Videodrome
When Max Renn goes looking for edgy new shows for his sleazy cable TV station, he stumbles across the pirate broadcast of a hyperviolent torture show called Videodrome. As he struggles to unearth the origins of the program, he embarks on a hallucinatory journey into a shadow world of right-wing conspiracies, sadomasochistic sex games, and bodily transformation. Starring James Woods and Deborah Harry in one of her first film roles, Videodrome is one of writer/director David Cronenberg’s most original and provocative works, fusing social commentary with shocking elements of sex and violence. With groundbreaking special effects makeup by Academy Award®-winner Rick Baker, Videodrome has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and mind-bending science fiction films of the 1980s.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
- New high-definition digital transfer of the unrated version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- Two audio commentaries: David Cronenberg and director of photography Mark Irwin, and actors James Woods and Deborah Harry
- Camera (2000), a short film starring Videodrome’s Les Carlson, written and directed by Cronenberg
- Forging the New Flesh, a new half-hour documentary featurette by filmmaker Michael Lennick about the creation of Videodrome’s video and prosthetic makeup effects
- Effects Men, a new audio interview with special makeup effects creator Baker and video effects supervisor Lennick
- Bootleg Video: the complete footage of Samurai Dreams and seven minutes of transmissions from “Videodrome,” presented in their original, unedited form with filmmaker commentary
- Fear on Film, a 26-minute roundtable discussion from 1982 between filmmakers Cronenberg, John Carpenter, John Landis, and Mick Garris
- Original theatrical trailers and promotional featurette
- Stills galleries featuring hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes production photos, special effects makeup tests, and publicity photos
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by Carrie Rickey
New cover by Eva Wah
DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
- New high-definition digital transfer of the unrated version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- Two audio commentaries: David Cronenberg and director of photography Mark Irwin, and actors James Woods and Deborah Harry
- Camera (2000), a short film starring Videodrome’s Les Carlson, written and directed by Cronenberg
- Forging the New Flesh, a new half-hour documentary featurette by filmmaker Michael Lennick about the creation of Videodrome’s video and prosthetic makeup effects
- Effects Men, a new audio interview with special makeup effects creator Baker and video effects supervisor Lennick
- Bootleg Video: the complete footage of Samurai Dreams and seven minutes of transmissions from “Videodrome,” presented in their original, unedited form with filmmaker commentary
- Fear on Film, a 26-minute roundtable discussion from 1982 between filmmakers Cronenberg, John Carpenter, John Landis, and Mick Garris
- Original theatrical trailers and promotional featurette
- Stills galleries featuring hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes production photos, special effects makeup tests, and publicity photos
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by Carrie Rickey
New cover by Eva Wah
Cast
- James Woods
- Max Renn
- Sonja Smits
- Bianca O’Blivion
- Deborah Harry
- Nicki Brand
- Peter Dvorsky
- Harlan
- Les Carlson
- Barry Convex
- Jack Creley
- Brian O’Blivion
- Lynne Gorman
- Masha
Credits
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Screenplay
- David Cronenberg
- Producer
- Claude Héroux
- Cinematography
- Mark Irwin
- Executive producers
- Pierre David
- Executive producers
- Victor Solnicki
- Associate producer
- Lawrence Nesis
- Music
- Howard Shore
- Editing
- Ronald Sanders
- Art director
- Carol Spier
- Special makeup designed and created by
- Rick Baker
- Special video effects
- Michael Lennick
- Production manager
- Gwen Iveson
- First assistant director
- John Board
- Creative consultant
- Denise Di Novi
