[Tokolosh]

One of a few directors who knows how to use visual media to his advantage.
He confronts us with horrors of the real kind. Parasites, body horror, the flesh etc.
I love the way he uses prosthetics in his films. Hyperrealistic and gory to the last detail.

 

Long live the New Flesh (1986) is a very insightful documentary to look out for, if you're into Cronenberg.

[evollove]

But funny too. No one's mentioned his absurdist sense of humor

He usually has no idea how to end his films. That's probably why a lot of people think the whole films suck, because their last memory is of the shoddy ending. They always feel rushed and chaotic, while he's usually controlled.

I like Cronenberg. I want to make that clear. BUT, he ain't the deepest guy in the world. His interviews are often more intellectually engaging than the films. A few poeple have mentioned his ideas and how he films the unfilmable (just like I'm typing the untypable?) but really, what are they? The ideas for the films can usually be summed up in a sentence or two, which leads me to think that they're shallow.

But he's compulsively watchable. Don't know what it is, but I'm always drawn into his worlds and want to return to them. And hey, I liked existenz.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Tokolosh

Long live the New Flesh (1986) is a very insightful documentary to look out for, if you're into Cronenberg.

That whole doc is on youtube for anyone interested.

Naked Lunch was also one of the ones that took me a while to appreciate, but you get dragged into this strange world that has bits of Burroughs and bits of Cronenberg together.

[jon boy]

he liked burroughs a lot i think.

[Derek]

Yeah, I think Burroughs influence really shines in his movies.

[Green Magnesium]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

I just find it odd that you could like one so much and not the other. Personally, they're my top 2 favorite directors.

Different strokes I guess.

Certainly. I tend to be this way with many things that are supposedly similar. Music, for example...I'm quite indifferent to The Melvins but absolutely love proteges Boris.


*Hmmm wait a minute... maybe I have some kind of hidden affection for the Japanese.* This thread is helping to exorcise some of my secret fetishes it would seem.

[batreleaser]

the reason eastern promises and history of violence were so great is because cronenberg directed them, a lot of crime films these days are watered down, dull, the same shit over and over again. guys like miike and cronenberg however are like fuck that, the life of crime is a dark and uigly existence, theres nothing fun about it, its fucked up, gross at times, and ultimately very very horrible. guys who work in organized crime are ultimately sociopathic, bad, people. and thats what cronenberg did with those two films.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by batreleaser

the reason eastern promises and history of violence were so great is because cronenberg directed them, a lot of crime films these days are watered down, dull, the same shit over and over again. guys like miike and cronenberg however are like fuck that, the life of crime is a dark and uigly existence, theres nothing fun about it, its fucked up, gross at times, and ultimately very very horrible. guys who work in organized crime are ultimately sociopathic, bad, people. and thats what cronenberg did with those two films.

yes. and "jimmy" was trying to get away from it.

by the way, the opening scene in history of violence, which people tend to forget in favor of the quasi-rape sex scene, is fucking awesome. in the dvd extras he shows how they shot it. brilliant.

[Everyneurotic]

like a said, the angry sex scene is not really because "woah!! fucking!!! i wanna see some tits!!!", it's because it really captures their relationship at the moment, how she's mad as fuck and scared of him but she can't deny that she has loved him all the time; while he is a fucking psycho desperately longing for normal life, which results in marital sex that crosses the line into the fringe.

[batreleaser]

yeah, that sex scene is one of the greatest ever, and perfectly executed by the actors. viggo mortensen is too damn good. sooner or later hell be regarded up there with the daniel day lewieses and the clooneys and the other great actors of today. in fact, in a leading role, i think hes ONLY second to ddl.

[batreleaser]

i mean, for current actors.

[atsonicpark]

His films are about 70% psychology and 30% plot, that's why they're so good.

[Derek]

Sorry to bump this thread but I noticed a bunch of Cronenberg DVDs going for real cheap on play.com.

I need to ask, what's better, The Brood or A History of Violence?

[atsonicpark]

they're both two of his lesser works so either way.

[Derek]

I'm edging more to A History of Violence since I've not really delved into his later works (his latest work I've seen is Crash and that was 1996).

[atsonicpark]

yeah get that. the brood has a good atmosphere but ... again .. kind of a lesser work.

[max]

wow, nice thread. finally.

Originally Posted by sarramkrop

I personally much prefer the way John Carpenter deals with all of those themes. He's ok but I'm not a huge fan of his.

I understand you, bro. diaderusu. here's how I roll with directors:

George A. Romero
David Lynch
John Carpenter
David Cronenberg

They've all changed cinema with their own unique perspective. As far as I know they also respect each other's work which seems pretty cool to me. I once asked George Romero what he thought about Lynch and he told me he totally loved all of his works. Both Carpenter and Cronenbergs brought something from Romero's style (but who didn't, since that faithful night in 1968?)... a list of my faves:

THE DEAD ZONE, SCANNERS, NAKED LUNCH (Cronenberg)
MULLHOLLAND DR, LOST HIGHWAY, BLUE VELVET (Lynch)
THEY LIVE, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (Carpenter)
The DEAD Quadrilogy (haven't seen DIARY yet, for fuck's sake fucking Italy!!!) MONKEY SHINES, MARTIN, THE CRAZIES (Romero)

all of their stuff pretty much rocks anyway. lovin' em...

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

yeah get that. the brood has a good atmosphere but ... again .. kind of a lesser work.

NO

buy the brood-- it's hard to find, but you can rent history of violence in any fucking blockbuster

the brood was awesome, a seminal work-- made before the mainstream breaks of scanners & the fly, with almost zero money, unknown canadian actors, low production values, but a fucking insane plot and brilliant execution with limited means-- a real accomplishment-- one of the greatest b movies ever.

buy the brood. and buy rabid. and buy that tape that has some tv shows and "the italian macine"-- hard to find and if you ever wanna make movies a greater inspiration than things done on a megabudget.

[fugazifan]

i just saw history of violence. i agree with EN incredibly meh. just wasnt that interesting

[atsonicpark]

how is the brood hard to find? i bet i can check amazon.com now and get it for a dollar.