Videodrome (1983 Film)

Videodrome is a 1983 film written and directed by David Cronenberg that stars James Woods and Debbie Harry. It uses the techniques of body horror to create a stream-of-consciousness depiction of a world in which television has begun to become more important than reality itself.

James Woods stars as Max Renn, the president and CEO of CIVIC-TV Channel 83, a porn and violence- focused television network. When his head pirate, Harlan (Peter Dvorksy) discovers a snuff television show called Videodrome, a process is begun that will tear Max's reality to pieces.

In the film, Cronenberg uses many revolutionary techniques to depict the distortion of Max's reality. It is said that this is the film that won him the direction contract for Naked Lunch, though the subject matter bears more similarity towards Cronenberg's earlier film Scanners.

The special effects in Videodrome were unique in their needs , as the film portrays a collapse in reality. Because of this demanding request, new effects and techniques for low-budget special effects work had to be invented.

In one scene, a television set's screen bubbles outwards towards Max, symbolizing the expansion of television in society. Though the simple method of an inflatable which would be filled with air throughout the shot would normally work, it would not be functional for this shot for two reasons. First, the television had to be displaying an image, and second James Woods would need to be able to stick his head into the television set. The ultimate solution was to "paint" the television in to every frame manually, creating the illusion of an actual television set expanding outwards. http://www.monstersatplay.com/review/dvd/v/videodrome.php

Max Renn (James Woods) is a television executive, looking for a new and daring television format for his TV network, Channel 83. He searches for different sexual, pornographic formats, and the network TV pirate, Harlan, finds an underground program called "Videodrome," which features so-called snuff movies. He is both aroused and intrigued, and tries to find out more about the program.

Later, Renn goes on a local talk show to discuss the implications of his network's offerings, supporting them as activity that would otherwise be on the streets. There, he meets Nicci Brand, the host of the local talk radio station's self-help show, and becomes infatuated with her, asking her out on a date. She brushes him off on the air. The third guest on the show, television expert Brian O'Blivion, who insists that he not appear on TV except through another TV set, delivers a strangely off-topic monologue about the future of television, saying that it will one day become more important than reality.

When he returns to the office, Renn continues his search for Videodrome by contacting his old friend Masha, who works for content providers as a selling agent. She informs him that he should stay away from Videodrome, as it has a more sinister side. Ultimately, she gives up the only contact she knows concerning the show: Brian O'Blivion.

In pursuit of the show, Max goes to Brian O'Blivion's charity, the Cathode Ray Mission. The Cathode Ray Mission is a soup kitchen and shelter that shows the homeless television in an attempt to "plug them back in" to the modern world. There he meets Brian O'Blivion's daughter, Bianca. Bianca insists on delivering any response her father may have via videotape as opposed to having a normal conversation. Though Max declines at first, he eventually gives up and goes home.

That evening, Max receives a tape from Bianca. On it, Brian O'Blivion explains that Videodrome is a horrible invention, a technology that he helped to develop that eventually became the basis for something unlikely and unreal. Then, Nicci Brand sneaks up behind O'Blivion and strangles him. She declares "We want you, Max," and Max sticks his head into the television set, kissing a giant effigy of Nicci's lips.

The next day, Max returns to the Cathode Ray Mission and explains the strange happening to Bianca, who is unsurprised. She explains that Videodrome was her father's invention, but that his collaborators elected to turn it into a weapon. Videodrome creates a hallucinatory tumor in the brain, which eventually kills the victim. Bianca gave Max an infected tape on purpose thinking he was working for her father's collaborators.

That night, Max is picked up by limousine and taken to the office of the Spectacular Optical Corp., the owners of Videodrome. Barry Convex, the CEO of Spectuactular Optical, explains to Max the importance of Videodrome. After Convex leaves, Max hallucinates that he is in the Videodrome torture chamber with Nicci, whipping her brutally.

He dashes back to Channel 83 to prove his hallucinations were real and attempts to retrieve a tape of Videodrome from Harlan, only to find out that Harlan is actually a spy for Spectacular Optical. Convex emerges from the shadows and inserts a cassette into Max's stomach, forcing him to carry out the cassette's orders. He kills his partners at Channel 83 and then moves on to attempt to assassinate Bianca, but she removes the cassette and they scheme together to bring down Spectacular Optical.

• James Woods - Max Renn

• Sonja Smits - Bianca O'Blivion

• Deborah Harry - Nicki Brand

• Peter Dvorsky - Harlan

• Les Carlson - Barry Convex

• Jack Creley - Professor Brian O'Blivion

• Lynne Gorman - Marsha

• Julie Khaner - Briley

• Lally Cadeau - Rena King

"Film is 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."—Varietyhttp://www.movietome.com/pages/tracking/index.php?tid=1&ref_id=283501

"Though Videodrome finally grows grotesque and a little confused, it begins very well and sustains its cleverness for a long while."—Elvis Mitchell, The New York Timeshttp://www.movietome.com/movie/283501/videodrome/reviews/critic.html?tag=fs_nav;reviews&om_act=convert&om_clk=fstabs

• Television Host: Mrs. Brand, in your opinion, is Max Renn a menace to society?
  Nikki Brand: (After Being asked on a date by him) I don't know, but he's certainly a menace to me.

• 
  Masha: Max, Videodrome has something you don't have. It has a philosophy, and that's what makes it dangerous.

• 
  Max: Long live the new flesh.