Short Attention Span Review: Videodrome (1983)

Short Attention Span Review: Videodrome (1983)

Videodrome is probably body horror maestro David Cronenberg's most bizarre film, and that is surely a noteworthy achievement.  In addition to featuring some of his most disgusting imagery, it is also one of his most perplexing motion pictures.  At the same time, it has an inexplicable appeal that keeps the viewer glued to the screen.  James Woods is perfectly cast as Max Renn, a sleazy cable programmer looking for a show that will shock audiences enough to put his meager station on the map.  He finds "Videodrome" and becomes obsessed with the twisted program even as this addiction triggers violent hallucinations that send his life into a downward spiral.  Debbie Harry is also pretty damn sublime as his masochistic love interest who is equally drawn to the show.  I've always felt that there's an eerie parallel between the way this gross mindbender entrances the viewer and the story itself, which depicts Max losing his ability to tell the difference between reality and fantasy as his fascination with the perverse "Videodrome" program grows.  Cronenberg's frequent collaborator Howard Shore provides a worthy score and Rick Baker's vintage effects work is still impressive to behold.  Most importantly, the central theme of the picture (modern society's dependence upon and vicarious living through media and the dangers thereof) is just as relevant today as it was back in 1983--if not more so.  The ending is decidedly grim, but stands as the perfect way to punctuate this diabolical affair that is every bit as compelling as it is grotesque.  I'm a big fan of Cronenberg's work, and while I can't put this one up there with The Fly, it's probably my second favorite film that he directed.

Final Grade: A

This is a pretty kooky image--and it's not even one of the weird parts.  True story: Videodrome is strange as hell.

The Onion Field by Joseph Wambaugh (from 1973)

I greatly enjoy Joseph Wambaugh's work, but his non-fiction books hit me a lot harder than his fiction.  Truthfully, my favorite fiction novels by this cop-turned-author are titles like The Choirboys and The New Centurions, books which seem to be a bit more authentic than some of his more robust offerings.  It's not that he doesn't write well, and I can see where his more entertaining yarns could represent a much-needed departure from the darker territory he tends to cover in his efforts to chronicle actual events.  Yet there's a potency to his non-fiction that cannot be equaled.  I'm being 100% sincere when I say that I can't imagine any author from any era writing a better account of a crime or the efforts of the police to combat the lesser elements of our society.  His impeccable research, his keen understanding of human nature, and his ability to present such tales from all angles are all downright inspiring.  Few writers can tell such stories with Wambaugh's amazing attention to detail without bogging the prose down.  Like Fire Lover, The Blooding, or my personal favorite, Lines and Shadows, The Onion Field is never anything less than riveting even as it digs deeper and deeper into a sadistic crime and the incredibly complicated trials that followed.  At once a deeply personal tale of loss and guilt, it also stands as a powerful rebuke of the legal process.  Those who feel that the courts are far more interested in the rights and the welfare of criminals will only be further embittered by this haunting tale of a fine system gone mad.  A noble cop is killed in cold blood and the guilt of the responsible parties is never in doubt, yet the efforts of the defense to prolong and even sabotage the ensuing trials transform a burning quest for justice into a genuine fiasco.  Sadly, there are moments when the courtroom proceedings become so absurd that the passages wherein the author details those shenanigans wind up being somewhat comical.  The Onion Field has it all: a wealth of drama, powerful characterizations, and a heartbreaking combination of destiny and tragedy.  It is a remarkable piece of writing that is ripe with emotion and will leave readers asking difficult questions and pondering monumental issues.

Final Grade: A+