E's Reviews RETRO: Videodrome (1983)



VIDEODROME was written and directed by legendary Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, also known as the master of body horror, and stars James Woods, Debbie Harry, and Sonja Smits. When TV executive Max Renn acquires a different kind of show for his sleazy cable-TV channel that specializes in sex, violence, and any other kind of depravity you can think of. As he delves into the show that he acquires, Videodrome, he begins to see his life and the future of media spin completely out of control, as he starts to hallucinate, see things that are and then aren't there, and becomes an unwilling assassin for a secret organization hell-bent on controlling our very thoughts.

There really isn't much I can say badly of this movie, except maybe that it was a bit unsettling, the body horror using incredibly well done practical effects, that will probably turn off a lot of audiences. James Woods is incredible in the film, and that's it. The rest of the cast is kind of just there? No one really adds anything else to the film, except for Woods' portrayal of Max Renn. And even then...the performances weren't terrible, we just didn't see much of the other characters.

As for things I did love, the performance of legendary actor James Woods, the score, the body horror effects, the twist, the insane script and cinematography...everything about this movie just screams Cronenberg, as he is known as the master of body horror-science fiction. Every film this director has done has had some form of body horror in it (even when he was portraying a doctor in Clive Barker's Nightbreed). And I know...this review is a little confusing...so is the movie. A lot of this film just messes with your head, throwing at you a deep philosophical question about where our society is going in terms of the media we consume, and what it does to our psyche.

Videodrome in the end is a highly entertaining film, there are some deeply disturbing visuals, there are some sexual moments that made me even kind of cringe (warning: there are kink moments in this film). But it does definitely stand the test of time. If you're a huge sci-fi or horror fan, definitely check this one out as well as Cronenberg's other films (The Fly in particular is incredible, and is one of Jeff Goldblum's best films).

Final Score: 8.5/10

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