•

by Susan Ayscough

Interviewing David Cronen berg on the Sex ... subject of politics is a lot like playing hopscotch in a mine field. I tried to address the subject of se;w al politics, b ut he jumped on the issue of censor­ ship. We tackled the ever-debatable to pic of pornography, and eventually wound into a discussion about the Porn ... politics of his latest film based on the novel by Stephen King, The Dead Zone. Cronenberg had initially claimed that art and politics are mutually exclusive, and that he is interested in making art. Period. One hundred and eighty de­ grees later, he argues that The Dead Zone is, without question, a political ----=-=--c ensorsh ip .. •• film. Ma ybe Martin Scorsese was right when he said that David iIim .. r:lfdocsn't know what his films are about !

Cinema Canada: A lot ofthe criticism ofyour films centers around the subject of sexual politics. Robin Wood has Art ... based his criticis m of your films on this, as have others. Do you have a theory when you start writing a script ? David Cronen berg: No. That's the thing. For me, film is not a political stateme nt sp ecifically. If it is, it's partly propaganda. If you begin with a political Politics ... stance and your film is an illustration of Marxist propositions or Fascist propo­ sitions or w hatever political theory you hap pe n to hold, then I think you're making a propaganda film, a nd to m e that automatically m eans it cannot be art. I think that art a nd propaganda are poles apart, a nd that they don't overlap. And other terms Now this is not to say that the films that Robin Wood likes are propaganda. When I start to make a film I try to completely clear my h ead of all the inte llectua l a nd cerebral considerations of the times that I live in .

Cinema Canada: Do you think you can 'clear your head' ? David Cron e nberg: No. No t comple­ tely But I try to do it and get in touch with som ething that's more basic and then work ou twards from that into the details of ti m e and cu lture and so forth. I don't start with the politics, even if you end up with the politics. Didyou see The Dead Zone?

Cinema Canad a: Yes I did. How does this relate to Dead Zone? David Cr onenbe r g: Even though there's a part of the film that deals specifically with poli tiCS, it's not really about left-wing and right-wing. It deals with th e possibility of political assassi­ nation as a necessity. To that extent it's g poli tics. But even in this case, that's not ~ where you begin. You begin \vith some- 6 th ing int uitive and instinctive and you ~ work your way out from there. And to z me, any valid expression of that is legi­ o timate art. You can't criticize Ferdinand }i Celine because he was a Fascist colla­ Q. bora tor. It doesn't mean that his works

Susan Ayscough is a Montrealfreelance writer. - December 1983 - Cinema Canada/15 • INTERVIEW • are not great. It doesn't mean that you all meaning, and you'd have to get very you mean that it espouses left-win~ spread and destroy that. They would thought his works were great until you . specific. Certainly Robin Wood does get politics? No, you don't really mean that. talk about the disease of the middle realized he was a Fascist collaborator very specific. In a verv specific way, I Does it discuss the difference between classes. And whether I agree with that and then decide that his politics were don't think I'm very political. left-wing and right-wing politics? No, I interpretation or not, I think that would wrong and therefore his books are trash. don't think it does that. Does it discuss be a political interpretation of that film. And the same goes for me. I understand Cinema Canada: Do you mean that the difficulty of maintaining a democracy (Robin! Wood's approach and what he your person or your films are not very in a modern technocratic state ? A little Cinema Canada: There is the same says, and I can agree with him up to a political ? - bit, but not exactly. You see what I scenario ofmiddle class, or even upper­ point. It's obviously one approach to David Cronen berg: Both, don't mean ? I think that you could do a middle class, in a situation of crisis in criticism, but to me, he invalidates much separate them. version of Videodrome that would be The Dead Zone. There is also a politician of what he's good at by beingso rigid. It's overtly political and would deal with striving for money and power in this the Procustean bed of applying a stan­ Cinema Canada: Let's consider the those questions, but beca use of my own film. dard, and the things that fit are good and idea that one cannot make any form of temperament and sensibilities, it doesn't. David Cronenberg: You deal with a the things that don't fit are bad, without art without making some sort of po lit- So that if you want to say it's political lead character, Johnny Smith, who used reference to anything else. And to me, ical statement. If one goes to an art because it discusses how media changes to be a member of the middle class, or that diminishes him as a critic. Why he museum or one looks at any form of our image of reality, then I agree. But I more broadly, the lower-middle class. should do that or feel the need to do that art, one will see some political state­ think that that is such a broad definition He's feeling satisfied; he works in the I don't know, but it really is irrelevant ment rendered, and it seems that you of the word politics, tha t the word school system and he's a teacher. He finally. But I can read his stuff and say are denying that. starts to lose it s m eaning in terms of feels secure. He is going to get married. 