Videodrome (1983)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Visually audacious, disorienting, and just plain weird, Videodrome's musings on technology, entertainment, and politics still feel fresh today.
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Cast
as Max Renn
as Bianca O'Blivion
as Nicki Brand
as Harlan
as Barry Convex
as Prof. Brian O'Blivion
as Masha
as Briley
as Moses
as Rafe
as Rena King
as Bum
as Newscaster
as Matron
as Caller
as Bellydancer
as Salesman
as Salesman
as Brolley
as Matron
as Moses
Critic Reviews for Videodrome
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (10) | DVD (9)
Simultaneously stupefying and boring, Videodrome is too extreme a blunder to survive exposure to a justifiably disillusioned horror-movie public.
Film is dotted with video jargon and ideology which proves more fascinating than distancing. And Cronenberg amplifies the freaky situation with a series of stunning visual effects.
Never coherent and frequently pretentious, the film remains an audacious attempt to place obsessive personal images before a popular audience -- a kind of Kenneth Anger version of Star Wars.
There are distinct signs of strain in the plot convolutions, not least in the spectator's loss of faith over indiscriminate and cheating use of hallucination; what certainly survives is Cronenberg's wholesale disgust with the world in general.
Though Videodrome finally grows grotesque and a little confused, it begins very well and sustains its cleverness for a long while.
Here, Cronenberg is a provocateur only to a point - boldly striding past boundaries of comfort but getting the heebie-jeebies upon approaching true profundity. But he wasn't too far from figuring out which incisions could cut the deepest.
Audience Reviews for Videodrome
There is a very thought-provoking idea about mass media control and paranoia in this strange hallucinogenic film, but despite that and the exceptional visual effects, it is rather confusing (not in a good way though) and does not flesh out (yes, there you are) its premise so well.
Super Reviewer
"Videodrome" is undeniably original and it boasts from extremely impressive visuals for it's time, but it sometimes goes way over the top and becomes almost too disgusting to watch, which is not necessarily a bad thing, seeing that the visuals are brilliantly done. Max Renn (James Woods) discovers a new show called Videodrome, which has been found to create hallucinations in peoples minds, eventually leading to death. The hallucinations that Max succumbs to are very very interesting for the first few times, but it becomes so disgusting that you almost turn your head and laugh at the writers. Still, overall, this film is extreme on all levels, with great witty writing, fantastic visuals for it's time, a very good cast, and a story worth telling. "Videodrome" is fantastic!
Super Reviewer
A truly fascinatingly disturbing film. The idea of how humanity is so dependent on technology, its not just a necessity, its becoming part of us. Featuring some unsettling topics, such as hardcore snuff films and brain tumors, Videodrome will not be the most pleasant ride for anyone. As well as and superb effects, Videodrome is topped with a strong performance from James Woods, who I felt wasn't the most sympathetic character or someone you could connect with, but it was one performance that stood out regardless. David Cronenberg's Videodrome has a chilling message, which is rather relevant for today, on how technology is becoming more advanced, which then leads to the demand in explicit/graphic entertainment rise. This may not entertain everyone, however, its power and messages should be looked at in detail.
Super Reviewer
Videodrome Quotes
| Max Renn: | Death to Videodrome! Long live the new flesh! |
| Max Renn: | Long live the new flesh |
| Max Renn: | Long live the new flesh. |
| Max Renn: | I'm looking for something...tough. |
| Max Renn: | I'm looking for something... tough. |
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