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03-23-2009, 10:35 AM | #132 (permalink) |
daddy don't
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: the Wastes
Posts: 2,577
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****************SPOILER ALERT******************
Long live the new flesh indeed... Death to Videodrome! The film was disorientating enough at points without remembering that you are watching it through, as you quoted, the modern retina of our minds... Once the nefarious characters behind Videodrome and their intentions were revealed, and their subsequent mind control of Renn I thought I understood everything... actually I think I do but one question: how were 'the bad guys' able to interact with Renn's hallucinations and put those (what I first thought were symbolic) tapes inside him? At first you could say we were seeing through Renn's eyes but then you have the scene where his 'opening' takes off that guy's hand... I think this is definitely one for DVD purchase and repeated viewing, your reveal hit the nail on the head and this is probably my favourite Cronenberg film to date (although the needle scene with Debs REALLY made me cringe, I hate needles). Out of interest - top 3 D.C. films Lee? I remember being really disappointed with Scanners for one and I think he has gotten a bit tame in recent years? (What will probably be referred to as 'the Mortensen era' of his career). I have Dead Ringers on recorded VHS |
03-24-2009, 08:39 AM | #134 (permalink) |
Ba and Be.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: This Is England
Posts: 17,331
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I would probably say the same too although The Brood has some excellent moments. Scanners is overated for sure and his 'Mortensen' era leaves me cold. A History Of Violence was so predictable and the less said about Eastern Promises the better.
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“A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”
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03-24-2009, 03:03 PM | #136 (permalink) | |
Juicious Maximus III
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Scabb Island
Posts: 6,525
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Quote:
The way I guessed it (really, the film was hard) was that his hallucinations actually became real. Thus, he did actually have a giant pussy in his stomach. Thus, he was actually able to "use" the hallucinations against Videodrome in the scene where he fuses Harlan's hand to the grenade, so that was real and not merely a hallucination. So then I also think Videodrome was created in order to turn regular people into programmeable biomorphing freaks .. I mean, it's clear that they want to turn people into weapons and if it was just about control, then why all the hallucinations, morphing and the weird tapestuff? That's my hypothesis at least. Interesting movie.
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03-30-2009, 07:26 AM | #137 (permalink) |
Ba and Be.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: This Is England
Posts: 17,331
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Session 9 (Dir. Brad Anderson) 2001 I will begin to review films that place their emphasis on atmosphere and not gore for the next few reviews beginning with this film. Director Brad anderson is probably best known for The Machinist which starred Christian Bale which is a shame because Session 9 is a vastly superior film. Abandoned old buildings can be an effective device on which to build a film around and Session 9 succeeds admirably using this. What seperates S9 from the usual crop is that it doesn't resort to cliched haunted house activity. In fact there is nothing in this film to suggest it's haunted. The menance and atmosphere is displayed in the social breakdown of an asbestos clearing firm of five men who have to gut the hospital. We get glimpses that all is certainly not well with the hospitals past with abandoned audio tapes and manuscripts of demonic possession and child sacrifice. However by giving us fully rounded characters with fractious pasts we are viewing horror through them instead of cliched gimmicks. The acting all around is excellent with David Caruso and Peter Mullan both shining and the cinematography (one of the first films to be shot on digital cameras) is exemplary and uses every distorted shadow or dark corner for maximum efficiency. If you favour tense atmosphere over gore for your horror then Session 9 should definitely be investigated. The film may seem a little confusing towards the end but a rewatch or two and all becomes clear.
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“A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”
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03-30-2009, 07:54 AM | #138 (permalink) | |
marquee moon
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 759
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Quote:
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03-30-2009, 04:48 PM | #139 (permalink) |
Dr. Prunk
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Where the buffalo roam.
Posts: 12,137
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You lost me when you put "David Caruso and "great acting" in the same sentence.
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