'Yes, yes, yes, well that's true from that David Cronenberg: How very French discussing film. He knows where he is going to go. He's point of view' but so what? My reaction of you! The French love to see every­ got it all laid out ahead of him. Suddenly to his criticism is much the same as his thing in terms of politics. In the '60s, the Cinema Canada: I'd like to specific­ he finds himself Iby virtue of an accident reaction to my films. late '60s in particular, we're talking very ally discuss the sexual politics of your that he had nothing to do with specific­ specifically about left-wing versus right­ films. ally) an outsider. He is an artist in the Cinema Canada: So what? wing and even Maoist versus other left­ David Cronenberg: To me, politics sense that he has a sensitivity to society David Cronenberg: I say well, so wing revisionism. The politics of those does not mean sexual politics. To me, that most people don't have. He finds it what? And then, I have a slightly de­ times were very specific, and were in­ politics has to do with power struggles, very difficult to know what to do with it. pressed feeling. I don't think that films fluenced by China and Godard's films, and parties, and revolutions, and I think He's a revolutionary in one sense because have to be joyful. I don't think they have and Bertolucci's films, and by the events that people use the term sexual revolu­ he has visions of society Ipast, present to be positive. I don't think they have to of May 1968. This was very specific stuff. tion in a metaphorical way. In the '60s and.future) which he has -to somehow be uplifting to h" vatid experiences. But Their films were full of references to all we used to talk about the politics of decide to act on or not act on. So aside I don't necessarily agree with him that of that. To me, those are political films, experience. That was a book by R. D. from the fact that one character is a my films are depressing and joyless. Laing: "The Politics of Experience." politician, there are politics involved in That's his own subjective response, and Cinema Canada: You see those films What does that mean? It means power The Dead Zone: there's no question I wouldn't try to deprive him of his own 10fGodard and Bertolucci) as political struggles between individuals, and that's about it. What's your interpretation? response to my films, obviously. I think a because they deal specifically with the a legitimate use of the word politics. But film can be depressing and still be subject of politics? when someone says 'This is a political Cinema Canada: "/ $%?'O'&?%$/" exhilarating and good. I think a film can David Cronen berg: No, but they dis­ film: I think it has to mean something David Cronenberg: You'll add it later. be joyful and bad. So the criteria that he cussed politics. La Chi noise is a very more specific. This is a really semantic Right ? applies to my films to invalidate them political film. It's got the little red book thing that we're talking about. If you on a certain level are not crite ria that in it. To m e, unless you're talking on a want to talk about sexual power-strug­ Cinema Canada: Exactly. In all your work for me. metaphorical level, political film is about gles and so on, then I agree with you that films, not only The Dead Zone, your politics in some very specific way. It my films are political. I agree with you. lead character starts out as quote/ un­ Cinema Canada: In the ending of starts to lose its meaning for me when But I don't know if the French would quote Normal. How do you think about your film Shivers the implication is that you get more general. consider that politics, or if that's what this when you create your characters? these people are going to spread vene­ they mean by politics. Let me give you How do you make them "normal" ? real disease all over the world. Was this Cinema Canada: Do you mean that an example. For some French critics, They're married and they live in a little implication intended, or do you think politics loses meaningfor you if we try Shivers was criticism of bourgeois house or apartment. When you attack that's a valid interpretation? to discuss afilmfrom a certain political democracy because the lives of the it, do you think of how to define "ordi­ David Cronenberg: Certainly I in­ viewpoint? people in Starliner Towers were very nary people" ? tended to suggest that these people David Cronen berg: No. We're both proper bourgeois, controlled, fussy little David Cronenberg: Well, I don't exact­ were going out to spread their disease to trying to define what 'political' means lives; all controlled and isolated with­ ly attack it. I think one of the things that make the rest of the world like them­ when applied to a work of art, or when out any consideration of larger things. Robin Wood dislikes about my films is selves. It happened to be a disease-like applied to a film . Now why don't you tell They thought the film was a revolution­ that he believes that there is this real process. But even if you wanted to look me why Videodrome is political ? Do ary statement about the forces that affection for middle-class normality, at it on a political level in a metaphorical way, you could have these infected people lifyou choose! be Trotskyites at a time when there weren't too many Trotskyites and they are going out to spread their disease Ii.e. the doctrine of communism or socialism! to the world, and ultimately infect a large part of the world. There a re m e taphorical leve ls you could take that on. IRobin Wood ! cho oses to take it, on what is to m e a very mundane leve l, and probably the lea st interesting level. If you're going to get a nalytical about it, as h e d oes, I th ink he could be a little more inventive than he was. That's all.

