Table Of Content

Stereo Crimes of the Future ‘Shivers Rabid Fest Company “The Brood Scanners Videodrome ‘The Dead Zone The Fly Dead Ringers Naked Luneh M. Butterfly Crash existenzZ Spider A History of Violence Eastern Promises [ADangerous Method Cosmopotis Maps tothe Stars 1 Arseny sei ais wen oe CORDA BLOF SHEET “RMR MONE GETS Se es 7 PNMDSC BLTERNRABTLY Sek A ECTRAORORNEY "ve DE FORCE HE GOTH GET FMS oF ALTE COMPELLING & RovOLATNE, TL FEALY YSUAL FAT oc TE eGo MY FLESH introduction to the HOUSE OF SKIN by Dave K. a.k.a. A Fiend On Film In 2017, famed horror director George Romero passed away at the age of 77. Almost immediately, there was a ton of remembrances and eulogies. | seem to notice any wail until sumebody they odie dies before they tall obout how important they wero to their lives. When planning my next film fanzine project | thought for @ bit on who can we discuss and talk about now, in print, before thot parson dias. | mean, eulogies are fine, but for the mos! port they truly only mean something when the subject might actually get to heor It | vemember years ogo ‘when writer Harlan Ellisan was muking © case to give « Grondimoster Aword for scionce fiction writing to @ ravored writer while he was stil ving. Afterwards, he tated, what is the point? That has always stuck with me. David Cronenberg hos always been a favorite diector of mice. Through his fils work and in interviews, bu: how olwoys bees interesting. While Id like meat of the rovored horror/gente directors from tho past 50 years or s0, Crorerberg for me hos been the most consistert throughout his entre career. While even teday | have not seen every single film he has made (yet) | have navar heard of any being a complete disaster. That connet be said af ather divactors of genre file. As an exumple, Irecently seen A Dangerous Method (2011). Defiitely not his best film, but it was better than other directors of his era later film work HOUSE OF SKIN is ¢ reference to his 2nd film called Crimes of the Futur from 1970. (Not a “great” lila when compared ta athes director's saphomore elforts, but being foie, i wos on experimental/ant fil) Crimes would xet ap many of the diroctor's oddities in futuro films. HOUSE OF SKIN just soomed to be apt tile due to Cronenberg's association with the Body Horror sub genre. | asked my tusval gang of writers if they wished to tackle this subject, a few responded with some great witten pieces {93 you will about to be reading). I had the luck to rivet some more Cronenberg fons and they answered the colli kind So what you will bs reading and seeing in this ons shot called HOUSE OF SKIN, is a celabration of ore director's vision. | personclly consider him to be one af the most important file directors to ever get behind the comer. The lilns he hos produced oll have touches that can be culled nique te his outlook. Hope fully, wo will bo able to got one of those into his hands and he can soe the edmi ration now from a few of us Dave K aka A Fiend On Film Favorite Cronenberg Film: Crash (1996) Last Sanctuary By Williarn D. Prystauk aka “Billy Crash” David Cronenberg's name resonates inthe novrar roam bee tse his foar laden featurss are well craod. They mave beyond tops hiledslashers and gare fests zhowease ib rant thematic stories inhabited by song and relatable horacters But Cronenberg gaes one step turther than many hort witer/drectore, and that's why he's a standout Inthe senre, and why he'll be remembered inthe long term ven i ome der't ote his unigue fist an tener fram the beginning (One af the most poignant clerients ta ony horar i that of 2 ronetuary For at ome point, cur hero ar serous search Fora place to excape tao: ka stage a counter alfock fram orto simply hide until dopbreak. To mate tole of terar feally werk on an cudinee’s callactive psyche, the best sto ties sccm fo incorporate that hera's mos! fateh ranetuary the home. Ate all # you're already inthe contort and solely of where you bck of your sneakers, why go anywhere se? And this ellows the audience to connect wih the nar