Videodrome (1983) Hey what's up guys. Today I'll show you a
science fiction horror film: "Videodrome"! Spoiler ahead, watch out and take care!
The movie opens up with a line from the Civic broadcasting station,
saying that the television is the thing people take to their bed. then a woman appears on TV,
reminding "Max" to wake up because he has a meeting. Max owns the Civic broadcasting station,
which broadcasts shows from hormone stuff to hardcore violence.
Max wakes up and comes to meet the hormone stuff seller. He gets the tape and watches it with his
teammates, to evaluate if they can broadcast it. One of his teammates suggests that they can get
an audience for broadcasting it. But Max thinks that the hormone stuff is too soft and boring.
He then says that they need to broadcast something hardcore.
After that, he meets with Harlan, the operator of an unauthorized satellite dish that receives
violent videos globally. "Harlan" shows Max footage from a show, called "Videodrome". Harlan
estimates that the show signal must be coming from Malaysia. The footage shows two masked people,
torturing a woman in an enclosed room with a wall of clay. It seems that the woman is
being tortured to death. Max immediately gets hooked on it, and he shows interest in it.
Max leaves the satellite station, and comes to a TV show interview with a radio host,
"Nikki", and a media expert called "Professor", who only shows himself on television.
The interviewer asks Max why he broadcasts hormones and violence to the audience.
Max says that it's a matter of economics, since people want to seek that unusual stuff. In return,
the interviewer asks Max about the contribution of his broadcasting station, to the climate
of violence in their country. Max says that his station provides an outlet for people's fantasies
and urges, by letting them watch hormones and violent stuff. So he believes his broadcasting
station offers a positive effect on society. After that, the interviewer asks Nikki about her
opinion of Max's station. She replies that people are overstimulated by their environment, so people
are being desensitized. As a result, people crave something unusual like hardcore stuff,
to get stimulated. But at the same time, she thinks that desensitization and overstimulation
are bad things. Max says that Nikki wears an overstimulating dress, and she agrees with him.
He then asks her for a date right at the show. As the two talk on the side, the interviewer
asks the Professor about his opinion on the possible dehumanizing effect of television.
Professor answers that the television becomes the retina of the mind's eye.
This means that television becomes a part of how our mind perceives reality.
After the interview, Max goes back to Harlan to watch another episode of Videodrome. He asks
Harlan about the Videodrome's plot. Harlan replies there is no plot there, and it only shows a series
of torture, murder, and mutilation. Harlan adds that the Videodrome came from Pittsburg, and not
from Malaysia. Max expresses his amazement at the show, as he thinks that it's too realistic.
Later at night, Max and Nikki go on a date. After their date, he takes her
home to have their private moment. She asks him to watch a hormone show, since it turns her on.
Nikki accidentally finds Videodrome footage. She watches it, and she becomes interested in it. She
expresses her desire to get tortured in the show. Apparently, she is a masochist, and likes being
hurt. He sees some wounds on her nape, and it turns out, she let someone do it to her. As they
continue their hormone session, Max hallucinates that they are in the Videodrome clay room.
The following day, Max meets with a softcore pornographer. He asks her
to track the Videodrome show for him. He says that the torture and violence in Videodrome,
is the future of their broadcasting station. At night, Nikki informs Max that she's going to
Pittsburg to audition for the Videodrome show. He then warns her that the show must be too dangerous
for her. But she says it sounds challenging, expressing her desire to be on the show.
Soon after, Max meets with the pornographer, to share the information about the Videodrome.
She tells him to stay away from the Videodrome, since it is too dangerous for public consumption.
She warns him that Videodrome is not mere acting, but it's an act of real torture and violence.
She adds that there is a political movement behind Videodrome, which makes it even more dangerous.
She's reluctant to reveal any information about Videodrome, but he insists. So she says the
Professor's name is related to the show. Max goes to Professor's headquarters,
where there are television cubicles. The television is utilized by the Professor's
daughter for psychological therapy for homeless people. she says that homeless people have a
disease for a lack of access to television. She adds that allowing them to access television, will
allow them to get immersed back into society. Max asks her about his father. She replies that the
Professor does not engage in conversation, so she will just send him a videotape from her father.
That night, Max's secretary delivers the videotape from Professor to Max's home.
He begins to hallucinate that he is slapping Nikki. As he realizes his strange hallucination,
he immediately tells his secretary to leave. Max then watches the videotape. There, Professor
reveals that there is an ongoing battle of the mind in their society, and it is happening through
controlling what appears on television. Professor says what appears on television, appears as a raw
experience to its viewer. Therefore, television is reality. He also says that Max's hallucination
already happened to him. And Max is already living in half hallucination, and he needs to learn about
his new world. Apparently, the hallucinations caused a brain tumor to grow in Professor's
brain. Professor then reveals that he is the first victim of the Videodrome. Just then, Nikki appears
from behind, and chokes Professor to death. Nikki then instructs Max to come to her. As Max sees her
lips, he begins to hallucinate. The television appears as breathing and moving flesh to him.
