Videodrome Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Videodrome Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 15, 2015

David Cronenberg's "Videodrome" (1983) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the release include original trailers; new interviews with cinematographer Mark Irwin, producer Pierre David, and author Dennis Etchison; new video piece with author and critic Kim Newman; audio commentary by film critic Tim Lucasl and more. The release also arrives with an exclusive 100-page hardback book with writings on the film and original archive stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

In the dungeon

James Woods is Max Renn, a cocky, fast-talking man in charge with a small Toronto-based television station looking for unique content to boost its ratings. One day, he stumbles across Videodrome, a brutal pornographic broadcast, which Harlan (Peter Dvorsky, Mesmer), one of Max’s best men, has recorded while playing around with the station’s pirate satellite dish. Impressed with the raw visuals, Max decides to find out more about Videodrome.

While researching Videodrome, Max meets Nicki Brand (Deborah Harry, Hairspray), a beautiful psychiatrist who likes sex as much as she likes pain. Before Max beds Nikki, he shows her footage from Videodrome, which proves to be exactly the type of show she has been dreaming about. Nikki decides to go to Pittsburgh, where Videodrome apparently is based at, while Max decides to see Professor Brian O'Blivion (Jack Creley, All in Good Taste), a mysterious character who apparently knows everything there is to know about the show.

Max meets Bianca (Sonja Smits, That's My Baby!), Professor O'Blivion’s daughter and personal assistant, who gives him a videotape containing an important message. After he views it, Max begins hallucinating - first his body gets a giant vagina in which one could insert various objects, including videotapes, then he starts seeing dead people, and finally he enters Videodrome where Nikki has been patiently waiting for him. While trying to figure out what is real and what is not, Max loses his mind.

Most critics who have written about David Cronenberg’s Videodrome argue that it is a horror film with a prophetic message about the destructive power of television. To a certain extent, I agree with them. A lot of what Cronenberg predicted in Videodrome has come true - by merging with the Internet, television is increasingly affecting the way we live our lives; television is easily transforming lies into truths, which is why each year billions of dollars are spent on political advertising; television is brainwashing our minds, which is why various religious groups pay big money for prime-time slots.

What critics rarely mention in their articles, however, is the fact that Videodrome is above all a film about the power of philosophy - the ideas that give meaning to the torture and pornography seen in it, the environment that has nurtured them, the culture that breeds their consumers. What terrifies in Videodrome are not the various graphic scenes, or Max’s colorful hallucinations, but the logic that supports their existence.

There is a common theme amongst great horror films - they all balance well the reasonable with the unreasonable. When we watch a great horror film, we are terrified because there is a possibility that everything that happens in it could be real. Videodrome is one such film - a lot of the images in it are incredibly disturbing and unsettling but far from unrealistic; even Max’s hallucinations are not completely devoid of objectivity.

The cast is excellent. Woods is very convincing as the cocky businessman who slowly but surely evolves into a violent, paranoid loner. Harry, the famous voice of new wave and punk legends Blondie, looks incredibly seductive. Creley has a small but very important role. Smits is the only one who occasionally looks a bit stiff in front of the camera.

Note: In 1984, Videodrome won Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction (David Cronenberg). During the same year, the film also won Best Cinematography in Theatrical Feature Award (Mark Irwin) granted by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers.

Videodrome Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, David Cronenberg's Videodrome arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

It is obvious that the release was sourced from the same master Criterion worked with when they prepared their Blu-ray release of the film for the U.S. market. This is certainly very good news because next to the previous Region-B release it looks vastly superior. (The older release from Universal Studios was also the slightly shorter Rated Version of the film). Generally speaking, detail and clarity are very good. Depth is also improved during the darker footage. Colors are stable and healthy, never appearing artificially boosted. Grain is visible and well distributed, but if could be better resolved. The same light halo effects that are visible on the Region-A release are present here (see screencaptures #17). They never become overly distracting, but it is easy to see that without them the film could look even better in high-definition. Finally, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Videodrome Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is very good. The dialog is clean and stable, while Howard Shore's dark score enhances the tense atmosphere very well (listen to the synthesizers around the 34-minute mark). The sound effects are also well defined. This said, the overall range of nuanced dynamics is rather limited, but such is the film's original sound design. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report in our review.

