Film Review--Videodrome
VIDEODROME
starring James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits, and Jerry Springer as The Beav.
The president (Woods) of small-time cable channel in Toronto is on a constant search for new material that pushes the boundaries of sex and violence. In short, he's always after the lowest common denominator. He gets what he's looking for in a pirated broadcast of a show called "Videodrome." It seems to show a woman being tortured and then murdered. When his girlfriend (Harry) goes to audition for the show, a grand conspiracy is discovered, one that plans to make TV viewing totally addictive.
To quote Bugs Bunny, "screwy, ain't he folks?" This is another one by David Cronenberg, surrealist LSD prophet of the 1980s. Seeing his more recent films ("Eastern Promises," "A History of Violence") made me want to investigate is other work. I was warned that his other films were weird, but it seems no warning would have been sufficient enough.
There are really great ideas in this film. The idea of a permissive and TV screen-addicted society that never seems to know where to draw the line, the farcical jabs at society (Prof. Brian O'Blivion, a "TV prophet" who refuses to appear on TV except via a TV screen) and what seem to be recurring themes with Cronenberg: raw, frank looks at violence and sexuality (all of his films seem sexually charged) and the terror of losing one's mind. Great themes here, however the execution seemed a bit muddled to me and the ending was especially murky. Woods gives a great performance as does Debbie Harry from Blondie. If you can get past its 1980's, "Max Headroom" look (which was no problem for me), I think you'll dig it.
RATING: PDG (Pretty Darned Good)
starring James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits, and Jerry Springer as The Beav.
The president (Woods) of small-time cable channel in Toronto is on a constant search for new material that pushes the boundaries of sex and violence. In short, he's always after the lowest common denominator. He gets what he's looking for in a pirated broadcast of a show called "Videodrome." It seems to show a woman being tortured and then murdered. When his girlfriend (Harry) goes to audition for the show, a grand conspiracy is discovered, one that plans to make TV viewing totally addictive.
To quote Bugs Bunny, "screwy, ain't he folks?" This is another one by David Cronenberg, surrealist LSD prophet of the 1980s. Seeing his more recent films ("Eastern Promises," "A History of Violence") made me want to investigate is other work. I was warned that his other films were weird, but it seems no warning would have been sufficient enough.
There are really great ideas in this film. The idea of a permissive and TV screen-addicted society that never seems to know where to draw the line, the farcical jabs at society (Prof. Brian O'Blivion, a "TV prophet" who refuses to appear on TV except via a TV screen) and what seem to be recurring themes with Cronenberg: raw, frank looks at violence and sexuality (all of his films seem sexually charged) and the terror of losing one's mind. Great themes here, however the execution seemed a bit muddled to me and the ending was especially murky. Woods gives a great performance as does Debbie Harry from Blondie. If you can get past its 1980's, "Max Headroom" look (which was no problem for me), I think you'll dig it.
RATING: PDG (Pretty Darned Good)
posted by Jon Nichols at 9:58 AM
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