Original subtitles

(Static)

(♪ Electronic music)

(Announcer) 'Civic TV, the one you take to bed with you.'

‘Max, it's that time again.

"Time to slowly, painfully ease yourself back into consciousness.

'No, I'm not a dream,

‘although I've been told I'm a vision of loveliness." (Chuckles)

(Man) 'Who told you that?'

"I'm nothing less than your faithful Girl Friday, Bridey James,

‘here with your wake-up call of today, which is Wednesday the 23rd.

"You got that?

"Wednesday the 23rd.

‘And I have a message.

‘Remember your meeting this morning at 6:30

'with Shinji Kuraki of Hiroshima Video.

"This meeting is to take place at the Classic Hotel, suite 17.

‘And needless to say, it's your first of the day.

‘Don't you know anyone who works nine-to-five?

'Over and out, Commander.'

(Announcer) 'Civic TV, the one you take to bed with you.'

(Ticking)

(Tape player clicks)

(Sighs)

(Moans)

- (Man) Cindy, open the door, will ya? - (Cindy) Go away.

- (Man) Come on. You know I love ya. - (Cindy) Get outta here!

(Man) Will you open the door? For fuck's sake, open the door!

- (Baby crying) - (Cindy) I want you out of this place!

(Man) For fuck's sake, open the door!

(Arguing continues)

(Man) You just gotta open the fucking door!

Well, I looked over the stills.

I am interested... a little bit. How many shows you got?

Thirteen, with a possibility of another six if the sales go well.

- You got cassettes? - Of course.

(Both laughing)

No, hold it. Uh, show me the last one.

- (Speaking Japanese) - Number 13.

But Max, you won't understand anything. Everything is set up in the first two.

My audience ain't gonna see the first two shows.

Now, show me the last one.

(♪ Japanese music playing)

What do you think?

Can we get away with it? Do we wanna get away with it?

I think Oriental sex is a natural.

I think it'll get us an audience we've never had before.

I don't like it. It's not tacky enough.

- Not tacky enough for what? - Tacky enough to turn me on.

Too much class. Bad for sex.

Maybe.

I don't know. (Exhales)

It's soft.

Something too...

soft about it.

I'm lookin' for something that'll break through, you know? Something... tough.

(Motor whirring)

- Hey, Harlan, uh... Huh? - Oh. OK.

Here we go.

(Clicking)

Now, it'll come through on that.

We only got about 53 seconds, So keep your eyes open.

They've got an unscrambler scrambler, if you know what I mean.

It sensed that we were unscrambling...

and, uh, automatically changed its code on us.

What satellite is it coming from?

- Snooker, I think. - Country of origin?

Uh, let me see. Uh...

Assuming 53 seconds represents the period of delay,

I'd say somewhere, uh...

in Malaysia?

- (Humming) - OK, here we go.

This is it.

(Woman on tape moaning)

(Moaning continues)

What is that wall behind her? What is that, clay?

- Yeah. Wet clay. - (Sobbing, moaning)

I think it's electrified.

(Moaning continues, static crackling)

(Woman screams)

(Moaning continues)

(Loud static)

- (Tape ejects) - That's it?

- That's it. - (Sighs)

- Grotesque, as promised. - OK.

Can you hang a search on it next time it...

Already workin' on it.

I was pretty insulted when it just shrugged us off in less than a minute.

Well, patron...

Interested?

Yeah.

Hey Harlan, can you do something about these labels?

I mean, uh... this is supposed to be a clandestine operation.

You know what I mean?

Si, patron.

You always find yourself getting just a little nervous

even if you've been doing it all your life, don't you think?

(Woman) Oh, yeah. Oh, for sure.

- Course, that's part of the excitement of it. - Mm-hmm.

Want a smoke?

'No, thanks."

- Max, just relax. - OK.

(Announcer) 'And now, here it is, The Rena King Show.

'And this afternoon, Rena's guests are Max Renn,

‘controversial president of Channel 83,

‘radio personality Nicki Brand,

‘and media prophet Professor Brian O'Blivion.

‘Take it away, Rena.'

Max Renn,

your television station offers its viewers

everything from soft-core pornography to hard-core violence.

Why?

Well, it's a matter of economics, Rena. We're, uh, small.

In order to survive, we have to give people something they can't get anywhere else,

and, uh... and we do that.

But don't you feel such shows contribute

to a social climate of violence and sexual malaise?

