Virtual meets reality as jaded TV programmer James Woods flicks through the channels and finds himself sucked, literally, into the world of Videodrome, a subversive, non-stop frenzy of sex and violence beamed through the ether. Cult horror director David Cronenberg presents some interesting ideas about the manipulative (in every sense of the word! ) powers of television and mixes in a dollop of black humour, the usual quota of visceral thrills and some truly bizarre images as Woods plays video games with the interactive Deborah Harry. Ultimately, though, the mind-reeling special-effects win out over any serious message about the media and, being a Cronenberg film, the stomach-churning level is high, as people get to wear their insides on the outside in the best splatter movie tradition.