Videodrome
First it controls your mind. Then it destroys your body.
1983 | 88m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | David Cronenberg |
|---|---|
| Writer: | David Cronenberg |
| Staring: |
| As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought. | |
| Release Date: | Feb 04, 1983 |
|---|---|
| Director: | David Cronenberg |
| Writer: | David Cronenberg |
| Genres: | Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery |
| Keywords | suicide, paranoia, black market, hallucination, radio presenter, toronto, canada, virtual reality, dystopia, insanity, sadomasochism, surrealism, cyberpunk, brainwashing, pittsburgh, pennsylvania, snuff film, pirate broadcast, cautionary, depressed, ridiculous |
| Production Companies | Guardian Trust Company, Canadian Film Development Corporation, Filmplan International |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $2,120,439
Budget: $5,952,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Sep 12, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| James Woods | Max Renn |
| Debbie Harry | Nicki Brand |
| Sonja Smits | Bianca O'Blivion |
| Peter Dvorsky | Harlan |
| Leslie Carlson | Barry Convex |
| Jack Creley | Brian O'Blivion |
| Lynne Gorman | Masha |
| Julie Khaner | Bridey |
| Reiner Schwarz | Moses |
| David Bolt | Raphael |
| Lally Cadeau | Rena King |
| Henry Gomez | Brolley |
| Harvey Chao | Japanese Salesman |
| David Tsubouchi | Japanese Salesman |
| Kay Hawtrey | Matron |
| Sam Malkin | Sidewalk Derelict |
| Bob Church | Newscaster |
| Jayne Eastwood | Woman Caller |
| Franciszka Hedland | Bellydancer |
| David Cronenberg | Max Renn (Helmet Scenes) (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Paul Freedman | Thanks |
| Cheryl Hardwick | Thanks |
| David Cronenberg | Writer, Director |
| Howard Shore | Original Music Composer |
| Mark Irwin | Director of Photography |
| Rick Baker | Makeup Effects Designer |
| Tom Hester | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Mark Shostrom | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Jock Brandis | Gaffer |
| Pierre David | Presenter |
| Peter Hedeman | Thanks |
| Michael Jay | Thanks |
| Rosemary D. Merriam | Thanks |
| Maury Rosenfeld | Thanks |
| Michael Werner | Thanks |
| Marty Zofcin | Thanks |
| Constant Natale | Hairstylist |
| Thomas Booth | Hairstylist |
| Carol Spier | Art Direction |
| Shonagh Jabour | Makeup Artist |
| Ronald Sanders | Editor |
| Angelo Stea | Set Decoration |
| Delphine White | Costume Design |
| Paul Coombe | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Elius Caruso | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Peter Burgess | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Mike Hoogenboom | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| John Board | First Assistant Director |
| Libby Bowden | Assistant Director |
| Rocco Gismondi | Assistant Director |
| Inge Klaudi | Assistant Makeup Artist |
| Maureen Mestan | Assistant Hairstylist |
| Bill Sturgeon | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Kevin Brennan | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Shawn McEnroe | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Kevin Sturgeon | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Janet E. Cuddy | Assistant Production Manager |
| Gwen Iveson | Production Manager |
| Jon Bankson | Carpenter |
| John Bentley | Carpenter |
| Enrico Campana | Set Dresser |
| Kirk Cheney | Carpenter |
| Elaine Cohen | Painter |
| Janet Cormack | Painter |
| Tom Coulter | Assistant Art Director |
| Barbara Dunphy | Assistant Art Director |
| Bill Gibson | Painter |
| Ed Hanna | Set Dresser |
| Bill Harman | Construction Manager |
| Simon Harwood | Painter |
| Gary Jack | Set Dresser |
| Nick Kosonic | Scenic Artist |
| Peter Lauterman | Property Master |
| Harry Pavelson | Painter |
| Thomas Pearce | Carpenter |
| Robert Pearson | Carpenter |
| Greg Pelchat | Assistant Property Master |
| Reet Puhm | Painter |
| Alex Russell | Head Carpenter |
| Alan Sharpe | Carpenter |
| Bob Sher | Carpenter |
| Gareth Wilson | Set Dresser |
| Charles Bowers | Dialogue Editor |
| Terry Burke | Foley Artist |
| Michele Cook | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Gary Daprato | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Bryan Day | Location Sound Recordist |
| Michael LaCroix | Boom Operator |
| Beverley Neale | Assistant Sound Editor |
| James Stuart Allan | Carpenter |
| Frank C. Carere | Special Effects |
| Robert Rouveroy | Special Effects |
| Michael Lennick | Visual Effects |
| Scotty Allan | Best Boy Grip |
| James Crowe | Assistant Camera |
| Brian Danniels | Grip |
| Christopher Dean | Grip |
