Crash (1996)

After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who use car accidents and the raw sexual energy they produce to try to rejuvenate his sex life with his wife.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

J.G. Ballard (novel), David Cronenberg

Stars:

James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas

9 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Spader	...	James Ballard
Holly Hunter	...	Helen Remington
Elias Koteas	...	Vaughan
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Catherine Ballard (as Deborah Unger)
Rosanna Arquette	...	Gabrielle
Peter MacNeill	...	Colin Seagrave
Yolande Julian	...	Airport Hooker
Cheryl Swarts	...	Vera Seagrave
Judah Katz	...	Salesman
Nicky Guadagni	...	Tattooist
Ronn Sarosiak	...	A.D.
Boyd Banks	...	Grip
Markus Parilo	...	Man in Hanger
Alice Poon	...	Camera Girl
John Stoneham Jr.	...	Trask

Storyline

Since a road accident left him with serious facial and bodily scarring, a former TV scientist has become obsessed by the marriage of motor-car technology with what he sees as the raw sexuality of car-crash victims. The scientist, along with a crash victim he has recently befriended, sets about performing a series of sexual acts in a variety of motor vehicles, either with other crash victims or with prostitutes whom they contort into the shape of trapped corpses. Ultimately, the scientist craves a suicidal union of blood, semen, and engine coolant, a union with which he becomes dangerously obsessed.

---

Plot Keywords:

car crash | accident victim | sexuality | bisexuality | sex scene | 

---

Taglines:

The most controversial film you will ever see.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for numerous explicit sex scenes

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the novel by J.G. Ballard from which this film derives, Vaughan's goal is to achieve sexual climax by crashing his car into the limo of Elizabeth Taylor and gruesomely killing her, a plot item not retained (obviously) for the film.

---

Goofs

After Vaughan repeatedly crashes the left front bumper of his Lincoln into a junker James Ballard is sitting in, causing major damage to the bumper and the lights, Vaughan is soon shown driving on the highway with no damage to the bumper and both left lights operational.

---

Quotes

Vaughan: The car crash is a fertilizing rather than a destructive event.

---

Alternate Versions

On the following sequence, the beginning of the sex scene between Ballard and the camera operator is missing. This scene had some seconds of oral sex, with his head hidden behind her body.

---

Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2 (2006)

User Reviews

I liked it

I had read the novel and was very curious to see what David Cronenberg would do. The book was somewhat better, but I thought the movie was very intelligent, disturbing and outrageous. The cast does well, especially Deborah Kara Unger, who gives the best performance in the movie. As usual, Cronenberg creates another world, and either you want to go there or not, but this time it ended up being fascinating, for me at least.

Details

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English Swedish

Release Date:

21 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crash

Filming Locations:

Graydon Hall Drive, North York, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$738,339, 6 October 1996

Gross USA:

$2,664,812

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,671,291

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Communications Corporation, Recorded Picture Company (RPC), The Movie Network (TMN)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 90 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1