Slideshow
VIDEODROME
Canada, 1983
Directed by David Cronenberg
With James Woods, Sonja Smits, Debbie Harry
Approx. 89 mins. DCP.
“VIDEODROME is a no-frills S&M and torture show on a pirate cable channel in Cronenberg’s film, discovered by what appears to be an accident by indie program director Max Renn (James Woods), who becomes obsessed with it despite of, or perhaps because of, its lack of character, dialogue, sophisticated production value nor, indeed, plot. Always looking for a way to ramp up his illicit channel’s outré selections, Max thinks he’s found it with essentially a snuff stream targeted for boutique connoisseurs of forbidden ‘art.’” – Roger Ebert
Reviews
“Dotted with video jargon and ideology which proves more fascinating than distancing. And Cronenberg amplifies the freaky situation with a series of stunning visual effects.”
– Variety
“Never coherent and frequently pretentious, the film remains an audacious attempt to place obsessive personal images before a popular audience — a kind of Kenneth Anger version of STAR WARS.”
– Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader