VIDEODROME (1983)
Directed by David Cronenberg
Starring: James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky, Leslie Carlson, Jack Creley
Max Renn (Woods) owns and operates a seedy UHF station in Toronto called CIVIC-TV. With a name like that, you'd expect it to be a sort of public television affiliate, but instead, Max fills the Canadian airwaves with softcore porn and graphic violence. One fine day, his assistant Harlan (Dvorsky), by way of a pirate satellite dish, comes across an odd show called "Videodrome," in which a woman is beaten and tortured on a plain set - no plot, no context, no explanation. Of course, Max is thrilled by this concept, believing it to be the next big thing, because Max is a scumbag and is okay with that fact.
Max goes on television to defend his sleazeball antics, but is upstaged by the eccentric Professor Brian O'Blivion (Jack Creley), who appears via television...on television. He does this to prove his point that, someday, television will replace life as we know it. But Max couldn't care less, as he proceeds to bed the other panelist, pop-psychologist Nicki Brand (Harry). At his apartment, Nicki pops in a tape of "Videodrome" and is mesmerized by what she sees. Taking this as a sign, Max tries to find out as much about "Videodrome" as he can in a effort to make a deal with the producer. But the more he finds out about "Videodrome,"the more his world begins to collapse. He begins having wild hallucinations, not the least of which is a ten-inch vertical gash in his abdomen. His focus now switches to finding out what's causing the hallucinations, but he finds that the secret behind "Videodrome" isn't too far behind, either.
There's more - a lot more - about a government plot to purge North America of the freaks and perverts who feed on sex and violence, and a video librarian who reprograms Max to "accept his new flesh," but to go into more detail would take all night. It's an amazingly complex story that's been woven into 87 short minutes.
The whole concept centers around television and its control over us. Even in the early 1980's, this wasn't too far-fetched. But David Cronenberg takes things a step further: "Videodrome" is almost like a virus that invades the body of whoever watches it. The sickness becomes literal, and, in true Cronenberg fashion, it wreaks some rather gruesome havoc. The special effects, done by Oscar winner Rick Baker, are pretty impressive and stomach turning at the same time. They seem sort of dated by today's standards, but the practical effects also give off a sense of realism in a pretty unbelievable story.
Now, of course, there comes the debate as to whether or not this is a true "horror film." Personally, I would categorize it under "Science Fiction," but there are certainly many horror elements in the film, not the least of which are the various mutations Max goes through. Many have called David Cronenberg the master of "body horror," a sort of sub-genre that deals with disease and death. If horror preys on our fears of what we can't control, then the concept of our bodies turning against us is about as scary as anything. We may not be afraid of slashers, creepers or mythical monsters, but the minute our own bodies start acting funny, our fear of death surfaces. Besides, who says sci-fi can't also have a bit of horror mixed in (Alien, anyone)?
Videodrome was way ahead of its time, both in terms of vision and scope. It may not go for outright scares and screams, but it works on your mind rather than your nerves, which I've always found scarier.
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