Written and directed by David Cronenberg, Rabid is the story of a woman who awakens from surgery following a motorcycle accident where she unknowingly creates a wave of rabid zombies. The film has Cronenberg continuing his fascination with body horror as well as a woman dealing with the disease she’s spreading. Starring Marilyn Chambers, Frank Moore, Joe Silver, Howard Ryshpan, Patricia Gage, Susan Roman, and Ronald Mlodzik. Rabid is a chilling yet exciting film from David Cronenberg.
The film is about this emerging epidemic in which people with rabies are biting other people as the carrier of this disease is a woman who had just gotten out of surgery following a motorcycle accident. It’s a film that is about people dealing with this epidemic while its main story follows this woman who doesn’t know she’s the carrier as she has no idea what she’s doing until those she comes in contact with she attacks with a mysterious orifice that comes out of her armpit in need of human blood. It’s a premise that is very simple that plays into the idea of a rabid zombie outbreak as it includes minor subplots of medical officials and such trying to figure out how this outbreak happened. David Cronenberg doesn’t exactly reveal what happened to this woman during the surgery but suggests that something might’ve gone wrong and led to the chaos that happens in the film.
The film’s lack of conventional plot does allow Cronenberg to play with the conventions of what is expected in the horror genre where he knows how to play with the rhythms of suspense and horror. Notably as his direction has Cronenberg keeping things simple in terms of compositions while he does start things off with this very intense sequence of Rose (Marilyn Chambers) and her boyfriend Hart (Frank Moore) riding in a motorcycle until they come across a van and crash. A lot of the framing and compositions are engaging in the way it plays to the suspense where Cronenberg knows something will happen and doesn’t try to infuse any tricks. Even as Cronenberg would get some close-ups of the strange orifice under Rose’s armpit to see what it’s doing and how it spreads to those it comes into contact with. Even as it causes an outbreak where things intensify for the film’s third act as martial law comes in and there’s that element of danger where no one is safe. Overall, Cronenberg creates a very intriguing and thrilling film about an outbreak of rabid zombies.
Cinematographer Rene Verzier does excellent work with the cinematography where a lot of exterior shots of the locations near Montreal are straightforward along with some stylish lights for the scenes at night and for some of its interiors. Editor Jean LaFleur does amazing work with the editing by creating some intense cuts for some of its suspense as well as methodical rhythms to help build up its suspense. Art director Claude Marchand does nice work with some of the set pieces such as the clinic where Rose was taken to early in the film as well as the apartment Hart lived in.
Special makeup design by Joe Blasco is fantastic for the design of the phallic orifice that is under Rose‘s armpit as well as the hole it comes out of as well as the look of the infected people who roam around Montreal. Sound supervisor Danny Goldberg does terrific work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of the location as well as broaden the wave of horror that occurs in the film. The film’s soundtrack, that is supervised by its executive producer Ivan Reitman, features an array of music that is mostly some chilly orchestral music as well as some pop and country tunes that is played on the radio.
The casting by Sharron Wall is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable appearances from Ronald Mlodzik as a patient, Susan Roman as Rose’s friend/roommate Mindy, Richard W. Farrell as the driver of the camper van that causes the accident, Howard Ryshpan as the head clinic doctor Dr. Keloid who performs Rose’s surgery unaware of what he’s done, Patricia Gage as Keloid’s wife, and Joe Silver as Dr. Keloid’s business partner Murray Cypher who tries to deal with the chaos of what is happening as he accompanies Hart. Frank Moore is superb as Rose’s boyfriend Hart who learns about what happened at the hospital as he tries to find Rose while discovering about the chaos that is happening with the zombie outbreak. Finally, there’s Marilyn Chambers in a wonderful performance as Rose as this woman who has no idea what she’s doing except she’s hungry for blood as she later becomes troubled. It’s an engaging performance from Chambers who is able to use her limitations to create a sympathetic yet terrifying performance.
Rabid is a marvelous film from David Cronenberg that features an excellent performance from the late Marilyn Chambers. The film isn’t just an exciting zombie-outbreak film but also a horror film that plays with its conventions while creating an energy that is just fun to watch. In the end, Rabid is an extraordinary film from David Cronenberg.