Videodrome Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Blu-ray Disc One

• Trailers - original trailers for Videodrome. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Pirated Signals: The Lost Broadcast - presented here are deleted scenes that were found only in TV broadcasts of Videodrome. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

Documentaries and Feaurettes

• Cinema of the Extreme - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the unique style of David Cronenberg's films and some of the more controversial observations a few of them have produced. Included in it are clips from interviews with the Canadian director, George Romero (Dawn of the Dead), and Alex Cox (Sid and Nancy). The documentary was produced by Nick Freand and was originally broadcast by the BBC in 1997. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Forging the New Flesh - in this documentary film, special effects supervisor Michael Lennick discusses the production history and different makeup and video effects seen in Videodrome. The film contains various commentaries by makeup effects crew member Bill Sturgeon, makeup effects supervisor Rick Baker, James Woods, etc. In English, not subtitled. In English, not subtitled. (28 min).

• Fear on Film - a roundtable discussion with David Cronenberg, John Landis, and John Carpenter, produced and hosted by Mick Garris (director of TV miniseries The Stand and The Shining). In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• Samurai Dreams - presented here is the Samurai Dreams sequence with audio commentary by special effects supervisor Michael Lennick. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Helmet Camera Test - with commentary by Michael Lennick. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Why Betamax? - a short piece with comments by Michael Lennick. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Promotional Featurette - an archival featurette with short comments by James Woods, David Cronenberg, Deborah Harry, and makeup effects supervisor Rick Baker. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, film critic Tim Lucas deconstructs Videodrome and discusses the production history of the film.

Interviews

• Mark Irwin - in this new video interview, cinematographer Mark Irwin discusses his career and professional relationship with director David Cronenberg. The two collaborated on such films as Videodrome, Scanners, and The Fly, among others. The interview was conducted exclusively for Arrow Video in April 2015. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).

• Pierre David - in this new video interview, producer Pierre David discusses the production history of Videodrome and his collaborations with David Cronenberg. The interview was recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in April 2015. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Dennis Etchison - in this new video interview, author Dennis Etchison discusses his initial impressions of the script for Videodrome (with some excellent comments about the unique literally descriptions that were included) and his novelization of the film. The interview was recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in March 2015. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

Blu-ray Disc Two

• Transfer the Future - in this new video piece, author and critic Kim Newman discusses the early films of David Cronenberg and the creative environment in which they emerged. The piece was produced exclusively for Arrow Video. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

Short Films

• Transfer (1966) - presented here is David Cronenberg's first short film, Transfer, which was restored by the Toronto International Film Festival. Color. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (7 min).

• From the Drain (1967) - presented here is David Cronenberg's second short film, which was restored by the Toronto International Film Festival. Color. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (13 min).

• Stereo (1969) - David Cronenberg completed his first feature, Stereo, in 1969. It is about experiments in artificially created telepathy, and stars Ronald Mlodzik, Jack Messinger, and Iain Ewing. The film was restored by the Criterion Collection from a 35mm composite fine grain element. B&W. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (63 min).

• Crimes of the Future (1970) - presented here is David Cronenberg's second feature film, Crimes of the Future, which was restored by Arrow Video from a new 4K scan of the original 35mm negative. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (63 min).

Collector's Booklet (Limited Edition Exclusive)

• An illustrated 100-page hardback book featuring new writing including Justin Humphreys on Videodrome in a modern context, Brad Stevens on the alternate versions, Caelum Vatnsdal on Cronenberg's early works, extracts from Cronenberg on Cronenberg featuring Cronenberg's reminiscences of getting started in filmmaking and shooting all the films in this collection, plus more, illustrated with original archive stills.

Videodrome Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This upcoming Blu-ray release of David Cronenberg's cult film Videodrome is vastly superior to the one Universal Studios produced in 2011. It has the slightly longer Unrated Version of the film and a fantastic selection of supplemental features. Also included with this limited release is an exclusive 100-page hardback book with writings on the film and original archive stills, so if you want to have it, consider ordering a copy now. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.