I can imagine that this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but to me, it's an absolute masterpiece. It strikes a perfect balance between uproarious b-movie splendor and heady art-house aspirations. David Cronenberg is one of the best to ever stand behind the camera, and this is ranks among the top of his vast and worthwhile body of work.
Along with other Cronenberg films that basically spearheaded the body horror genre, Videodrome contains all the glorious practical effects that make stuff like John Carpenter's The Thing a cult classic. But this is no simple case of busting through zombie skulls, as the gore serves to bring to life such inventively bizarre ideas as a pulsating, veiny TV set and a gun that grows from someone's hand.
The film's spiral into abstraction is handled well, as there's enough coherence to it's foundation to not totally lose you when things go off the rails. It stays pretty open to interpretation, but many of the core themes ring loud and clear. The indictment of a thrill seeker losing their soul to the allure of the screen is so prophetic that if it were made today, it would feel too on the nose and cliché. It's really strange to watch a 40 year old film with such an abundant display of dated technology make such relevant social commentary. There's even a scene where a dude holds up what looks like a smart phone made of human flesh, though I'm obviously reading too much into that (or am I?)
Along with other Cronenberg films that basically spearheaded the body horror genre, Videodrome contains all the glorious practical effects that make stuff like John Carpenter's The Thing a cult classic. But this is no simple case of busting through zombie skulls, as the gore serves to bring to life such inventively bizarre ideas as a pulsating, veiny TV set and a gun that grows from someone's hand.
The film's spiral into abstraction is handled well, as there's enough coherence to it's foundation to not totally lose you when things go off the rails. It stays pretty open to interpretation, but many of the core themes ring loud and clear. The indictment of a thrill seeker losing their soul to the allure of the screen is so prophetic that if it were made today, it would feel too on the nose and cliché. It's really strange to watch a 40 year old film with such an abundant display of dated technology make such relevant social commentary. There's even a scene where a dude holds up what looks like a smart phone made of human flesh, though I'm obviously reading too much into that (or am I?)