are still more impressive than a lot of what is state of the art now because of the artistry involved. Of course, none of it looks real - but it doesn't really need to. I can already see how cheesy a lot of what cuts the mustard for people today will look in ten years. Surprisingly, 'Videodrome''s extreme visuals hold up better than I ever expected, just because they are still so bizarre and original. Back when it came out, this movie was a revelation. It was almost universally panned - even by critics who acknowledged certain qualities. There is still nothing like it. But I am still waiting for the ultimate edition of 'Videodrome.' In the meantime, here's hoping Criterion revisits 'Crash' and 'Dead Ringers,' which is now out of print, but badly needed an audio overhaul. | |
| The Horrors Of Television... | |
| Max Renn (James Woods) is a small-time cable station operator (channel 83) who stumbles onto something big. In his quest for ever more bizarre / shocking programming, he is introduced to a "show" called VIDEODROME (aka: video circus or arena) that appears to be the real deal- snuff television! Though he believes the violence to be fake, Max is intrigued and mystified by the sadism and total lack of plot. He feels that videodrome could be the next big thing that hits the airwaves! Alas, he soon finds out that the video he's been watching is having a strange effect on / in his mind. Max begins hallucinating to the point where reality becomes a cloudy grey area. His masochistic girlfriend Nicki (Deborah Harry) disappears into the videodrome world, never to be seen again except via television. Max discovers that a nefarious government organization is behind videodrome and plans on using it to create a whole new society. Can they be stopped before we become a nation of killer-couch potatoes? Watch and see! David Cronenberg (Scanners, The Brood) weaves yet another web of terror for us to get caught up in. This is one of my favorites. Highly recommended... |
