DAVID CRONENBERG
(1943 - ), Canadian



"Horror for Cronenberg is not a game or a meal ticket; it is, rather, the natural expression for one of the best directors working today. For Cronenberg's subject is the intensity of human frailty and decay: in short, the body and its many accelerated mutations, whether out of disease, anger, dread, or hope. These are not easy films to take. But how can horror be easy? Anyone born and reckoning on dying needs to confront Cronenberg."
- David Thomson

"Since 2000, Spider and A History of Violence have shown a more meditative Cronenberg, fascinated still by the dark side of human bodies, but politically more relevant. A History of Violence's deconstruction of "The American Dream" - in the form of its investigation of socially acceptable violence, gun abuse, and community vigilance - elevated Cronenberg into the canon of contemporary cinema, completing his move from "The Baron of Blood" to cultural hero."
- 501 Movie Directors: A Comprehensive Guide to the Greatest Filmmakers

"I think of horror films as art, as films of confrontation. Films that make you confront aspects of your own life that are difficult to face. Just because you're making a horror film doesn't mean you can't make an artful film."
- David Cronenberg


FILMOGRAPHY
1969 Stereo
1970 Crimes of the Future
1975 Shivers
1977 Rabid
1979 Fast Company
1979 The Brood
1981 Scanners
1983 Videodrome
1983 The Dead Zone
1986 The Fly
1988 Dead Ringers
1991 Naked Lunch
1993 M. Butterfly
1996 Crash
1999 eXistenZ
2002 Spider
2005 A History of Violence
2007 Eastern Promises
2011 A Dangerous Method
2012 Cosmopolis

Videodrome should probably be redbolded. According to TSPDT, it's Cronenberg's most acclaimed (and Canada's second most acclaimed film)

The Brood should also be bolded if not red (its reputation seems to get better by the year), and I'm split on Scanners. I mean, it's culturally one of his best known (maybe second only to The Fly) but I honestly don't think it's that great and I think critical consensus has backed that over the years.

Also, yes, Videodrome is being redded.

Scanners was an enjoyable film but it didn't live up to it's full potential which is a shame because the opening and closing moments were fucking great. It's a good thriller but not the super greatness that Cronenberg is capable of.

What about bolds for Naked Lunch and Spider? They are pretty acclaimed, not much less so than other bolded films.

eXistenZ is also awesome.

Not acclaimed enough to be bolded.

Sorry to be the resident n00b, but I'm assuming bolded titles = the director's best work?

The Fly is one of my favorite horror films. I also really like Eastern Promises a lot. He has a movie coming out next year called A Dangerous Method that needs to be listed on the filmography.

Red bold = 1st tier
Regular bold = 2nd tier

It's based on popular consensus and not on the personal tastes of anyone here.

Tanks bewbew.

Updated.

1983 Videodrome 8.9
1983 The Dead Zone*
1996 Crash 9.0
1999 eXistenZ 8.4
2002 Spider 8.0
2005 A History of Violence 8.2

The Fly 6
Naked Lunch 7
Dead Ringers 6
Crash 5
eXistence 7.9
A History of Violence 7.9
Eastern Promises 7.5

Cronenberg is coming extremely close to an all time favourite director for me. Some of his films are just fuck yeah awesome, some of them are not that great, but all of them are just unbelievably well made, with such taste and perfect avoidance of any kind of genre clichés. It's hard for me to put into words but his interest and obsession with the fusion of machine and flesh (Videodrome, Scanners, Crash, Naked Lunch, The Fly), and of the layers and significance of identity (Dead Ringers, M. Butterfly, Spider, A History Of Violence) in small and large scale amazes me.

1. Videodrome (1983) - 9.5/10
2. Dead Ringers (1988) - 9.5/10
3. Crash (1996) - 9/10
4. Shivers (1975) - 8.5/10
5. The Fly (1986) - 8/10
6. Spider (2002) - 8/10
7. Rabid (1977) - 7.5/10
8. Scanners (1981) - 7/10
9. Naked Lunch (1991) - 7/10 (re-watch needed)
10. Eastern Promises (2007) - 7/10
11. M. Butterfly (1993) - 6.5/10
12. eXistenZ (1999) - 6.5/10
13. A History Of Violence (2005) - 6/10 (re-watch needed)


Looking forward to The Dead Zone and most of all The Brood. A Dangerous Method could also be very very awesome, yet I'm not sure about his next project Cosmopolis which stars Robert *bitch* Pattinson...

Robert Pattinson is a slut! can't believe good director's get coaxed into casting fuckheads in their films and ruin the whole experience for me!! Justin Timberlake is another one for me, there must be so many ''trained young actor's'' out there that deserve the chances before these hacks! As for Cronenberg PBR, your scores seem very high for him cuz i always felt that he's films are for ''acquired taste'' meaning people either like him or hate him! i wouldn't call him great per se, but a very good filmmaker nevertheless and i'm looking forward to A Dangerous Method (trailer looks good) but not sure about 'Cosmopolis'.