And do you care?

Certainly, I care. (Chuckles)

I care enough, in fact, to give my viewers a...

a harmless outlet for their fantasies and their frustrations.

As far as I'm concerned, that's a socially positive act.

What about it, Nicki? Is it socially positive?

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,

and I think that's bad.

Then why did you wear that dress?

Sorry?

That dress.

(Chuckles) It's very stimulating... and it's red.

You know what Freud would have said about that dress.

And he would've been right. I admit it.

I live in a highly excited state of overstimulation.

Listen, I'd really like to take you out to dinner tonight.

- Professor O'Blivion. - (Max) What do you think?

Do you think erotic TV shows and violent TV shows

lead to desensitisation,

to dehumanisation?

(Max, Nicki murmuring)

"The television screen has become the retina of the mind's eye.'

- (Murmuring continues) - Yes.

"That's why I refuse to appear on television

‘except on television.

'Of course, O'Blivion is not the name I was born with.

"That's my television name.

'Soon all of us will have special names

'names designed to cause the cathode ray tube to resonate.'

- Yes. - (Max) Yes, I am. Very interested.

Nicki, is Max Renn a menace to society?

I'm not sure.

He's certainly a menace to me.

(Screaming)

(Static)

(Max) When does the plot, uh... start to unravel here?

I mean, who is this black guy? Is he a political prisoner?

- There's no plot. - (Man moaning)

It just goes on like that for an hour.

- Goes on like what? - Like that.

- Torture... - (Air hisses)

Murder...

- Mutilation. - We never leave that room?

Nope.

- It's a real sicko. - Brilliant.

- For perverts only. - It's absolutely brilliant.

I mean, look, there's almost no production costs.

You can't take your eyes off it. It's incredibly realistic.

Where do they get actors who can do this?

- Oh, help me. I think he wants it. - Come on.

It's worth checking out.

Did you have any trouble locking onto it this time?

Not after I realised the Malaysia delay was a plant.

It's not coming from Malaysia?

You cannot fool the Prince of Pirates for long.

Har... Harlan, where is it coming from?

Pittsburgh. That's in the USA.

Pittsburgh?

(Screaming continues)

Pittsburgh.

(Nicki) 'Get professional help."

(Female caller) ‘But it's not me. It's my sister.'

(Nicki) 'lt's not your sister. It's you, lover.

'Can't you tell? Isn't that why you called me?

"You want help. You need help.'

You're going insane.

I can hear you disintegrating while you talk to me.

- I've got your number, haven't I? - (Woman sobbing)

'l hate my sister.

'l don't want to. It's ripping me up inside. (Sniffs)

'But I do. 1 do.'

- (Sniffles) - Will you call our distress centre?

Will you call the CRAM Distress Centre?

They'll tell you where to get help, lover.

And you need it. You need it now.

(Sobbing) 'l will. I will. Oh, thank you, Nicki."

(Hangs up)

(Announcer) 'We'll return to Nicki Brand

‘and the Emotional Rescue show in just a moment.

"This is CRAM in Toronto, and we've got the weather for you."

Got any porno?

- You serious? - Yeah.

Gets me in the mood.

What's this? "Videodrome".

- Torture, murder. - (Chuckles)

Sounds great.

Ain't exactly sex.

Says who?

(Splashing)

(Screaming)

- God, I can't believe it. - I'll turn it off.

No, no, no. It's OK. I can take it.

(Flogging continues, woman sobbing)

Can you get it any clearer?

- It's a pirate tape. They scramble it. - (Moaning continues)

I like it.

Yeah?

Yeah, it turns me on.

Take out your Swiss Army knife and cut me here,

just... just a little.

Looks like somebody's beat me to it.

(Screaming)

I wonder how you get to be a contestant on this show.

I don't know. Nobody ever seems to come back next week.

What did you say happened to your shoulder?

A friend. I think he'd like Videodrome.

You let somebody cut you?

- Uh-huh. - (Screaming continues)

What do you think?

Well, I... I don't know.

You wanna try a few things?

(Nicki exhales)

(Sighing)

Oh.

Oh.

(Moaning)

(Gasps, sighs)

(Chuckles)

(Nicki moaning)

(Max moaning)

(Chattering on TV)

Max, thank God.

Masha Borowczyk has been in your office for an hour.

What were you doing last night? Didn't you get my message?

- I don't think I'm ready for this. - Coffee. Cigarette.

