Videodrome

• Written and Directed by David Cronenberg
• February 4, 1983

The CEO of a small UHF television station in Toronto stumbles on a broadcast signal of snuff films leading to a mind-control conspiracy as he loses his grip on reality. That is a mouthful!

Some movies are ahead of their time. A good example is David Cronenberg’s Videodrome. Though a box office bomb, it was prescient in how it accidently touches on things relevant today. One thing that jumped out at me was Dr. Brian O’Blivion (Jack Creley) who noted that it was not his actual name and that soon everyone would have special names. I immediately thought of social media and how so many individuals on their accounts use clearly fictitious names. Speaking personally, several people I have known most of my life use ‘special names’ on their accounts.

Being an early ‘80s movie there is what would be referred to as casual sexism. Nothing that would stand out in the 80s but a pat on a butt is a no-no not only in real life then but also in film today. Then there is James Woods’s Max Renn running a UHF station. That is practically an entertainment relic. Ren runs a bargain basement TV station that’s always searching for programming. Not sure how is strategy works in reality but it gets the ball rolling on the plot. A video Renn sees provides something unique he feels may just put him on the map.

David Cronenberg creates a rather bizarre and fictional world that feels plausible despite its general absurdity. An underground television channel? Really? That’s what Videodrome essentially is. It might be a little laughable now, but back in the day given the world as we knew it was it could be a little more believable. Cronenberg was a unique filmmaker with a distinct vision that when it made it to the screen you knew you were watching a David Cronenberg movie even if you didn’t know he directed it right away. 

Videodrome is very heavy on the body horror. Max as the story progresses has an opening in his chest where they insert videotapes. Seriously. He shoots a man at one point and the guy starts just breaking apart and spewing out insides. And so much more.

The legendary Rick Baker is behind many of the effects of this movie. He is an artist. What we get from him here is just absolutely amazing and shows what a man with skill can do outside of a computer. This was in the day and age of practical effects. There is a little well-timed editing and lingering on the shot just enough to show you what they were looking at, but not enough for you to realize it was going to be an effect. Such things as the pulsating videocassette are shocking.

One thing James Woods was very good at was playing slimy characters that were strangely engaging. You could almost like them even if you knew they were probably the worst of the worst. His cynical station owner is a piece of crap but you kinda like the guy and as his grip on reality slips and he gets sucked into the conspiracy you feel a little bad for him.

Many films try to be surreal and play with reality. This does just that so very well in a way that so many that have attempted surreal could only dream of. I have absolutely no idea what is real and what is fake in relation to what we are perceiving. The lines are so blurred that by the end with how twisted things have become you could almost create a head cannon that the only real thing you saw after the initial viewing of the tape was Renn shooting himself and maybe not even that. 

Superficially this is about a mind control conspiracy and Renn’s attempt to get to the bottom of it. Initially it is for the benefit of his own channel but then it is just to get answers and perhaps even save himself.

This was inspired by David Cronenberg’s youth. Growing up in Canada late at night he would pick up stations from the US on his TV and he had some concern that he would see something not meant for public consumption. I have absolutely no idea what that could be. That fear may say more about David Cronenberg with what he presents in this film expanding upon that. 

It’s been said sex sells and the story gets into that along with the public’s fascination with violence and gore. Nicki Brand (Debbie Harry) certainly has a kink involving violence. Speaking of Debbie Harry, her Nicki kind of comes and goes and never really gets developed as a character. She is just kind of there as needed. She doesn’t have to be a main driver of the plot but beyond her kink for watching violent sex and violence she’s just there. I think she needed to be a little more important. Not a motivator or driver but not almost entirely forgotten by the credits.

Videodrome is a weird movie that is relevant today. In its blurring of reality and use of body horror it speaks a little more about today than it does about the time it was released. If you want something different that has something to say this is worthwhile viewing.