I'm very curious to see what David Cronenberg's son, Brandon, is up to with Antiviral, playing today at 2:20pm as part of the VIFF. I'm not one to read descriptions of movies that I want to see, but I gather the film deals with people who get injected with the diseases of their favourite celebrities; a detailed review is here. You can also visit the Lucas Clinic website for more on their "A-list celebrity body modification services" - a cleverly designed website indeed; I'm half-tempted to book an appointment. Will be following this one up with Berberian Sound Studio... sounds like a pretty cool Sunday at the movies...
Hm. Antiviral is interesting. Very chilly/ self-conscious, and while it does have a few of its own aesthetic flourishes, seems very much an attempt to extend "brand Cronenberg" to the next generation - evoking mostly Videodrome, but with a much whiter palette. There's even an actor cast in it who appeared in two of Brandon's father's films, Nicholas Campbell (Hank, the Kerouac character in Naked Lunch; and Chris, Oliver Reed's assistant, in The Brood). That's all a bit weird, actually - it's my theory that the offspring of famous filmmakers have a better chance of getting respect if they DIFFERENTIATE themselves from their parents' work - but it's not entirely unwelcome, either. Couldn't stick around for the Q&A, but the young Cronenberg seems an unpretentious fella and maybe more normal a human being than you might expect (no offense to anyone, but "normal" is seldom an adjective attached to the name "Cronenberg").
ReplyDeleteWas actually less pleased with Berberian Sound Studio - it has a great first half, then decides that it is under no obligation to resolve several plot threads/ thematic possibilities it has raised; it's ending is at best an unconventional one, but one of the conventions it eschews is providing a satisfying resolution to what has gone before, which - call me conservative - is a convention of which I'm still fond. Still, some very inspired moments, and Toby Jones is skilled indeed (having seen him do both a British and an American accent now, I actually have no idea which is his native dialect, and will presently look him up...).