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Videodrome

R Released Jan 28, 1983 1h 30m Horror List
83% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 80% Audience Score 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. Read More Read Less
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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

View All (59) Critics Reviews
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 Sam Moore Vague Visages The cold, the mechanical, the projected — all of these traits become lively embodied and erotic. Jun 5, 2024 Full Review Scott Nye Battleship Pretension While Videodrome is in some ways a very heady, theme-driven film, it’s also just a thrilling experience. Oct 20, 2023 Full Review Howard Waldstein CBR Always on the hunt for something newer and edgier, Max comes across a Malaysian broadcast of live executions, which Max immediately wants to begin airing on his network. Jul 18, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Brent A Cronenberg Masterpiece Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/23/22 Full Review Bacon N Honestly, it's making me feed a bit weird. I had rather high expectations, and the reviews are almost all positive. What it was, however, was an absolute disappointment. Completely ridiculous from the top down. I can imagine no way that this movie could have been salvaged and the positive reviews are disturbing. They give me a fear of the current state of humanity, making me feel like perhaps I'm on the wrong planet. The movie is constructed on a potentially horrifying concept, but it's simply ridiculous in its presentation and amazingly poorly done. The effects would seem ridiculous to a kindergartener. It's been suggested that repeated watchings are necessary but I can't imagine putting myself through that again. I was embarrassed for James Woods, of whom I am a fan. He did a good job, but the role was just too absurd to be any sort of gripping. Cronenberg has done some very intriguing films, but this one. Sorry, it's on my 10 worst of all times list. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/23/24 Full Review Nico B One of Cronenberg's best movies. Surreal, weird, creative and timeless. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/08/24 Full Review Daniel W One of the worst films I've seen the effects are hideous and I love 80s practical effects but this film was terrible I'm not sure why it has such a high rating I forced myself to watch it till the end and it still didn't get better. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/14/24 Full Review Jules N Tout simplement magnifique !! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/07/24 Full Review Maya P More of this please... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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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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