Cronenberg Plugs Back Into "Videodrome"

The start of year-long programming @ Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox, will include a live appearance from Toronto-based director David Cronenberg, Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 9:15pm and Friday, September 24, 2010 at 9:30pm, introducing a special screening of his 1983, science fiction thriller "Videodrome".

"Videodrome", written/directed by Cronenberg, was loosely-inspired by Moses Znaimer's 1970's soft-core 'Baby Blue' porno programming @ Toronto's CITY-TV (before Znaimer declared himself a genius, programming music videos supplied free of charge by MTV).

The Toronto-lensed "Videodrome", starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and singer Deborah Harry, followed the CEO of a small cable station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal that causes brain damaging hallucinations. As 'Max' gets closer to discovering the origins of the signal, he gets sucked into a world of sadomasochistic sex, left-wing conspiracies and physical transformations.

"...'Max Renn' (Woods) is the president of CIVIC-TV, a sleazy Toronto UHF television station specializing in exploitation programming. Displeased with his station's current lineup of mostly softcore pornography, he is summoned to the office of 'Harlan' (Peter Dvorsky), who operates CIVIC-TV's satellite dish which can pirate broadcasts.

"Harlan shows him 'Videodrome', a plotless television show apparently broadcast out of Malaysia, depicting the torture of anonymous victims in a bizarre, reddish-orange chamber. Believing this to be the future of television, Max orders Harlan to begin pirating the show.

"Appearing on a talk show, Max defends his station's programming choices to 'Nikki Brand' (Harry), a psychiatrist and 'Professor Brian O'Blivion' (Jack Creley), a pop-culture analyst and philosopher, who hijacks the interview and rants about a future where TV supplants real life.

"Max dates Nikki and has sex with her while as they watch an episode of 'Videodrome', broadcast out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not Malyasia. Nikki, eager to audition for the show, goes to Pittsburgh, but when she fails to return to Toronto, Max contacts 'Masha' (Lynne Gorman), a feminist with long-standing ties to the porn community and asks her to help him find out the truth about Videodrome..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Videodrome"...

Veninger Sells "MODRA" to Mongrel

Following its world premiere @ TIFF, September 15, Canadian-based writer/producer/director Ingrid Veninger's new feature "MODRA", "a snapshot of repressed teen desire and confusion" has sold off Canadian distribution rights to Mongrel Media.

"...'Lina' (Hallie Switzer) is 17 years old and lives in Toronto with her mother. For one week during the summer holidays she plans to visit her extended family in 'Modra', a small town in Slovakia. When Lina is dumped by her boyfriend, she invites 'Leco', a boy from school, to accompany her instead. Not long after arriving in Modra, Lina and Leco discover they have little in common. To make matters worse, Lina's family mistakenly assumes they’re a couple. So far from home, they are forced to confront one another, setting off an unconventional romance..."

Born in Bratislava, and raised in Canada, Veninger is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC).

"MODRA" is a pUNK films production produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "MODRA"...

Image Picks Up Glazer's "Passion Play"

As TIFF 2010 wrapped up in Toronto, (excluding many of our Jewish film-making friends, by scheduling Gala screenings and parties during the solemn 'High Holidays' of 'Rosh Hashanah' and 'Yom Kippur'), Image Entertainment managed to finalize their US distribution acquisition of the dramatic thriller "Passion Play", director Mitch Glazer's debut feature, starring Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler", Megan Fox ("Transformers"), Bill Murray ("Ghostbusters") and Bud Cort ("Harold And Maude").

Set in 1950's Los Angeles, "Passion Play" follows jazz trumpeter 'Nate' (Rourke), who is targeted by underworld boss 'Happy Shannon' (Murray). Rourke manages to elude Shannon, finding solace in the company of 'Lily' (Fox), a circus, side-show 'freak' with wings, that is the main attraction at a Mexican carnival.

"...When a jazz trumpeter is taken to the desert, with a gun held to his head, we are at the beginning of a fable about romance and dreams. When he meets a beautiful woman who works as the 'Bird Woman' in a circus, he falls madly in love and persuades her to run away with him only to find that life is a little more complicated than simply living one’s fantasies..."

"Passion Play" is produced by Daniel Dubiecki, Megan Ellison, Jonah Hirsch and Rebecca Wang.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Passion Play"...