| Maris H. Jansons | Key Grip |
| Robin Miller | Assistant Camera |
| Donna Mobbs | Camera Trainee |
| Gary Phipps | Electrician |
| Rick Porter | Still Photographer |
| Peter Lavender | Extras Casting |
| Maureen Gurney | Wardrobe Assistant |
| Eileen Kennedy | Assistant Costume Designer |
| Kat Moyer | Wardrobe Assistant |
| Mary Partridge-Raynor | Wardrobe Assistant |
| Arthur Rowsell | Wardrobe Master |
| Kathy Vieira | Wardrobe Assistant |
| Elaine Foreman | Assistant Editor |
| Carol McBride | Assistant Editor |
| Michael Rea | Assistant Editor |
| Christopher Severn | Color Timer |
| Bill Wiggins | Post Production Coordinator |
| David Coatsworth | Location Manager |
| Gillian Richardson | Script Supervisor |
| Donato Baldassarra | Transportation Coordinator |
| David Chudnovsky | Driver |
| A. Randy Jones | Captain Driver |
| Allen Kosonic | Driver |
| Jerome McCann | Driver |
| John Vander Pas | Driver |
| Jeff Steinberg | Driver |
| Alan Zweig | Driver |
| Rachelle Charron | Assistant Accountant |
| Kirsteen Etherington | Choreographer |
| Bonnie Gold | Receptionist |
| Angela Gruenthal | Production Secretary |
| Roger Héroux | Production Coordinator |
| Lacia Kornylo | Production Accountant |
| Monique Légaré | Producer's Assistant |
| Monik Nantel | Executive Producer's Assistant |
| Howard Rothschild | Production Assistant |
| Ellen Rozen | Executive Producer's Assistant |
| Victor Solnicki | Presenter |
| Richard Spiegelman | Production Assistant |
| Jill Spitz | Unit Publicist |
| Lydia Wazana | Craft Service |
| Tom Coppola | Thanks |
| Denise Di Novi | Creative Consultant |
| Steve Johnson | Special Effects Makeup Artist |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Pierre David | Executive Producer |
| Claude Héroux | Producer |
| Victor Solnicki | Executive Producer |
| Larry Nesis | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | Best Picture | N/A | Nominated |
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 31 | 60 | 16 |
| 2024 | 5 | 42 | 64 | 26 |
| 2024 | 6 | 28 | 45 | 18 |
| 2024 | 7 | 27 | 66 | 14 |
| 2024 | 8 | 19 | 39 | 10 |
| 2024 | 9 | 16 | 23 | 9 |
| 2024 | 10 | 17 | 31 | 10 |
| 2024 | 11 | 17 | 24 | 11 |
| 2024 | 12 | 17 | 23 | 11 |
| 2025 | 1 | 19 | 39 | 13 |
| 2025 | 2 | 14 | 20 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2025 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 724 | 857 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 456 | 773 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 590 | 841 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 631 | 862 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 479 | 752 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 627 | 800 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 379 | 678 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 230 | 609 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 590 | 754 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 422 | 847 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12 | 767 | 767 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 508 | 748 |
"Max" (James Woods) runs a television channel that specialises in adult content. Always on the look out for new and more innovative and shocking content, he stumbles upon a brief series of satellite images that tantalise him. It's on a television talk show that he meets "Nicki" (Debbie Harry) who ha ... s a penchant for sex with a twist - and that not only turns them both on, but furthers his desire to obtain his newly found (and pretty violent) content for his Channel 83 output. The other guest on that show is the renowned "Prof. Oblivion" (Jack Creley) who prognosticates that one day the reality of television and video will replace the "real" reality. These threads slowly all tie together when "Nicki" decides that she is going to star in this new "Videodrome" enterprise and "Renn" must now reconcile his concern for her safety with his mounting need to acquire the show. This film is surreal and bizarre and yet it's still quite effective at illustrating the most visceral aspects of human nature - sex, venality, lust - even pain; and the visual effects (particularly towards the last fifteen minutes) must have been particularly effective. It's a bit on the sordid side - not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but at times the seaminess of it all is distracting from the more interesting and provocative aspects of the narrative. Time hasn't been very kind to it either, the effects have lost much of their potency now and the acting is mediocre at best. It is well worth a watch, but I'm not sure that will be the case for very much longer.