I saw Videodrome at the 2005 Stockholm film festival and as we were sitting in the audience waiting for the show to begin, director David Cronenberg walks in and starts presenting the film. He tells us that it is about people's reaction to media violence and a look at how media catalyzes violence in society. I'm glad he told me, because none of this is really apparent in the film. In fact, I would probably have found Videdrome totally unwatchable had Cronenberg not clarified its message and thereby given me something--a purpose--to hold onto as I watched it
So while I'm desperately clinging onto this purpose, we get follow likably sleazy TV cable programmer Max Renn (James Woods) as he discovers a frequency on the television transmission that shows a forbidden show, Videodrome. This show appears to be airing from Malaysia and features some pretty messed up torture games that people either find sexual and else gratifying, I don't know, but all the viewers are mesmerized by its content and it ends up changing them. Things start to get real weird for Max as he is turned into some kind of pawn for Videodrome and he is torn between the forces that want to control the show, and the show itself.
The plot outline of Videodrome is every bit as weird on screen as it sounds on page. It's often strangely entertaining, and I believe that is what Cronenberg wants to highlight -- the kind of perverse fascination that people have with television violence and gore. It is also about television broadcasters constantly on the edge, pushing for new daring concepts to shock the audience with. Because it is so ridiculously (I don't want to say 'gratuitously' - as I think it had a point) gory, I sat crouched behind my friend for the main part of the film, burying my head in her shoulder and feeling really woozy when Cronenberg carved out freak-overload in the form of James Woods PIERCING Debbie Harry (That's right, "Blondie") with a rusty needle. Sick.
Ultimately, and no disrespect to Mr. Cronenberg, there is just no way in hell ordinary people could have gotten its message without having read several explanations, reviews and discussions to identify it first. At first viewing, Videodrome appears to be a complete mess of gore, violence and perversions -- a wacky, nonsensical horror flick with low-budget visual effects. It is meant as a dark parable for the media/TV age as well as an allegory for the nature of horror films -- but this is nearly impossible to tell.
6/10
So while I'm desperately clinging onto this purpose, we get follow likably sleazy TV cable programmer Max Renn (James Woods) as he discovers a frequency on the television transmission that shows a forbidden show, Videodrome. This show appears to be airing from Malaysia and features some pretty messed up torture games that people either find sexual and else gratifying, I don't know, but all the viewers are mesmerized by its content and it ends up changing them. Things start to get real weird for Max as he is turned into some kind of pawn for Videodrome and he is torn between the forces that want to control the show, and the show itself.
The plot outline of Videodrome is every bit as weird on screen as it sounds on page. It's often strangely entertaining, and I believe that is what Cronenberg wants to highlight -- the kind of perverse fascination that people have with television violence and gore. It is also about television broadcasters constantly on the edge, pushing for new daring concepts to shock the audience with. Because it is so ridiculously (I don't want to say 'gratuitously' - as I think it had a point) gory, I sat crouched behind my friend for the main part of the film, burying my head in her shoulder and feeling really woozy when Cronenberg carved out freak-overload in the form of James Woods PIERCING Debbie Harry (That's right, "Blondie") with a rusty needle. Sick.
Ultimately, and no disrespect to Mr. Cronenberg, there is just no way in hell ordinary people could have gotten its message without having read several explanations, reviews and discussions to identify it first. At first viewing, Videodrome appears to be a complete mess of gore, violence and perversions -- a wacky, nonsensical horror flick with low-budget visual effects. It is meant as a dark parable for the media/TV age as well as an allegory for the nature of horror films -- but this is nearly impossible to tell.
6/10