Rating: 
Summary: a great start
Review: "Cronenberg on Cronenberg" is a great start for anyone who wants further insight on David's work, specially his early films. One musn't hesitate, this is the basic fan purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: intelligent, dynamic, and fulfilling
Review: A modern Canadian auteur, David Cronenberg has consistently composed horror films of metaphorical philosophical merit for almost forty years. Directing, often writing, and sometimes producing horror films of various subversive degrees, he has carved a specific cinematic style with consistently challenging themes and confrontational visual presentations. Often mixing science fiction with horror, Cronenberg has created his own genre of visceral entertainment, typically including philosophical musings, semiotics, humanism, existentialism, metaphysics, and atheism, with examinations of deviance, biological aberrations, and psychology, amongst other interesting issues.
His films often include visually confrontational imagery composed practically with elaborate makeup effects, and are noted for the tendency to venture into a mysteriously mature affecting form of the grotesque. With truly creative approaches toward concepts and their execution, Cronenberg makes films steeped in visual ingenuity and contemplative legitimacy. A highly unique and challenging visionary of subversion, Cronenberg examines issues like mutation, biology, control, the natural world, addiction, obsession, mental health, the role of government, technology, violence, and/or the family structure, and will question the definitions of human sexuality, existence, and purpose in his work.
Whether in control of their actions or subject to subconscious desires, characters in Cronenberg films tend to be as well-versed, intelligent, and articulate as the auteur himself, characteristics strongly affirmed in this book. A compilation of interviews fashioned so as to seem as if Cronenberg set out to compose an autobiography, Cronenberg on Cronenberg is a heavily detailed look into the motivations of a creative master. Organized chronologically, this book allows Cronenberg to speak for himself with the sparse informational blurb by Chris Rodley.
Truly a joy to hear such a true intellectual speak for himself and his work, Cronenberg here is just as great as any fan would expect; a very consistent, honest, articulate, exciting, and informational man. As he outlines artistic philosophies and theorizes about production feasibility, Cronenberg presents refreshingly detailed theories on the motivations behind and the purposes of his work. Able to articulate what is within his mind in a clear manner as any director should, he composes a book of vast intelligence and immediate readability.
Equal parts irresistible read and excellent biographical resource, Cronenberg on Cronenberg confronts the reader with the meticulously individual thoughts of a true visionary. Truly independent and individual, Cronenberg is a certain sort of ingenious artist of specificity, providing for a book of truly enriching proportions.
Highly recommended for filmmakers, film theorists, and anyone interested in cinema.
Rating:
Summary: A Look Into a Great Mind
Review: A semi-autobiographical look into the world of David Cronenberg and how he came to make films of grotsque, yet, captivating life of media, biology and society. You will read about his influences in his early childhood life and then, eventually, virtually being the only Canadian film director with a promise. Cronenberg seems humble in his writing, yet, you get a sense of high intelligence. Definately reccomended! It is a good read, moves along nicely and you will be quite fascinated by his personal accounts of his world and what inspires him.
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Summary: David Cronenberg... Obsessions and Avant-Garde Films
Review: David Cronenberg has gained a sizeable cult following throughout his career as the director of a series of challenging and intelligent horror movies. CRONENBERG ON CRONENBERG is the definitive book on the subject; an in-depth and personal look at both the man and his amazing body of work.The book is written as a series of lengthy commentaries by Cronenberg himself, and is accompanied with brief remarks and observations by editor Chris Rodley. David Cronenberg comes across as being an intellectual individual, and is very knowledgeable about all aspects of his films. Many times, he will go into detail about what his intentions were on a particular scene and how successful he felt it was. There are also passages where Cronenberg talks about his experiences with censorship. However, the book is most entertaining when David Cronenberg goes into these long and amusing anecdotes about his many experiences with actors (a particularly funny encounter involves an actress in the film SHIVERS who couldn't make herself cry on screen). In one of the book's most interesting moments, David Cronenberg explains how many of his ambitious ideas for the film VIDEODROME never materialized and how special-effects wizard Rick Baker (who had been attracted to the project after having read the first extreme draft of the film) had to settle for working on a toned-down second draft with Cronenberg's more surreal moments removed from the script. The book follows the director from his early exploitation films, like SHIVERS and RABID, to his more ambitious studio work, like DEAD RINGERS and NAKED LUNCH. Fans will probably be intrigued to find out that the book also contains much information about David Cronenberg's early student films like STERIO and CRIMES OF THE FUTURE. The book also focuses on many of the themes and concerns that have become apparent in all of the director's films. Throughout the text, there are numerous photographs and footnotes and the book also offers a definite Filmography that includes a brief synopsis about each of his films. CRONENBERG ON CRONENBERG is a fascinating portrait into the mind of one of the genre's greatest directors and comes highly recommended. This new edition comes with an excellent interview with David Cronenberg concerning his controversial 1996 film CRASH.
