# What's the deal with David Cronenberg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 29, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128 "2004-08-29T21:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/1 "2004-08-29T21:04:05Z")
I caught videodrome over the weekend and having seen “Naked Lunch”, I have to ask. Has Mr. Cronenberg been abusing certain illegal substances? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/2 "2004-08-29T21:11:07Z")
After watching a few more of his movies, you will come to realize that David Cronenberg **is** a mind-altering substance. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/3 "2004-08-29T21:20:06Z")
> [@detop](#): > > After watching a few more of his movies, you will come to realize that David Cronenberg **is** a mind-altering substance. Quite so. His first movie, _They Came From Within_, is about symbiotic parasites that spread from human to human via sexual contact, and drive their hosts into a sexual frenzy in order to spread. Yes, I know, it sounds like a porn movie – and parts of it almost LOOK like a porn movie – but it’s remarkably chilling. Next, he made _Rabid_, starring porn star Marilyn Chambers, about a woman whose skin graft develops an odd new appendage that causes her to need to draw blood from others in order to survive… and anyone she draws blood from later develops rabies-like symptoms. Possibly his worst film. His other films include: _The Brood_: a woman in psychotherapy gives birth to babylike drones who act out her rage fantasies, killing those who angered her… _Scanners_: a race of telepaths grows within humanity. However, their powers tend to mean they will grow up … um… rather disturbed. The more powerful among them can cause your head to explode. _Videodrome:_ James Woods discovers that watching certain videotapes can cause permanent changes in the brain… and possibly, the body as well… David Cronenberg is a creepy sort of filmmaker. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/4 "2004-08-29T21:26:18Z")
His movies are almost always horrors _of the body_. I can’t entirely figure him out, but there’s a unique physicality to his movies that’s rare in other horror films. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/5 "2004-08-29T21:32:21Z")
> [@Master Wang-Ka](#): > > _The Brood_: a woman in psychotherapy gives birth to babylike drones who act out her rage fantasies, killing those who angered her… You forgot to mention that she gives birth to them from pendulous brood sacs that hang from her torso. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/6 "2004-08-29T21:55:24Z")
Hey, he’s Canadian, what do you expect? 😉 Actually, Cronenberg admits to being heavily influenced by William S. Burroughs. To prepare for writing _Naked Lunch_, he went and lived with Burroughs for a while. Burroughs was still smoking pot right up until the end of his life, so I don’t know if Cronenberg’s a toker, he’s certainly been around it. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/7 "2004-08-29T23:02:06Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > I caught videodrome over the weekend and having seen “Naked Lunch”, I have to ask. > > Has Mr. Cronenberg been abusing certain illegal substances? Is pretention an illegal substance? He’s been doing quite a bit of that during the last 14 years. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/8 "2004-08-29T23:03:34Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Is pretention an illegal substance? He’s been doing quite a bit of that during the last 14 years. :smack: Excuse me, that should be _pretension_. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/9 "2004-08-29T23:03:48Z")
I thought pretention was what you did to new guitar strings before you tuned them. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/10 "2004-08-29T23:10:21Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > :smack: Excuse me, that should be _pretension_. Um, no it shouldn’t. It should be “Cronenberg works in a manner that doesn’t fit very well into my brain, so I don’t enjoy his movies very much.” ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/11 "2004-08-30T01:04:31Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Um, no it shouldn’t. It should be “Cronenberg works in a manner that doesn’t fit very well into my brain, so I don’t enjoy his movies very much.” I was joking so there’s no reason to be so insulting. This isn’t the Pit. Anyway, you will have to admit the movies he’s made after **The Fly** have tried to be more artier than his earlier fare. As for whether they’ve succeeded, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/12 "2004-08-30T01:29:29Z")
\*Pretentious \*then is still not the word you want; maybe \*arty \*would do. _Pretentious_, which shares a root word with _pretend_, suggests that he’s claiming significance where there is none. I’ve never heard him make any such claim. In the first place. In the second place, if others find significance, then there is significance to be found, unless you’re calling them liars. If you don’t find significance, that’s about you, not about the work. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/13 "2004-08-30T01:42:57Z")
I’ve usually fallen asleep to his movies. The last film of his I know I saw was _eXistenZ_, which I rented a few years ago and, while it didn’t **put** me to sleep, it made me _want_ to. He certainly has a style, though. He’s into like, icky goopy stuff. I think I liked _The Fly_, but it’s been awhile. I think I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/14 "2004-08-30T02:53:57Z")
Of all the movies he has made (or of all the movies _anyone_ has made), “ **Videodrome** ” is in a class by itself. Granted, it has the usual gore, slash, violence that is so typical of Cronenberg. However the dialogue in that movie is unique. “I had a tumor and I had visions. I believe the visions caused the tumor and not the reverse … but when they removed the tumor it was called Videodrome”. James woods to Sonja Smits: “I was on a panel show with your father.” “Ah yes. You said some superficial things”. As far as reviews of that movie I’ve seen comments such as: “Hollywood has sometimes portayed television as sinister. But never _this_ sinister.” “Not only is it impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys, you can’t even figure out who’s doing what to whom.” Well, if there are any other Videodrome fans out there, I’d like to hear your comments (although this is a thread about David Cronenberg). Death to Videodrome - long live the new flesh. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/15 "2004-08-30T02:57:17Z")
> [@Master Wang-Ka](#): > > Quite so. > > His first movie, _They Came From Within_, A couple of minor points: 1. His first _major_ movie. He’d already made a double-fistful of TV movies and one or two minor features. 2. It’s better known as Shivers, the title it was released under internationally. No sense in confusing people. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/16 "2004-08-30T03:01:38Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Well, if there are any other Videodrome fans out there, I’d like to hear your comments (although this is a thread about David Cronenberg). > > Death to Videodrome - long live the new flesh. I saw this in the theater when it first came out. Me and, uh, that other guy. 😃 This is one of those movies that you have to watch 3 or 4 hundred times before you figure out what the hell it’s about. When I find out, I’ll let you know. I haven’t picked up the DVD yet, but it’s on my list. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/17 "2004-08-30T04:52:28Z")
My experience with him is limited to _Naked Lunch_, but I loved it. One of the 25 best films of the last quarter century and far superior to _Brazil_ (the only thing I can think to compare it to.) ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/18 "2004-08-30T05:07:23Z")
Naked Lunch creeped me the fuck out and depressed me at the same time. Hey, here’s a guy who drinks mugwump spooge while rubbing rat poison on talking vagina beetles, all the while having flashbacks of blowing his wife’s brains out. Let’s watch. Wheeeee. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/19 "2004-08-30T06:01:23Z")
It always helps to take the casette out. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128/20 "2004-08-30T06:15:16Z")
\*Crash \*was very different from the book, but I was extremely impressed nonetheless. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-david-cronenberg/262128.md?page=2)