Synopsis

When Max Renn goes looking for edgy new material for his sleazy cable TV station, he stumbles across the pirate broad­­cast of a hyperviolent torture show called “Videodrome.” His attempts to unearth the program’s origins send him on a hallucinatory journey into a shadow world of right-wing conspiracies, sado­masochistic sex games, and bodily trans­formation. Starring James Woods and Deborah Harry, Videodrome is one of the most original and provocative works from writer-director David Cronenberg, and features ground­breaking makeup effects by Academy Award winner Rick Baker.

This screening is part of SCREEN TO SCREEN, shown in conjunction with the exhibition Digital Capture: Southern California and the Pixel-Based Image World

“Screen” can be defined as a flat surface, a verb, a barrier, a pseudonym, a cover, or a tool. The films in this series are, in general, unified by their inventive and prescient explorations of technology, and by the screen in particular. These films examine and imagine what changes in human relationships are a result of technology’s position within them. The screen is now where life often takes place—films that explore this condition constitute their own genre. Each screening will be introduced by organizer and PhD candidate Sarah Grace Faulk, and a discussion will be moderated afterward for select screenings. This screening is supported by UC Riverside’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Science (CHASS) Dean’s Office and the Center for Ideas and Society. Additional support is provided by Department of the History of Art at UC Riverside.

Trailer

Film Details

Director: David Cronenberg
Studio: Janus Films
Running Time: 89 minutes
Country: Canada
Release Year: 1983
Rated: R

Reviews

“It’s hard to overstate how premonitory David Cronenberg’s masterpiece turned out to be.” – Sean Fennessey, The Ringer