-Contributed by Luke Merrill
This week at Horror Camp we
are watching the 1983 Cronenberg cult
classic Videodrome.
Although not a true horror movie in the strictest sense, the movie’s ominous
tone, disturbing visuals, and absolutely abstract concept leave no choice but
to lump the film into the horror category.
Videodrome stars James Wood, who
takes the role of Max Renn, a sleazy public access television producer looking
for the next shocking wave of entertainment to satisfy his audience’s desires
for more extreme sex and violence. Renn stumbles across a pirate feed of a show
known only as “Videodrome” which appears to be a low-budget production
featuring horrible brutality and torture. Convinced that this shocking imagery
will be the next big wave he pursues the origins of the Videodrome program only
to find it is shrouded in shadow and conspiracy.
Things start to get weird as
Max starts to openly hallucinate anytime he begins to watch the program. His television
set begins to speak to him, and his body itself begins to change around him,
which make for some pretty involved and amazing pre-CGI special effects. It is
later revealed that Videodrome itself is a new tool the government is working
on to brainwash and reprogram it’s viewers into becoming government sleeper
agents, and Max Renn finds himself on opposing sides between the government
conspirators and the original developers of Videodrome who try to strike back
at the brainwashers from the shadows.
Co-starring the lovely Deborah Harry
(better known as Blondie), as Max’s “good girl into some freaky stuff
girlfriend”, who plays an awesome role as Max’s own personal seducer and
tormentor in one of her first crossover roles into film. Videodrome brings a new standard of acting not
commonly seen in horror movies, that, without the powerful acting of its cast
would leave the movie to fall flat on its face.
So why show Videodrome at
Horror Camp? Well because we want our campers to realize that with too much
mainstream violence they too can be transformed into gun-wielding nonsense-spewing
government assassins, and as dated as the films technology was, the concepts of
videodrome actually carry more weight today than they did in ’83. With digital technology
one can almost live a more real and visceral life as an online personality than
they would in physical reality, when one views videodrome under these
constraints the movie can be viewed as revolutionary and before it’s time.
For those campers who couldn’t
make it out to the showing, or would prefer a film a little more contemporary,
that can be viewed in stunning eye-bleeding visuals that are rendered in
glorious high definition 1080p, I suggest a recent film that just came out this
last September, called Branded. Similar to Videodrome, Branded explores corporate mind-control, as
corporations muck around with the coding of the human mind to promote brand
placement. From the preview it appears that the protagonist can see past the
veil of this reality, resulting in him being pursued by logo bearing
transformer monsters of some sort. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet being
stuck at the camp, but it is definitely on my watch list.
So check out the trailers to
both flicks below and tell me if you’ve viewed either of these movies and if
they have any similarities? Until next time your head counselor wishes you
happy viewings and good health.
Videodrome
Branded
Tags: Movie Night at the Rec
Hall, Videodrome, Branded
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