I only have one. I anticipated it's release like no other Cronenburg film. I was so excited that he was the one doing. I felt that no other director would be able to capture the moods & feelings. HE TOTALLY FAILED:
Crash
Crash
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Re: Least Favorite Cronenberg Film(s)
Tue, December 23, 2003 - 11:49 AMI never read the book, so I had no point of reference to compare it, other than what is considered the "Cronenberg Experiment." Recurring themes of change in the face of technology, fear/fascination with the inner trappings of the human body, ambiguous morality, and sexuality.
As a Cronenberg film, I thought it was spectacular. It is impossible to regard any of his adaptations as anything but the source material as filtered through his lens. Naked Lunch, which was extremely successful, bore little resemblance to it's source material. It was as Cronenberg described, the end result of putting Cronenberg and Burroughs into a telepod from "The Fly" and fusing them into the final result. "The Fly" as well was extremely modified from the original, becoming inextricably linked to the particular vision of Cronenberg. Likewise with Dead Zone, and apparently M. Butterfly (which I have not seen). I would wager his adaptation of Spider was remarkably different as well, though I have not read the book to analyze the differences.
With this in mind, I would say Crash was very successful as part of his oeuvre. -
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Re: Least Favorite Cronenberg Film(s)
Tue, December 23, 2003 - 12:15 PMWell, you know, I have to disagree. I didn't expect to get a copy of the book. I'd be a fool to with Cronenberg at the helm. But the book was so much in the style that Cronenberg had explored up to that point, as you say the juxtaposition of modern science with the inner workings of the human body, human mind and sexuality. Further, that's what the film tried to cover. It was just so cold for a Cronenberg film. I don't think it succeeded on it's own merits within it's own universe. I don't know. Maybe I anticipated too much. It's the only one of his films that I've been disatisfied with (including Rabid, which danced the line, just a bit, towards being a bad movie).
That said, I do agree that it's within the boundaries of all the other films that he's done to this point. Although, I too haven't seen M. Butterfly, but I'm told is very recognizably a Cronenberg piece. -
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Tue, December 23, 2003 - 12:33 PMI agree about the coldness of the film, but I thought it was an intentional tact on his part to emulate the desire felt by the characters for the assimilation of the tech, in this case the cool glass and metal of an automobile, and the momentary numbness of feeling and vertigo felt immediately after being in a auto accident. There was also the expression of the main characters inability to feel in normal day to day life, which acts as a catalyst to his transformation and fascination with his newly found compatriots.
I haven't seen Crash since it came out at the theaters, so I should probably watch it again to get a better handle on the failings you are describing. Thanks for the POV though, I love to dissect this stuff. -
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Tue, December 23, 2003 - 9:27 PMi loved crash....the unrated version...
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Wed, December 24, 2003 - 11:23 AMI don't think Crash failed. Anyway, if there is a Cronenberg I don't really like, it's M butterfly. -
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Tue, December 30, 2003 - 8:37 PMI LOVED Crash. I thoughthe did a great job with the book. Plus, it stars James Spader!!!
Yeah - M Butterfly was my least fave.
I just got Spider on DVD for X-mas.....I feel sooo special. -
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Wed, December 31, 2003 - 3:23 PMI'll probably brand myself forever as a freak for this, but what else is new: I think Crash is one of the sexiest, most erotic films I've ever seen. It was the first Cronenberg I bought on DVD and is the one I've watched the most. -
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Thu, January 1, 2004 - 7:17 AMI'd go the other way, I think it is the least erotic movie I've ever seen that was wall to wall with sex scenes. The sex is so disengaged that it's like watching a clinical film of emotional dysfunction. However, I disagree with the original post. This is probably my favorite Cronenberg. Reading the book at age 20 was an experience that altered my world view, and I thought the film did a fantastic job of capturing the disturbing side of technophilia, while also highlighting why we feel that way (big metal machines ARE sexy).
A few days after I finished the book, I lived an experience right out of it. I was riding home from work on my motorcycle and was first in line at a red light. I watched a woman run the redlight coming towards me, and saw a car come into the intersection and t-bone her from the passenger side (luckily, no passenger and no injuries). I could see everything, both drivers faces the whole time, I could see the woman obliviously run the red light singing along to the radio, see the moment of shock on her face when the car got hit, watch her start crying afterwards. It was weird and odd and sitting on my idling bike watching it all unfold, I got an erection. That's when I realized how deeply the book had worked on me.
