Videodrome (1983)
Starring James Woods and Deborah Harry
Directed by David Cronenberg
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***
From the little bit that I'd heard about Videodrome, I knew that I was in for something weird and off-the-wall. Not that I'm all that familiar with director David Cronenberg's work, but I had this preconceived notion that many of his films dealt with sex and violence in odd and uncomfortable ways...Videodrome did nothing to change that thought as it takes a twisted look at both subjects.
James Woods plays Max Renn, the president/CEO of Civic-TV, a Toronto television station that prides itself on running softcore pornography. Max wants to push the envelope more and, while using a pirate television satellite, he picks up a television show called "Videodrome" that mixes sex, torture, and murder. While he initially believes that the show is beaming in from Malaysia, it is soon discovered that it's coming from Pittsburgh. This intrigues Max's girlfriend Nicki (Deborah Harry) who is aroused by the sadomasochism on the show. She decides to trek out to Pittsburgh to take part in the show and Max soon finds himself in a bit of a conundrum -- he wants to get Nicki back, but he also wants to have "Videodrome" for his own station. As the movie progresses, Max soon finds that "Videodrome" is more than just a tv show and that, in fact, it may be causing hallucinatory effects in its watchers, perhaps even creating some odd alternate realities that cause its viewers to question what is their "real life."
Videodrome is weird. Perhaps too weird. I was onboard with the twisted tone until about halfway through when the aforementioned Dali-esque surrealist hallucinations came into play. At that point, rules are thrown out the window and that's not necessarily a good thing. James Woods is nicely depraved as Max Renn who exudes sleaziness, yet Woods somehow manages to get you to care about his character when his world begins to fall apart. Deborah Harry (of the rock band Blondie fame) is fine and was better than expected (that perhaps comes across as faint praise, but I mean it as a compliment).
In the end, though, Videodrome is simply okay. It has solid premise that I'm sure it holds psychological and sociological meanings if one digs enough, but the flick becomes a bit too convoluted and twisted at the end to have any of those deep philosophies make a difference.
Videodrome is weird. Perhaps too weird. I was onboard with the twisted tone until about halfway through when the aforementioned Dali-esque surrealist hallucinations came into play. At that point, rules are thrown out the window and that's not necessarily a good thing. James Woods is nicely depraved as Max Renn who exudes sleaziness, yet Woods somehow manages to get you to care about his character when his world begins to fall apart. Deborah Harry (of the rock band Blondie fame) is fine and was better than expected (that perhaps comes across as faint praise, but I mean it as a compliment).
In the end, though, Videodrome is simply okay. It has solid premise that I'm sure it holds psychological and sociological meanings if one digs enough, but the flick becomes a bit too convoluted and twisted at the end to have any of those deep philosophies make a difference.
The RyMickey Rating: C
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