Videodrome (1983) (2 Disc Set)

Criterion's New Flesh

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Oct 16, 2004

Pros: It's a Cronenberg film with extras

Cons: Cut footage for the feature not replaced

This is Cronenberg. How can you deny a Cronenberg horror/sci-fi film? You can't, really. And you must be a fan of David's or you wouldn't be reading this. Because to fork out the nice sum to purchase the Criterion Videodrome, you're either a Criterion Collector or an avid David Cronenberg fan.

But, there's a catch.

Criterion in the past has come out with some decent stuff. Sometimes there's an excellent transfer and restoration, and most of the times they have excellent extras that you can view for hours, if not, days.

But, there's still a catch.

For those of you who haven't seen Videodrome, I recommend that you search previous venues to see what this feature entails. For those of you that know this film well, prepare for David's head to become a reality.

Maybe because I'm so used to viewing restored, digitally enhanced films, that I can't see any difference in the video and sound quality. It's been sometime since I've seen the VHS version, admittedly. But, shouldn't I at least go, "Wow! this looks like it was filmed this year!" It's hard to tell, but perhaps I was so engrossed into it that I didn't care. The extras, on the other hand, that was something different. I loved to see the interviews, all those publicity photos and photos of cut scenes, the monotone commentaries, the f/x foo.... oh wait. Did I say cut-scene PHOTOS? Photos? Let me see this right... they release the film that is the (quote from box) "new high-definition digital transfer of the unrated version...". Ok.. gotcha. But, why-oh-why did you not replace the cut scenes that were depicted in the stills library? Perhaps I didn't listen or read too well that perhaps the scenes were scrapped, but it never caught my attention. Did I see it wrong? If there are still cut scenes in a tupperware box somewhere, why would Cronenberg "Director-Approved Special Edition" this? Oh, I mean, cool... I get some other nice extras like the full version SAMURAI DREAMS softcore porn and seven minutes of the Videodrome snuff transmissions, but where's the scenes with Woods and Harry? Should I have spent the $40 retail price for a tease put on a few photos?

Yes.

I love Cronenberg's disturbed little mind. Little, but brilliant. There is no director/writer out there like him. He's ahead of his time like H.R. Giger is for the art world. If Giger was to say that his SIL painting wasn't suppose to look like it does now and presents us with a photo of an old scribbled notebook paper of what it WAS supposed to appear, should I be upset? The final release is what their vision of how it should of been, and I should nod at that decision.

As online costs goes down on this great viddy, should it be bought? Why, yes. Cronenberg fan or not, your world will spin in disbelief.