Cinema Canada: Can one look at a film without being analytical about its politics ? David Cronenberg: Sure. It's not hard. I don't consider myself a very political or politicized person, It also depe nds very much on what you mean by politics. Le t's go back to the '60s and define our terms. Are we ta lking about the Liberals versus the Tories in Cana­ da ? How wide are we talking? Left versus right wing? Are we talking about reactionary versus revolutionary ? What level of politics are we talking about ? Of course if you get very general then any film is political: any work of art or even any narrative is political. But you can get • Terror and violence suddenly strike in David Cronenberg's The De.d Zone so general that the word 'JlOlitical' loses • INTERVIE w • and that there's a certain sadness in David Cronen berg: So here w e are We pretend that this actress is playing a Cinema Canada: So you think it's giving that up. I say 'yes' to that. That's talking about the depiction of women. role (and of course, we all know that beller ifyo ur audience responds emo­ true. I have ambivalent feelings about First of ai'l, as a creator of charac ters, I that's what is happening), but for the all of that. However, I'm surprised some­ tionally? believe I have the freedom to create a moment of the film, we pretend that this David Cronen berg: Cerebrally as times that he doesn't realize that I have character who is not meant to represent is a real character: a person who has well. You put a lot into a film, and it's ambivalent feelings about that, which all characters. In other words, I can been created during the course of very complex. There are many levels: are very obvious in the films. He's paint­ create a woman as a character who does making the movie. And that is my real visual images, and thought, and sound , ing it black and white, and I'm saying, not represent all women. If I depict a audience. SpeCial interest groups, and emotion as well as many other 'No, that's not true. It's not black and character as a middle-class dumbo, why whether they're feminists or anti-vio­ levels. You hope that people will respond white at all'. does this have to mean that I think that lence groups, or pro-Christian, or any on many levels. If one level offends I was raised in a basically middle­ all women are middle-class dumbos ? other groups; they're not my real au­ the m and touches a political nerve, I'm class way, .and I'm not prepared to That doesn't make any sense at all. dience. They w ill only watch a movie in not saying that no-one should respond totally throw out middle-class America. There are some women out there who one specific way, for one specific thing. negatively. I'm saying that they have to I think there are some things that are very are. Why can they not be characters in There's a group that counts the number be aware that if they focus on that, one valuable in the middle class. So I'm not a my film ? So if I show Debbie Harry as a of violent acts per half-hour. I can't be element of the film to the exclusion of revolutionary in the sense that I believe character who burns her breast with a concerned with those people. They're everything else, then they'll have a very that everything must be dismantled, cigarette, does that mean that I am not my real audience. lopsided response to a film. For exam­ destroyed and torn down and we must suggesting that all women want to burn ple, there's a film out, The Big ChilL A lot 'start from scratch. I don't think that that ' their breasts with cigarettes? That's Cinema Canada: Who is your 'real' of people hated that film, and they hate ever works. So if that makes me a juvenile. That's ridiculous. To try to audience? it for political reasons. They lived through reactionary, then I plead guilty to that. build censorship around that (which is David Cronenberg: The millions of the '60s, and they feel that it was a very However, I'm not a total reactionary what some women's groups are trying people who have seen my films, in 40 or special time, and they feel that the film because a total reactionary believes that to do); to give you guidelines to the 50 countries around the world. Most of is a little too flippant, a little too slick things are absolutely the best way they kinds of characters you can create, and them don't approach the films from any and a little too entertaining, to coincide could possibly be right now without