- All right. - Office.

- Masha. - Masha. Go. She's hot to trot.

(Chattering on TV continues)

(Masha) I call it Apollo and Dionysus.

(Max) Masha, does it ever get good?

It's all good.

Darling, I am looking for something a lot more...

contemporary.

I want something that's gonna show people what's really going on under the sheets.

This stuff is too... it's too naive.

It's too sweet, like you, darling.

Well, it's your market.

Do you know a show called Videodrome?

- Video-what? - D-R-O-M-E.

Videodrome, like video circus, video arena.

- You know it? - No.

It's just torture and murder.

No plot, no characters. Very, very realistic.

I think it's what's next.

Then God help us.

(Knocking)

- Better on TV than on the street. - (Bridey) Excuse me.

Arnold on line three.

You interested in, uh... tracking it down for me?

I'll see that you get the agent's commission.

I'm interested. Let me try.

Max...

Did you ever think of producing your own show?

Right here?

I could be your agent, worldwide.

I could sell subterranean for you everywhere.

- No, I don't have the temperament. - But if you did...

what kind of show would you do?

I mean, for the subterranean market.

Would you do... Videodrome?

- (Nicki) Max. - Mm-hmm?

I'm going away tomorrow for two weeks.

On assignment.

Guess where?

L.A.

- Pittsburgh. - (Chuckles) Fabulous.

Don't stay in the sun too long. I hear it's bad for the skin.

Oh, come on. Isn't that where they make Videodrome?

Yeah. Why?

I'm gonna audition.

I was made for that show.

Nobody on earth was made for that show.

Hey. Listen to me.

- Listen to me. - What?

I want you to stay away from it.

Those mondo weirdo video guys,

they've got unsavoury connections, they play rough.

Rougher than even Nicki Brand wants to play, do you understand me?

Sounds like a challenge.

Got a cigarette?

It's not a challenge.

I swear. You know, in Brazil, Central America, those kinds of places...

making underground video is considered a subversive act.

They execute people for it. In Pittsburgh, who knows?

(Pouring)

Max...

Nicki, don't!

Nicki, don't.

Don't.

(♪ Percussion)

(♪ Middle Eastern music)

(♪ Music continues)

- Do you have a hangover? - No. Stayed up late watching TV.

Did you get in touch with our friends in Pittsburgh?

In a way. At a distance.

- Subterranean grapevine. - And?

Max...

Videodrome is something for you to leave alone.

It is definitely not for public consumption.

(Chuckles) Channel 83 is a little small to be considered public.

It is still too public.

- Do you understand me? - No. What's the punch line?

I think it's dangerous, Max, Videodrome.

- Why? It's Mafia? They do business. - No, no.

It's more, um... How can I say?

More political than that.

- Come on, Masha, what are we talkin' about? - Videodrome.

What you see on that show, it's for real.

It's not acting. It's snuff TV.

I don't believe it.

(♪ Music stops)

(Whistling)

So don't believe.

Why do it for real?

It's easier and safer to fake it.

Because it has something

that you don't have, Max.

It has a philosophy.

- And that is what makes it dangerous. - Whose philosophy?

There must be a name.

Give me a name I can talk to. Masha, Masha, you know me.

I stay away from the scary stuff.

Max...

You are going to have to be nice to me for this.

We can take a shower together, anytime you say.

(Chuckling)

I'm sure you would be very beautiful,

but, uh... you're a little older than I prefer.

Thank you...

SO much.

Sell me a name... and I'll make Apollo and Dionysus part of the package.

(Sighs)

That hurts me, Max.

Hey, the world's a shithole, ain't it?

Yes, Max.

Itis.

Brian O'Blivion.

That is the only name I have to give.

Professor Brian O'Blivion.

(Woman) Wait, where you goin'? Come back here.

- (Man) Are they goin' in now? - Got a cigarette?

(Indistinct muttering)

- Gotta have a smoke and a cup of coffee. - (Woman) Wait a minute.

(Woman) They don't serve coffee in there. They just serve piss water.

(Muttering)

I don't need to put up with this shit. I'm a young woman.

Take a good look at me.

Take a good look at me! I'm a good-lookin' woman. I got nice tits.

(Man) Let's go.

(Muttering continues)

(TV, indistinct)

(Woman greeter) Hello. Move along.

(Greeter continues, indistinct)

(Female derelict) Move out of my way! Come on!

