VIDEODROME

Never in the history of filmmaking has a movie so closely predicted the future state of the world, the entertainment industry, or the evolution of society more than David Cronenberg's brilliant study into madness and the darkest recesses of man's psyche, Videodrome. This sci-fi/horror classic's critical praise and cult status are well-deserved, due to a tough,  uncompromising look at the crumbling of the human race and desensitized culture in the not-too-distant future.

James Woods (in the best role of his career) stars as Max Renn, a sleazebag TV producer who accidentally intercepts a pirated signal of a mysterious broadcast which specializes in extreme torture and sadomasochism. Looking for the next new thing for his struggling channel, he embarks on a frantic search for the source of the material, having nothing more to go on but the name of the broadcast - Videodrome. On his journey, he meets psychiatrist Nicki Brand (Deborah Harry of "Blondie") and soon finds himself enmeshed and consumed by this new alter-reality now facing him. He quickly finds out that no one can be trusted and uncovers a government conspiracy to alter the state of the human society through subliminal programming by actual signals broadcasted through TVs.

Heavily political and ahead of its time, Videodrome challenges the existence of "reality television" as being a pre-planned, deliberate programming of society to be manipulated solely for mind control. While the film was released in 1983, it has chillingly depicted the actual state of the media in today's modern times quite accurately.

While Videodrome  was met with largely favorable reviews, its poor box office reception was indicitive of it being "ahead of its time". Now, nearly 30 years after its release, the film resonates with its audience more powerfully than ever.

While I HIGHLY recommend this outstanding movie, my statement does come with a disclaimer: Videodrome is not for everyone. It is a heavy-handed, dark, and often confusing story that almost definitely will have to be viewed a second time (at least) to get a full appreciation and understanding of its message. But for those willing to invest time, brain power, and even emotion, the payoff is well worth it. "Long live the new flesh!"

      

My Rating - 10 out of 10