David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)
The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
Written, directed, shot, and edited by David Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future is the story about a dermatologist clinic director who tries to find his mentor after a mysterious disappearance. The film is a look into the mind of a man learning about his mentor’s disappearance as well as what he might be doing. Starring Ronald Mlodzik, Jon Lidolt, Tania Zolty, Jack Messinger, Paul Mulholland, William Haslam, and William Poolman. Crimes of the Future is an intriguing but very dull from David Cronenberg.
The film features this simple premise abut a dermatology clinic director who tries to find his mentor where he goes around places in Toronto to see where he is. During the search, he encounters many people in his journey who are all very strange as he is himself while sensing the presence of his mentor. It’s a film that has a premise that is interesting but its lack of conventional plot as well as it’s very monotone narration by its protagonist Adrian Tripod (Ronald Mlodzik). Notably as there’s very few moments that play out in the film that tells the story where Tripod’s narration just drags it through and through.
David Cronenberg’s direction does have some moments that play into his idea of body horror but not much happens. While he does create some amazing compositions and shot with some vibrant colors in the cinematography, he doesn’t do enough to sustain some interest in what is happening. Even as some scenes tend to go on and on where he uses weird soundtracks and Tripod’s narration to move the story forward to the point that it makes the pacing very sluggish. While there are some stylish moments in the tracking shots and the use of the locations that adds some very engaging images that includes some nice editing in the mix. The limitations that Cronenberg had in his budget in which many of the actor’s performances are very silent where its narration only hampers the story even more. Overall, Cronenberg creates a very drab film about a man’s search for his mentor.
Crimes of the Future is a very boring and pretentious film from David Cronenberg. Largely due to its budget limitations and wanting to focus on the visuals rather than dialogue, it’s a film that doesn’t contain many ideas that Cronenberg is known for with the exception of blood and body horror that he would refine in the years to come. In the end, Crimes of the Future is a terrible film from David Cronenberg.
David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)
The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
Written, directed, shot, and edited by David Cronenberg, Stereo is the story about a young man who takes part into a strange, telepathic experiment by a mysterious, unseen doctor. The film marks David Cronenberg’s first foray into feature films as it would showcase his unique interpretation of horror. Starring Ronald Mlodzik, Jack Messinger, Iain Ewing, Clara Mayer, and Paul Mulholland. Stereo is an intriguing yet hypnotic debut film from David Cronenberg.
The film is the simple story about the examination of a small group of telepathic people all living in an institute as part of an experiment by a mysterious yet elusive doctor. Among them is a young man who becomes a new member of the group as he communicates with various people either through sex, telepathic conversations, or oral conversations as the mysterious doctor keeps track of all that is happening. It’s a film that doesn’t have much of a plot where it’s largely told by this mysterious doctor and a woman in brief moments where they examine that is happening. Yet, David Cronenberg infuses the story with some unique narration while a lot that is happening in the film is told silently in order for the narrator to observe all of the behavior.
Cronenberg’s direction is quite unique as it’s shot in black-and-white where he serves as his own cinematographer and editor. By shooting on location at the Scarborough College in Toronto that acts as a character, Cronenberg goes for a very simple yet direct approach to the framing while using some slow camera pans to capture the location. Some of which becomes very entrancing to showcase a world that becomes discomforting as the subjects try their best to create their own rules. Cronenberg uses some slow-motion cuts to capture some of the action and emotion as well as some shaking hand-held cameras for a chase scene.
All of which plays into a world where people are trying to shake up the idea of what is right and what is wrong where Cronenberg get the actors to be very adventurous and bawdy Cronenberg also voices the mysterious doctor who makes these observations where he delves into the many activities that occur. There, it allows Cronenberg to showcase the performances of the actors playing the subject as the performances are all fun to watch. Overall, Cronenberg creates a very interesting though flawed film about a strange sociological experiment.
Stereo is a very good debut film from David Cronenberg. While its lack of plot might be frustrating for some, it does showcase some of the themes and images that Cronenberg would refine in the years to come. Notably as it showcases what was able to do in the late 1960s where he tries to push buttons. In the end, Stereo is a terrific film from David Cronenberg.