(Greeter) Hello. Straight down the hallway.

Keep on. Straight down the hallway.

Keep going, keep going.

Come on. Step along.

- Bianca O'Blivion? - Yes.

I'm Max Renn. I, uh... I run Civic TV.

I did a panel show with Professor O'Blivion.

- The Rena King Show. - Oh, yes.

You said some very superficial things.

Violence, sex, imagination, catharsis...

- My exact words. - What do you want?

I wanna talk with your father

about a new twist in video that he may not be aware of.

I love the view.

You look like them, like one of Father's derelicts.

(Chuckles) Think it's a style that's coming back.

In their case, Mr Renn, it's not a style.

It's a disease forced on them

by their lack of access to the cathode ray tube.

You think a few doses of TV are gonna help them?

Watching TV will help patch them back into the world's mixing board.

Absolutely.

And I guess you encourage Father's derelicts to make home movies?

The world's mixing board?

Professor O'Blivion sends video letters all over the world.

- Is the Professor here? - I am my father's screen.

Once you've told me what this visit is all about,

he may choose to send you a cassette.

If he does, which format would you like?

If he does, it's gonna make conversation a little difficult.

My father has not engaged in conversation for at least twenty years.

The monologue is his preferred mode of discourse.

Format.

Videodrome.

Is that a Japanese configuration?

- You've never heard of it? - No.

Then there have been serious gaps in your education.

- Videodrome. - (Doorbell chiming)

Mention it to your father. He may want to have a conversation.

(Chuckling)

I love the view.

(Door closes)

(Harlan) "Torture, murder, mutilation.'

(Masha) 'Videodrome.

‘What you see on that show,

it's for real.'

(Nicki) 'I'm gonna audition.

'l was made for that show.'

(Masha) 'lt has something that you don't have, Max.

'It has a philosophy,

‘and that is what makes it dangerous.'

(Knocking)

Hi. This is your wake-up cassette,

and this something that came to the office for you by courier.

What did they say at CRAM?

They said that Nicki Brand is definitely not on assignment for them.

She had a month off coming. She decided to take it now.

Don't touch that!

(Grunts)

(Grunts)

Jesus, Max, you scared me.

What the hell's wrong with you?

I don't know, man. I think I'm getting, like, a rash or something.

Uh...

What?

Are you all right?

Bridey, I didn't mean to hit you.

Hit me?

You didn't hit me.

No? No. No, I know I didn't hit you. I meant...

- (Exhales) - Do you want me to stay here?

- Uh... - You look awful.

- Can I get you something? - Uh, no, uh...

No, I'm just, uh...

Uh, I'm...

(Exhales) I'm exhausted. I was in a deep sleep when you knocked

and I guess I'm still not out of it.

I'll remember to set the timer. Don't worry.

- You're sure? - I'm sure.

- Are you sure? - Yeah. Thanks, Bridey. Tomorrow.

Max, that other cassette is from the office of Brian O'Blivion.

I promised I'd hand-deliver it directly to you.

Will you call me if you need me?

(Sighs)

(Gasps)

(Tape loads, clicks)

"The battle for the mind of North America

'will be fought in the video arena,

'the Videodrome.

"The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye.

"Therefore, the television screen is part of the physical structure of the brain.

"Therefore, whatever appears on the television screen

‘emerges as raw experience for those who watch it.

"Therefore, television is reality,

‘and reality is less than television.'

- (Chuckles) - 'Max...

'I'm so glad you came to me.

've been through it all myself, you see.

"Your reality is already half video hallucination.

'If you're not careful, it will become total hallucination.

"You'll have to learn to live in a very strange new world.

'l had a brain tumour...

‘and I had visions.

'l believed the visions caused the tumour, and not the reverse.

'l could feel the visions coalesce and become flesh.

'Uncontrollable flesh.

‘But when they removed the tumour,

'it was called Videodrome.

'l was the...

(Choking) 'l... I...

'was Videodrome's first victim.'

But who's behind it? What do they want?

'l want you, Max.

"You.

'Come to me.

'Come to Nicki.

'Come on.

'Don't make me wait.

'Please.'

(Breathing)

(Nicki moaning)

(Breathing deeply)

(Nicki moans) 'l want you, Max.

"You.

'Come on.

- 'Come on. - (Breathing continues)

'Come to me now.

'Come to Nicki.'

(Breathing continues)

‘Don't keep me waiting.

'Please.

