OldBoy

Just read the review by Jason Bovberg and it has me very intrigued. I have only seen "The Fly" and "Dead Ringers". I liked "The Fly" a lot, but DR not so much at all and am not really interested in Cronenberg's others.

So will I like "Videodrome" if I like horror-ish movies that this seems to be? Thanks.

Jepthah

This is undoubtedly one of Cronenberg's most challenging films, so based on what you wrote, I would give a definite NO.

However, many consider it one of his best and one of the most important films of its kind.

Hokeyboy

You will hate it!!!

No seriously, you'll hate it. A lot. But you should watch it anyhow, because it's one of the most haunting mindflurgs of a movie ever. Brilliant and serpentine.

Serpentine. And Haiku.

OldBoy

Why will I hate it? It sounds different than his other efforts and one of his best...comments please.

Richard Malloy

It's total-Cronenberg. Not different, just better realized than most of his films, with the exception of "Dead Ringers". If you don't dig Cronenbery, I don't see how you'll get into his most "Cronenbergian" film.

If you're so conflicted on the subject, why not simply rent it and see what you think?

OldBoy

already checked...none of my vid stores have it.

Richard Malloy

A full month's subscription to Netflix is less expensive than this disc. I'm not shilling for them, but they're better than any other rental service I've seen (selection, timing, value, etc.), and there's no way I could possibly watch all the movies I want to watch if I had to purchase them all (and only a few of 'em merit multiple viewings anyway).

There are two things that I'd argue are necessary for any movie-freak with a home theater: a subscription to Netflix and an all-region/PAL->NTSC converting DVD player. Fortunately, both come cheap.

OldBoy

Can this movie be compared to any non-Cronenberg fare that I may have seen and hopefully liked?

Richard Malloy

demonlover

OldBoy

can you take a nod at my collection and see if any compares, beside "Brazil"? thanks for this help.
haven't seen demonlover

Richard Malloy

Do yourself a favor and get a decent DVD rental subscription, and then you can have your own opinions about this and other movies (say "demonlover" or "eXistenZ") without paying a premium for the privilege!

OldBoy

not worth it considering i don't hardly ever rent dvd's or care to.
can you simply answer my previous ?, if not no biggie and thanks anyway, i will manage.

Josh Z

If you don't like Cronenberg, you won't like Videodrome. It's not different than his other efforts. It's probably the defining example of what his filmmaking style is all about.

That said, it sounds like you're not even sure what a Cronenberg movie is. Of the two you've seen, it's more like The Fly than like Dead Ringers. Have you seen Scanners? You know, the one with the exploding head? That's another one of his that Videodrome is most similar to.

Hokeyboy

Put it this way:

Videodrome is the classic type of film which, when it ends after watching it for the first time, you turn to your friend who you were watching it with and say "Wanna be the pivot man?"

And also "Holy crap! What the FUCK was that all about?!?! That made NO sense!!"

But it's so intriguing and layered that you return to it, watch it again, pick up more, develop some theories, throw them out the window, rewatch over and over again, and you see a lot more going on. I personally think it's magically delicious. I'd say give it a shot, it's at least worth a perusal.

Johnny Zhivago

Man, that's just a tad expensive for a blind buy IMHO... On the other hand, you could probably unload it in the exchange forum for close to what you pay for it. Maybe. Or at least trade it for something else...

Cronenberg is one of those hit / miss - love / hate kind of directors for me... I do like Videodrome and I want to get it, but it's not in the budget right now (damn that Hitchcock box and DOTD set!). Of his films, I actually think that Dead Ringers is his best... So, there ya go... The Fly is fairly mainstream as is The Dead Zone, but I like both of those as well. Recently, I enjoyed Spider quite a bit (though it lacks in replay value). On the other hand... I didn't care much for eXistenZ, Naked Lunch, Scanners, The Brood, etc...

You have a pretty diverse collection of films, with a lot of "horror-ish" DVDs, so it's absolutely possible that you will love Videodrome. On the other hand, it's still Cronenberg, and non-mainstream Cronenberg at that...

There is an alternative. Pick up the old Universal release instead of the Criterion. Satisfies your curiosity without the extra expense. The transfer isn't going to be as good and it's non-anamorphic, but it is an alternative.

Richard Malloy

And this is why you've seen so few movies.