any to the kinds of acts that they could do .. special political stance, or view the film with their own experiences of those changes, and I don't believe that either. for me, that is obscene. Then you are only that way. They are responding to times. I think that's unfair. At least Robin (Wood) admits that my heading for a police state. That's a diffe­ the film as a total entity. films do not suggest that everything is rent kind of police bureau that's control­ secure and going OK, and is just exactly ling the world, a different kind of KGB. Cinema Canada: So they're just con­ Cinema Canada: You think people's the way it should be. He admits that the As an artist, it doesn't matter whether sumers of the image? judgement of The Big Chill is unfair films have a sense of danger. They're not because they don't accept the film as a reassuring films. To that extent, h e whole? approves of their politics, I think. David Cronenberg: On it's own terms. You might finally decide you don't like Cinema Canada: Let's talk about the those terms. A lot of these people liked representation of women in the films. the movie, but they hate it politically. A lot offilms that deal with the middle They hate the politics of the film because class, put women in a very cliche role; it suggests that all the hippies of the '60s sometimes even a pornographic role. who were revolutionaries have sold out, David Cronen berg: To me, that's except for the guy who died. They think obscene. To call that pC'rnographic is to this is suggesting something which they totally misuse the word. This is to me resent politically, even though on ano­ being reactionary again : I don't think ther level they enjoyed the film. 1 think we should debase the language, in the that's a very schizophrenic response to sense that if anything we say is to mean the film. The film goes 'so far' and anything we have to at least agree on decides not to go further. OK, well le t what our terminology means. these other people make the fil m that goes further if they want to, but the film­ Cinema Canada: How do you define maker (Lawrence Kasdan) was very pornography? honest in how far h e wanted to go with David Cronenberg: Pornography is what he did. At a moment when it might art or non-art that is specifically designed get a lot heavier or a lot something. he to arouse sexual desire. stops, but that's a lright. That's his prero­ gative to do that. Cinema Canada: Is that not eroti­ cism? • Cronenberg : "Pornography technica ll y is writing about prostit utes' Cinema Canada: Was the represen­ David Cronen berg: That's not eroti­ ta tion ofAmerica n politics in The Dead cism, but there is a huge overlap. For it's run by feminists or whether it' s run David Cronenberg: Perhap s. That, of Zone intended to slander A.merican political reasons people want to make a by Brezhnev, it's still the KGB; it's still course, is a very sarcastic political image. politics, or did you include that beca use distinction between pornography and the state police. 'resist all their attempts. it \Vas a part of Stephen King's book? eroticism. If women want to criticize what' do, or Cinema Canada: Are you implying David Cronenberg: Well. yes it's a pick at my films, that's OK of course. But that the people who see your films are part of the book, but it's only a part of Cinema Canada: You don't · make a to actually suggest that there should be people who don't think about what The Dead Zone. It d eals with the diffi­ distinction between pornography and laws laid down in a bureaucratic way: they'r e seeing? culty of a democratic system which has eroticism? this is my idea of hell; a Kafka's h ell. You David Cronen berg: Oh no, ' d isagree become so close ly tipd into the m edia, David Cronenberg: No. We have to will kill art. There will be no art. And completely. That's not what I was saying and which naturally tends to promote discuss a specific thing. Pornography once again, J say, why can't I create a at all. What I'm saying is that I'm sending peop le who have a lot of fa Cility for technically is writing about prostitutes. character who is unpleasant ? It does out my film as an integra l. organic living posturing and image-making for the Graphic porno is whores, graffiti is writ­ not a utomatically suggest that all wo­ thing, and the people who are my au­ media. To make it less com pIe-x: you get ing. That's w hat pornography originally men a re this