'Please.'

(Siren wails)

(♪ Music playing)

(Announcer) "Today, Lady Luck may smile on these four players

‘and start them on the road to $12,000..."

We have a new group of people coming in this afternoon,

- so tell the staff about that. - All right. Good.

(TV audience cheering)

Exciting.

Very lively.

Careful. It bites.

- You watched the cassette? - Yeah.

- And? - It changed my life.

I'm not surprised. It's dangerous, you know.

Because your father admits he's somehow involved with Videodrome?

More than that. It bites.

Isn't that what you said?

What kind of teeth do you think it has?

It triggered off a series of hallucinations. I woke up with a headache.

First time ever?

No, I... I've been hallucinating for a while, ever since...

What?

Since I first saw Videodrome.

How did you come to be exposed to it?

Pirate satellite dish.

A... An accident.

I made some tapes.

This is part of my own Videodrome collection.

But that tape is just your father sitting at his desk.

The tone of the hallucinations is determined by the tone of the tape's imagery.

But the Videodrome signal, the one that does the damage...

it can be delivered under a test pattern, anything.

Mm.

Damage?

The signal induces a brain tumour in the viewer.

It's the tumour that creates the hallucinations.

You let me watch it?

I expect them to come to me eventually to hurt me.

I thought it might be you.

Now I realise you're just another victim...

like Father was.

Where is your father? I think I'd better talk to him.

He's in there.

(Doorbell chiming)

I'm afraid he'll disappoint you.

This is him.

- This is all that's left. - What are you talking about?

Brian O'Blivion died quietly on an operating table 11 months ago.

- The brain problem? - The Videodrome problem.

- You have it, too. - But he was on that panel show with me.

On tape.

He made thousands of them. Sometimes three or four a day.

I keep him alive as best I can.

He had so much to offer.

My father helped to create Videodrome.

He saw it as the next phase in the evolution of man as a technological animal.

When he realised what his partners were going to use it for,

he tried to take it away from them.

And they killed him.

Quietly.

At the end, he was convinced that public life on television

was more real than private life in the flesh.

He wasn't afraid to let his body die.

(Sighs)

Tell me about my Videodrome problem.

My father knows much more about it than I do.

Listen to him.

Where's Harlan? He's not in the lab.

- I think he's up in VTR. Max... - Not now.

- Harlan. - Si, patron.

Have you been hallucinating lately?

No.

- Should I be? - Yes.

You should be.

'l believe

'that the growth in my head,

'this head,

'this one right here...

'l think that it is not really a tumour,

'not an uncontrolled, undirected little bubbling pot of flesh,

'but that it is in fact...

‘a new organ.

'A new part of the brain.

'l think that massive doses of Videodrome signal

‘will ultimately create a new outgrowth

'of the human brain

‘which will produce and control hallucination

'to the point that it will change human reality.

‘After all, there is nothing real outside our perception of reality,

'is there?"

(Chuckling)

"You can see that, can't you?'

(Phone ringing)

- (Man) 'Max Renn?' - Yes.

Who is this?

'Barry Convex would like to talk to you about Videodrome.

've got a car waiting downstairs for you, sir.'

'Please direct your attention to the television set in front of you, Mr Renn.

'Mr Convex has recorded a little introduction for you."

(Tape clicks)

(♪ Electronic jingle)

'Hi, I'm Barry Convex, Chief of Special Programmes,

‘and I'd like to invite you into the world of Spectacular Optical,

‘an enthusiastic global corporate citizen.

"We make inexpensive glasses for the Third World

‘and missile guidance systems for NATO.

'We also make Videodrome, Max.

‘And as I'm sure you know,

'when it's ready for the marketplace, things will never be quite the same again.

'lIt can be a giant hallucination machine and much, much more.

‘But it's not ready. Those were test transmissions you picked up.

"We thought nobody could tap into them.'

He's good, that Harlan. Good pirate.

‘Well, now that you have,

'l think we oughta have a little talk, don't you?

'l thought maybe... my place?

(Chuckles)

(Convex) I hope you realise you're playing with dynamite.

That's our spring line. Top secret stuff.

I brought it with me for a trade show here in town later this week.

Max Renn, I'm Barry Convex.

l... think that machinery you're wearing is too much for the shape of your face.

Overwhelms you.

Try something more, uh... spidery.

More delicate.

Here she is. This is our prototype.

This is the little number that started it all.

Max...

