The Cronenberg thread

[Robert W]

A little OT, but I thought Cronenberg was amazing in Nightbreed as Dr. Decker.

Back on topic, two of Cronenberg's later films that have really been growing on me as of late are A History of Violence and Eastern Promises.

[Hawkmonger]

Cronenberg meter:

Videodrome
Scanners
The Brood
The Fly
Naked Lunch
Crash
Shivers
Rabid
Cosmopolis

Anything else I have yet to see.

[gag]

I quite liked history of violence and Eastern Promise ,
Even tho i thought h o v was a bit short and could have been suited better if it was bit longer and thought the climax was a bit of a let down and ending was a little sudden and rushed, I really did not like cosmopolis no matter how hard I tried or wanted to..

[Linbro]

What do you guys think of eXistenZ?
I watched it recently, for the third time, and liked it a lot more than when I first saw it. Certainly not as good as Videodrome/Rabid/Shivers/The Brood, but I still enjoyed it a lot.
Lincoln.

[Roughale]

Cronenberg was on my blind list, which means that I would blindly watch any new movie he released, I somehow passed by A Dangerous Method as it did not get a showing in English over here... And then came the horror: He released Cosmopolis and we got it at our sneak and I have to say that I really hate the film, it is just a tedious waste of time and even Paul Giamatti cannot save it towards the end when the film suddenly starts to move a few steps. Cronenberg has hereby managed to be extinct from my blind list and I will most likely consider not watching his future films if he continues in that direction - despite the fact that Cosmpoplis did not fail due to RPat, I still cannot see what he sees in that talent-free prick with one face only and even that is horrible...

Bye bye David, was nice meeting you at the premiere of Eastern Promises - but maybe it is time to retire...

[Jinx_Barkman]

Cronenberg is in my top 3 favorite directors. His films are hypnotic regardless of the subject. He seems to tread the line between accessible and abstract with careful ease.

I think obviously he has projected himself in some capacity in a few of his films like you said Robert but that's what makes many of his characters layered and interesting.

[Robert W]

Another thing I always found very interesting about Cronenberg's films is the way he portrays violence in them. Whereas some directors seem to wallow in gratuitous displays of the crimson, Cronenberg has a detached, almost scientific approach to the subject matter. Watching on onscreen death in a Cronenberg film has the same feeling for me as watching single-celled organism cavorting under a microscope.

[doolahrock]

Always liked Dead Ringers I have to say. Very eerie atmosphere throughout that one. The Fly is a fantastic remake as well, right up there with Carpenter's The Thing in terms of remakes.

[Robert W]

Originally Posted by doolahrock

Always liked Dead Ringers I have to say. Very eerie atmosphere throughout that one. The Fly is a fantastic remake as well, right up there with Carpenter's The Thing in terms of remakes.

I view Dead Ringers as his transitional piece between his earlier body horror films to his more "mainstream" current ones.

I saw Dead Ringers during its original theatrical run, and one of the things I remember about that experience was the drained look on the faces of the people as they were exiting the theater. Like the energy had been drained out of them by what they saw. I've yet, in all my movie-going years, to see a similar phenomenon.

[monkeyscreams]

The Brood is still my favourite Cronenberg. Also love Dead Ringers, Videodrome, The Fly, Shivers, Rabid, The Dead Zone, Scanners, ah too much to mention. Love his films! (but haven't seen the last two though)