Gary K’s review published on Letterboxd:
Hooptober 7.0
Film 18/31 - 3/4 Body Horror
I’ve had this early Cronenberg in my watch list for a while now and recently picked up the 101 Films black label edition so I was glad to crack it open for this year’s Hooptober.
I had it categorized as body horror, but upon watching it probably better deserves to be classified as a disease horror film. Either way, it’s a terrific example of Cronenberg exploring his themes of body panic early on.
Starring legendary hard core actress Marilyn Chambers as the Typhoid Mary of the new deadly disease. She may not be the best actress with her few line deliveries, but her physical presence carries the role admirably. The film quickly deploys standard Cronenberg tropes of a high tech medical facility engaged in cutting edge practices that go horribly wrong as we watch the disease rapidly spread.
Soon enough it is covering territory later explored by Contagion with vaccine cards (wristbands), martial law etc. This time, of course, victims are killing each other and the parable to STDs is made explicitly clear as Chambers goes out each night trolling for men to feed on as she unknowingly spreads the plague.
I haven’t explored the extras yet since 101 included them on a second disc but this is a solid early Cronenberg film even if not as good as The Brood or Scanners
