Videodrome (1983)
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A television executive's reality begins to fracture after he discovers a mysterious and disturbing broadcast signal.
The story
Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, the film follows Max Renn, the president of a small UHF television station. After stumbling upon a mysterious broadcast signal of snuff films known as Videodrome, Max becomes obsessed with the signal's source. As he attempts to uncover the truth behind the broadcast, he is plagued by increasingly intense hallucinations that cause him to lose his grip on reality. The narrative explores the blurring lines between media and reality as Max navigates a web of conspiracy and psychological deterioration.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Max Renn, the head of a Toronto UHF station, discovers a plotless show called Videodrome. He becomes obsessed with the broadcast, which he believes represents the future of television. He eventually learns that the signal is a socio-political battleground for mind control. After a series of hallucinations and a physical transformation involving a 'slit' in his abdomen, Max is recruited by the producer of Videodrome, Barry Convex. He is eventually 'reprogrammed' by a woman named Bianca to join a cause to 'end North America's cultural decay.' In a final confrontation, Max is forced to 'leave the old flesh' and embrace a new reality. The film concludes with Max's physical transformation and a final act of self-destruction that destroys the set.
- First release year
- 1983
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Cronenberg
- Writers
- David Cronenberg · writer
- Cast and characters
- James Woods · Max Renn; Sonja Smits; Deborah Harry; Peter Dvorsky; Les Carlson; Jack Creley; Lynne Gorman
- Genres
- science fiction; body horror
- Themes
- impact of technology on human senses; sex and violence; boundaries of reality and consciousness; media and cultural upheaval
- Tone and mood
- techno-surrealist; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- body horror; science fiction horror; techno-horror
- Source material / true-story basis
- Novelization by Dennis Etchison
- Content notes
- violence; sex
- Reception
- The film is described as a 'disturbing techno-surrealist film' and a 'cult classic' that is 'still fresh today.' It received praise for its special makeup effects, its 'techno-surrealist' aesthetic, and its 'cryptic, psychosexual themes.'
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 6
- Awards and nominations
- Best Science-Fiction Film · Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film · 1984 · Won (tied); Best Cinematography · CSC Award · Won
- Production trivia
- The film was the first Cronenberg film to receive backing from a major Hollywood studio.; The character Brian O'Blivion is based on the media theories of Marshall McLuhan.; The film's fictional station, CIVIC-TV, was modeled on the real-life Toronto station CITY-TV.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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