Long Live the New Flesh
Videodrome (1983) is not just a horror film — it is a philosophical grenade thrown into the heart of the television age. David Cronenberg, already the undisputed king of body horror, created what many consider his masterpiece: a nightmarish prophecy about how mass media literally rewires human consciousness and physiology.
James Woods delivers one of his greatest performances as Max Renn, the morally compromised president of a low-budget UHF station in Toronto. Constantly searching for more extreme content, Max becomes obsessed with a pirate signal called “Videodrome” — a transmission that shows nothing but torture and murder. What begins as a quest for better ratings quickly spirals into a hallucinatory descent where the boundary between flesh and technology completely dissolves.
★ THE DIAMOND TIP
💎 The most prophetic detail: Cronenberg wrote the screenplay in 1981, long before the internet, smartphones, or streaming existed. He was responding to the explosion of cable television and home video, describing them as “prosthetic extensions of the human nervous system.” The film predicted reality television, viral video violence, deepfakes, and the way screens now physically reshape our brains and bodies. Rick Baker’s practical effects required over 60 individual prosthetics. The famous stomach slit was operated by hidden mechanisms inside James Woods’ costume, severely limiting his movement for the entire production. Debbie Harry’s casting as the masochistic Nicki Brand was perfect — she brought genuine rock-star danger to the role of a woman sexually aroused by extreme violence.
The Television as New Organ
Cronenberg, heavily influenced by Marshall McLuhan, presents television not as passive entertainment but as a living organism that mutates whoever watches it. The hallucinations are not metaphorical — they are literal. Max’s body transforms: a vaginal slit opens in his stomach to receive VHS tapes, his hand fuses with a gun, and a television screen breathes and pulsates with organic life. The message is clear — we do not watch media. Media watches us, enters us, and eventually becomes us.
With its groundbreaking practical effects by Rick Baker and its cold, clinical Toronto aesthetic, Videodrome remains one of the most intellectually rigorous and viscerally disturbing films ever made. Decades later, as we drown in screens, its warning feels more urgent than ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Videodrome (1983) about?
The film follows Max Renn, a television executive who discovers a mysterious pirate signal called Videodrome. Exposure to the signal causes brain tumors and grotesque hallucinations, eventually leading to a complete breakdown between media technology and human flesh.
What does 'Long Live the New Flesh' mean?
It is the central philosophical slogan of the film. It represents the next stage of human evolution — the moment when humanity willingly abandons its purely organic form and merges with technology and media to become something new and transcendent.
Who created the special effects for Videodrome?
The groundbreaking practical effects were created by Rick Baker. His work on the film — including the breathing television, the stomach VCR slot, and the flesh gun — remains some of the most influential and tactile body horror ever put on screen.
Is Videodrome based on real media theory?
Yes. The film is heavily influenced by the ideas of Marshall McLuhan, particularly his concepts that 'the medium is the message' and that media technologies act as extensions of the human nervous system. The character of Professor Brian O’Blivion is partly modeled after McLuhan.
Are the videos hosted on this website?
No. Sharing The Sickness is an information location tool operating under 17 U.S.C. §512(d). We do not host, store, upload, or transmit any video content. All videos are embedded from independent third-party platforms.