| David CronenbergBorn 15 March 1943 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Canadian film director David Cronenberg has always had a predilection for bodily decay. And though he now stopped making horror movies, he constantly returns to the same theme. His first feature film "Shivers" from 1975 only cost $ 179.000, and was some kind of a win or lose project. The incredibly gross story about a parasite which get inside the human body and turn them into sex maniacs, went home to public and cleared the way for Cronenberg.
His next film "Rabid" (1977) is generally believed a bit worse than "Shivers", but I donīt agree. I think "Rabid" has more horror atmosphere, and has also ex porn star Marilyn Chambers who really deliver the goods. The plot in "Rabid" is center on Chambers who meet with a motorcycle accident and is admitted to hospital. There the doctor experiments with a revolutionary skin graft which get horrible consequences. After operation longing Marilyn Chambers for blood, and possess a vehement appetite for sex. In her armpit has it developed a penis spike which sucking blood when she cuddle her victims. Soon has she caused an epidemic among Montreals inhabitants which look like rabies. Weird stuff.
"Fast Company" (1979) about drag racing isnīt the usual Cronenberg, and is his forgotten flick. But he was soon back on right track again when he later the same year made "The Brood". A grim tale about an offbeat psychiatrist who use experiments on his patients. Frank Carvethīs mentally disturbed wife is admitted to the clinic, and he has reason to wonder whatīs going on there, when his daughter has bite and scratch marks on her back after a visit to the mother. Before the filming had Cronenberg went through a trying divorce where he lost custody of his daughter. He thought his wife belonged to a cult, and the films fucked up mummy would actually represent his ex-wife. "The Brood" was the first movie where Cronenberg used well known actors, Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar, and is perhaps the best of his early flicks in the seventies.
With "Scanners" 1981 got Cronenberg his first and till now only top of the chart in the US. "Scanners" few gory special effects are still astounding, when the films telepaths exert themselves a little too much to take control of other persons minds, and blow up their heads. 1983 was a good year for Cronenberg. But already now could one observe that he began abandon the horror genre. First he released the thought-provoking "Videodrome", about how TV can affect its viewers. A very sick and twisted flick, but if it hadnīt been for Rick Bakerīs well-nigh incredible effects, it hardly could been classified as a horror movie. The same year came also the psychological thriller "The Dead Zone", the best Stephen King adaptation next to "The Shining" and "Carrie". Christopher Walken act a man who meet with a car accident and is in a coma in almost five years. When he wakes up, he discover that he by touching people can predict the future. A gift for many, but a curse for him.
In 1986 came in my opinion Cronenbergīs best picture, "The Fly". Everything here are first rate, from directing and acting to special effects. Jeff Goldblum is the scientist who experiments in transporting things from one cage to another. When heīs drunk tries he to transport himself, and unfortunately is there a fly in the same cage. Goldblum is mistaken for a fly and slow but sure is he transformed into a fly. This was Cronenbergīs last horror film. "The Fly" was a great box office hit, and his next film "Dead Ringers" (1988) was even more successful. A cold psychological drama about twin gynaecologists (both played by Jeremy Irons) who when the weaker and more emotional of them meet with a smaller mishap, both draws down into destruction. Cronenberg had always been jeered at because of the disgusting effects that occurs in his movies, but now was he suddenly one of the hottest directors. Not so strange that he stopped making horror movies.
"Naked Lunch" from 1991 was another critical acclaimed film. A very sick and complicated flick which described the writer William S. Burroughs inferno when he wrote novels. He hallucinated and saw bugs all the time. Next film was "M. Butterfly" (1993). Hmmm. This was a different subject. I havenīt seen it, and I donīt want to either. Enough said about this. With "Crash" (1996) was he back to the weird stuff again. It dealt with a few perverted persons who has boring sexual lifes, but who gets kicks out of take part in car crashes. In 1999 was it the in-thing to make science fiction movies like "The Matrix". "eXistenZ" was Cronenbergīs contribution, and is some kind of an updating of "Videodrome". Not so good as "Videodrome", but quite OK. Though David Cronenberg has been more boring over the years, is he still the weirdest director on earth.
Written by Kent Palmgren.
Filmography:Shivers (1975)Rabid (1977)Fast Company (1979)The Brood (1979)Scanners (1981)Videodrome (1983)The Dead Zone (1983)The Fly (1986)Dead Ringers (1988)Naked Lunch (1991)M. Butterfly (1993)Crash (1996)eXistenZ (1999)Back to Directorīs of Death |