‘Everybody’s a mad scientist, and life is their lab.’
David Cronenberg is one of the most unique and exemplary filmmakers of all time. His films have all been branded as complete originals and visionary landmarks that stand out from the commercial crowd. He is one of the first Hollywood directors to truly explore people’s fascination and fear of body horror as well as the explicit perversity of the human psyche.
Today sees the release of David Cronenberg’s latest drama Maps to the Stars. The film marks the director’s 23rd feature film and is already receiving critical praise for the exploration of the American satire and corruption of the Hollywood dream.
Maps to the Stars explores a Hollywood family whose 13-year-old son has recently been released from rehab. Parents Christina (Olivia Williams) and Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) attempt to rebuild their family whilst their daughter (Mia Wasikowska) dreams of working amongst the stars in LA. She soon befriends limo driver Jerome (Robert Pattinson) and becomes the assistant for fading actress Havana (Julianne Moore) where events take an unusual turn.
Watch the trailer for Maps to the Stars here.
To celebrate the UK release of Maps to the Stars, we look at the most prolific scenes from a true auteur of alternative cinema: David Cronenberg.
*BE WARNED: ALL SCENES CONTAIN STRONG VIOLENCE, GORE AND SPOILERS*
The Brood (1979)
The Brood was one of the first mainstream films to put David Cronenberg on the map. His follow on film from Shivers (1975), The Brood stars fellow Canadian, Art Hingle, as a man obsessed with finding the explanation behind his wife’s incarceration at a psychiatric facility. At the same time, a series of brutal attacks are being committed by a brood of children and the reasoning behind both circumstances is truly harrowing. The above scene shows Cronenberg at his shocking best as the film comes to a groundbreaking and grotesque conclusion. Be warned: it is not for the faint hearted.
Scanners (1981)
Scanners was another early film of Cronenberg’s that displayed his truly unique ability to delve deep into the human mind. The film explores a series of individuals who have the unique ability to ‘scan’ others using abnormal telepathic powers. In true Cronenberg fashion, these exceptional abilities soon take a drastic and horrifying turn as the above scene shows. Scanners received praise for its atypical narrative and inventive special effects and spawned two sequels which unfortunately did not surpass the original.
The Dead Zone (1983)
The Dead Zone is one of Cronenberg’s most inventive films and has remained one of his most critically acclaimed. Based on the novel by Stephen King, Christopher Walken stars as Johnny; a teacher who awakens from a five year coma to find that he now has the psychic ability to predict the future and see the past. When a prolific murderer is attacking his hometown, its local Sherriff (Tom Skerritt) who asks Johnny to lend a helping hand. As soon as he figures it out, the killer commits suicide in one of cinema’s most disturbing ways possible.
Videodrome (1983)
James Woods stars in this Cronenberg classic as the president of a TV cable station who sees the sensationalistic media world explode before his eyes in a series of dreams and visual wipe-outs. Videodrome contains some notorious and bizarre Cronenberg moments but its climactic scene was considered one of the most shocking and gruesome of its time. Some critics loved its originality and disorientating manner whereas others like Roger Ebert hated it. The above scene may determine your views. LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH.
