Videodrome Poster # 1 Tumor Gun Guy Leslie Carlson as Barry Convex David Cronenberg

Description

Videodrome is a 1983 Canadian postmodernist science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg, starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Deborah Harry.

Shot in the chest and head by James Woods, using a gun that had become part of James’ own hand. This “biological gun” causes a large number of growths and tumors to burst out of Les’ body after the shooting (the tumor portion is considered to be part of James delusional vision caused by his own tumor killing him).

Set in Toronto in the early 1980s, it follows the CEO of a small television station who discovers a broadcast signal featuring extreme violence and torture. Layers of deception unfold as he uncovers the signal’s source and loses touch with reality in a series of increasingly bizarre and violent hallucinations.

Max Renn (Woods) is the president of CIVIC-TV, a UHF television station in Toronto that specializes in sensationalistic programming. Displeased with his station’s current lineup, Max is looking for something that will break through to a new audience. One morning, he is summoned to the clandestine office of Harlan (Peter Dvorsky), who operates CIVIC-TV’s pirate satellite dish which can intercept international broadcasts. Harlan shows him Videodrome, a plotless show apparently being broadcast out of Malaysia which depicts the brutal torture and murder of anonymous victims in a reddish-orange chamber. Believing this to be the future of television—seemingly staged snuff TV—Max orders Harlan to begin pirating the program.

Max is contacted by Videodrome’s producer, the Spectacular Optical Corporation, an eyeglasses company that acts as a front for a NATO weapons manufacturer. The head of Spectacular Optical, Barry Convex (Leslie Carlson), has been secretly working with Harlan to get Max exposed to Videodrome and to have him broadcast it, as part of a crypto-government conspiracy to morally and ideologically purge North America by giving fatal brain tumours to “lowlifes” fixated on extreme sex and violence. Convex then inserts a brainwashing video tape into the “VCR” in Max’s torso. Under Convex’s influence, Max murders his colleagues at CIVIC-TV, and later attempts to kill Bianca, as Videodrome considered these victims threats to its mission.

Videodrome used Betamax videotape cassettes because VHS videotape cassettes were too large to fit the faux abdominal wound. The cancer that attacks Barry Convex was made out of Polyvinylchloride.

In 2009, Universal Studios announced that it had obtained the rights to produce a remake of Videodrome. Ehren Kruger was named to write the script and produce the film with partner Daniel Bobker. They had hoped for a release date in 2011. Kruger and Bobker planned to modernize the concept, infusing it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller. On August 22, 2012, Universal Pictures announced that Adam Berg would make his directorial debut with the remake of Videodrome.

Near mint condition.