The following day, after being disturbed by the hallucinations,
Max goes back to the Professor's daughter. She then asks him about his hallucination. There,
he realizes that the hallucination began, when he got exposed to Videodrome. she then reveals that
Videodrome is more than an appearance of violence and torture. It turns out, it has a signal,
which can cause hallucinations and brain tumors. At this point, she reveals the Professor is
already dead because of the brain tumor, and that the Professor only exists through the videotapes.
Apparently, Professor is one of the creators of Videodrome to help humanity's evolution.
Unfortunately, his partner had another vision for the Videodrome; so his partner killed him.
Max proceeds to ask her about his own Videodrome tumor. In response, the Professor's daughter gives
him a videotape from her father. After that, Max rushes to Harlan, to ask him about the
hallucination. But Harlan did not experience it. At night, Max watches the video tape of the
Professor. There Professor says the hallucinations are part of the evolution of the brain.
Just then, Max scratches his stomach with his gun, and it suddenly opens up. He then puts the
gun inside his stomach. As he takes his hand outside the stomach, it closes back again.
Max searches for his gun to confirm if he is hallucinating, but he cannot find a gun anywhere.
right then, Max receives a call from Convex, who is Professor's partner in creating Videodrome.
Convex instructs him to go down, and ride the cab. At this point, Max is too curious about the
Videodrome, so he follows Convex's instructions. In the cab, Convex introduces himself through
the television. He says he owns a company that creates sunglasses, and missile guidance systems.
At the same time, his company creates Videodrome. Max arrives at Convex's sunglasses store,
and Convex welcomes him. Convex lets him wear a device that will record Max's hallucination,
so they can use it for analysis. Max wears it, and in his hallucination, a pixelated Nikki
appears in front of him. Eventually, the pixelated hallucination slowly appears to become more real.
Nikki gives a whip to him, and instructs him to perform. As he's about to lash her,
the surroundings suddenly turn to the Videodrome clay room.
At the same time, Nikki becomes a television. As he continues lashing, the pornographer appears
on the television, and screams in pain. After that, Max wakes up back in his room.
At this point, he cannot distinguish reality from hallucination. He's in surprise, as he
finds the pornographer's dead body in his bed. He immediately calls Harlan to come to his home,
and document his bed. Harlan comes to Max's room, only to find nothing there. Max checks his bed,
and the pornographer's body is nowhere to be found. He freaks out, and angrily asks Harlan if
he recorded Videodrome last night. Harlan gets offended by Max's tone. Max then apologizes,
and tells Harlan that they will meet later. After some time, Max meets Harlan in the
satellite station. He asks Harlan if he was able to see him in the Videodrome last night.
But Harlan says that there was no transmission last night. Convex enters the station,
revealing that Harlan is working for Convex. Apparently, Harlan deliberately lets Max get
exposed to the Videodrome. At this point, Convex reveals its desire to eradicate the morally
corrupted people in society, who enjoy watching torture and violence. They believe that these
shows are corrupting society. Convex then aims to use Videodrome to inflict fatal torture on those,
who will watch the violent show. he reveals that they will use Max's broadcasting station, to let
the morally corrupted audience get exposed to it, which will lead to their eventual eradication.
Max refuses at first, but Convex shows a videotape to him, which makes him want
to get controlled. His stomach opens up, and Convex puts the videotape into him. After that,
Convex and Harlan leave. The videotape inside Max plays, and he hears a whisper,
instructing him to kill his teammates in the broadcasting station. He then takes out his gun
from his stomach, and it slowly gets attached to his hand. He walks back to the broadcasting
station, and he shoots both of his teammates. After that, the voice instructs him to kill the
Professor's daughter, so he immediately comes to her. The daughter knows that Max is already
programmed by Videodrome to assassinate her. She then hides in the television cubicle. Max
searches, and he sees footage of Nikki's death. Apparently, Nikki is already dead,
and she only exists through the videotapes. right then, the television releases the flesh
of a hand with a gun. It shoots Max in the stomach, and his wounds heal after a while.
the Professor's daughter then walks out, revealing that Max is reprogrammed in order to turn against
the Videodrome's order. she then controls Max to kill Convex, and destroy the Videodrome.
The following day, Max waits for Harlan along the streets. a television broadcasts his murderous
acts yesterday. Harlan enters Convex's sunglasses store, so he follows him inside. Harlan attempts
to insert another tape into his stomach. But his stomach traps Harlan inside. As Harlan manages to
remove his hand, a grenade made out of flesh, is attached to it. After a while, the grenade
explodes, leading to Harlan's death. After that, Max rushes to Convex, who is presenting at his
company promotion. Max walks to the stage, and shoots Convex to death. After Convex's death, his
body undergoes a strange transformation. Convex's dead body breaks out, and the flesh begins to
emerge from it. Max announces that death is coming for the Videodrome, and a new flesh will emerge.
After a series of murderous acts, Max proceeds to hide inside an abandoned ship in the harbor.
a television broadcasts Nikki informing Max that he only hurts Videodrome, but he's not
able to totally destroy it. She then instructs him to enter a new phase, by killing himself.
right at that time, the television shows Max shooting himself with the gun. After that,
flesh emerges from the television. In the end,
Max follows the instruction to shoot himself, leading to his death.
This's Daniel CC movie channel! Stay safe and enjoy your day!