Videodrome

David Cronenberg's movies often follow themes of disease, addiction and obsession and Videodrome is right up there with The Fly (qv) as examples of the director's better works. 

James Woods plays a sleazy cable TV executive whose network screens pornography, sexually perverse and controversial material. He stumbles across a pirated signal of Videodrome, a sadomasochistic snuff film channel and becomes addicted, not realising that it is brainwashing him.

Cronenberg's movie is very much a commentary on how media drives us and despite certain aspects of the movie being quite dated, the moral is still quite relevant. One thing that hasn't dated however, is Rick Baker's amazing special effects and makeup. Considering this movie is over 30 years old, the visuals are absolutely brilliant.

It's a surreal, disturbing and just plain weird sci-fi/horror, twisting fiction with reality, but it's a brilliant piece of filmmaking.