D V D C R Y P T

VIDEODROME

Directed & Written by David Cronenberg
Produced by Claude Heroux
Special Fx by Rick Barker
Music by Howard Shore
Cast: James Woods, Sonja Smits, Debbie Harry, Peter Dvorsky, Les Carlson, Jack Creley & Lynn Gorman

1982/89 mins/Color/Mono
1.85:1/English/Canada/NTSC Region 1

Review from the Universal DVD

Max Renn (James Woods) is running one of the nation most offensive television network. Since he can't afford big budget production he offers to his viewers cheapies about sex and violence. Still he's looking for something new, something harder. It is during a television interview that he meets radio psychologist Nicki Brand (Debbie Harry from the rock band Blondie). It is also there that he first encounters the ever mysterious Brian O'Blivion. O'Blivion hates television, he refuses to appear live on television but we see his face on guess what... a television. O'Blivion thinks that television is an unwanted extension of humanity's physical evolution.

Back to his tv station Max visits Harlan, his personal video pirate who always tries to find something new coming from anywhere in the world. This time he caught a signal coming from Malaysia. It is called Videodrome. A 24 hour non-stop snuff channel featuring violence, sex and brutality. At first Max doubts the whole credibility of the channel but as he realize that none of the "actors" ever come back for a second show he wants to find out more about it.

After some investigation, Videodrome seems to be coming not from Malaysia but from Pittburg, Pennsylvania! Max shows a tape of Videodrome to Nicki Brand who surprisingly gets turn on by it and want to participate to the show! From there things takes the usual and unusual Cronenberg twist with altered body modification, hallucinations and mayhem. This is one of my personal best from Canadian master of the twisted and the macabre, David Cronenberg.

This is the first time the film is released completely uncut as it features footage that were not in the theatrical release. Still from what i've read, the television version had about 10 more minutes. Sure this DVD is uncut if we compare it to the previously released versions but Universal could have added these minutes into the film.

The film is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the image looks good even though the colors are a little bland. There's a few spots every now and then but nothing alarming. The audio is only in 2 channel mono but sounds ok. We have the choice of an English or French audio track. The menu's presentation is fucking ugly. Universal could have add some animation or backgroud music to it, oh well. We get production notes, Woods, Harry and Cronenberg's Bios. The best thing about the disc is without a doubt the outta of this world trailer. You have to see it to believe it! The film is separated in only 16 chapters. There's an ok 4 pages booklet. The DVD comes in the usual Universal keep case. I would have added more extras on this DVD: a commentary audio track, making-of, interview with Rick Barker, James Woods, Deborah Harry and Cronenberg to make the overall package much better.

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