Thanks Ben – I’ll check them out.
As is the general opinion on this thread, I loved the film as well. I was able to snatch up a copy a few years ago when the Criterion version was still in print and I’m glad I did. Easily my favourite Cronenberg film and very much in toe with Greenaway (A Zed and Two Noughts in particular as previously mentioned). Jeremy Irons outdoes himself and depicts the two versions of himself (alike but subtly different) very well and with a depth that is unparalleled in similar films that deal with the subjects of twins.
As far as appreciation for the film by the fairer sex, I’d have to say that it seems to be about half and half. Some are repulsed by the film (and who could blame them) and others were fascinated by it. It all depends on who it is and how her mind works.
Also, the commentary on the Criterion version is excellent. Cronenberg is always interesting.
Fredo, while I found a lot to appreciate in Naked Lunch, there was a lack of clarity that doesn’t exist in Videodrome and Dead Ringers. Don’t be discouraged from seeing those two, which are both brilliant.
Fredo, I’ve seen Scanners through Eastern Promises. The last two, Eastern Promises and A History of Violence seem more conventional than the rest. Previous to those two films , I enjoyed seeing an evolution of signature “props” such as the gynecological medical instruments used in Dead Ringers. I think the complex Naked Lunch would be more appreciated with some knowledge going in of Burroughs, Ginsberg and Kerouak. My favorite is Crash, but I have a thing for Deborah Unger. I recommend seeing them all and in the order of their making, if possible, to see the evolution of Cronenberg’s skills and style.
^ True. Naked Lunch is, like the novel (from which it is VERY loosely based), very inconsistent and disjointed. Just keep in mind that Cronenberg is channeling William S. Burroughs …
I think it’s a pretty good film. Not Cronenberg’s best but possibly one of his best – surely interesting and essential viewing for any Cronenberg fan.
I’d also like to point out that I think NAKED LUNCH is maybe Cronenberg’s funniest movie. I’m in awe of Weller’s deadpan, gumshoe kinda performance every time I watch it. Great. I think NAKED LUNCH and VIDEODROME are closer in spirit to one another than VIDEODROME and EXISTENZ, even if those two have some more obvious connections.
Dead Ringers is my favorite Cronenberg film to date. Don’t get me wrong, he’s done some fabulous films over the years – Videodrome, The Fly, Naked Lunch and even his more recent endeavors like, eXistenZ and Eastern Promises. Just last night I watched, The Brood. I love how Cronenberg’s films all have similar themes and imagery. A true Auteur.
“They’re so different from us. And all because we don’t live under water.”
Ben Simington
Fredo—
Completely subjective, but my appreciation of the movies went in cycles and stages…for what it’s worth, this is roughly my Cron-ology:
NAKED LUNCH (did not care for)
SCANNERS (so-so…terrible acting)
VIDEODROME (blew my mind, totally)
THE FLY (blew my mind, miraculously, even further)
DEAD RINGERS (let down that it wasn’t weirder…not enough SFX)
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (let down that it wasn’t….that good)
NAKED LUNCH (blew my mind anew…realized the stuff I hated I now loved)
EASTERN PROMISES (much better than HOV, IMHO)
DEAD RINGERS (the movie of his I’ve most recently rewatched, and now I love it and think it’s incredible)
So, please, watch VIDEODROME, and maybe it will a good gateway for you. Don’t let NAKED LUNCH make you worry that you’re not a Cronenberg fan. You may even eventually become a NAKED LUNCH fan. His stuff is amazing.