Film Details:
Directed and written by David Cronenberg (eXistenz, The Dead Zone, Scanners, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch)
Starring
James Woods (Casino, Nixon, Naked Lunch, The General's Daughter)
Sonja Smits (TekWar, Dead Husbands)
Debbie Harry (Yup, the lead singer from Blondie!)
Review: by Melissa (e-mail your faithful reviewer)
Watching this movie is a bit like getting your buttons pushed when you aren't sure you want them pushed. It's kind of like getting turned on while you're watching nature shows.
Televisions shouldn't be this sexy. Especially when the're undulating and causing slits to open in your stomach. I mean, this entire movie is an exercise in Wrong-O-Vison. But you can't take your eyes off it, and when James Woods lovingly presses his face into a bulging television screen, you somehow understand.
I don't think I've ever seen such an intricate mix of sex, violence, television, religion, hallucination, and 1980's fashion. Cronenberg has always been known for his bio-mechanical slant, and this movie, along with eXistenz, is one of the best examples of his peculiar cinematic agenda. In almost all Cronenberg films, the body becomes hopelessly entangled with technology, and a bizarre new internal logic inevitably arises. In the Videodrome world, reality and television and sex become inseparable. And it ain't pretty.
Videodrome begins with James Woods, who seems to have a Ph.D. in being Slightly Creepy. James Woods runs a cable station that specializes in porn. Woods is looking for The Next Big Thing, and stumbles across this pirated television signal that seems to originate from Malaysia. This television show, "Videodrome", is basically a daily snuff show -- sex, torture and murder. Woods is fascinated, and is convinced that this gritty reality show is the way of the future. Thus, he decides to seek it out. In the process, he becomes addicted to it.
The rest of the film slowly descends into madness, and love it or hate it, it's quite a ride. The plot makes some inexplicable turns -- you're never really sure what is and isn't reality -- so the movie is sometimes confusing and might well infuriate some people. The plot is ultimately subservient to Cronenberg's peculiar vision. Yet, no matter how disjointed Videodrome gets, it is always horrifically fascinating to watch.
It's one of those films that you're pretty sure it's not good for you, yet you can't look away.
I do recommend it, especially if you like any of Cronenberg's other efforts. Film historians might also like a look, since Videodrome's influence on later films is undeniable: Lawnmower Man, Fear Dot Com, Ringu, and The Ring all branch off this film.
DVD Details:
The sound is okay, and the transfer is okay. Nothing special, but I've certainly seen much worse. Videodrome could certainly benefit from a nice restoration, but for a twenty-year-old film of only moderate renown, this DVD release is alright.
There are almost no extras to speak of, just:
Cast and Filmmaker Bios
Theatrical Trailer
Web Links
However, as sucky as this may look, that theatrical trailer alone is almost worth the price of the DVD. I don't think I have ever, EVER seen such an unabashedly 80's trailer. Pixellated computer graphics and everything. I just about peed my pants I was laughing so hard. You HAVE to see it.
Further Information:
Internet Movie Database
