Coldly pragmatic clinic doctor Adam Tripod (a perfectly haughty pantomime portrayal by Ronald Mlodzik) goes searching for his unhinged dermatologist mentor Antoine Rouge, who has vanished in the wake of a catastrophic plague created by cosmetic products that has killed off the entire population of sexually mature women.
Writer/director David Cronenberg does an expert job of crafting a cold'n'clammy feeling of total amorality and emotional detachment which in turn gives this oddball experimental short a distinctly chilly identity. Moreover, Cronenberg makes nice use of the sprawling locations and the vibrant color photography frequently looks gorgeous. The early exploration of body horror themes -- one man has "creative cancer" and folks bleed what looks like chocolate milk -- serves as a precursor to such later Cronenberg outings as "Rabid," "The Brood," and "The Fly" while the abundant deviant sexuality on bold display throughout provides a dry run for the even more alarmingly warped carnal fetishism and perversity of "Crash." However, the glacial pacing as well as total dearth of any music and dialogue make this one a bit of a rough slog to sit through. That criticism aside, it's still worth a watch for Cronenberg fans as an interesting initial example of his unique talent and highly unusual imagination.
Writer/director David Cronenberg does an expert job of crafting a cold'n'clammy feeling of total amorality and emotional detachment which in turn gives this oddball experimental short a distinctly chilly identity. Moreover, Cronenberg makes nice use of the sprawling locations and the vibrant color photography frequently looks gorgeous. The early exploration of body horror themes -- one man has "creative cancer" and folks bleed what looks like chocolate milk -- serves as a precursor to such later Cronenberg outings as "Rabid," "The Brood," and "The Fly" while the abundant deviant sexuality on bold display throughout provides a dry run for the even more alarmingly warped carnal fetishism and perversity of "Crash." However, the glacial pacing as well as total dearth of any music and dialogue make this one a bit of a rough slog to sit through. That criticism aside, it's still worth a watch for Cronenberg fans as an interesting initial example of his unique talent and highly unusual imagination.