Videodrome (1983)

A sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a very unusual fashion when he acquires a new kind of programming for his station.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg

Stars:

James Woods, Sonja Smits, Deborah Harry

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Woods	...	Max Renn
Sonja Smits	...	Bianca O'Blivion
Deborah Harry	...	Nicki Brand
Peter Dvorsky	...	Harlan
Leslie Carlson	...	Barry Convex (as Les Carlson)
Jack Creley	...	Brian O'Blivion
Lynne Gorman	...	Masha
Julie Khaner	...	Bridey
Reiner Schwartz	...	Moses
David Bolt	...	Raphael
Lally Cadeau	...	Rena King
Henry Gomez	...	Brolley
Harvey Chao	...	Japanese Salesman
David Tsubouchi	...	Japanese Salesman
Kay Hawtrey	...	Matron

Storyline

Max Renn runs a TV channel, and when looking for new material to show--he discovers "Videodrome." His girlfriend, Nicki Brand, goes to audition for the show, and Max gets drawn into the underlying plot that uses the show as its front for a global conspiracy.

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Plot Keywords:

video | torture | murder | hallucination | tumor | 

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Taglines:

A vision of enormous physical impact!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cuerpos invadidos

Filming Locations:

728 Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$5,952,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Famous Players, Filmplan International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 89 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Among the scenes that were scripted but deleted was one where Max Renn's TV rises up out of his bathtub, while showing an image. The crew had researched how to do this - there had been talk of having the actor IN the tub - and had come up with several solutions. One involved filling the tub with a clear fluid that was non conductive, but that would have cost $25 a quart. The crew eventually decided to take a real TV and simply cover its insides with layers of waterproofing insulation. It worked - they dunked the TV into a swimming pool and found, to their astonishment, that TVs float due to the ultra-high vacuum inside the picture tube. The scene was axed just before it was to be filmed.

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Goofs

Barry Convex proclaims Lorenzo de Medici as the author of the two famous ocular quotes. The first, "love comes in at the eye", is from a William Butler Yeats poem called "A Drinking Song". The second, "the eye is the window of the soul", is not definitively attributable to any one source. Seemingly similar variations exist in Cicero, European proverbs and the Gospel of Matthew.

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Quotes

Barry Convex: You'll forgive me if I don't stay around to watch. I just can't cope with the freaky stuff.

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Crazy Credits

The VIDEODROME title experiences a TV white noise distortion.

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Connections

Referenced in Game Box 1.0 (2004)

User Reviews

David Cronenberg's "Videodrome".

Videodrome (1983) was a bizarre film that David Cronenberg made before he become a "director-for-hire" for his next couple of films. He takes a cerebral look at the ever popular fad of pirate satellite feeds and small-time t.v. channels. It was during this time that video tapes and satellite t.v. were becoming popular. Cronenberg decided to uses these and make a very strange and clinically sexually film. As with all of his films the sex seems mechanical, neither stimulating or sensual.

James Woods stars as the part owner of a small t.v. station who pirates satellite feeds and scours the world for erotic film and programming that he could use for his station. That is until one day he stumbles across a video feed that he wished he never had. He slowly becomes addicted to the perverse violence and sex that he witnesses on the tapes. But soon his life and those around him will be changed forever. Debra Harry co-stars as Woods love interest who slowly enjoys the tapes, more so than Woods.

Videodrome is a film that has to be seen to be believed. Yes, it's one of those films that has built up a following over the years and a reputation. This is one of the films that deserves it. However I must warn you that this is a Cronenberg film so thinking will be necessary when viewing it. The effects and visuals are quite the show. Croneneberg keeps his theme from the past films such as Shivers, Rabid and Scanners. We must welcome the new flesh!

Highly recommended.

This film is available in an R-rated and Unrated versions. For full enjoyment please watch the unrated director's cut. If you watch the R-rated version not only will you miss out on all of the cool visuals and effects but you'll be pretty much confused