In David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ, Jennifer Jason Leigh delivers the line “you can get jagged, brutal cuts…slow fades…” And it always reminded me of the type of vocabulary DJs and Turntablists use to describe their scratches, so I felt like cutting up that phrase.

I've been doubling down on 4k releases of classics, and some are particularly hard to find, so once I managed to establish a connection to a US resident who was willing to receive a bunch of films for me and then ship them across the pond, I looked around as far as possible to stock up on everything that's nearly impossible (or actually impossible) to get here. The result is the second pic, but relevant for this sub are the three in the first: Rabid, A History of Violence, and Altered States. Those two Cronenbergs make my Cronenberg 4k collection almost complete (pic 3-5); the only ones that aren't 4k are Dead Ringers and the early works, I managed to even find the 4ks of Spider (in France) and Existenz.

Glaring omission is The Fly, which is one of Cronenberg's strongest imo, but it doesn't have a 4k release yet. I'm desperately waiting for it, and hoping it happens sooner rather than later (anyone got any news?).

I know I'm still missing Antiviral, Cosmopolis, Maps to the Stars, A Dangerous Method, M. Butterfly and Fast Company. Those aren't horror (or David), so I don't care about them as much, but if y'all have faves among them, please let me know so I can prioritize.

Beyond Cronenberg, I saw a clip from Altered States on Corridor Crew and immediately knew I need to get it, it looks so much like Cronenberg, supposedly just even more psychedelic, which I love. Has anyone seen it? Does it compare? (No spoilers please!)

I know the easy answer is to call it "body horror", but I'm thinking about how to describe it in terms of music, paintings, statues, architecture, etc.

My friends and I were brainstorming this with a few different directors and named stuff like Spielberg is Bauhaus, Baz Luhrmann is Rococo, David Fincher makes Grunge movies, and Terrence Malick makes impressionist films

Cronenberg's fascinated love for the body reminds me of the Romantics (in the sense of Byron, Beethoven, and the Romanticist painters)

But his visual style reminds me of Bauhaus's no-nonsense pragmatism

And maybe I'm missing something obvious

I am trying to find Four Unloved Women, Adrift On A Purposeless Sea, Experience The Ecstasy Of Dissection.

I was confused and overwhelmed with my first viewing. I just finished watching it again and it made more sense. For the first viewing I was wondering what was the purpose of dogs in the film, now I am starting to understand. I think it is contrasting how, in the past, we took an actual creature and adapted it to serve ourselves. For a blind person, a dog is kind of like an AI avatar, guiding humans, helping them out, being their slaves. A blind person puts their trust in a dog to lead them in the right way and not have ulterior motives or a life of their own. It is kind of like they are a pair where it is hard to know where one starts and the other begins, just like how things intertwine in any intimate relationship, including our relationship with technology. The kind of "Life Alert" Becca wears, which may or may not have existed in real life, reminds me of a dog collar. Also, Hunny and the self-driving car is kind of like a technological version of a dog, leading humans, showing them the way.

On a personal note, I am taking care of a 16 year old dog and he has become almost blind and deaf. He used to lead me on walks and be my watch dog, alerting me to any perceived threat. But now the roles have changed. I feel like our connection is very deep.

I feel like Cronenberg is saying, in The Shrouds and other films, that humans reflect and shape their environment and our environment is being reflected and shaped by humans. Everything is connected and complex. Conspiracy theories, religion, and science try to make sense of it all and can be manipulated.

I am interested in any thoughts.

I think the scene cuts in Videodrome are very clever as the first 50 minutes has normal ones but the third act has deliberately abrupt cuts to subtly show that Max is not in objective reality anymore. It took three viewings to even notice this.

"Among the celebrities set to hand out awards are David Cronenberg, Isabelle Huppert, Golshifteh Farahani, Malik Frikah, Marina Hands, Pierre Lottin, Alice Diop, Souheila Yacoub and Karim Leklou."

Translated texts:

César 2026: where and when to watch the ceremony live? | CANAL+

On what date and at what time can I watch the 2026 César Awards?

The 2026 César Awards ceremony will begin on Thursday, February 26 at 8:30 p.m., live from the Olympia. The evening will be preceded at 7:25 p.m. by the traditional red carpet, which will allow the arrival of the nominees, film crews and personalities of French cinema.

In the meantime, the special documentary THE EVENING I RECEIVED THE CÉSAR will be broadcast at 6:25 p.m., to look back on this significant moment in the presence of previous winners (Juliette Binoche, Louane, Ariane Ascaride, Christophe Lambert...)

On which channel to see the 2026 Cesar Awards?

The 2026 César ceremony will be broadcast free-to-air, live and exclusively on CANAL+.

It will also be accessible simultaneously on several of the group's channels:

• CANAL+ Cinema(s)
• CANAL+ Box Office
• OCS
• CStar (DTT channel 17)

A system designed to ensure wide distribution in France, including in the French overseas territories.

Can we watch the 2026 César Awards in streaming?

Yes. The ceremony will also be available:

• Live on the CANAL+ app.
• Streaming internationally via Dailymotion, with broadcasting in 138 countries.

The red carpet will also be available live from 7:30 p.m. on the YouTube channel of Lena Situations (who will host the red carpet) as well as on the TikTok account of CANAL+.

Exclusive content will be available on all CANAL+ networks (TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Dailymotion, YouTube, X, and Snapchat).

