VIDEODROME

David Cronenberg is a God. During my film school days I idolised him more than any other director. His work in the 70s and 80s remains some of the most visceral cinema ever made. Back then he was a horror director unlike any other. His films were graphic, gruesome and often clinical. Flesh was a major theme throughout his work and each film portrayed gore in a sexualised way. Videodrome is one of his most ambitious and visually arresting films to date. A lot of the references and themes will be lost on today's younger audience but those of us who remember the days of BETA and VHS will comprehend this story a lot more. James Woods plays a scout for an underground television network. His job is to source violent and pornographic programming. He picks up a foreign frequency through his antenna which broadcasts "Videodrome" a continuous scene of torture. It's essentially a snuff film. He becomes obsessed with its images and soon starts to hallucinate grisly visions. Mind control and sensory deprivation bind this story together to make for a surreal mind-fuck. Cronenberg's style and use of practical FX hold up incredibly well with today's standards. No CGI, 100% realistic and there are some fx that still boggle my mind. These days Cronenberg has abandoned horror and is now making some amazing thrillers (A History Of Violence, Eastern Promises) but I am so keen for him to return to the genre that he does so uniquely. Videodrome is amazing!

---