Videodrome is one of those movies that was not very succesful when it was first released and was panned by critics, but later gained a cult following especially among horror-fans, who see it as being one of the greatest horror-films ever made. So, do i share the same opinion? Well, yes and no.
James Woods plays Tv-programmer Max Renn(great preformance!) who one day discorvers a tv-signal which transmits a violent program called 'Videodrome'. Max sees potential in the program and becomes more obsessed with it. But it turns out that there is something else with this little program something which could turn out to be something that is much more disturbing and twisted than he would ever have imagined.
And then some weird stuff starts to happen.
It's a very clever and interesting premise, but unfortunately the film for me has some problems consirning it's story-structure, and the way it explores it's ideas can get a bit clunky. I also find the side-characters to be quite forgettable and one-dimentionel compared to James woods' character. But having said all that, where this movie really shines is within the subtext.
The film has a very frightning and thought-provoking messange on how the media has made us more desensitized towards violence and since the movie came out in the early 80's at the birth of the home-video market, it also ask some very interresting quenstions. Fx is technology going to make us even more desensitized, since it's making it easier for us to gain acces to violent materials? To me that makes Videodrome's message even more relevant today since we now have an easier way to gain acces to violence than we ever had before since the internet came along.
On the visual side the film is also quite stunning. The special effects are fantastic and very creative, especially for 1983, being all practicle, which is awesome.
You can tell that there is a lot that i found facenating about this movie and it is also a film that i can admire and appreciate as a horror-fan, but it's a film that is a bit hard for me to love, givin it's poor characters and story.
So even tough i found this movie to be a little over-appreciated by some people and a lot more stronger underneath than on the surface and is in my opinion far from David Cronenberg's best film, i do think it is a movie that is worth watching just for it's message alone. So 3.5/5 from me :)
1983's Videodrome is still one of David Cronenberg's strangest films, and that's really saying something. I don't think its Kafkaesque (or Dickian) take on television is so much prescient as it is commentary on the TV/video of the day. I think snuff films like Faces of Death were much more of that time, for example. The story about a television program that makes your brain evolve takes us into Cronenberg's surreal (and as ever, squishy) territory, and because hallucinations abound, is filled with ambiguity. I hardly know what to say about it, except that it's a completely original, darkly comic, thinking man's piece of retro-SF. And you can't glibly sum it up as a critique of sex and violence because Cronenberg obviously doesn't believe these lead to the decay of society or contribute to decadence and violence in society.
Pr O'Blivion : " Soon, all of us will have special names, names designed to cause the cathode-ray tube to resonate." Look at our avatars, here and on other social networks...
My son Nate requested a movie night for his 9th birthday party. I asked the video store clerk, Brent, to recommend something fun and retro in the vein of RoboCop.
Since the comments are mostly positive, I would like to quote Roger Ebert:
quote:
The characters are bitter and hateful, the images are nauseating, and the ending is bleak enough that when the screen fades to black it's a relief… Videodrome, whatever its qualities, has got to be one of the least entertaining films of all time.
Immensely intelligent, great social insights. Delightfully horrifying, great leader performance. Visually amazing, fantastic everything. 10/10 One of the greatest films of all time, and still under-rated today. I could write almost an entire 300 page book on what makes this film so fantastic.
Add your comment
Comments 1 - 15 of 25
moviesmylife875
Classic 80s gem love James Woods!leprechaunupindatree
why does helocovoco
no, patron....no....the tide is high and I'm definitely moving on...Groovy09
Videodrome is one of those movies that was not very succesful when it was first released and was panned by critics, but later gained a cult following especially among horror-fans, who see it as being one of the greatest horror-films ever made. So, do i share the same opinion? Well, yes and no.James Woods plays Tv-programmer Max Renn(great preformance!) who one day discorvers a tv-signal which transmits a violent program called 'Videodrome'. Max sees potential in the program and becomes more obsessed with it. But it turns out that there is something else with this little program something which could turn out to be something that is much more disturbing and twisted than he would ever have imagined.
And then some weird stuff starts to happen.
It's a very clever and interesting premise, but unfortunately the film for me has some problems consirning it's story-structure, and the way it explores it's ideas can get a bit clunky. I also find the side-characters to be quite forgettable and one-dimentionel compared to James woods' character. But having said all that, where this movie really shines is within the subtext.
The film has a very frightning and thought-provoking messange on how the media has made us more desensitized towards violence and since the movie came out in the early 80's at the birth of the home-video market, it also ask some very interresting quenstions. Fx is technology going to make us even more desensitized, since it's making it easier for us to gain acces to violent materials? To me that makes Videodrome's message even more relevant today since we now have an easier way to gain acces to violence than we ever had before since the internet came along.
On the visual side the film is also quite stunning. The special effects are fantastic and very creative, especially for 1983, being all practicle, which is awesome.
You can tell that there is a lot that i found facenating about this movie and it is also a film that i can admire and appreciate as a horror-fan, but it's a film that is a bit hard for me to love, givin it's poor characters and story.
So even tough i found this movie to be a little over-appreciated by some people and a lot more stronger underneath than on the surface and is in my opinion far from David Cronenberg's best film, i do think it is a movie that is worth watching just for it's message alone. So 3.5/5 from me :)
Siskoid
1983's Videodrome is still one of David Cronenberg's strangest films, and that's really saying something. I don't think its Kafkaesque (or Dickian) take on television is so much prescient as it is commentary on the TV/video of the day. I think snuff films like Faces of Death were much more of that time, for example. The story about a television program that makes your brain evolve takes us into Cronenberg's surreal (and as ever, squishy) territory, and because hallucinations abound, is filled with ambiguity. I hardly know what to say about it, except that it's a completely original, darkly comic, thinking man's piece of retro-SF. And you can't glibly sum it up as a critique of sex and violence because Cronenberg obviously doesn't believe these lead to the decay of society or contribute to decadence and violence in society.Biki
Pr O'Blivion : " Soon, all of us will have special names, names designed to cause the cathode-ray tube to resonate." Look at our avatars, here and on other social networks...devilsadvocado
My son Nate requested a movie night for his 9th birthday party. I asked the video store clerk, Brent, to recommend something fun and retro in the vein of RoboCop.Well fuck you Brent. You ruined my son's life.
Scratch47
DEATH TO VIDEODROME, LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH!Love this film.
Joff
Have you ever wondered, nay, hoped, that a film could contract Hepatitis B? Look no further.TheBanana
Since the comments are mostly positive, I would like to quote Roger Ebert:Paper_Okami
Immensely intelligent, great social insights. Delightfully horrifying, great leader performance. Visually amazing, fantastic everything. 10/10 One of the greatest films of all time, and still under-rated today. I could write almost an entire 300 page book on what makes this film so fantastic.mook
Cronenberg's interesting but not great techno/body horror is both dated (the medium) but contemporary (the content). 7/10.Follow me on Twitter @LastFilmSeen
BeasleyOnFilm
Very good film. Manages to scare, shock and just downright stun all at the same time.Skyscore
http://www.afisha.ru/movie/166391/review/146396/onedarkdog
Heh i though i would check it out, and the hype is real, its stunning!Showing items 1 – 15 of 25