rativs as they imagine whot they would ds to survive theie town abode, But when the noms, thet protective wamb, comes under attack i may bozom a torture chamber of @ tort, leaving the hore in trouble ond despa like never helore, and bringing a greater rensation st fear to vewa's That's becouss, there's nonhere lat to go, Ne place te un to. And for many, thi may soem like the lartxanctuary Iie ‘And this ic why Cronenberg stands out from the rez The last sanctuary isthe hers body ey horer is alten altibuted to Cranenberg, bul it de orves more than azrving ara trite moniker. Character ore nat simpy uncer attock tron parasites or intaral cll al {ered with thot af a common hovselly, or micro phaluree ididen within rmpite, There's something for deeper at play thot makes Croneaberg's har filme even mare snactling, fond hair fe Far Max Renn (lamas Waode), he can't Find rcuge in his periment or oven hit place af empleyment in 1983's Vide drome, but that’s of lille consequence bezause Ma's bedy's wider sioge by ¢ vides bosed virus. From watching tae much V deodome, his world becomes sural and Mox con't distinguish fact Irom fiction uni beth werlds callie, tnd the nation bacemes irclevort. What remains relevant is thot his bady her become o vessel for Videodrome to-do ifs tidding and wreat havac on human targets, When he's repragrammed” by Bianca Oblivion (Sonja Smits), hx body's ured as a weapon ance more, this fime against {hore whe infected him withthe video signal. But he's spent, cahausted, the law's on te way. and Max's cathode roy'stoding fact. Inthe end, it may soem oxi he's wan {ines he's slain thase whe used and abured him, but he Aa rowhote lo go and folds up in a candemned tug boat Aug's the tow tuck ofthe harbor a “worker bee" sevice ‘ohicle that dass the heavy iting. Like the tug, Mex haz becn used up and “condemned” eHor playing puppet to his raw dead puppet naste's Whethe: fram bis nn imaginal onar om Videedrome, his only escape is one at zclh, murder. He con't run hom his own body, but he com sot hs oul fe, “Death fo Videodromel Long liv the naw les Becomes 2 shot lived battle ey beeasre a story's and, his flesh, his sanctuary, won't and cont lart, and Max Renn meaning “Grestest Rebirth," achioves just that with o bullet {othe sain. There's High for humanity in Scanners when Cameron Vale (Stephen Lact), e dealit with unique and destruct ve peychie obi, is selected ta stop Dor Rovok (Michael Ironside) fom trying to take ovar the wold, This may seund sily toon catent but Revat's aregancs gace@ lang way "= oy the lear. The important factor: Regard ess thane ie @ eoaret or jul port tthe humon herd, one ean hice tom fucha creel paychic onslaught. Scanners can oftock 3 ml fond edjuet their mental power fo bring about eciures, ine ‘eaze heart rater, unlearh spontancous human combustion instil parol sor even mate Heads explode. Hence, Revak’s mod scientist plan Like Videodrame, 1981's Scanners leaves no place for people to hid, and it one dovanttoke core to protect hie Other zonctuary the body ~ alls lost Vale discovers this tthen he and Revck battle fo the erin steel enge scan niet match. Vole’ body's lat charred and hollow, but the Toul has jumped info Revak. Our hera has @ new body ard {new look But what happens neat? Vale may thirk he’s tron, but inhabiting Reval’: bay allows him to arcume Commend of the company that will unleash ephemeral ond Create a young scanner amy. The real fight may be on Fines he's the strongest scanner ond went from being @ lranticnt te naw having all the boat things. He's ontop of the foed chain. Vole can hide inc new body ~ and maybe possess others ax necessary. He can became the ultirate Chameleon, the wlimate concealed weapen,and we'e lott fe wonderif cEroluteseanner power ill evra. (Lang Ive the new eck?) “Raglan encourages my bod ta revall against me. And it id. hove @ rmallrevalation on my honds and I'm not out ting it dows very succassally"z0y2 Jon Hartog (Raber! 