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Tue, April 13, 2004 - 11:14 PMCrash gives me a boner.
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Mon, January 5, 2004 - 9:42 AMI like Crash a whole lot. On first viewing I found it a bit slowly paced, but it really grew on me over a couple of years. It was not like the book, of course. Crash is one of those books, like Naked Lunch, that are basically unadaptable directly. He took the basic story and riffed on it. Did his own thing.
My least fav. Cronenberg film would have to be, without a doubt, eXistenZ. It seemed so generic. Cliff's Notes Cronenberg. It added nothing to what he had already done, and by the time it came out I was sick and tired of the hip, "reality questioning" sub-genre that has dorm culture in a tizzy. Whoa! The Matrix, dude! Fight Club, bro! -
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Mon, January 5, 2004 - 1:40 PM'Stereo' and 'Crimes of the Future' were bordering on UNWATCHABLE!! -
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Mon, January 5, 2004 - 10:25 PMHaven't seen either of them. Haven't seen his shorts, either. Are there any other thoughts on these "pre-commercial" films?
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Tue, January 6, 2004 - 7:10 PM"UNWATCHABLE!!"
...same here, but that's because I can't find them to watch! who be havin' a copy? -
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Fri, April 16, 2004 - 7:01 AMCinefile in West Los Angeles has a VHS copy of stereo that you can rent for free!
I think Le Video has a copy of one or both in San Francisco.
If you are ever in LA drop by. Rent it and send it back when you are done. Crimes is a bit better.
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Fri, April 16, 2004 - 6:58 AMI liked both Stereo and Crimes of the Future. They were funny. But of course I say that knowing that they are experimental films.
I caught them both at the Cinematheque in Los Angeles with Cronenberg there. After the films he said something like: "wow I got to hand it to you for sitting through those two." and "I am glad to hear some people were laughing (me and my two friends) cause it was meant to be humorous."
The parody of academia was right on.
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Sat, November 6, 2004 - 7:25 AMplease dont compare existenz to the matrix... that was one of my biggest pet peeves when existenz came out. i thoroughly enjoyed that film - saw it twice in the theaters - and i remember being so fucking annoyed when there was a blurb on the ad that said something like "more intense than the matrix!" because, yes, they both have to do with 'virtual reality' in a way... but both alien and star wars have to do with outer space... they're two totally different genres and two completely different films. i feel like it does such a disservice to the movie.
i could go on, but i just realized this was post in january and im mostly arguing with myself here, aren't i?
least favorite -- probably upon re-viewing in my older age, the fly. it seems so freakin' corny now.
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Wed, January 14, 2004 - 2:02 PMI like Crash a lot, if for no other reason than I find fucked-up people fascinating. I like the look of the film, all that slick blue metal and chrome...yum.
My least fav is M Butterfly. I like nearly all his stuff, but that one is just mind-numbingly boring. -
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Wed, January 14, 2004 - 2:47 PMAh, yes, I'd put M Butterfly out of my mind. Definitely my least favorite of his work. -
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Mon, February 9, 2004 - 4:26 AMAs I mention in the Favorite Cronenberg Films discussion, I'm the only one who lists "M. Butterfly" as a favorite!
I have problems with "Crash," but then again, I didn't like the book, either. But I have to say I liked the film better the second time I saw it -- but still don't love it like others he's done. I felt that some of the things he tried to do in the film were painfully transparent, like equating ramming cars with rough sex, etc. I didn't much love "eXistenZ," either -- it was in many ways "Videodrome II" (just technologically updated, the "New Flesh" being virtual reality in this one) but without the marvelous freakiness of James Woods and Debbie Harry!
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Fri, April 16, 2004 - 7:01 AMAnything after Dead Ringers. -
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Wed, October 20, 2004 - 1:28 PMeXistenZ--my least fave-- seemed like a less interesting Videodrome.
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Thu, October 21, 2004 - 1:48 AMI interviewed him when "eXistenZ" came out, and pointed out to him that as the first script he'd written himself since "Videodrome," "eXistenZ" thematically felt like a sequel. He wasn't overtly aware of the connection, but acknowledged that it was probable.
