IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
IMDb > Videodrome (1983)
Videodrome
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Videodrome (1983) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 13 | slideshow) Videos (see all 3)
Videodrome (1983) -- A sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a very unusual fashion when he acquires a new kind of programming for his station.
Videodrome (1983) -- A sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a very unusual fashion when he acquires a new kind of programming for his station.
Videodrome (1983) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   18,271 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
David Cronenberg (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Videodrome on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 February 1983 (USA) more
Tagline:
First it controlled her mind, then it destroyed her body... Long live the new flesh! more
Plot:
A sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a very unusual fashion when he acquires a new kind of programming for his station. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
3 wins & 7 nominations more
User Comments:
I just can't cope with the freaky stuff. more (160 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Network of Blood (Canada: English title) (working title)
Vidéodrome (Canada: French title)
Zonekiller (Canada: English title)
Videodrome (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Cuerpos invadidos (Argentina) [es]
Experiência Alucinante (Portugal) [pt]
Vidéodrome (France) [fr]
Videodrom (Serbia) [sr]
Videodrome (Greece) (video title) [el]
Videodrome - förgängelsens vapen (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Videodrome - tuhon ase (Finland) [fi]
more
Runtime:
87 min | USA:89 min (unrated version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Trademark: [David Cronenberg] [flesh]"Long live the new flesh!" more
Quotes:
[First line]
Man's voice on television: Civic TV. The one you take to bed with you.
more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

What are the differences between the R-Rated version and the Unrated Version?
more
81 out of 108 people found the following comment useful.
I just can't cope with the freaky stuff., 13 November 2004
10/10
Author: Jason Forestein (jay4stein79@yahoo.com) from somerville, ma

Well, Mr. Convex, too bad for you... Videodrome, David Cronenberg's first masterpiece, tells the tale of one Max Renn. Played with expert sleaziness by James Woods, Renn oversees a low-rent, exploitative cable network, which specializes in showing increasingly violent and pornographic shows. When he stumbles upon the satellite transmission of "Videodrome" - a realistic S&M/Torture show from Pittsburgh - Renn believes that he's discovered the next wave. Then come the hallucinations... maybe dead bodies, cancer guns, stomach-vulvas, etc. Reality bends and, perhaps, Videodrome has taken over...

In every respect, Videodrome is a great film, managing to repulse and intrigue simultaneously. It is horrific and contains numerous science-fiction motifs, but, unlike the horror and special effects driven pictures of today, Videodrome, to quote the film, has a philosophy. Videodrome is not about mind-controlling cable shows; it is about our un-healthy consumption of visual media. I may not agree with Cronenberg's vision of our relationship with TV, but it is never less than interesting. It's refreshing to see a movie about more than itself; it seems that, since the 1980s, these types of films have become increasingly rare and that's a shame. Maybe it's only nostalgia, but the era when films like Videodrome and Dawn of the Dead were being made by major studios and released to huge audiences seems like a Golden Age to my mind.

Here's to hoping those days will return. What's truly brilliant about Videodrome, beyond its decision to base itself upon an idea, is its seamless blending of the characters' realities and their hallucinations. After the forty-five minute mark, what actually happens becomes lost as we enter deeper and deeper in the the tortured psyche of Max Renn. It is impossible, by the end of the movie, to know what actually happened. Unlike a movie like Donnie Darko, which left me puzzled and irritable, I accept the puzzlement of Videodrome because an explanation would have lessened the film's visceral impact. The open-endedness of the narrative melds perfectly with a film that revels in the hallucination/reality divide. If the characters cannot comprehend what is actually happening, why should we?

As mentioned, every element of this film works. There are amazing set-pieces (throbbing televisions and gurgling video cassettes) and moments of beautiful photography (the shots of Renn approaching the harbor for instance). The acting, even by Debbie Harry in her first starring role, is excellent. James Woods, in particular, excels. He has always been one of my favorite actors and brings to Renn a level of sleaziness that perhaps could have been achieved by only him or Harry Dean Stanton.

This is Cronenberg's first masterpiece (sorry, I'm not too keen on his earlier work, as it doesn't meld his ideas and venereal/technological horror as well) and started a string of absolutely brilliant films. For me, it's also his greatest masterpiece; it's (forgive me for using this word) postmodern vision is spell-binding and the story is, I think, his most imaginative to date. As his career went forward, Cronenberg became more and more respectable and, I think, that hurt his work slightly. In Videodrome, he is at the top of his form and working with his most amazing cast. The movie is an acquired taste and will not appeal to everyone, but I highly recommend it and think you should all watch it with an open mind.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (160 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Videodrome (1983)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
This movie inspired one of the... crooky-3
films similar in style elscorcho86
'I am the video (word) or (world) made flesh.' jaltman71
Is this Anti-violence-in-new- media, or Anti-blind-hatred-of- new-media? exirkamalabadi
Some thigns I found watching this again kevinvogrin
Questions about Videodrome. jahgeorgia
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
American Psycho Watchmen Paroxismus Kiss Kiss Bang Bang The Horror Vault
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Fantasy section IMDb Canada section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.