Bottom line: from what little I can glean about your tastes and the lack of diversity of your viewing habits, I suspect you won't like "Videodrome" and encourage you not to waste your money.

Sessa17

Totally agree, he is right.

Another vote that you will hate it, in fact from what little you've posted I am positive you will hate & probably not understand the movie at all.

The Fly is by far Cronenberg's most straight-foward, mainstream movie. And that is the one you like, yet Dead Ringers, my personal favorite Cronenberg movie, you didn't like at all & it's vintage Cronenberg.

Videodrome is as someone else said the most Cronenbergian movie he has ever done, so if you didn't like the substance & genius that is Dead Ringers, Videodrome will be worse.

I highly suggest you join netflix & broaded your horizon.

OldBoy

how can you make such a horrible, gross assumption just because i haven't joined netflix or seen some Cronenberg movies??
or are you joking...because that is one hell of a laughable statement "lack of diversity of my viewing habits"!
Who knows if I would like the movie or not, but c'mon man..how do you know my habits from not joining a rental service?

renaldow

After looking at your collection, I say go ahead and buy it. You may actually like it. And, if you don't, you can at least put it next to your other Criterions as part of the collection.

renaldow

At all the people trying to bust on scott1598 for not joining a rental service. What that has to do with anything other than movies go to your home instead of you picking them up is beyond me.

I don't have a rental service. I've probably seen more movies than most people here. What someone has in their collection has little to do with their knowledge of film. What movies someone may or may not rent has little to do with their knowledge of film.

A guy asks a simple question, you bust on him for all kinds of silly reasons, it's just funny.

Richard Malloy

Didn't mean to come off so crossly with my assumptions, Scott... much less "horribly" and "grossly"! But after viewing the titles in your collection and discovering that you haven't seen certain suggested films that are similar to "Videodrome" (not that there are many), I just don't think "Videodrome" will appeal to you.

And your collection is much more diverse than many, but probably not so diverse that a film like "Videodrome" will sit comfortably among them, particularly since you've already stated your aversion to most of Cronenberg's films.

Again, the solution is so simple it's stupid. Get a Netflix subscription and catch up on your viewing including "Videodrome". When it's only a rental, you won't need to go through these interminable and unreliable attempts at figuring out whether you'll like a film before you watch it. You just watch it and see.

Richard Malloy

Let me try to make it real plain and simple: "Videodrome: CC" costs $28-35. A one-month subscription to Netflix costs $21.99. Should I do the math for you?

OK... over the last three months of my Netflix membership, I'm averaging a little over 15 rentals per month. That's well short of the 24 per month as demonstrated by the guy who did the "How to Maximize Your Netflix Rentals" article (http://www.wooba.com/archives/2004/0...etflix-rentals), but I think it's closer to how most of us watch DVDs (I know I rarely watch three in one evening). $22 divided by 15 rentals comes to $1.46 per DVD.

So, if Scott rents movies at my rate-of-rental, it'll cost him $1.46 to rent "Videodrome", whereas it'll cost him $28-35 to buy it. If he loves this movie like I do, he'll feel comfortable shelling out the premium to own it forever and watch it whenever he likes. If he dislikes it like the other Cronenberg movies he's seen (except for "The Fly"), then he's only out $1.46.

Hokeyboy

Yeah, some of you guys are coming off with a bit of elitist snobbery. And not a single one of you has commented on my "pivot man" line. For that you should all only have someone pee in your Ovaltine.

Sessa17

I don't get it, where does anyone in this thread "bust on scott1598". Almost everyone answered his question & a few, myself included were surprised by him not renting & suggested he do so for a movie like this. Isn't that the point of the thread.

renaldow

The economics of it do not escape me, but I think the point that Scott (and many others) do not actually rent, and do not want to rent might be what you are missing. Some people go to the library, some people go to the bookstore. It's the same way with DVDs.

This is why some of us have very large collections, and buying 20+ DVDs a month has no more relative impact on the wallet than someone else getting those same DVDs through Netflix at $21.99. For instance, I only rent TV shows and insipid mainstream comedies, I put no value on those types of DVDs. Everything else I buy, mostly blind.

So, pushing Netflix over and over is a waste of time, no matter how much sense it makes to you, if you know what I mean. Your points are good, I'm just saying they do not apply.