I would like you to try this on for size.

I would like to use this machine to record one of your hallucinations now.

Then I would like to take that tape back with me to home base for analysis.

Do I, uh... Do I get to keep the copyright?

I mean, I'd hate to see it show up as a Movie of the Week and not get paid for it.

Max, I'm trying to help you.

What makes you think I need help, Barry?

None of our test subjects has returned to normality.

They're all in need of intensive psychiatric care.

Now, you seem to be functioning reasonably well... so far.

I'd like to find out why.

And I think an analysis of one of your hallucinations

would be the right place to start.

Will it hurt?

It won't hurt you.

You might catch yourself sliding in and out of a hallucinatory state after this is all over.

If you do, just relax and enjoy it. It'll soon go away.

But for now, I think that you'll find a little S&M

will be necessary to trigger off a good, healthy series of hallucinations.

That's why our Videodrome show is so strange.

Something to do with the effects of exposure to violence on the nervous system.

It opens up receptors in the brain and the spine,

and that allows the Videodrome signal to sink in.

You mean I'm gonna have to hurt you, Barry?

'Fraid not. You don't have to actually hurt anybody.

You just have to think about it.

(Humming)

(Humming loudly)

Wha... That's too bright! I can't take it!

- Yes! I forgot! Sorry! How's that? - Shit.

(Humming)

(Max) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's fine.

OK, we're rolling.

The taping mechanism is all self-contained.

You don't have to do anything now but hallucinate.

(Max) Yeah. Yeah. OK.

I'll come back for you later.

You'll forgive me if I don't stay around to watch.

I just can't cope with the freaky stuff.

(Max) Nicki?

- Nicki. - Well, here we are at last.

Right where we oughta be.

On Videodrome.

"What are you waiting for, lover?

"Let's perform.

'Let's open those neural floodgates.'

(Breathing heavily, moaning)

(Nicki gasps)

(Groans)

uh!

(Groans)

(Yelping)

(Groans)

(Gasping)

(Groans)

(Gasping)

- (Groans) - (Panting)

What's going on, Professor O'Blivion? (Chuckles)

I mean, really.

Oh.

(Gasps)

Oh, Masha.

(Exhales)

Harlan.

It's Max.

Can you come over to my apartment? Right away.

Yeah, I'm serious.

- Come on in. - Well, here I am, patron.

Camera. Flashgun. What's up? You wanna be a centrefold?

I want you to go into my bedroom,

and I want you to take a look at what's in my bed.

Uncover it. Don't be shy. I want pictures.

- Pictures of what's in your bed? - Yeah. Do it.

Sure. OK.

Oh, God.

(Exhales)

Well?

Max...

I don't see anything.

You didn't just want me to shoot your bed, pillows, sheets, did you?

- It's disa... - Max, are you in some kind of drug warp?

I've got friends who can help.

Bridey said she came by a couple of days ago. You were...

Did you tape Videodrome last night?

If it was transmitted, the machine would've caught it.

I'll meet you in the lab in one hour. I wanna see it.

- Jeez, Max, it's not even 7am. - I'm not fucking around! Do you understand?

Well, fuck you!

I'm not some fucking servomechanism you can switch on and off.

You want me to run around like an asshole, tell me what I'm doing it for.

Otherwise, I'll see you during office hours, patron.

Harlan, you're right.

It's momentum. I'm running like an express train here.

I don't know how to stop.

Look, I'll meet you in the lab in one hour, OK?

And then we'll see if we pulled in any Videodrome last night,

and I'll tell you what's going on.

Everything. I promise.

OK?

OK. I'm sorry if I freaked out on you.

- I don't work with you for the money. - I know that.

With pirates, it's never just for the money, is it?

You want a cup of cof... No, look. I'll meet you in the lab in an hour.

OK.

Come on in.

- (Door closes) - Did you look at the tape?

- Did you see me on Videodrome? - There was no tape.

There was no Videodrome transmission last night?

Not last night.

- Oh, fuck! - Not ever.

What... What are you talking about?

(Knocking at door)

I'm out of my depth now, patron.

I had to bring in the reinforcements.

Max.

An intriguing combination. Very interesting.

- Don't let me interrupt. - I think I was saying something like,

"What are you talking about?"

I was playing you tapes, Max.

Pre-recorded cassettes.

Videodrome has never been transmitted on an open broadcast circuit.

Not yet.

I guess Barry sent you here, what, two years ago?

