Videodrome story
Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO of a small UHF television station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal featuring violence and torture. The layers of deception and mind-control conspiracy unfold as he uncovers the signal's source, and loses touch with reality in a series of increasingly bizarre hallucinations.
7 total · 3 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| mind control technology | major | Barry convex and Harlan manipulated Max into viewing the Videodrome show. This in turn enabled them to mind control Max. |
| television as a control mechanism | major | Barry Convex hatched a nefarious plot to give fatal brain tumors to "lowlifes" fixated on extreme sex and violence. This he aimed to achieve by having them watch a television show depicting the violent torture and eventual murder of anonymous victims. The signal from the show caused fatal brain tumors. |
| what if I couldn't trust the veracity of my senses | major | Max was subject to a series of increasing bizarre hallucinations, so much so that he lost the ability to distinguish his hallucinations from reality. |
| arms trade | minor | The Spectacular Optical Corporation was an eyeglasses company that acted as a front for a weapons manufacturer. |
| coping with being tortured | minor | The plotless show Videodrome depicting the violent torture and eventual murder of anonymous victims. |
| questioning one's sanity | minor | Max called Harlan over to his apartment in the middle of the night seeking conformation on whether or not there was a dead body in his bed: there wasn't. |
| sadomasochism | minor | Masochistically-inclined Nicki had Max cut her during sex. She also burned herself with a cigarette to get herself fin the mood at one point. |