David Cronenberg Films: Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M Butterfly - Crash (1996 film) - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)
The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by David Cronenberg, Shivers is the story of a doctor discovering about strange experiments involving flesh and parasites that turn people into sexually-crazed zombies. There, he tries to save those who aren’t harmed as the epidemic starts to rise at a medical clinic in an island near Montreal. Starring Paul Hampton, Barbara Steele, Lynn Lowry, Joe Silver, Ronald Mlodzik, and Fred Doederlein. Shivers is disgusting, repulsive, and sick film from David Cronenberg that is truly a whole lot of fun to watch.
The film is essentially the story about this doctor named Roger St. Luc (Paul Hampton) who works at a medical clinic with Nurse Forsythe (Lynn Lowry) as he gets a call about the murder-suicide of a colleague Dr. Hobbes (Fred Doederlein) and a young woman. When he asks his friend Rollo Linsky (Joe Silver) to examine Hobbes’ report, a discovery is made about Hobbes’ desire to inject parasites in the human body as a way to reconnect humanity with flesh. Unfortunately, it would cause problems as people infected by the parasite would have an uncontrollable sexual drive that would make them into horny zombies. When St. Luc finds out what is going on as he sees people in his building become horny zombies as he has try to save those who aren’t infected as it would lead to all sorts of trouble.
David Cronenberg’s screenplay doesn’t have a traditional structure though it does involve a lot of stories with characters who would interact with each other in this apartment. The film’s first half does feature a few storylines that includes a couple with marital problems where the husband deals with parasites in his body as his wife is unaware as she’s hanging out with a friend. This would get inter-cut with smaller storylines as characters would get picked off one-by-one in the schematics of traditional horror. The film’s second half focuses on St. Luc and Forsythe trying to help people who could be infected only for them to be overwhelmed as they try to survive the onslaught of zombies that are coming after them.
Cronenberg’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of creating an element of suspense and horror while infusing it with lots of dark humor and other crazy moments. Since the film is shot on location in a residential building, there is something that feels offbeat as everyone seems normal until all of the blood and gore involving strange creatures start to come in. The film does become a full on thriller where Cronenberg uses lots of hand-held cameras for scenes where characters run in the building or strange shots where he creates an element of suspense. It’s as if Cronenberg is willing to see how far he can go as there’s a lot of sex in display where he does establish shots where it does play into transformations and other chilling moments. Overall, Cronenberg crafts a very smart and captivating horror film that isn’t afraid to be repulsive while taking risks by tackling all sorts of taboos that will make anyone uncomfortable.
Cinematographer Robert Saad does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the brooding look of the parking lot scenes to the more brighter look of many of the film‘s interior hallway scenes. Editor Patrick Dodd does terrific work with the editing to create suspenseful cuts including some stylish slow-motion cuts to help maintain that air of suspense. Art director Erla Gliserman does nice work with the set pieces from the look of the clinic to the home apartment of the couple and the wife‘s friend.
Special effects makeup and creature effects work by Joe Blasco does incredible work with the design of the creatures as well as the special effects for parasites to come out of people‘s mouths. Sound recorder Michael Higgs does wonderful work with the sound to help create an atmosphere for the film‘s chilling moments. Compiling the film’s music is its producer Ivan Reitman as he creates a soundtrack filled with eerie music cuts to play up the sense of chills and terror that unfolds throughout the film.
The film’s brilliant ensemble cast includes some notable performances from Ronald Mlodzik as the residence manager Merrick, Allan Kolman as the troubled Nicholas Tudor, Susan Petrie as his concerned wife Janine, Fred Doederlein as the troubled doctor Emile Hobbes, and Barbara Steele as Janine’s very sexy friend Betts. Joe Silver is terrific as St. Luc’s friend Rollo Linsky who tries to uncover Hobbes’ work as he makes a terrifying discovery. Lynn Lowry is wonderful as Nurse Forsythe who tries to woo St. Luc as she later helps him try to evade the zombies. Finally, there’s Paul Hampton in an excellent performance as Dr. Roger St. Luc as he tries to discover what is going on in the building he works at as he tries to stop the epidemic of zombies from happening.
Shivers is a fantastic and entertaining horror film from David Cronenberg. Thanks to a superb cast and gnarly special effects, it’s a film that definitely bears all of the hallmarks that makes horror fun to watch and more. For fans of Cronenberg, the film definitely marks as an early triumph for the filmmaking that would set the stage for some of the weird things he would do in future films. In the end, Shivers is an awesomely fucked-up film from David Cronenberg.
David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)
The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2012