8 Silverman) in Cronenberg’: disturbing The tread tam 1979. Hers, the bad ir final tig leat of sats ond humo rage finds ite center stage. Dr. Hal Raglan (Oliver Seed) halns the Somattes Institue, where he encourages pet nis anger fo maritert ax something “other” than cerses, Screams, end panic ifoeks, and they now toke shops om the slin os tumors or Bleiches, arin the ease af Nala Car veth (Somantha Egger), she gives birth te her rage ns ase sol, rurderour children, \Whara Homtag's hostility hax manifested ax cancaraus tumors om tis thont, Nala has achiaved what Semafiee all abn: fneing tha hay. But Nole’s rage int ana and dons nacaurs sha beeps bringing forth chidean nd ema ‘broad af short, hostinLling machines. And tae bith i 9 ‘scarnl ong: Tha brand cemmas from nn sateen sack Nala Inust hie through to aa tar monster bahia fina. And ike a Gia, she licks tham elaan haforn ininoshing tham inne the wail This is tha basa emotion nf nnger mn ral {ong live the new flash, agen?) Rafnea being destoyed, the brood attacks Nala’ taal ith daughter, Candy (Cindy Hinds), who's traumatized by the ‘taal. ka tha vis in Vdandiome and the se af apAame tain Seannace, lamps appar om hae nem ndicating naw ‘ge being hore Humanity i te un virus and to fens ourzalns from erage a nnd rage, wa must Inova rr bucks asin. Ths may Inna Cronenharg's files sam “ane-anta” er evan pal, Js Fable, but his natives neni other ways for the sty to hive played ent. Mar Renn navar had to wate’ the viseo, Cameron Vala navor had fight his heather baad nn, ane i Nola herd only gana to anathar doctor. But Cromanbaia's fiime have mora nth than that, and there ara eatin ‘ther thomas in asznvata,Fuan inthis content, tha Incsan 0 fe lanrnad may be: Don't ba arrogant and dat give ina ‘ge, oe that engaging internal conflict wll nly lad saltanebiltion In Cranenberss film, there ina escape. Na cats haven Tha self tha tt ad only sanctuary, i Inf wide apn 10 tinct ftom the powor of the mind Erm amation, And F ane OF hie main harans amps logic, tht ehoracta wll moan ally suzrunb 9 amation anja. This matas for “hapaless hot” beceueetharn ix an place ta go. When 9 Cronan fig havtar hoging, thava's a way a fr tha canvnetars, ate or villain alte. Regnrdlace of moray ar powar ar dase, ‘hay will fall vistim From within, and the lat snnctiony, ‘hn dy a hamoniitnd, coment ond ultinataly Billy Crash an Twiter: Se, 7 Berashpabace = Wt by Demeter Lorant Iitp:fdemeter-lorant farmat.com “Crononberg's frst ‘unpredictable peak? emerges in his student film, From the Drain. An organi military weapen kills a soldier, throwing into question his current misslan but sparing anather who has no such ‘doubts, Often read as a political text, the film is, equally an existentialist intervention: the soldiers! moral superiority has no bearing on the weapon's, behaviour" —TIFF's Cronenberg Museum + The second stunt film from Canadian aody harra” euieur Dovid Cronenberg, From the Drain (1987), nothing shart of absurd and experimental, a foreshadowing of the dysta pian Future that would dominate the frst 15 ar 9 yours of fis career such ae Scanners, V deodrome and The Brood Scomingly constructed fram Dyra labelling and gaffer tape ~ nat iteraly but notably spartan in its ot cizetion fe could assume evary cant ef the $500 budget war unk inte Témm Film stack and lab processing. While low budget productions, and the imitatinns that come the ‘ain, are almast mandatory for stucent,fow reveal the level of creativity within retrician, budget or otverwze, that @ young Cronenberg dees. Fram the Drain 2 14-minute lng, one-story that fea ture tna clothed men in bathtub, knses up arsund theit compits There are na perzonal ems ar establishing dees ‘ation inthis bathroom, rely © used cake af roap and Wile alae. Desp te the twa men wedged up agcinst cach ther they are strangers, evidenced by one man (Mort Fis), who [wil fer to ar Mr Moustache’ for case of identification, apaning the dialogue somembat facetiously with: "Do you came here atten?” With effete affect on, Mr Moustache says he's lating for “The Disabled War Veterans’ Rerroation Cerise” (an cotly ezample of