Videodrome

[Lando 2019]

Oh I know it's a Burroughs adaptation, but had it been a weird movie from another director it would have been out of place. From Cronenberg it fits. It is weird though because he does do some normal movies (The Dead Zone & Eastern Promises for example), but then he has these completely weird films. At least with someone like David Lynch, they're pretty much all weird so it's consistent. It makes me wonder what it is about Cronenberg that makes him decide "my next movie is going to be really weird."

 

I have yet to see A Dangerous Method though.

[Johnny Unusual 525]

There's definitely weirder films, but in watching them, I think you can see that their all cut from the same cloth and explore similar things, including the effects of violence on the mind and a general atmosphere of unease.

[PhillipMedoc 648]

No Dead Ringers fans? It's like The Prestige, but if Christian Bale's character was a gynecologist instead of a magician.

Oh god. Dead Ringers. I can't imagine watching that during my early teenage R-rated VHS viewing years. That is my favorite of his, I think. Jeremy Irons is absolutely incredible in playing the dual role. I can't recommend this film enough, although it will make anyone with a vagina (or anyone who cares for a vagina) very squeamish.

 

Cronenberg was on a roll for a long time. No one has mentioned Crash, that's another work of sheer poetry. The audacity of translating JG Ballard into film and then fuckin knocking it outta the park. It's a good piece of cinema.

 

The "Cronenberg on Cronenberg" book is definitely worth a read if you're a fan.

 

 

It makes me wonder what it is about Cronenberg that makes him decide "my next movie is going to be really weird."

Hmm, he seems to have not made that decision in a while, not really since 2002's Spider (which I didn't care for). I believe the dude is mellowing with age.

[lolholm 5]

I love this film and so much in it could use some explaining. It's perfect for an episode.

[jarrycanada 2483]

the book Naked Lunch is a hard read. If you can get past a chapter of the book your a better reader then me. I just could not get into that book as much as the movie.it's really deep shit. it's one of my favorite movies of all time btw.Naked Lunch is anyway. but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

 

I liked videodrome. Dead Ringers was good flick too. but Naked Lunch was my favorite, now that reminds me I have to go and rub some power on my lips... You got to love a movie with talking bugs.

[MrKlorox 1]

I think eXistenZ would absolutely qualify, if the watcher had any clue how the videogame industry actually works.

[MacPohanka 0]

Dead ringers or eXistenZ would be perfect for the show not in the bad movies sense but more "How did they get this even off the ground?" Irons is amazing. If only Crash were a little closer to the book... and the other movie named Crash had never been made. Paul Higgen's crash should be the first Best Picture Winner to be on HDTGM.

 

I can't help but eco that Inception is a weak knockoff of eXistenZ with buildings and the beginning on Nolan's unfortunate trend of over explaining his scifi movies to us in the first 30 minutes of his films. A little bit of mystery goes a long way.

 

With this in mind eXistenZ is definitely an oddball B movie with a lot of quirks but is super successful and mysterious while remaining almost playful. Or at least playful for Cronenberg. Commercially it did terribly and I feel like it is only well known from people passing around the dvd. There is not that much info about the production online and I bet the show could dig in pretty deep. In similar support, Videodrome is one of my top 10 films and the fly, eastern promises and eXistenZ all follow shortly behind but when I introduce Cronenberg's films to someone who has normally only seen A History of Violence I always say "Cronenberg is not for everyone but I think he's hilarious."

 

I'm tempted to make another thread just for Dead Ringers because I think it would be such a good fit for the show. I can only imagine the difference in reactions from Jason and June. Very unsettling