David Cronenberg's breakthru pic was designed to blow your mind right from the start . . . literally. Though soon moved to the second reel, early preview showings opened with a trained ‘Scanner’ publically demonstrating the Mind Reading/Mind Controlling technique by going mano-a-mano against a random audience member who’s actually a secretly planted ‘Master Scanner.’ It doesn’t go well; or perhaps it goes too well. In any event, the exploding head grabbed attention in the burgeoning indie cult horror film market and Cronenberg’s rep was made. Even sequels! None of which he had anything to do with. Turns out, the idea that Cronenberg was an exploitative sensationist confused content with topic. But just what was he getting at? Stephen Lack, a sometime actor with a wonderfully photogenic off-center face, plays a naturally gifted ‘scanner,’ kidnapped by expert Patrick McGoohan for his studies of these exceptional specimen. Someone’s trying to kill them all off. Someone else is trying to organize them to take over! Take over what, exactly? For what, exactly? Not a film you’ll want to parse for narrative sense or consequentiality, but to simply follow along for the ride. Gory, amusing, suspenseful, surprisingly well acted and (alas) at this stage and with this budget, very unevenly directed. Even the cinematography a grab-bag of effective morbid atmosphere, flat underdressed sets and overlighting. Still, nothing quite like it had been seen, and Cronenberg’s later, better considered films that followed unimaginable without it.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: For a jump in Cronenberg filmic evolution that retains his more subversive tendencies, try the underseen sicko thrills of CRASH/’96. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2017/01/crash-1996.html
No comments:
Post a Comment