Cronerberg's penchant for coming up with colourful names for srganization), although the inp Weatian is thet 2 manta institution fa roturne eld crs from an unsposfied conflict. He ealaciously Fingers the bethtub tops ond fouee! throughout the entire sichonge ROM THE (1967) DRA by Emma Westwood editing es looking far companionship and “a litle af fection even® but he alwoys gels potinared wt “speech less dite, elering ts his mew Lb budey Gobo wil rer tous Mr Silent Type) Claeping his hands gleefully, Me Silent Type (Stephen Nosko) is clnorly obaersed wil the plaghale, over which Mr Moustache i crouched. He finally beaks his sh ence withthe single word “tend” and admits to believing it trould be best they pul the plug in. According fo Me Silent Type they need nol be cunce'ned about what gore town the diain bal what mil come up fram i. Given Cronenberg's forthcoming prapersity fr the viscerally orkid this eives a possibly the fit instance of "Cro- tenbe ian’ horas eapresaed explicilly in vinlogue, cia ng images of the porasites from Shivers or the armpit tronn om Rabid Foronoia new bubbles 2s an undercerent, and the wo ren argue a 10 thet teal detities: chemical and Lol tival wecpons expert? Recreational Program Director? Undercover agent? Mi Moustache ays, "Nothing ever aires from the drain al comes from your mind” consi= ely summarising Cronenberg’ angoing creative agenda ol mising the physiolagial andthe payehslogical which fue through meaty al af his ive, even upto tea. Thee banter and sm tching ef authority continues unl the pase noia rarest tellin 9 atuprmotion teudeil monster thot tise frm the Scbend to bill ne of them A jeunty slatsicalgutor tack, delicately baroque in halure, fs avelodd es an audio seundick wevess the titre fil, acting os the ligt te the elemental shade of the stow. Its panicularly effective wien is happy tills play out ogsinat the plug attack of the tendil monster AL this arly stage in Cronenberg’ coveet, he demonstrates ppowesful proficiency in creating steitelling counter pain ten te ‘dandyness’ af Mr Mavatoche and his easual pickup bar carversation could not be further removed fim the gravity of chemical worlare,exiatenial angel and whet is now bras recognized 2s PTSD (although tackled bere thin thats contoet i the humour that dominates From the Drain, notable alee in Cronenberg’s Fist shor fl, Transfer (1966), where o pationt tracks dawn ond conf roms hs former psychocnelyt. The subject motter of both filme might not sound comedic but, thate the Funny thing, they ote funny ~ oot the very least, ntllctualy om sing. Ths evidences Crenenborg’s innate understanding of fam ond function Despite rarely boing regarded 93 humourist across the durotion of fis cavear, the ‘wickedly Funny’ does ploy @ huge role scrast Cronenberg's couvre.s Even as 0 student, ‘and confined within the shor fm format, Cronenberg opted ta vee comedy to craate audience rapper quiclly ‘athino tight timetroms, Both horrer en comedy shore a: tilor qualities intarms of entetionall engaging an aude. » raidly, whergos drome requires sereen-imne to davalop Imeoningfl attachment to characters. The fact thot Cre Ianborg chose humour over horror indicates hee unfot ty pigeenholed a¢-0 “horror flnmoker’ ond, a-qvably, oto ally scoring peoale figures very lowly in hs stor:elling pt nities; it's more about peychelogiol abstraction. Ethical Conundrums, questions eround morality ond exietential d= lemmas ora the dominentthemee thot colevr and defina his work oven when mating From the Drain.e lee important to remember thot From the Drain is sila ttudent film ond, therefers, 9% sxoerimentol study inthe Cinematic ortform. I could likely be better sxecuted by 0 more experienced flInmaler, ond thot meons @ ore sxpe- hanced Dowd Cronerborg too. Within the ovent-gorde noture of this lm, its surealty ond figurotive diegesis~ @ common enpley of students In pushing cractve boundaries ‘ond finding the” on voles’ ~ thows Cronenberg wos not Immune 10 the filmmaking 2ltg0st ofthe 1980s, in which ftudente the world