character any more than it dience receive it that way. Th e people a lot of actors who are pretending to he was: writing with prostitutes as charac­ suggests tha t a character who is a ve ry who are not my audie nce dissect it, certain things. People vote for the g'..!Y ters. It was meant to b e stuff that would despicable man represents a ll me n. It looking for the gall bladder to see w heth­ who pretends to be the best. arouse people. I suppose if someone doesn't make any sense. J don't under­ er it's diseased or not. Do you under­ was a very elegant writer, and an artist, stand that a ttitude. stand what J mean ? Cinema Canada: People vote for the he could do pornography that would be guy who is the best actor? erotic. It would not be what we think of Cinema Canada : When you're crpat­ Cinema Canada: Continue ... David Cronenbcrg: Yeah, or the guy as Just plain gross and obscene without ing your characters, do you think about David Cronenberg: 'fyou walk into a w ho has the best role. 1 hev vote for the any artistic valu e. When we talk about the things that you're attributing to room and someone is looking at you as a guy who has the best writers to write the pornography of violence, you're say­ them ? po tential model, they don't see you as a him the best role. Sudden I)' that means ing that you don't like violence depicted David Cronenberg: J try not to. I whole person. They see you as a model you aren't voting for a i-pa l person: in things, and it's bad. OK, that's a really try very hard not to. who will sell a particular product. But you're voti n~ for an image, And yet it's phrase-making thing to say 'pornography that's obviously not the way you hope not the image who is going to run the of violence', but how does it relate to Cinema Canada: Does this go for the most people will respond to you. You country. So in what I would call a verv violent pornography? I think it's a con­ male and female characters ? want p eople to respond to YOll as a total straightforward political sense. th~ fusion of terms, and when I'm talking David Cronenb erg: Yeah, that's right. entity. Dissecting my film to look for one question is asked: how jn a modem about all of this stuff, I really want to get , worlY about how people w ill respond little thing is killing it in the pl'Ocess. democracy can you make democracy terms straight. Otherwise, we're just to the characters, but when J say 'peo­ That's what I resent. And J think that's continue to work? How can you get to talking at cross-purposes. ple' I'm talking about my audience. My what special-interest grou ps do: cut it the real p eople and the behind-the­ audience. will see .these characters for ap art. scenes realit\' of power so that the {lirrema-es_ds: · ~o-Iet' s-dejine. "tn&momeflt-that-- tAey watch. the film. voters know what tlley' re reaUy geMing '!

December 1983 - Cinema Canada/17 • IN T E R V I~W If you get someone who is playing a role, • Dead Zone is political because it deals the murder case) is hard on him, it a bad thing. And it uses the image of which doesn't correspond to who he with a character who tries to stay un­ prepares him to take the next step Hitler because, taking the most extreme really is, and what he really will do involved with society and begins to (when he meets Stillson, the political example, one must ask 'Would it not be when he'is in power, then you have the realize that he can't do that. The Johnny candidate). He realizes he has to do the morally necessary to kill Hitler if you possibility ofvotirig for a psychotic, who Smith character has many father-figures same thing on a grander scale even had had the chance, knowing what you will, in a psychotic rage, annihilate the in the film who keep telling him that he though that is going 10 be more painful. know now?' If you agree .to that, then world. That's very possible, It's not new must get involved, Once he is involved Basically, it's martyrdom. you've already agreed that under cer­ obviously; it was done in Dr. Strange love. he must learn the tough realities of life, So the movie does take a fairly straight­ tain circumstances political assassina­ and he must stay involved, He has the forward moral stance and even then it's tion is necessary. Who would not'have Cinema Canada: We're talking about Sherriff Bannerman character telling complicated because for him to be moral assassinated Idi Amin at the height of his Doomsday? him that 