The Criterion Collection
Pop Culture Beast presents a Criterion-a-Day, reviewing Criterion titles daily (until we run out).
Videodrome
Spine # 248
Written and Directed by David Cronenberg
Starring: James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky and Leslie Carlson
From the box:
When Max Renn goes looking for edgy new shows for his sleazy cable TV station, he stumbles across the pirate broadcast of a hyperviolent torture show called "Videodrome
." His attempts to unearth the program's origins send him on a hallucinatory journey into a shadow world of right-wing conspiracies, sadomasochistic sex games, and bodily transformation. Starring James Woods and Deborah Harry, Videodrome is one of the most original and provocative works from writer-director David Cronenberg, and features groundbreaking makeup effects by Academy Award winner Rick Baker.What a wild and crazy movie this is. I had never seen it before but was always captivated by the cover as I grew up browsing the video store shelves.
So years later, I finally get to see it. I'm glad I waited. I don't think a younger me would have been able to handle it. Some of the imagery here is just insane.
You gotta love James Woods and he is totally Woods here. It is one of my favorite performances of his. He's a pretty smarmy guy here who becomes obsessed with the pirate broadcast which leads him down a pretty dark path.
The film holds up pretty well and doesn't really suffer from its original 80s release aside from the technology and even that still seems to work. I would actually, and this might be blasphemy, but I'd like to see this movie remade. I'd be really curious to see how a modern day filmmaker takes these themes especially with all the different types of broadcasting and media that is out there.
I was also pleasantly surprised by Deborah Harry. She isn't in it very much but she's really good when she is on screen. Makes me wonder why she didn't do many more movies.
This is a Criterion title so you know that it is top notch in every way. The restoration is wonderful. The picture is crystal clear and the sound is top notch. Both very important here. Criterion also loaded up on special features. This release has some really great bonuses here. Special features include: unrated version of the film restored in high definition approved by the director and cinematographer, two commentaries one with James Woods and Deborah Harry the other with Cronenberg and cinematographer Mark Irwin, Camera a short film by David Cronenberg, a documentary and audio interview on the special effects used in the film, complete footage of Samurai Dreams and seven minutes of other transmissions from Videodrome, presented in their original, unedited form with commentary, trailers, stills that include rare production photography and posters, and the most interesting feature for me: Fear on Film: a roundtable discussion from 1982 with Cronenberg and filmmakers John Carpenter (!), John Landis and Mick Garris. There is also a booklet with essays from Carrie Rickey, Tim Lucas and Gary Indiana.
As disturbing as it is, Videodrome
is a really great horror flick that would make for a great part of anyone's movie marathon. It's a great movie to put on late at night too, like I did. It's a different animal when you have sleepiness creeping up on you. Criterion Collection #248
Pop Culture Beast Rating
8/10
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