It sucks that whenever a movie accurately predicts the future, it's always a horror.

If you think Videodrome predicted the future (And i'm a huge fan of the film by the way) then get ready to realize the villain/mastermind is based on, and quotes, Marshall Mcluhan, who was pioneering these ideas (Sans gore) as early as the 1960s! Dude Coined "The medium is the message" and "The global village", and was basically predicting the internet and all if its best/worst effects all the way back then.

Freakiest instance of fiction being predictive that I personally encountered is the book, The Rift. It is from the late 90s. It predicts 9/11 to a T.

Another film from 1983 presented a way out of our abusive relationship with media (kinda). War Games: "The only winning move is not to play".

Videodrome is one of my all time favourite films and I've been telling people for years how this film predicted our relationship with media, the net and with things like live leak.

"Long live the new flesh." Those words still creep out.

The internet did what everyone feared television would do.

Deus EX devs excluded the twin towers in the New York skyline due to rendering issues. In game lore was that terrorists destroyed them. 1 year later the towers fell in real life. Devs were interviewed by the FBI

Now I definitely want to see this movie, just because James Wood is in it. I love him as an actor so underrated

We live in a dystopia, most people just don’t realize it

Videodrome is one of my favourite films. I moved to Japan this year and they show older films all the time so there was 40th anniversary showing and watching this film in a cinema in Japan is a surreal experience, epically the start of the film

Brilliant filmmaker. His best film is the more restrained Stephen King' adaptation "The Dead Zone" that same year.

The film had a huge impact on me as a young teen growing up in that era of VHS and pre-internet. Existenz was a sort of spiritual successor to this iconic classic with similar themes.

You should check out John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness. Mainly because . . . it’s great But it does speak of society being warped by an obsession with fiction. Kinda similar themes

If you’ve never seen the film “Network” from the director Sidney Lumet and legendary screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky, I would do so immediately. Like VideoDrome, this movie was also centered around television and the drive to get better viewership…amongst other things. Not only did Chayefsky hit the nail on the head about where we are NOW…but he also had the foresight to understand what the psychology/zeitgeist of the 21st Century would be like back in the mid-1970s! I think you’d do an amazing job analyzing the prophetic nature of this movie like you’ve done with Videodrome! They’ve been Top 5 All Time Greatest Movies for me since I first saw them 👍🏽

If you haven't already, I would suggest looking up the works of Philip K. Dick in general. In particular I recommend Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I rank the movie it spawned (Blade Runner) as one of the very top films of all time (1992 DC version being my preferred edition). But if you only have seen the movie adaptation, you may find the book to be quite a wild ride. Exploring many more facets of future life that the more straight forward future noire thriller.

Great video. Cronenberg is always ahead of his time. It's uncanny. I recently watched 'Crimes of the Future" and while not his best, it was, as usual, prescient.

I've been obsessed with both this movie and your channel for years. I'm so glad you finally made a video on this.

I'm from Colombia, as well as my girlfriend. I came to learn english and I can understand this material, my girlfriend is not there yet but will be soon, and I can't wait for her to be able to absorb this kind of videos and talk about them. Thank you for sharing such thought-provoking ideas.

Great movie, I remember to be terrified by the practical effects back in the day when I watched as kid, late in night. Great video, Max! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

His Crimes of the future remake had a message that went over everyone’s head. It was a commentary about there is so much plastic in the world that human bodies were adapting to eating it

While I agree with the analysis surrounding fake news, I think it’s also making a point about the ways in which these highly stimulating and visceral experiences we have online can be so all consuming that our culture is built less and less on what is actually real and more on shared fantasy. I wish more people valued real life interactions as much as I do, but it seems like we are all slowly moving in the direction of permanently online interaction

How about The unibomer. His predictions are pretty chilling. Especially considering they where made before the conception of the internet, which heavily exasperated his predictions.

Long live the new flesh!

To be honest, this plot point mirrors Don Quijote de la Mancha by Cervantes, written during the Renaissance in Spain. An older, somewhat rich guy uses his free time to read knight stories to the point that he deluded himself into believing he was a knight and went on adventures. Since 1605, when this book was published, this trope that the next generation is living in decadence and delusion has been used in literature, a supposed warning of something that never came to be. Edit: this is not a criticism of the video and I also don't mean to be a downer. Jorge Luis Borges, a genius Argentinian writer, said that all stories have already been made and that originality is cyclical due to the erasure of time. I think you would love Borges short stories, they translate well into English.

Thankyou so much for this! I am obsessed with Videodrome and how it relates so accurately to nowadays society. You did an amazing job conveying this message and I am so grateful to have such a brilliant mind such as yourself. We live in a dystopian world and it's fantastic to have you point it out so precisely ❤

man and here i was thinking gallucinations started when i heard signalis ost

Legitimately stoked to see the work that went into this book. Todd is great at getting these creative individuals to open up about their work and passion and the product sounds awesome. I’m hoping that these people will sign my copy when I find them. [NEW QUEST UNLOCKED: Gather The Signatures]

Marshall McLuhan is probably where Kojima and Cronenberg got thier philosophical influences from when it comes to the power of media.

