I'm what you might call a pretty big fan of David Cronenberg; his films are never less than interesting, and I like him for actually bringing some brains to horror films (as well as spilling them over the floor, ho ho no...). His films stand out as being, fundamentally, thought-pieces disguised as gorefests, and it was after I watched Scanners and it interested me enough to watch more, I found myself eventually collecting and watching most of his films; as a body of work, it is singularly impressive. I don't like everything he's done, and Naked Lunch in particular was an utter, utter failure in my opinion, but when he's good he's damn near unbeatable, so here, for no real reason other than fandom, are my five David Cronenberg movies.
5) Crash
This film is a pretty odd one, but if you can avoid the whole gratuitous sex and sadomasochism thing (and let's face it, there's nothing wrong with those things), then this is an interesting and thought-provoking little film that has a really unique and unforgettable tone. It might be a very cold film, and I guess it's a little hard to take to... But well, that's the point. You're not meant to emotionally engage, or even really care or understand the characters in this film, instead I think you're just meant to observe and try and create your own meaning; it's about a lot more than getting off on car crashes, I think anyway, and I think this film is at least good as a film to discuss, and well worth getting into by the end. Not for everyone, but give it a go.
4) Eastern Promises
This is one of his non-horror films, but it's a really clever and vivid exploration of the nature of gangs and belonging, and it does have a terrific central performance from Viggo Mortensen as the cold, stony-faced, determined killer who remains a bit of a mystery right up until the very end. It's a particularly gruesome film, even for Cronenberg, but it really is worth a watch and it actually gets a little bit touching at the end. A very good film.
3) Dead Ringers
This is the first of what I consider to be Cronenberg's three "masterpieces", and I remember watching it I just got so sucked in, and it was one of those films I just didn't want to end. It's an odd one, but then I guess that applies to most of the films that Cronenberg has done. For a start, it does a very clever job of doing the whole "one actor playing two people", in this case Jeremy Irons playing twins, and in 1991 before high-tech computer effects came along, that you can never really tell it's only one actor is quite impressive indeed. The story takes some really dark turns towards the end, and the fact that the film has the thorny topic of gynaecology at the centre of it doesn't help that, but it works because it begins by emotionally involving you in the characters and then dropping the weird stuff on you later- it's an interesting and intense little movie that I would recommend to anyone.
2) The Fly
Ah, now who hasn't at least heard of the Fly! What an awesome little film it is, there probably isn't too much to say about this film that hasn't already been said, but it really really works because, a lot like Dead Ringers, it takes a lot of time getting you to know Jeff Goldblum's character before the whole body decomposition and vomit and latex gore hits, ergo making you care and making a more rounded film experience as a result. It's the only film of his that's made me cry, but the ending, with Geena Davis holding the gun... It's really emotional and tragic stuff!
1) A History of Violence
I think this was the second or third Cronenberg film I ever saw, and it's kind of atypical of him; non-horror, telling a story about a man with a family, but I guess you could argue it's just the purest version of the themes that have been present in his other films, in the sense that Cronenberg makes films about people and bodies changing, and this film explores the idea of changing who you are and what makes you you, and human nature and... Yeah. It's an intelligent film, but even if you choose not to read into it, it works perfectly as just a cinematic experience on its own. The film grabs you immediately with the awesome opening tracking shot, and then goes on to tell a really involving story... By the end you're absolutely hooked! I don't want to say too much because it's really a film that needs to be seen for itself, but yeah, it's a great film and combines both the maturity of Cronenberg's later work and the underlying themes of his earlier stuff. Mortensen as Tom Stall, supposed family man, is also incredible.
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