How to Become a Cronenberg Fan

David Cronenberg is a visionary filmmaker responsible for some of the strangest images in modern cinema and some of the most compelling stories as well. Sometimes overlooked due to his association with the horror and sci-fi genres, he has made a move toward the mainstream in recent years but lost none of his power.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Start with one of Cronenberg's most famous and successful films: his remake of "The Fly" starring Jeff Goldblum. Cronenberg's recurring theme (the scientist who ends up destroying himself for all of his good intentions) is at the center here, as is the essential humanity and love for his characters that sets him apart as a director and writer.
2. Check out "Videodrome." An original script by Cronenberg goes to some bizarre places as a wonderfully sleazy James Woods plays a pirate cable TV station operator who discovers a video transmission depicting murder and torture--and tries to sell it. There's more going on than meets the eye, of course, and soon things have gotten entirely out of hand. This biting horror satire is perhaps the most quintessentially Cronenberg of all the director's films.
3. Check out the master's masterpiece, "Dead Ringers." An astonishing feat of a film, "Dead Ringers" is Cronenberg's story of twin gynecologists and the woman that comes between them. Jeremy Irons' portrayal of the twins is staggering, and the twinning effects used are innovative and seamless. The performance is the center of the film, as one twin spirals into drug addiction and madness, taking the other with him, but Cronenberg's direction is note-perfect.
4. There are many options for your next viewing. For horror, try "The Brood" an early film that shows Cronenberg truly hitting his stride. For disturbing kink, seek out the unedited version of "Crash," Cronenberg's adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel about car crash fetishists. Both of his most recent films ("A History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises") are strong as well, and "Promises" is truly excellent, an unsettling and realistic story centered on the Russian mob in London. For extra gross-out value, go to early gore-fests "Shivers" and "Rabid."

Tips & Warnings

• Cronenberg is known for his unique brand of terror, known as "body horror." In many of his films, the body turns against its owner in grotesque ways. You've been warned, and if you don't have the stomach, don't take the ride.