CTVA 215 Week 5 - Videodrome (1983)

Films like Videodrome fascinate me. When a film is able to capture aspects of modern life so perfectly and can analyze and criticize those aspects of ourselves… but is also 40 years old. It’s such an interesting experience for me, seeing the way that Videodrome captures the darkest aspects of our relationship to modern technology like smartphones and the internet while being made in the era of cable and CRT televisions. David Cronenberg explores how media influences us in such a modern way while using all of this now outdated technology, and it’s all the better for it. For current, younger audiences, it emphasizes the absurdity of our relationship with technology in a way that just wouldn’t be as effective otherwise. It’s absurd to sleep with a CRT TV in your bed, it’s not so absurd to sleep with your phone in your bed. That’s why I’m so fascinated by films like Videodrome. It shows us that these themes have been around longer than we may realize and makes us think about how our society has changed since the film’s release, as well as makes me wonder what current films will be viewed like this in another 40 years.

Outside of its themes, Videodrome is just a blast. It’s an expertly paced film filled with fun performances and a really intriguing story. Slowly learning more about the Videodrome show as the film goes on is so suspenseful and I was never exactly sure where the film was going, though I was fully engaged the whole time. It actually didn’t have as much body horror as I expected! But what body horror there is was so memorable and impressive, as were the special effects as a whole. Of my many, MANY cinematic blind spots Cronenberg is one of my biggest, and this was a great introduction to his filmography. I loved this, and I can’t wait to see more.