'If you have this gift (psychic he has to kill another person. He bases power? Everybody in the world wanted David Cronenberg: Yeah, To me, powers) you must use it for social good: this only on his vision, He has to believe him to die (well no, obviously, not enough that is a political question, and it doesn't You have to use what you have to help in his own vision and he's going to kill people). So once, you agree that under necessarily involve left and right. It society. Whether you want to hide away someone, In essence, the film says, that certain circumstances it would be a involves questions like how does a de­ as a recluse or not, you can't. That's under certain circumstances, it might good thing (and that is a very hard thing mocracy work, and can it still work, and immoral. That's unethical to do that. be possible that political assassination is to swallow) ... well, ' I think that most so on and so on, And in another sense, Even though the outcome of that (solving necessary, It can be a good thing and not people would agree. •

ladies to get it, or kill or maim any­ suicide with the promise of some­ The Dead Zone is a compact, yet David Cronenberg's one who gets in his way. thing larger than life : Max was visually beautiful version of Stephen The Dead Zone's other characters seduced into believing in an immor­ King's novel. Unfortunately, that's all aren't quite as easy to categorize. One tal afterlife with 'The New Flesh,' and it is. The Dead Zone of the cops is a rapist and murderer Johnny is granted the saintly aCl)lalm in his spare' time (and gets caught bestowed upon great martyrs. Susan Ayscough • tflanks to Johnny), Johnny's fiancee, Videodrome is Cronenberg's mas­ Sarah (Brooke Adams), marries an terpiece and while The Dead Zone THE DEAD ZONE eI. DavidCronenber. The Dead Zone is David Cronenbergs up-and-coming politician while John­ works in the same vein stylistically, p. Debra H!II exec, p. Dino De Laurentila ... slickest and most controlled movie to Jeffrey 80am b.eed OD the D..... el by Stephen ny is sleeping his life away. She loves and is certainly more palatable for King el.o,p. Mark Irwin C,S.C, p. .... carol date, right in the mainstream of Johnny (and grants him one afternoon the audience seeking good, clean Spier fOm ed. Ronald Sanden ...... p. Jeft'rey commercial cinema. American script­ in bed because he deserves at least entertainment at the movies, it just Chernov c ..... d .... Olga Dlmitrov m_ comp. writer Jeffrey Boam wrote the screen­ that much) but she clings readily to doesn't command a similarly intense .. arr. MIchael Kamen ca.... Jlne' Jenkins. Janet Hinhen80n Deirdre Bowen p . .aD.. John play based on the novel by Stephen emotional and psychological res­ l her secure future with husband and M. Eckert ut Lei. John Board 3 .... Lei. Otta King, producing a nice tight I maybe child, Johnny sees no reason to live, ponse. The Dead Zone and the Johnny Ranus ard •••• Lydia Wazanl loe. maD. David even too tight) version of the story, and becomes a martyr who can only Smith character are just a little too Coal8worth p. coord. PhWpp_ KIng .... 1IUp. told through the eyes of the hero, And 'find meaning in his own death. 'normal' to be unpredictable, whereas Gillian Richardson ...t. to .... HID Randl Christopher Walken, who plays the Cronenberg's films invariably Videodrome seats you on the edge 'of Cbernov ..... to Mr, Cron.nbe,.. carol McBride Uta•• t. c ..... Rob1n MIller3Dd ...t. lead role of Johnny Smith, puts on a revolve around the philosophy that fear and keeps you there. cam. Donna Mobba .p. elL coord.·Jon Belyeu performance that will assure him a the powerful subconscious will , In Cronen berg' s ,succession of films, .p. elL forem.n Calvin Aeoi'd art eI. Ba",-ra place in the star system forever. erupt, catapulting Mr, Normal into the Mr. Normal character has become Dunphy ....t. art eI. Dan Davit .el .ec. Tom Johnny Smith is the usual version reality's horror show. However, the more and more deeply embedded in Couller ",ard_ m.ater Arthur Row... U ...... mi._. Denise Woodley m ...... p Shonagb of Cronenbergs MI'. Normal: average horror shows are not horror or science the middle class of North America. labour hair Jenny Arbour p. ace.. Heather looks, average income, and a predict­ fiction by conventional standards. Architectural settings, iIB well as the Mclnloeb ....t. .ccta. Lyn Luclbello, S_ able futUI'e as a school