"You said it yourself, Kain. There are only two sides to your coin!" "Apparently so. But suppose you throw a coin enough times. Suppose that one day, it lands on its edge." Your final statement made me think of that wonderful piece of dialogue from that amazingly written game series, Soul Reaver. They don't write stuff like that anymore.

Videodrome and Suspiria are my two fav movies of all time so seeing you make a video on this just made my day!

nice Legacy of Kain finish =]

Meanwhile the 1st iteration of VR glasses are about to come out soon… this movie is just about to start in real time

Even in Timecop in like 95' the villain completely predicted the future almost to the letter : P

By far the best analysis on this movie, exactly what i was looking for. thank you ❤🎉🎉

I don't like to say these were "predictions" (because that implies some kind of clairvoyance), so much as they were warnings, based on inside knowledge that could not be disclosed except through representative means, such as film and other arts/entertainments. A sort of "tell without telling" kind of thing.

I just like the start where the technician is decoding a satellite signal with an atari 800 of all things

Amazing video of an amazing movie! I read Cronenberg had different endings for the movie, one of them would happen after the actual ending of the movie, were the characters of James Woods and Debbie Harris appear in the videodrome set with similar body horror's deformities like in the film. I think this ending responds to the idea you presented as a form of Nirvana to be achieved, you transcend body and conscience in a new stage completly different from the known reality, perhaps a next step of evolution.

I started nodding when you first said "Videodrome" lol

And if you want a weirder Cronenberg movie, there's Naked Lunch. And if you then want a weirder Peter Weller movie, there's Buckaroo Banzai!

I watch a lot of your videos at work, it's wonderful that you're so thurough with your explinations.

That Legacy of Kain reference at the end was a nice touch.

Ah yes, the Skibidi toilet prequel - The Cameraman; Origins.

I love when you release new videos, gives my day so many insightful thoughts

I like how you snuck that in at the last moment!

Another great Cronenberg movie to follow-up this one with is the 1999 film eXistenZ. It explores many of the same themes but through video games instead of television, and it fortunately has a much improved budget.

Another stellar video, Max! I've now got Peter Griffin's, "I'm a tumour, I'm a tumour," song stuck in my head. Fantastic. Lol. I don't think anyone could have predicted the internet. It really changed everything. It meant people like me, who ordinarily would have not succeeded in the world, had access to information that could competitively keep me going. Perhaps you could do a video on S1MONE and how it predicted the issues with AI Actors in the world today.

I have befinitely heard of this movie before, never had the will to watch it. I might now. Your short yet sweet video has pushed me in that direction. Also, gotta love the LoK reference at the end. Vae victus!

I love that you think in concepts and do not get lost in correct use of "wording" or "language".

One of your best videos, nice to see you talk about Cronenberg ! This is not the only Cronenberg's film you could talk about though. Don't stop here !😀

As a child in the 1970s, I remember watching the movie "Soylent Green." There was one scene where a guy was walking up the stairs to his apartment. The stairs were covered with homeless people lying down. He had to step over them. One said "Hey watch it." There were far less homeless people back then, and the idea of their being so many of them was in and of itself a depiction of a dystopian future. In the 1980s, when Regan became President, the number of homless people began to rapidly increase. Now, the idea of the streets being crowded with homeless people is, in some places, a daily reality.

Leaving comments for the algorithm!

In the vain of visionary artists that predicted the future please give Nueromancer and Snowcrash a read. Two sci fi novels that laid the foundation of how we perceive the internet and also where we got much of our terminology

I don’t think Cronenberg was predicting the future, more identifying the change that already happened at its effects. The movie is commenting on the 1970s violent movies (Clockwork Orange already got an X rating a decade before). The sci-fi obscures the fact that by the 80s movies became more violent but nobody cared as much and now seeks them out. Scarface came out in 83 and received an R rating despite being more gratuitous in its subject matter than A Clockwork Orange. Lastly, it’s not the internet he is commentating on but the home video market. Snuff films were an urban legend and boogeyman of the 70-80s video market. This movie makes me realize how little things change over time honestly. Something I think you may get a kick out of would be “Ong’s Hat”. It’s a pre-social media ARG-like meta fiction.

Here are 2 predictive works everyone needs to experience: 1.) "The Machine Stops" (a short novella by E.M. Forster). Everyone lives in individual underground cells and communicates through TV screens. (This was written in 1909!) Their lives are controlled by "the Machine." When the Machine stops... no one knows how to fix it... or where it is. 2.) "Karn Evil 9" (a half-hour long progressive rock song by Emerson, Lake & Palmer from 1973). It tells the story of miserable people in an oppressive tech society who are entertained by a computerized circus of hedonism, then they find themselves in a war, wherein the machine is their friend... and in the end the machine turns on them, wipes out humanity and then shuts itself off.

