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Videodrome

Play trailer Poster for Videodrome R 1983 1h 30m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn (James Woods) 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 (Deborah Harry) 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.
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Videodrome

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Critics Consensus

Visually audacious, disorienting, and just plain weird, Videodrome's musings on technology, entertainment, and politics still feel fresh today.

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Critics Reviews

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Gary Arnold Washington Post Simultaneously stupefying and boring, Videodrome is too extreme a blunder to survive exposure to a justifiably disillusioned horror-movie public. Aug 4, 2015 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Film is dotted with video jargon and ideology which proves more fascinating than distancing. And Cronenberg amplifies the freaky situation with a series of stunning visual effects. Jun 6, 2007 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Never coherent and frequently pretentious, the film remains an audacious attempt to place obsessive personal images before a popular audience -- a kind of Kenneth Anger version of Star Wars. Jun 6, 2007 Full Review Daniel Barnes Dare Daniel We may not consume media by sticking a thing in a slot anymore, but in many ways, Videodrome is more relevant than ever. Especially in the idea of screens being more real to us than reality, and the way that devices mutate our humanity. Rated: 4.5/5 Oct 28, 2025 Full Review Joshua Stevens Loud and Clear Reviews Videodrome should be considered one of the auteur’s most idiosyncratic works, but it elevates itself into “classic” territory because of its timeless, pessimistic message about the consequences of addiction. Jun 12, 2025 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …contains themes of male alienation and societal disconnection that Cronenberg explored far more fully in The Fly and Dead Ringers, but it’s still worth a look today as a key film in Cronenberg’s development from an indie provocateur to a studio maverick… Rated: 3/5 May 12, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

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Brent A Cronenberg Masterpiece Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/23/22 Full Review Allan C Arguably the greatest Body Horror film of all-time Videodrome (1983) ***** As part of a local art house retrospective on writer/director David Cronenberg (THE FLY, DEAD RINGERS, SCANNERS, THE BROOD, etc), I got the opportunity to rewatch VIDEODROME, but this time on the big screen for the first time, and it did not disappoint! If you’ve never seen the movie, it’s weird by even Cronenberg's standards. James Woods plays the owner of a UHF station that specializes in showing stuff the regular channels won’t show, meaning edgy sex and violence. When one of his techs picks up a satellite feed of a channel that’s broadcasting essentially a snuff film from one location, showing victims bound and tortured, Woods becomes obsessed with the broadcast, leading him down a rabbit hole where he no longer knows what is real and what’s in his imagination. The story is a lot more than that, but to share more would lead to spoilers. VIDEODROME is incredibly prescient when it comes to today’s media landscape, whether it’s getting your information from niche news sources, to social media, to who knows where else, viewers begin to lose perspective of reality, no longer able to discern what’s truth and what is fiction. However, I think that theme may be secondary to Cronenberg’s continuing obsession with the connection between sex and violence. Besides his view of the two inexorably being linked, there’s an exploration in asking the question, what would happen if the hysterical media critics' warning that if audiences are continually exposed to graphic sex and violence, it will lead to a societal downfall? I think that was Cronenberg’s primary focus, but it was the blurring of truth and fiction that really stood out for me on this viewing. VIDEODROME was Cronenberg’s first film to have real stars, which, besides Woods, also features a super cool Debbie Harry of Blondie fame as his girlfriend who finds herself attracted to the disturbing satellite feed even more than Woods. Overall, like most Cronenberg films, it is graphic, pushes boundaries, and is absolutely not for all audiences, but if you enjoyed some of his other films, this one is essential viewing and is arguably his best (though I think it’s THE FLY). Below is my review from the last time I watched it. 5-14-22 Videodrome (1983) ****1/2 I remember my mind being blown by this film the first time I saw it. It's amazing rewatching the film now, how many other films have imitated it in style, story, and themes. This was a film really ahead of its time. David Cronenberg was pretty much just thought of as a cult director at this time, but I feel this film really crossed him over from being a clever and thoughtful genre filmmaker to more of the arthouse director he'd become.  AI CAPSULE REVIEW: David Cronenberg’s Videodrome (1983) remains one of the greatest body horror films ever made—disturbing, prescient, and visionary. Starring James Woods and Debbie Harry, it explores the blurring of reality, media obsession, and the fusion of sex and violence with unsettling intensity. Rewatching it on the big screen confirms its influence and brilliance—it’s essential viewing for any Cronenberg fan. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/25 Full Review Raphael B One can definitely see why Videodrome is a very influential movie. The custome/set design is great, the world in which the film is playing is really immersive and is giving you the creeps and the cinematography is really cool. That said, I think the film wants to much. The film does lack real tension in some parts. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/04/25 Full Review Landon J Yeah this one isn't special. Points for great period effects and some decent themes. Overall very boring plot wise. Fine for a time waster and nothing more. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/03/25 Full Review Kyle C This may be peak Cronenberg for me, which is… not saying that much, actually. I haven’t always been his biggest fan, but Videodrome is a fun and interesting entry which makes good use of the director’s signature body-horror style. It plays out a bit like a neo-noir, with James Woods taking on the role of the detective who just can’t stop pulling on threads. The retro-futuristic vibe works well against the philosophical conundrums which are explored. It gets a little away from itself towards the end, with the plot becoming unnecessarily convoluted, but the ideas and imagery are enough to make this one worth recommending. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review Nick O No, no one snuck a dose in your soda pop. You’re just watching Videodrome! Don’t stare at it too long, or your brain might explode. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Videodrome

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Movie Info

Synopsis As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn (James Woods) 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 (Deborah Harry) 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.
Director
David Cronenberg
Producer
Claude Héroux
Screenwriter
David Cronenberg
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 28, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Mono, Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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