It has been... two years, hasn't it, Harlan?

Two.

Two wonderful years.

Why?

(Exhales)

To get you involved.

To expose you to the Videodrome signal.

It didn't affect you because you never watched it!

You knew what was there. You didn't have to see it.

(Chuckles)

It really does work on just about anybody.

Anybody who watches it, Max.

But why would anybody watch it?

Why would anybody watch a scum show like Videodrome?

Why did you watch it, Max?

Business reasons.

Sure. Sure.

What about the other reasons?

Why deny you get your kicks out of watching torture and murder?

You murdered Brian O'Blivion, didn't you, you freak?

Did you enjoy that?

North America's getting soft, patron.

And the rest of the world is getting tough.

Very, very tough.

We're entering savage new times

and we're going to have to be pure

and direct

and strong

if we're gonna survive them.

Now, you and this, uh...

cesspool you call a television station

and, uh, your people who wallow around in it

and, uh... your viewers

who watch you do it...

you're rotting us away from the inside.

We intend to stop that rot.

We're gonna start with Channel 83, Max.

We're gonna use it for our first authentic transmissions of Videodrome.

I have a hunch it's gonna be very popular... for a while.

I've gotta be hallucinating now, right? I mean...

You two can't possibly be for real.

Ah, we did record your hallucinations, Max,

as I said we would.

And we did analyse them.

You're ready for something new.

That's terrific.

(Breathing)

What do you, uh... What do you want from me?

I want you to open up, Max.

Open up to me.

(Breathing continues)

I've got something I want to play for you.

(Breathing continues)

Oh, my God!

(Coughs)

- (Convex) 'We want Channel 83, Max." - (Grunting)

'Give it to us.

'Give us Channel 83.

‘Kill your partners.

'Kill them.

- 'Kill your partners and give us Channel 83.' - (Grunts)

(Exhales)

(Grunting)

Ah!

(Squishing)

(Gasps)

(Convex) 'Give us Channel 83.

‘Kill your partners.

'Kill them.

‘Kill your partners and give us Channel 83."

(TV blaring)

Hello, Max.

(Office workers chattering)

(Man) How ya doin', Max?

Where's Moses?

He's in a meeting with Rafe. I'll tell him you want him.

Don't.

(TV blaring)

(Phone rings)

(Man 1) We dub in a funny track. Gentle comedy.

(Man 2) Mm-hmm. And you'd be the one to write it?

(Man 1) Yeah. Yeah, I would. I used to write in high school, then I lost it.

Hi, Max.

You're just in time to throw some light on an interesting problem.

Don't.

Max.

What the fuck?

(Man) Jesus!

It was from the boardroom!

Max, what happened? Are you hurt?

- They killed... They... - (Gasps) What happened?

- They killed us! - What happened?

- Jesus! Look out! - (Woman screams)

(Woman) Help!

In here! In here!

Get out! Just clear outta here! Come... Get out!

Let me see.

(Office workers screaming)

Max!

Max.

(Convex) Kill Bianca O'Blivion.

'She knows too much.

'She can hurt us.

'Don't let her hurt us, Max.

'Kill her.

'Kill Bianca O'Blivion."

(Aeroplane passes overhead)

(Lock unlatches, clock chiming)

(Door closes, footsteps)

Bianca O'Blivion.

I run Civic TV.

I was on a talk show with your father.

So it was to be you after all.

You've come to kill me.

No.

No, I'm Max Renn. I run Civic TV. I don't...

I don't kill people.

Oh, but you do.

You're an assassin now for Videodrome.

They can programme you.

They can play you like a videotape recorder.

They can make you do what they want.

And they want you to destroy whatever is left of Brian O'Blivion.

They want you to destroy me.

Destroy you?

(Cassette loads)

(Bianca) They killed her, Max. They killed Nicki Brand.

She died on Videodrome.

They used her image to seduce you, but she was already dead.

Don't back away.

I stole it from them just for you to see.

(Tape player clicking)

Videodrome is death.

(Gunshots)

That's better.

So much better.

It's always painful to remove the cassette...

to change the programme.

But now that we have,

you'll see that you've become something quite different from what you were.

You've become the video word made flesh.

(Exhales) I am the video word made flesh.

And now that you are the video word made flesh

you know what you have to do.

You turn against Videodrome.

You use the weapons they've given you to destroy them.

Death to Videodrome.

Long live the new flesh.

