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Dundead · 2023

Dundead 2023

Retrospective

Programme

6 films · 6 reviews

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The Brood

Review preview for The Brood

Though not entirely successful as a piece of entertainment, it represents an important stage in the development of body horror cinema.

Jennie Kermode · 2.5 out of 5
The use of experimental psychology to treat a troubled divorcee coincides with a series of mysterious attacks by mutant children.

(Country: Canada; Year: 1979; Director: David Cronenberg; Writer: David Cronenberg; Stars: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle, Henry Beckman, Nuala Fitzgerald, Cindy Hinds)

Full review

Dead Ringers

Review preview for Dead Ringers

A sensitive yet intellectually robust work.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
Twin gynaecologists take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.

(Country: Canada, US; Year: 1988; Director: David Cronenberg; Writer: David Cronenberg, Norman Snider, Bari Wood; Stars: Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske, Barbara Gordon, Shirley Douglas, Stephen Lack)

Full review

The Fly

Review preview for The Fly

A coherent narrative and interesting, three-dimensional characters.

Themroc · 4 out of 5
A scientist invents a teleportation device, but accidentally splices his DNA with that of a housefly when testing it.

(Country: US; Year: 1986; Director: David Cronenberg; Writer: Charles Edward Pogue, David Cronenberg, based on a short story by George Langelaan; Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel, Leslie Carlson, George Chuvalo, Michael Copeman, David Cronenberg, Carol Lazare, Shawn Hewitt)

Full review

Messiah Of Evil (Dead People)

Review preview for Messiah Of Evil

After a lot of scene setting, the film delivers, almost out of nowhere, an intense and fully committed mythology which takes night scenes already set against a pitch black sky to a still darker place.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
A young woman goes searching for her missing artist father. Her journey takes her to a strange Californian seaside town governed by a mysterious undead cult.

(Country: US; Year: 1973; Director: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz; Writer: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz; Stars: Michael Greer, Marianna Hill, Joy Bang, Anitra Ford, Royal Dano, Elisha Cook Jr)

Full review

Scanners

Review preview for Scanners

The concept, narrative, dialogue, cinematography and action sequences are elements of Scanners that can't be faulted.

Donald Munro · 4.5 out of 5
A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called 'scanning' to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non-scanners.

(Country: Canada; Year: 1981; Director: David Cronenberg; Writer: David Cronenberg; Stars: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Michael Ironside, Robert A Silverman)

Full review

Videodrome

Review preview for Videodrome

Nothing else has captured quite so succinctly the dynamics of the information revolution or its impact on what it means to be human.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
Looking for the next big thing, a cable TV station programmer finds himself losing control in the grip of a phenomenon that is ready to alter reality forever.

(Country: Canada; Year: 1983; Director: David Cronenberg; Writer: David Cronenberg; Stars: James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky, Leslie Carlson, Jack Creley)

Full review