Criterion Blu-ray Review: Videodrome (1983)
Blu-ray Review: Videodrome (1983)
Distributor: Criterion
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Starring: James Woods, Deborah Harry
Review by Robert Saucedo
One of the many things that separates horror movie fans from, say, romantic comedy junkies is the thrill of discovery. Horror movie aficionados are always on the prowl for something darker, more twisted, more likely to cause nightmares. Every now and then a movie will pop into the fringes of public consciousness — bringing with it wild stories of depravity so run amok that audiences’ brains will literally break if they watch it. These movies almost always land slightly short of expectations — but what if there was a movie that could actually drive you mad? This is the basic concept of Videodrome, David Cronenberg’s 1983 horror film recently released on Blu-ray from Criterion. In the film, James Woods stars as Max Renn, the CEO of CIVIC-TV, an independent UHF television station that specializes in programming designed to shock or titillate. From soft-core pornography to hard-core violence, Renn’s channel searches the bowels of popular sub-culture for the next big thing.
It’s this search that leads Renn to discover, via the station’s pirate satellite dish, a new television program titled Videodrome. The program does not feature any discernible plot — it’s just a static shot of anonymous victims being tortured and eventually murdered in front of a clay wall. Renn is instantly enamored by the program and desires it for his own channel. As he investigates its origins, though, Renn is drawn deeper and deeper into a vast conspiracy involving tumor-inducing television signals that cause disturbing hallucinations starring new gaping holes in his stomach.
Cronenberg’s film has achieved cult status in the years since its release — primarily due to the film’s trippy, mind-warp plot and amazing special effects and make-up work by Rick Baker. The movie deserves every iota of critical acclaim and fan adoration as it still holds up amazingly well today — despite the fact that VHS and Betamax tapes (a key component of the film’s plot) are largely scrubbed clean from public awareness.
Helping the film to keep its sheen is the amazing restorative work done by Criterion for the film’s high definition release. Presented in its original 1.85.1 aspect ratio and created from the original 35mm negatives, the film’s new transfer was supervised by cinematographer Mark Irwin and approved by Cronenberg. There is nary a scratch or flicker to be found in the film’s image — giving a crisp look to Cronenberg’s cluttered vision.
Videodrome was a movie designed to look well lived in. While DVDs and Blu-rays champion clarity and distinction, the world of VHS was one of barely perceivable organic messiness. Between having to work the tracking button until the image cleared up and the eventual flickering of wear and tear that came to every video’s tape, VHS as a format felt as worn out and used up as a vinyl record or a favorite pair of jeans. Cronenberg manages to transfer a lot of this visual theme to his film — from the slightly slimy special effects prosthetics to the hallucinatory images that play out on televisions in Renn’s fevered imagination. This gritty imagery is especially striking when given a fresh dusting off with Criterion’s high definition transfer. Plus, Deborah Harry (who plays Renn’s S&M-loving girlfriend) has never looked lovelier than she does in 1080p.
Criterion has provided a theatrically faithful LPCM 1.0 audio track to the film that was remastered from the original magnetic tracks. The audio sounds pretty solid and elicits no complaints — despite not using the full 5.1 stereo system channels. Then again, what better way to watch a movie about killer VHS tapes than with a format faithful 1.0 audio track?
Criterion has really gone all out with the special effects offered up on their disc. All the special features are carry over from the original Criterion DVD release — many of which were themselves ports from the film’s original Laserdisc release. Most the special features are presented in 1080i high definition but due to some of the archived material’s age, this high definition is mostly in name only.
Camera is a seven-minute short film that Cronenberg directed in 2000. The film was a reunion for many of the crew that worked on Videodrome, including composer Howard Shore and actor Leslie Carlson. The short movie is a quiet introspective piece about an out-of-work actor coming to terms with his age.
Forging the Flesh is a 28-minute documentary created by Michael Lennick, special effects supervisor on the film, which follows Videodrome’s production — specifically focusing on the make-up work.
Effects Men is an audio only interview between Rick Baker and Lennick recalling the making of the film and their work on the movie’s special effects.
Bootleg Video is a collection of three extended videos from the world of Max Renn. Samurai Dreams is a five-minute Asian-influenced soft-core porn created specifically for the movie. It comes with optional commentary by Cronenberg, Mark Irwin and Lennick. Transmissions from Videodrome is eight minutes of footage from the television program that caught Renn’s eye. This comes with commentary from Irwin and Lennick. Helmet-cam Test is a short bit with commentary from Lennick that takes a look at early prototypes for one of the film’s climatic scenes.
Effects Visual Essay is a 20-minute montage of photographs taken from the film’s production that originally ran in Cinefatasique magazine.
Fear on Film is the highlight of the disc, in my opinion. A vintage roundtable discussion from the early ‘80s, the 26-minute interview features Cronenberg, John Landis and John Carpenter and is hosted by a very young Mick Garris. The directors were all in their prime — all making some of their best movies, coincidentally, for Universal. Watching the directors discuss their craft is a great reminder of the incredible time for horror that was the early ‘80s. While the conversation could have been a bit livelier, it still remains a great feature.
The disc’s Marketing section features three trailers and a vintage Making-of featurette from 1982 that was produced by Mick Garris. In addition, there’s also a Gallery section featuring promotional materials and cast and crew photographs.
Finally, there are two commentary tracks — both ported over from the original 2004 Criterion release. The first is an amazingly informative track from Cronenberg and Irwin where the two offer an in-depth look at the film’s production and eventual cult fame. Next is a cast commentary with James Woods and Deborah Harry. Their track, while not as informative as Cronenberg and Irwin’s, is mostly entertaining it its own right thanks to the sheer amount of awesomeness that James Woods exudes with every fiber of his being.
If all that wasn’t enough for you, there’s also a 38-page booklet that comes with the Blu-ray packaging and contains three essays from Carrie Rickey, Tim Lucas and Gary Indiana.
If Videodrome is a must watch for fans of horror and David Cronenberg, the Criterion release is a must buy for fans of Videodrome. The movie has never looked or sounded better and the amount and quality of special features included are more than enough to satisfy any fan’s appetite. And hey, if you don’t like it, you can always just stuff the Blu-ray in the giant, gaping cavity you grew on your torso from watching the movie.