Actually, I did this interview for Film Threat years back, but heavily edited it so that it was less than half its original size. Does the New Flesh tribe have any interest in having me post the entire unedited interview here, or even better, perhaps posting it on my webspace and linking to it here? You could be the first group to see the whole thing... -
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Fri, October 22, 2004 - 6:13 PMMore, please.
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Sat, October 23, 2004 - 10:02 AMI'd LOVE to see that Allen... please feel free to post or link as you see fit.
also...
I've read other interviews with cronenberg where he states that he is not the best judge of his own work, and will not discount analysis of his motivations put forth by the interviewer. I really dig that he leaves it open to interpretation like that. -
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Uncut Cronenberg Interview
Sun, October 24, 2004 - 11:35 PMI have now posted the entire interview, which was conducted right when "eXistenZ" was released:
www.uncleanarts.com/archive/...uncut.htm
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Even his movies are organically considered:
Thu, October 28, 2004 - 7:19 AM"Because each movie generates its own little biosphere, and I has its own little ecology, and its climate, and you’re attuned to that more than anything else. So when people say, “Is there anything you wouldn’t show on film,” or, “Do you ever draw back?” I’m saying if I do, it’s only because of that biosphere; what is appropriate, what works within the ecology of that movie? So in one movie sex and blood would be very up-front, like “Crash,” because it’s sort of the subject of the movie, and in another movie, like “The Dead Zone,” it would not be appropriate. It just doesn’t work somehow; it would be disproportionate."
That's really cool. Thanks!
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Re: Least Favorite Cronenberg Film(s)
Sat, October 23, 2004 - 9:31 AMI thought that Crash was Cronenberg's masterpiece!!
Probably my LEAST favorite -- IF I was forced to choose would have to be 'The Brood' which I happen to really enjoy!! so I don't think he's EVER really failed except for a few of the TV shows which most likely he did not get the final cut on.
bobbee
onenationundergods.com (My Flash piece featured in the Godfather of Digital Art: L. Gartel's show in Miami '03 Art Basel)
thecockettes.org (The Official Cockette Site --> In Post-Production Now!)
www.lydia-lunch.org (Flash animation as Narsissy)
subcutaneous.org (My personal production site)
www.clubscrewball.com (pre-production of the best club in L.A. with your host Don Bolles and DJ Prickle turning your brain into gleeful hyperdelia) -- more soon so check back!
subcutaneous.tv (my personal site)
subcutaneous.org/xero.html
naughtyknobs.com (Peter Conley's gorgeous and erotic pewter knobs)
kittydiggins.com (LA's Burlesque Queen!)
theesecondcouming.com (with writings by Iona Miller and myself)
subcutaneous.org/outsiders.html (more amazing writings by Iona)
subcutaneous.org/edge.html (yet MORE genius writings by Iona)
genesisp-orridge.com (Art work contributed as Bobbee Precious) -
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Sat, October 23, 2004 - 4:20 PMThe Brood is actually my favorite of his 70s films. The traditional horror bits are absurdly cheesy -- basically, they try way too hard to be traditional horror as such -- but I dig that dark Freudian creepiness.
My least favorite is easily Fast Company. I have no idea what the hell he was thinking when he made that. Even Cronenberg on Cronenberg barely mentions it, and for good reason. -
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Mon, October 25, 2004 - 9:02 AMCut hi some slack--he was having fun. he likes cars. -
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Sat, October 30, 2004 - 2:33 AMIt doesn't lower my opinion of him in the least, but it really is a terrible movie.
One of the most noticeable things about FC is that there's no Cronenbergian flavor to it at all. It's 100% by the numbers Joe-Everyman-one-ups-the-corporate-villain-and-gets-the-girl-and-keeps-driving-fast-cars that anyone could have made, and with that script I'm not sure if anyone could have made it significantly better or worse. If anything, my saying that his worst movie is the one that shows the least of what I recognize as his creative style is a compliment to the man. -
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Wed, January 19, 2005 - 5:38 PMEXISTENZ was less fun than RABID!!!! -
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Re: Least Favorite Cronenberg Film(s)
Fri, May 6, 2005 - 5:43 AM...I resent this topic. I still get wood from Videodrome. Crash...if you don't like Crash, you don't like sex or something!
*laughs*
Seriously though, I have never seen a bad Cronenberg, ever. Not even Dead Zone, which was merely less awesome than usual.
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