Videodrome (1983)
David Cronenberg’s 1983 film fairly brilliantly presages the rise of the internet and our willingness to surrender some of our humanity in the service of technology, but it starts with old-fashioned adult entertainment.
Max Renn (James Woods), president of a small UHF station, stumbles upon a broadcast signal of very violent videos. This leads him to Nicki Brand (Debbie Harry) an explicit radio host with dark predilections.
Max’s investigation of her disappearance leads to him having a Betamax cassette inserted into his torso, and his eventual effort to transcend our sick sad world and “leave the old flesh.” It’s all very metaphorical, but feels especially relevant in the age of artificial intelligence.
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