New Movies on Blu-ray & DVD: December 7
'Videodrome' on Blu-ray
David Cronenberg's classic, creepy 1983 sci-fi thriller stars James Woods and Blondie's Deborah Harry in one of her first -- and most memorable -- film roles, now on Criterion Collection hi-def Blu-ray. Woods plays Max Renn, a sleazy cable TV station programmer whose life becomes unhinged when he stumbles onto a pirate broadcast of a hyper-violent torture show called "Videodrome." Soon, he spirals into a hallucinatory journey into a shadow world of right-wing conspiracies, sadomasochistic sex games and bodily transformation.
Special features on the director-approved special edition include the unrated version of the film; two audio commentaries with Cronenberg and director of photography Mark Irwin, and actors Woods and Harry; Cronenberg's short film "Camera" starring Les Carlson; the documentary featurette "Forging the New Flesh" focusing on the film's video and prosthetic makeup effects; "Bootleg Video" containing the complete footage of 'Samurai Dreams' and seven minutes of transmissions from "Videodrome" with filmmaker commentary; "Fear on Film"1982 roundtable discussion with Cronenberg, John Carpenter, John Landis and Mick Garris; a booklet featuring essays by writers Carrie Rickey, Tim Lucas, and Gary Indiana; trailers; still galleries with hundreds of rare, behind-the-scenes production photos, special effects makeup tests, and publicity photos and more.
