Videodrome

1983

HorrorScience FictionMystery

As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.

"First it controls your mind. Then it destroys your body."

Rating

7.264
2269 votes

Popularity

3.4319

Origin & Countries

CA | en | Canada

Production

Guardian Trust Company,Filmplan International,Canadian Film Development Corporation

Runtime

88 min.

Budget (M$)

2.1 / 6ROI 35%

Status

Released

Release: 2/4/1983

Credits

Videodrome

David CronenbergDirector

Videodrome

James WoodsMax Renn

Videodrome

Debbie HarryNicki Brand

Videodrome

Sonja SmitsBianca O'Blivion

Videodrome

Peter DvorskyHarlan

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Reviews

CinemaSerf

2/9/2023

6 / 10

"Max" (James Woods) runs a television channel that specialises in adult content. Always on the look out for new and more innovative and shocking content, he stumbles upon a brief series of satellite images that tantalise him. It's on a television talk show that he meets "Nicki" (Debbie Harry) who has a penchant for sex with a twist - and that not only turns them both on, but furthers his desire to obtain his newly found (and pretty violent) content for his Channel 83 output. The other guest on that show is the renowned "Prof. Oblivion" (Jack Creley) who prognosticates that one day the reality of television and video will replace the "real" reality. These threads slowly all tie together when "Nicki" decides that she is going to star in this new "Videodrome" enterprise and "Renn" must now reconcile his concern for her safety with his mounting need to acquire the show. This film is surreal and bizarre and yet it's still quite effective at illustrating the most visceral aspects of human nature - sex, venality, lust - even pain; and the visual effects (particularly towards the last fifteen minutes) must have been particularly effective. It's a bit on the sordid side - not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but at times the seaminess of it all is distracting from the more interesting and provocative aspects of the narrative. Time hasn't been very kind to it either, the effects have lost much of their potency now and the acting is mediocre at best. It is well worth a watch, but I'm not sure that will be the case for very much longer.

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