The image below is of Debbie Harry, singer in one of the greatest New Wave bands, and star of one of my favorite movies – Videodrome. Directed by David Cronenberg, it’s a strange hallucinatory film, blending horror and science fiction with BDSM and media culture.
This shot is taken from it but, unfortunately for femdom fans, it’s not indicative of her character as she doesn’t play a domme role. Instead she’s a masochistic pleasure seeker, mixed up with a sleazy TV executive (James Woods) and a weird pirate S&M TV channel. It’s a movie very much ahead of its time as this video review makes clear. It’s also very much a love/hate kind of movie, and if you like clear plots and unambiguous characters I’d steer clear. On the other hand, fans of weirdness, stylish cult movies and strange thought provoking scenes will probably love it. Plus, it features a very sexy piercing play scene between the two stars, which must be unique in Hollywood movies.
I found this on the he stoops to worship (aka Devoted Sub) tumblr.
“Wouldn’t you like to take your Boy Scout knife and cut me, just a little bit, right here?”
Man, I loved this movie back when it came out. I saw it in reruns recently, and it’s amazing how prescient some of this turned out to be. And Debbie Harry was very hot in some of those scenes, even though I’m normally squicked by watching violence to women.
That’s a good quote. I always liked James Woods at his most sleazy with – “It’s just torture and murder. No plot, no characters. Very, very realistic. I think it’s what’s next.” The cigarette scene also always stuck in my head.
I first saw it in college and loved it. Everyone thought it was weird or sick or just too strange, while I was trying everything to hunt down a high quality copy I could keep. It’s been re-released on Blue Ray in the Criterion collection. I should really pick up a copy.
-paltego
Hi paltego,
Me, too. This was a great favorite of mine as was his later effort, eXistenZ. Thanks for reminding me.
Nothing hotter than Debbie Harry at her peak.
Best,
scott
Mrs. Kelly’s Playhouse
Hey scott,
I was oddly underwhelmed by eXistenZ. I was expecting so much given his background, but it just didn’t work for me. However, I do love a lot of his other movies (scanners, the fly, dead ringers, etc.)
I’m not sure when I originally watched videodrome I was aware of what it meant to me. I knew I loved it and that other people didn’t, but I don’t think I ever analyzed or understood how I reacted to it at the time. In hindsight I can see that a lot of its ideas and themes, not to mention the kinky parts, really did seep into me.
And yes, I think you, Tom and myself are all in firm agreement on the hotness of Debbie Harry!
-paltego
Hi paltego,
I know that eXistenZ appealed to some more than others. What I liked was it’s depiction of what was essentially a conscious dream and how disorienting that could be. I remember how bizarre it felt for Em and I to step out of that theatre and walk into the teeming Tokyo night scene, what was real and what was representation and what yardsticks we might use to determine that.
Best,
scott
Mrs. Kelly’s Playhouse
Hey scott,
Personal context does make a big difference to how we perceive movies. I watched eXistenZ in a far more secure and controlled setting (my own living room) and entered with the preconceived idea that “This’ll be serious fucked up.” So I never had that juxtaposition you had (I just turned the TV off) and it never achieved that same level of discomfort and sense of unreality that say videodrome or dead ringers (another favorite) did.
Although I have to say this post has now made me want to buy his back catalog and spend a few nights revisiting some Cronenberg classics. 🙂
-paltego
Hi again paltego,
I forgot how much this film helped crystallize my awareness and need for kink and my understanding of lives illusory qualities.
Best,
scott
Mrs. Kelly’s Playhouse