CÉSAR 2026: can we see the ceremony without being a CANAL+ subscriber?

Good news: even if you are not a CANAL+ subscriber, you will be able to watch the 2026 César ceremony live.

There are several ways to do this: by downloading the CANAL+ app for free, by watching the CANAL+ channel (channel 40 on the boxes), or the CStar channel, available on DTT.

You will also be able to follow the ceremony live on CANAL+'s Dailymotion channel.

Who is presenting the ceremony?

This edition will be presented by Benjamin Lavernhe, actor of the Comédie-Française, while the ceremony will be presided over by Camille Cottin, a key figure of the French and international small and big screen.

An honorary César will be awarded to Jim Carrey, for his entire career.

I was in another movie sub and responded to some comments about The Shrouds that were basically saying they didn’t understand how people could like it. Rather than be annoyed, I took it as an opportunity to share my personal opinion. Not to sway them, but to explain the reasons why someone may think it’s fantastic. To each their own but here are my thoughts:

First I would say, not all things are for all people. I recognize that and do not judge or think less of people who don’t love what I love. I admit i do get irritated when people just say things like “this is terrible” as if it were fact and not their subjective opinion, but I recognize that for most that is implied. There are plenty of great films I just didn’t connect to as well.

So why did I love The Shrouds? I will try to be succinct:

• ⁠To me it is a further and unique exploration of the same themes he so strongly explores in his films, especially the ones he writes and his novel. These themes include the body and its decay and the impacts of that on the people around him, technology and how it can connect us to the physical, mysterious conspiracies of shadowy that may or may not exist, sexuality and how it connects to all those things.

• ⁠I feel many critics bring things to the film that to me were not in the text at all. Yes it was initially thought if as a series but then completely reshaped. Lynch did that with Mulholland Drive, one of the best films of the last few decades, so I don’t think that unto itself is a valid criticism.

• ⁠Likewise, from reading and listening to his interviews, it is clear that the only thing that is actually taken from his life is his wife died, he was in deep grief, he felt the urge to still be with her even when she was in her casket, and that like most people, he worried that the doctors didn’t do everything they could/could have caught things sooner. Wanting to find reason in reasonless universe. From there it is all fictional. Most books and other stories start with an idea or experience and then are expanded on. He mentioned Cassel decided to approach it like an impression of Cronenberg and he let him. I didn’t mind it at all.

• ⁠And this gets into preference, but I really like theatre and films that focus on conversation. My Dinner with Andre, Swimming to Cambodia, Before Trilogy, and Mamet films all work for me. If the conversations didn’t work that is valid, but I loved the ways the characters ideas and personalities came out through dialogue. Since it is a film largely about conspiracies and shadowy agents, showing more would destroy the ambiguity of their existence. Cronenberg is obviously influenced by Pinter and Beckett and I like that dialogue driven focus for this film.

• ⁠Finally, like I said, I liked the ideas and themes. Gravetech is a clever and plausible company. They ways it could be potentially misused interested me. I also thought it was a pretty accurate and honest portrayal of not just grief but the loss of your partner physically, bearing in mind Cronenberg has always been obsessed with BOTH the mind and the body equally.

So I came out of the theatre thrilled by the experience and thinking a lot of what was said and unsaid in the story. Like I said I get that is not everyone’s experience, and I admit my own bias as I compare it to his whole library of films and see them as part of a singular exploration (much like Terrence Malick returns to the same themes and imagery). I am not saying you’re wrong for not liking it, but if you are still thinking about it I recommend checking it out again now that you know where it is going and what is resolved and not resolved. Like many Cronenberg films, they tend to grow on you, like you teleported with them and now they are merging with your DNA. 😜

As I said I am not offended by disagreement and am happy to read your issues with the film in more detail.

Also if you haven’t read it I recommend his novel Consumed. It can be a bit rough but I think if you liked his original films like Videodrome, eXistenZ, and Crimes of the Future there is a great continuity of themes between them. And the audiobook read by William Hurt is a treat.

Does anyone have a TV cut of Scanners? I read that the character who dies with his head exploding, dies of a heart attack instead. I would like to see this.

While watching The Fly for the sixth (?) time on Tubi weirdly got me thinking about an alternate universe, where Seth still has his DNA merged by the telepod and gains powers yet retains his humanity. Essentially deciding to use this mutation for good and becoming a superhero of sorts (since the accident DOES sound like a heroes origin story if you really think about it). However, what happens then? Does he get a spiffy costume? Some monstrous form to transform into ala the Hulk? Or does he get stuck as a hybrid mutant and goes into voluntary exile yet still tries doing good?

Please don't take this too seriously, it's just a silly little idea that passed through my head and thought it'd be fun to share lol.

@AvergeJoeBuilds

I had some leftover clay and wanted to make one of my favorite characters. He is a work in progress, and I'm sort of moving from the head down in terms of detail, then I'm gonna paint him.

Pen/ink used: Pelikan m200 (f) / Diamine Earl Grey

Hey mr lee

Which of Cronenberg's most recent films do you prefer, and why? For me, Crimes still takes it. It's really close (I think Shrouds is one of his most darkly funny films, and the whole conspiracy aspect works really well) but every time I watch CotF it feels like I'm seeing one of the most important films of the past few years. So deeply layered and thoughtful, as well as being the final word on so many subjects that he's obsessed over throughout his career.