Two of the best movie-watching experiences of my life have been seeing Crash in a packed IMAX theater with David Cronenberg himself, and laughing my butt off at the new horror movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.
Thankfully, the sequel brings both together, with Cronenberg starring in the latter as Chester, the dying Danforth patriarch who's intent on keeping his family in pride of place. If it means killing Grace (Samara Weaving) and Faith (Kathryn Weaving) in the process, so be it.
While his screentime is limited, it's exceptional. It also got me thinking — surely there's a perfect David Cronenberg double bill to do with the Ready or Not movies?
I put this to Shawn Hatosy, who plays Chester's tyrannical son Titus. If I'm completely honest, I'm surprised with his choice... and think there's something much better suited.
Don't stream The Fly after watching Ready or Not 2: Here I Come — choose Videodrome
"I would say The Fly," Hatosy tells me. "It's the first one that came into my mind, but I also think there's just something about the visual element of Jeff Goldblum's character."
I love The Fly, and I do see where Hatosy is coming from. Goldblum plays Seth, a scientist who creates a teleportation machine, but morphs with a fly that enters the machine, and their genes splice. It's as visually arresting as any Cronenberg, but narratively, I don't think our horror trio is the perfect fit.
Enter Videodrome. Made three years before The Fly, it follows Max (James Woods), a television programmer who stumbles upon a show that leaves a subliminal impact on the viewers. He unearths the origins of the program, and he embarks on a hallucinatory journey.
Unsurprisingly, the show involves people getting hurt, morphing into unsavory creatures, and generally being on death's door at any given moment. Sound familiar?
Once you've seen Videodrome, you'll never forget it — or think about the world in the same way again. It's the same feeling I get while watching the Ready or Not movies, just with more light relief.
If that hasn't sold you enough, you'll learn how brilliant an actress Blondie's Debbie Harry is. Need I say more?
- Watch Videodrome on Apple TV in the US
- Watch Videodrome on Apple TV in the UK
- Watch Videodrome on Apple TV in Australia