over ware moet nfluanced by the French New Wave (Fim commentator Kin Nowran posits @ rove direct ink to Alain Retna 3). https://emmawestwood.wordpres: hare From the Drain folls dow iia its technical execute con, ond possible print dataroration over the possing daca- des, despite the Toronto International Filn Festival's nt rastoration effet forthe 2016 Arrow Video Buoy falease Dovid Crorenberg's Early Werks. The echoing of the sound recording ond ho'dh, perfunctory lighting make the dlologue ond narrative dificult to interpret, Ie alone penetrote, which meone it needs to 98 raployed a couple of times inorder to gresp the story thread. Cronenberg ‘works no dlalogue-hoovy Fashion in these sorlyyo0rs, on ‘operaoch thot defines his fet faatre filme Stereo (1969) fond Crimes of tre Future (1970) 100,26 Hf dielogue is ino Walla then o mossive chunk ofthe fis thru! gots lst TIFF's Cronenborg Museum admits From the Drein is often “rood eso peliticol txt” and thore ove definite covlet- cons ta John Frankanheimer’s The Manchurian Candidote (1962) ints invigue,conseirocytreory ond narrative layers. More than anythig, tiough, Fram the Drei is on Homineting cose of rettospacton, whoraby we get to $69 0 fledgling mostor d scovering his crt. honing hs oppoech ‘ond sketching the broad outline of 9 soraar thot would go ‘onto combine the physiol ond psychological in an unpa= rolled manner, Crdnolee 1 Sourene low TI's Cronenberg Magee stpilleconerborgreswo tit rel! B Febrry 2077 2 Other gramnne: Canon coms fr Etc Ii sree B01 gan of Sou (eames othe fore, 0 ond The Exthede Ror Mission ideodrome, 19831 2 For stomp, inVideosrome, ti itt not fo dace ome ses shor iS wants sei fe su eee, les Woads Sere ens voning doncio'n he ballrbuton ard Bebe Hara pe STison oa tom a pesionee N screen bbe sone 25 1 4 Fims sce 05 Dead Ringers (19892, M Bley (1293) Gen TITS) Sie dootel ng von tht oul ve cole how Sent ena ntp shore sano Aero the pont 20 rey gnender hos aipely dwcted Himsa sald be loosely ca s\n dros andr tile uch oe Hits 3 Yo ae 38)" R geroos Mathou (201 ond Move fe the Sloe Gow. 5 Takes from the Speco Fetare record wxluiel fr from Vide't 20°63 ay enone Our d Cronerborg Cat Mores wine site ond suiber Kia Nowron dears Craverberte This place was fet publisied inthe online fi journal Senses af Cinema in March 2017 and republished wth nnmmoannnn coi 8°94 thanthima S287 Dovid Cronenberg wos my fst fvorite director. Even before neu what a dvector old, or before I'd sean more than a ‘191d 0101 of two of his fms, I knew this to be tee. Seeing fis name obeve both The Fly and Videodrame wos enough forme to reali thot there wor something soecial aout ths ‘one, and every lind subsequently watch would enly help ‘enforce that, diving me deeper and deeper into nightmare ‘worlds of body transformation ond sexual obeession. But ‘very director has to ster somewhere ond with Crenen: berg, thot “somewhere” i two brief feature films, micro-bud ‘get experimental movies that help ly the groundwork for one af the greatest works from ane of elnema"s greatest His frst feoture, Stereo (1949), is something of on indepen lent miracle. Running only 0 litle aver an hour, Stereo wos mode 07 shoestring oudget in one location with 0 camera thot wos 10 loud te propel record audio and on almost ronentetent cost ond crew Yet, even with all these Iria fone and completly without the lnury af hi signature body horror apecial effects, Stereo stl manages to be partact ‘example of the wonderful career to come The film functions 94 an educational account ofthe fictitious studi conducted inthe hallowed hols of the "Canadian ‘Acodemy of Frtic Enquiry.” where sclentats probe the sec fats ofthe mind. The particular cose study Featured 19 Stereo woe study bythe unseen Dr Luther Stringfellow, ‘sho surgically oltered eight willing test subjects (one of vthom is ployed by Cronenberg regular Rerold Mledeik) to ‘grant them telepathic abilities. OF course, there's @ otch—all prychict naed to develop their powers, which ie lone through constant sexual