Poster from TMDB
Videodrome
Sign in to saveVideodrome is a 1983 Canadian science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Debbie Harry. Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO of a small UHF television station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal of snuff films. Layers of deception and mind-control conspiracy unfold as he attempts to uncover the signal's source, complicated by increasingly intense hallucinations that cause him to lose his grip on reality.
Film · TMDB
7.2As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.
Cast
- James Woods as Max Renn
- Debbie Harry as Nicki Brand
- Sonja Smits as Bianca O'Blivion
- Peter Dvorsky as Harlan
- Leslie Carlson as Barry Convex
- Jack Creley as Brian O'Blivion
Themes
- suicide
- virtual reality
- radio presenter
- black market
- insanity
- paranoia
- dystopia
- toronto, canada
- hallucination
- surreal
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Key facts
- Film.name
- Videodrome
- Film.image
- Videodromeposter.jpg
- Film.caption
- Theatrical release poster
- Film.director
- David Cronenberg
- Film.producer
- Claude Héroux
- Film.writer
- David Cronenberg
- Film.music
- Howard Shore
- Film.cinematography
- Mark Irwin
- Film.editing
- Ronald Sanders
- Film.distributor
- Universal Pictures
- Film.runtime
- 89 minutes
- Film.country
- Canada
- Film.language
- English
- Film.budget
- CAD$5.9 million
- Film.gross
- $2.1 million
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Duration
- 89
- FilmAffinity ID
- 741689
- Image
- Videodrome trailer screenshot.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- publication date
- 1983-02-04
- title
- Videodrome
- capital cost
- 5900000
- review score
- 7.2/10
- Commons category
- Videodrome
- box office
- 2120439
Sources (11)
via Wikidata · CC0
~24 min read
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Plot
- Cast
- Production
- Development
- Filming
- Effects
- Music
- Editing
- Themes
- Release
- Reception
- Awards
- Home media
- Novelization
- See also
- References
- Works cited
- External links
Videodrome is a 1983 Canadian science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Debbie Harry. Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO of a small UHF television station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal of snuff films. Layers of deception and mind-control conspiracy unfold as he attempts to uncover the signal's source, complicated by increasingly intense hallucinations that cause him to lose his grip on reality.
Distributed by Universal Pictures, Videodrome was the first film by Cronenberg to gain backing from any major Hollywood studio. With the highest budget of any of his films at the time, the film was a box-office bomb, recouping only $2.1 million from a $5.9 million budget. The film received praise for the special makeup effects, Cronenberg's direction, Woods and Harry's performances, its "techno-surrealist" aesthetic, and its cryptic, psychosexual themes. Cronenberg won the Best Direction award and was nominated for seven other awards at the 5th Genie Awards.