Death to Videodrome.

Long live the new flesh.

(TV Reporter) 'lt was only 26 hours ago in the building you see behind me

'that a bizarre, apparently motiveless shooting occurred

'which has triggered off an intensive manhunt by Metro Police.

"Thirty-four-year-old Max Renn, president of the Civic TV Corporation

'Is being sought in connection with the shooting deaths

'of two executives at Channel 83..."

You wanna see the monkey dance, you pay the piper.

See what I'm sayin' here, Teddy?

You know how much my monkey's batteries cost?

They don't last in the cold. The cold knocks ‘em right out.

I can't dance. You know I would if I could.

But, uh, I can't, so...

You got some change, Teddy? You got somethin'.

Half a buck. Teddy, yeah.

- A quarter. You got somethin', Teddy. - (Bus rumbling)

See what I'm saying here, Teddy?

You got somethin'. Can't ya just put a little somethin' in, Teddy?

Well, go on, sport.

They call me Brolley. How can I help you, sir?

- Just looking. - (Chuckles) Yeah, man.

Well, that's a good one.

There ain't much to see here, but take your time and have a good look anyway.

Ah, what this?

Yeah, this is one hell of a scrip you got here.

Very tricky grind.

Can't imagine you'd see things too clear without them, you know.

Well, don't worry at all. I'm gonna get you fixed up in no time flat.

(Tape unpeeling)

(Exhales) Where's Convex?

- Oh, setting up his trade show. - Oh.

- Gotta introduce the spring line. - What's in the box?

- Your head. (Chuckling) - (Chuckles)

- Got your head in this box. - (Both laughing)

Ah.

You've been busy, Max.

- Been reading about you in the papers. - Mm.

- Have you been to see Bianca O'Blivion? - I saw her.

- And she give you any trouble? - No.

Well, that's good.

Maybe you'd like to visit somebody else now. Is that why you're here?

Maybe.

You've been very useful to us, Max.

We'd like to keep using you until you're all gone.

(Tape breathing)

Open up to me.

(Breathing continues)

Got something I wanna play for you.

(Breathing continues)

(Gasps, squishing)

(Screams)

(Ticking)

(Shuddering)

(Whimpering)

(Ticking, woman screaming)

See ya in Pittsburgh.

(Screams)

(Dog barking)

(Child) Mommy, look at the big ka-boom!

Tracey, come back here!

- Stay with Mommy. - I want... I wanna see it.

You come with me.

Come on. We're going home now.

(Crowd chattering)

(♪ Baroque music on synthesiser)

(♪ Music continues)

(♪ Music continues)

(Applause)

"Well...

- "You know me.' - (Man) Yeah, we know you.

‘And I sure know you.

- 'Every one of you! - (Applause)

'We're here to celebrate the arrival of our spring collection,

'the Medici line,

‘and our theme for this year is based on two quotes

'from the famous Renaissance statesman and patron of the arts

'Lorenzo de Medici.

"Love comes in at the eye",

‘and "The eye is the window of the soul".

'Now, I think that even Pete

‘oughta be able to sell the hell out of a classy campaign like that.'

(Applause)

(Gasps)

(Panting)

Oh, God!

No!

(Gunshots, grunting)

(Woman screams)

(Audience screaming)

(Choking)

Death to Videodrome! Long live the new flesh!

(Feedback)

(Gagging)

(Feedback continues)

(Gagging continues)

(Dripping)

I was hoping you'd be back.

"I'm here to guide you, Max.

"I've learned a lot since I last saw you.

"I've learned that death is not the end.

'l can help you.'

I don't know where I am now.

'I'm having trouble...

finding my way around.

"That's because you've gone just about as far as you can with the way things are.

"Videodrome still exists. It's very big, very complex.

"You've hurt them, but you haven't destroyed them.

"To do that, you have to go on to the next phase.'

What phase is that?

"Your body has already done a lot of changing,

‘but that's only the beginning.

"The beginning of the new flesh.

"You have to go all the way now,

'a total transformation.

'Do you think you're ready?"

I guess I am.

How do we do it?

"To become the new flesh, you first have to Kill the old flesh.

'But don't be afraid.

'Don't be afraid to let your body die.

‘Just come to me, Max.

'Come to Nicki.

"Watch. I'll show you how.

'It's easy.'

'Long live the new flesh.

(Jacket unzips)

Long live the new flesh.

(Gunshot)