experimentation, exploration, ‘ond interaction. This process Is referred to os “the socieche ilstey ofthe ott,” which m ght be the single most Cronen- berolan sentence ever wate, I's eory to 260 how a movie that's funeionaly sbovt om: sexvol psychics developing thelr powers through psyenle ‘rgies would become nething mare thon o skin Fick or grind house roughe, but Cronenberg pute the concept to g'eot use. There eo very clear line Inthe film between the d lopment ofthe subjects" sexvol encounters ond their mental tak prowess, bulding upto ornizenual orgies za powerful they hatter peychez. Yat Cranenberg neve lets the Hl’ clini fal, cartrlled gaze falter, coptring even the most explicit scones like they're nothing more than sterile inerors. ‘Az | mentioned catlir, the camera Cronenberg ased fo thea! the film was loud that it waz impezible fo propetly rezord audia) ze the storytelling taker diferent turn fats td of fllowing the everts af the study ax they hopped, the ll is nartated by a hast of differnt scientists reroun ting Stringfellow’: expariments with Fostage ofthe subjects playing aut silently on arrecn, ae of dialogue or diegatic Found. The scialsts all zeem ta have diferent speciltcs nthe care, ond os such all af them recount the story ferent ways, al af which bara towards the zame hor ving ending. Its 2 nove! approach fo proceeding: thet tosilysizesteps the camera's limitations, ax well adding fa the clin al tone that would go on to become one of Cronenberg’: staples. Anctter limitation that add to this unique atmosphere i= the way Cronenbe'g uses the setting, Sinze Cronenberg hod stlended the University of Toronto years before, he decided fo stich withthe fli ond shoct the film entire within the institution. While ene could see thc Leng a prob em rollegs campusss ore searesly known for looking lise sterile aperimental facilities Cronenberg zhoote the university in nay that manage: to copture both a unique geagraghy fed a perlectly storie, clriel aesthetic Infact, the Cons dion Acadamy of Erotic Enquiry i visually stking and belie ‘able ereugh to function a a character of tz ows, and @ tome memarable one at that Stl the highest high of Storea doesn’t come from the plot, the atting, a even He impeccable narration. No, Sterco's soul retains pacing, unfolding ike a marriage between = Fypnstic tne poem ord a dry educational video. The film just flows from one scene tothe rent with vor ile physical Betion happening, rreatin a vibe that makes it feel more Thea special interest documentary than @ narrative Feature Ieee structure that can easily be izalating to most viewers but you can gel wth tthe entire film ject cpene Hell up fo you, making the brief runtime foe! ike on ctesmity inthe het possisle way W's ths touch that mokas the sxnerience cf watching Sterse really unlike wetching any ether Cronenbora film. t's 0 movie that’s egaressnaly academic about © scionce thot ‘Joven’ ext, and when combined with long diotibes aboot fmm sesualty (the foe norm, on sxponced form of iconv Tig") t's elaor why 0 wiwar would bounce of Stereo hard Butte do 39 would to mise out, bacouce Sterao isnot only one of the most forcmotina Cronenborgs from a historical erepective, i's hv most faazmating fom @ forma perspec v0 08 wall Ayeor ofter Stereo, Cronenberg gave the feature film anot- her stab with Crimes of the Future 0 spintual suecarsor 0 Stereo, Muct like Stora, t's 9 film with no diagete soune tr dialogue, following @ tciewtst ae he makes obsarvations ‘on the world cround him, Unlike Stereo, nowover, Crmes of he Futura meant to be seon less os 0 sonic dacemant fond mora os ¢ series of drory entre, swapping aut multip® horraters for one mon: Adnan Tripod (Ranale nd), Advan 9 scientist ond 1 hood of @ daimotoloay clic rmenacinaly named The Hovse of Skin, The institution i= pores, corseting of only Adrian, two interns, and @ single rmole ootent, but unkke Stereo's Canadian Acadery of Erotic neu, the explanation bewind the lack of psople in The House of Skin te bone-chilinaly sinister. A mysterious disease known