Whoa! Wasn't expecting this to be a Videodrome essay. Good work! Love this movie. Well... love to hate to love it...?

As always, Max with the best content. Love you, man. Also, any plans to explore others themes in Lost or Twin Peaks?

One of most influential and important games in history!!! MGS 2 IS A MASTERPIECE!

"Well, I think we live in overstimulated times. We crave stimulation for its own sake. We gorge ourselves on it. We always want more, whether it's tactile, emotional or sexual."

"Smokey and the Bandit" predicted my future.

Dude I was not expecting a video about Videodrome. I love that movie

I have one word to entice you into a profound 80s visualization of the future: Shadowrun

Glad I watched it before finishing your video.

Wow,great video kind of like the first time I watched THEY LIVE....haven't got it outta my head yet.

Ah, another instance of “It’s not the end of the world but you can see it from here” but in reality what we see is in our rear view mirror and it most certainly is the worlds end.

Funny that I just watched this again earlier this week!

Nice video, awesome movie, and perfect for the season!

Wait until we hit the point where we enter the Heinlein timeline. Three words. Kinetic orbital bombardment.

I haven't read it, but apparently "Stand on Zanzibar" by John Brunner was highly predictive. Written in 1968. The historian Niall Ferguson wrote in 2021 that Brunner predicted the 21st century far better than most other fiction authors. It inspired the 3rd season of the tv show "Westworld".

You low key called influencers "tumors", you are a hero.

Oh man I loved you tieing in MGS2, another piece of media way ahead of its time.

How did I KNOW, what movie this would be about, only seeing the thumbnail?

I think 'A Clockwork Orange' has pretty much come true.

Really love your shift towards cinema analysis! Any plans on covering some of the late von Trier's works? IMO his Gnostic/generally occult references in the Antichrist, the House that Jack built and the Kingdom season 3 are overlooked way to often in favour of metacommentary and psychological aspects while the man clearly knows what he's saying and has some really profound messages on the Demiurge and the flesh we are trapped in Personally, I see his films mostly as a presentation of Bataillean/Burroughsean "base materialist" form of Gnostic worldview reviewed from the Jungean point oif view and find it truely fascinating

one of your best so far

Shivers has always been my favourite Cronenberg film. It has stayed with me ever since I watched it as a 17 year old boy (37 years ago). It predicted the sexualisation of society, and what the effect would be. Personally I would make it a mandatory watch for every 16/17 year old. I vividly remember being incredibly turned on - then when the ending happened, feeling disgusted - and understanding why some things should remain private!

The only message you ever find in Cheerios is "ooooooo"

It's fun to see you discover older media ^_^

I remember when this first came out. It was REALLY hard to watch and understand. Looking back, sadly, it was, quite simply, a road map to over "education". I mean, we literally have every conceivable piece of information at our hand-and yet, you have people deny the Holocaust happened, that the earth is flat, and that we never landed on the moon.....

Not entirely related to your video, but I remember that part of the conversation betwem raiden and the genral about what are our own ideas. That is something that has influenced me ever since.

I still have my VHS copy of videodrome. It used to be one of my favourite films. I still quote "all hail the new flesh" to this day.

Kain himself would be proud of your outro, Max. ;)

'the battle for the mind of North America will be fought in the video arena", has been stuck in my head for 25yrs

Happy Halloween. Max! 😊 Stay Yellow! ❤

To think,the interwebs wasn't planned 20y in advance...

Instead of Tumors, it's Influencers... Can I have that embroidered on a pillow?

Max Derrat is my new overlord

One night, maybe about a year ago, at a friend's board game night we all witnessed a coin land on its edge

Max, on the topic of videodrome, there's a game by the developers of Killer 7 called the Silver Case where they not only reference it but they also invoke the themes of the internet and control and such. It's a Visual Novel so you'd have to be into those somewhat but I truly believe it's an incredibly profound game.

I think it’s better to hear some context first before watching the movie… it can be almost impossible to figure out what’s going on so your viewpoint could help, but then again if they see it first then watch this and then watch it gain that’s probably optimum

Hey Max, great work as always! I'd like to suggest you take a look at the book Propaganda (1928) by Edward Bernays. The guy pointed out that advertising is how society organizes information. Sounds familiar? It would be great a video crossing it with MG2 content.

God dammit you did it again

Great Video!!

"One way or another"... You gotta see this flick. It'll "get ya, get ya , get ya."

Damn it takes you forever to get to the point! I had to go to the comments to find what the movie is.

Thanks for the recommendation, my new overlord :P

I’m praying and taking every step I can to help push us to that coin edge outcome. I’ve sent this and other stuff like it to several people over the years. Will it help, idk but here’s to the hope.

"Even a coin can land on its edge." Deep.

Interesting video. I understand that one can only fit so much in, but I noticed that there didn't seem to be anything (whether in this video's commentary or in 'Videodrome' itself) relating these problems to issues of class power and class conflict, and I think that's important if we're ever to get out of this dystopian downward spiral.

Great analysis of this iconic body horror classic long live the new flesh.