Director David Cronenberg (The Dead Zone, The Fly, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises) is known for making movies with an edge.
Whether defined by bloody fight scenes or sci-fi storylines, Cronenberg’s films have a dark side that you wouldn’t exactly attribute to stories about aspiring ballet dancers.
The visionary Cronenberg was offered the director’s chair for the 1983 romantic music-centric drama, Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals.
The film was nominated for four Oscars, bringing home the award for best original song. But would it have done as well if it had been created by Cronenberg? Not even he thinks so.
He explained at the Marrakech Film Festival on Sunday:
“You might be amazed [that producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer] were totally convinced that I was the right one to direct. Really, I don’t know why [they] thought I should do it, and finally I had to say no – I said to them, ‘I will destroy your movie if I direct it!’”
While Flashdance honors eventually went to Adrian Lyne – resulting in 1983’s third top grossing film – Cronenberg instead delivered the one-two punch of The Dead Zone and Videodrome that same year.
In doing so, he cemented a new genre that studied bodily horrors with a cerebral chill while giving the film lexicon a brand-new adjective: Cronenbergian.
“[My work has been] attacked for being horrible, decadent and depraved,” he grinned. “All of which are good things.”
He had the good sense to lean into the things that appealed to him and reject the projects that just weren’t his style. May all directors be able to use discernment in the projects that come their way as well.
via: Variety