ony at Rouge's Malady wos spread through totmetie praduct, and quickly roreed oround the word Imvsterously picking off the planets entire population of s. vol moture women, Isaving only bore, men, ond young file let olve, During the plague, the mon who ciscoveres ‘t.Advian's mentor, Anton Rouge, vanished, and Advon rakes it ypon h mes to trock the man dove, Trading tim rough the dorkest ports of pleaue-devostoted Canoda, While Stereo wos Cronenbers developing the peychorexval side of his work, Cnmas ofthe Future flachae tout with his ‘other infomous trodamark: sickening body horror of the hig hot caliber. Rouge’s Molady coures mysterious white foom 10 low from v cts’ onfices (helpfully dubbed “Rouges Foom), and the disease toon laads to bleeding and myst rows flids pouring from the eyes. Given the bude, the ef fects aren't anywhere nagron por with tha hornfic sights of The Fly, Videodroms, or Scanners, but when you hove myst rows white goo caning om romsora’s ar, you dant need he groctert effect in the world to be grove. Helping work arourd the budget isthe foct thot the arisisst bits of body horror are raved fer norration, Like Stereo, before it, Crimes of the Foture uses the neration fo not only rll the moin tory, but to ave the briefest glimpses ot worlds 190 Fontostical forthe fln's resources, I's @ clever rick, but there's ane big problem: Ronald Mlodrit's narat- ‘nit bad, Realy bad, I's stuck n 0 bo between the pro fessional, matter-of-fact presentation of Stereo's narrators ‘anda tradivona| monologue, illed with needless breothy povses and a vocabolory thot fits his character, but dit. Facts from the otherwise arty tone ofthe fi. He oct ike he belongs in tre world of Stereo, ord instead of creating © neat dissorence, ait doses distract, his is @ problem thet rune through nesly every frame of Cres of the Future. Healy, relly wants tobe Stereo 2.0, even when thats al edd with ity om story and com fet, The satrar's tones don’ fit the fngesing pace doeus't fi and the examination of non-heterosenvcl orien lotions gaes rowhere, ending up seeing cuder tian it feels the film would bie tobe Now, none af Hin isto say Crimes ofthe Future f worthless compared lo Slee, oc even that i's justo rehash, becouse its nat In Fac, when Caines of the Future does ie own hing, the results ove gute remarkable. Ihe focus on giving he iy more cleoly defied characters os well as 9 cane ‘ant POV helps ground ie fim its world, ond gives the plot actual stakes beyond the scenic curiosity of unseen Actors. Pls, ¢ wider verity of lascinating locations are led, ond the addition af colar ceuly "lps make the move visually staking locations (such aso lobby filled with glo ‘wing neon boatds) stand out 10 la eden li fie by David Gonenbarg CREIVESofE ther UTURE serio Roneld Medi it, road ind by Dovid Cronebarg NOW SHOWING! « BRITANNIA drive ul when you get down to i the biggest, nest important change Crimes of the Tulare makes from Stereos where it hovses to go, While | wll ot divulge inte spoilers, Crimes of the Futur takes lum in the thir oct to tackle subject hnolter Cronenberg hadh't dared explore before avd sease ably han approcched since. leant soy wth confidence hat he actually hondles the taboo a1 well asthe sory needed, but i's certainly disconcerting, and realy hammers home the film's hopeless, cushing slmosphere when i mal Unite Steree, Crimes ofthe Future ien'La great fil, but i's certainly a fine one ard helps se! up themes that would later be explored in tiles lice Shivers, Rebid, and Ive Sood. Yet, much to my disappointment, the noration would never cary over to anther II Incving just Slaven and Cres of the Fulure az Crorenberg's twa solely narrated features, While is © dsappoiniment he'd never touch the format again, the wo Fline that did use the formal certoily ood oul in thes Line, ond ail said gut today For betier for worse, Stereo ond Crimes af tne Fulute both represeat Cronenberg ot his most experimental, and are easeatial pieces of an exteutial directors imography. Don’t el them poss you by.