teacher about They're more on a par with Hitch­ mood created through technical McKibbin prop. m ••ter Peter Lauterman ..... to marry the nice girl he loves, and cock's Psycho, where the dark reces­ details, establish the character as a prop. Don Miloyevich eet dreuera Gareth Wilson, Gary Jack, Tom Reid eeL mb. 8ryanDay settle into what might have been ses of the mind harbourinnate fears, comfort-seeking cre'!ture who likes boom op. Ml.cbaeILacrolx ...... ,...... BlU marital bliss ; kids, dog and station desires and un"ontrollable images ; stability. A feeling of safety pervades Varney. Steve Maelow, Gregg Landaker ..., wagon' complete. But after a brain­ where reality and fantasy become the homes and institutions of these grip Maris Jansona griP" Chrlatopher Dean. damage accident, and five long years twisted and blurred, trapping the films until the visionary powers David Hynes, Marie. Sliver gaffer Jock ar.ndIt be.. boy Scotty Allen ga... op. Gary' PbIppI in a coma, Mr. Normal becomes a hero in a cage of mental torture. within the hero uproot the illusion of elect.lra Cohen. John Herzo.e..... c ..t-Peter psychic capable of seeing past, present The Dead Zone's Johnny Smith, is security, and cast him into a state of Lavender unit pub. Prudence Emery_eda. and future events. The visions of imprisoned by psychic visions which self-destruction. The self-destructive Elaine Foreman, Michael Rea traklee eeL 11m future events situate our hero in he can neither deter nor escape from: and ' violent insl;incts ' completely Dunphy traInee .rt eI. Jo-Ann Ladenbelm dr.ftam.a"A1freda'oryboardartlatJlmCN!g socially moral dilemmas, and after his visions dominate his reality, and dominate characters such as Johnny cam. ....m... David Wood. oDd...... t .. foreseeing Doomsday (the big bomb's his day-to-day life is dictated by su~ Smith, Max Renn, and even Rose (in cam. lobn Stoneman .ttlle Rick Poner p."'" big bang), Johnny Smith has to decide conscious forces beyond his control. lIabid), none of whom find pleasure Andreas 8lackweU olflee .._ Andrea POI/IIII, whether or not to save the world, Max Renn, Vldeodrome's Mr. Normal, in their unknown powers-only pain, Carolyn ¥cKanzle ....rd. _ Maureen GuI'II8y .... elL Marie. Molin, Micl1aeI Kay...... LalrcI Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) is a met with a similar fate when his suffering, disease and death. McMUITIlY, CIarkJohnoon.DIIl'8kHowriDawid deranged political 'candidate, who waking and dreaming states became Cronenberg's films are like omens, Zimmennan, Gianico Pretto, Sorum tJookad. sees himself as president of the United an interchangeable nightmare con­ depicting the unconscious and the Michael Newman, D. HaITY Pe..... d ___ States. He wants power, and is wllling trolled by the world of video. Both unknown as homfying, with the Joe Curtin head Clarp. John IIaJIIcaun. KIrk Cheney c."... My'" Roth, Robert W.ieDa.,.. to kiss any number of babies and old films offer the gloomy resolution of underlying warning to keep that su~ palat..... Nick Kooonic. "any Pavelloll. J&Mt conscious locked away where it Is. Cormack, Steven MeU atoat coo.... DIck W. Johnny Smith's psychic talents lock. careyLot«n _ .. J.bI'en ~ DawId grant him no serenity or pleasure. Rigby, Peter Co:.. G"IItIW'a!kar,n.."yneMClMa. LeoUe Munro, Shane His life is one of sexual frustration Jel'!>me Tlbef'shlen ...... ·WI...... ,. ~J_ and moral dilemmas. Tortured by his scott, ,Rkibard Cotf\I'C!Ve ...... own desires, needs and Wights, his ~ vI4Ieo ...... fate is worse than Jieath.> . aO~ ""'_10, ' 11 Yet The Dead ZOne doesn't have 'Cronenberg's usual barrage of visual horror, though the blood and guts are right on cue : nothing I.s- too shock­ ing or jarril!g. The 8creenplay hali condensed and simplified the book., cOmpart.mentalizing t!l.e psychic events into neat little packages and the ending of The Dead Zone ties up any loose pieces, safely prlnging the world back to a state of normalcy. Videodrome didn!t have that same wrap-it-~-up ending. The viewer was left to question the- effeCtB of consumer Images on our minda, bodies and futures. Where Video­ drome destructures the idea of con­ sumption of media and the concept of the single-banded hero, The Dead Zone simply restructures these illu­ • A place in the star system forever : Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone sions - at the coat of intricately developed a!ld compl!x charactera.