Body horror films focus on physical mutations and mutilations to both frighten and explore the human (and inhuman) condition. Many of the best films in the subgenre – The fly, Rabid, The breed, scannerAnd crimes of the futureto name a few – are the work of David Kronenberg. To put it simply, nobody knows body horror better than Mr. Cronenberg. It’s his bread and butter, and with videodrome, he elevated the funky subgenre to an art form. The film came out in 1983 – 40 years ago now – and remains as powerful and terrifying as ever.
The film follows Max Renn, president of a seedy UHF TV network, and his quest to find new lewd content to entice viewers. He stumbles upon “Videodrome,” a program of snuff and torture films, and broadcasts it on his channel in anticipation of a big hit. Things go wrong when his girlfriend auditions for the program and disappears. In his search for her, Max uncovers the mysteries of Videodrome and realizes the violent footage may be more real than he originally thought. The film is not only a delightfully gory body horror film, but also a meditation on the intersection of technology, entertainment and politics. These ever-important themes, paired with top-notch special effects, have stayed videodrome fresh for four decades and counting.
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A forward looking message
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Cronenberg’s films are known for their prophetic visions of the near future and scathing commentary on society videodrome is no exception. Although set in the early 1980s, the film warns of the self-destructive nature of a culture where the lines between entertainment media and news media are blurred, a place and time where violent, sensational news circulates and gossip is anything people care about. Not so different from 1983 and not so different from today. If anything, the social commentary of videodrome has become increasingly relevant over time, making the film a truly timeless classic of cerebral sci-fi.
The ultimate body horror
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If any director can claim the title of King of Body Horror, it has to be David Cronenberg. As Collider puts it, “Everyone has a body and everyone was afraid of a part of it. That’s what body horror taps into, and Cronenberg’s films are a testament to its potential power.” Widely acknowledged as one of the best body horror films of all time, videodrome features some of the most grueling body mutant special effects ever transferred to celluloid. Chest cavities morph into tape recorders, guns become one with flesh, and faces merge into television screens, among many other bizarre occurrences. It’s not just blatant horror either; Rather, the film takes a thoughtful and intellectual approach to the grisly gore that ties it thematically to what the characters think, feel and believe. The horrific effects are used to illustrate how people often begin to embody their obsessions. In Max’s case, the vaginal VHS slot in his chest represents his addiction to perversion, and the gun merging into his hand represents his inescapable paranoia and propensity for violence.
Related: Scariest Body Horror Movies, Ranked
Cronenberg’s masterpiece
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Frequently touted as the finest film in Cronenberg’s diverse filmography, videodrome represents the culmination of the author’s stylish and thematic oeuvre. As already mentioned, the film is the ultimate body horror film, filled to the brim with incredibly realistic depictions of mutation and mutilation of the flesh. Add to that the great social commentary that sets the film apart from other horror films and even his earlier work Rabid, which takes a more straightforward approach to horror. Aside from all the body horror and socio-political musings, the film also works great as a thriller. The film is permeated with an air of mystery throughout, and Cronenberg’s skillful direction doses questions and clues with incredible precision. As the story progresses, new elements of deception and brainwashing are introduced.
James Woods delivers the best performance of his career as Max, taking him from cocky bastard to tormented soul. His gradual loss of reality and descent into madness is haunting and utterly compelling. The film has an overall surreal and hallucinatory aura that captivates and captivates and challenges you to look away, but you can’t – it meanders into your brain like the universal Videodrome show that Max becomes obsessed with. This meta element makes the film truly unique and undeniably timeless.
See also: David Cronenberg’s Best Non-Horror Movies, Ranking
Long live the new flesh
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If videodrome Released in 1983, it was a box office bomb, grossing less than half of its $5.9 million budget. As Walter Chaw writes for Roger Ebert, “The film fell off with a whimper in 1983, underserved by distributors unnerved by its transgressive imagery and genre-busting approach. Set somewhere between a dystopian apocalypse and a queasy body horror, it wasn’t and isn’t an easy-to-categorize film back then. After all, how do you cut a trailer around a prophecy?” Despite this, the film received rave reviews and cemented Cronenberg as the high-profile writer we know him as today. videodrome has had a lasting impact on horror and pop culture history, has outlasted many films of its time, and is a testament to the enduring power of well-executed body horror. The influential cult classic has inspired many more films that have followed it and has even influenced video games in recent years, according to ScreenRant. With rumors of a remake popping up every now and then and a new 4K remaster of the film just released recently, that’s clear videodrome has lost none of its surreal, thought-provoking, stomach-churning sheen 40 years later.
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