Rating:
Summary: Much needed, very in-depth--essential for film fans.
Review: David Cronenberg--what do we do with him? Is he a horror filmmaker? A Canadian who makes art films? A schlockmeister? Cronenberg bucks all categories and trends because so many of his films cannot be placed in any genre. You'll not find any tough-talking hipsters a la "Pulp Fiction"; you'll find no romantic cliches a la "Chasing Amy"; you'll find no staid, genteel period pieces a la Merchant-Ivory. With Cronenberg what you get is sui generis, an auteur in the true sense of the word, a man whose perverse, atheistic, disturbing visions are realized on-screen in a wholly uncompromising manner. In this book of interviews you get to hear this brilliant, highly articulate man talk about his films, production, story ideas, influences (Burroughs & Nabokov, how about that!), diseases and viruses, social mores, the responsibiblities of the artist, and more. Personally I find Cronenberg a more interesting thinker than other filmmakers, even ones I like a bit better (Woody Allen, Scorsese), because he's primarily an intellectual who is not afraid to look at the non-human aspect of his films--the insect, the parasite, the video image--and postulate its unique existence. Recent films like "Crash" and "Naked Lunch" are difficult, rewarding works, although I know many people who hate these films. Film fans are notoriously divided on where Cronenberg stands--some called "eXistenZ" a wooden bore, others one of the great SF films of recent years. Some say "Videodrome" is a mashmash of half-thought ideas, or that "Crash" is pretentious and ridiculous. Some men can't watch "Dead Ringers," while many film critics consider it Jeremy Irons' greatest performance. I think these films are oddly brilliant and exciting. And I'd rather watch a mediocre Cronenberg film than just about any independent or Hollywood film--Cronenberg always gives you something to think about. Well, make up your own mind by reading "Cronenberg on Cronenberg." Hopefully this will be the first of many books on the man and his work.
Rating:
Summary: make me feel good? yes.
Review: Dude, it's really hard to stop David Cronenberg from yapping about his films. this, though, is a good thing. The man is very well spoken ,even if he doesn't think shivers and videodrome aren't comedies. this book, my friend, make me feel good.
Rating:
Summary: A great entry in a great series
Review: I love these books: influential directors describing their works and their careers, in their own words. If you're a fan of Cronenberg's movies, this is a priceless insight into the making of each film, as well as his creative processes. Even if you're not an enthusiast - if you're a film student or artist of any kind - you're bound to be captivated by the insight into the workings of a man who made his own way in a medium that adores conformity.
Rating:
Summary: I own every edition of this book
Review: Or at least I did until I gave away the second edition as a gift but it meant a lot. The current edition is fourth and came out after The Crash. To the people who know only his films it will be surprising Cronenberg came from a literary background and how much his films are intellectual. The man also possesses mean dry wit which shows up when talking about his ex wife and personal enemies like censors or would be do-gooders (fellow Canadian writer Margaret Atwood). To those who do not know about the author as much as they should this is a great book. Those who love Cronenberg's films probably own this already. I am waiting for a new edition to come out, the one to include the making of Existenz and his new film Spider and I'm buying!
Rating:
Summary: A true Auteur
Review: This book is quite simply fascinating. When I was first introduced to Cronenberg's films I was immediately struck by how perverse, disgusting, intelligent and touching they are. What interests me about this book is how articulate Cronenberg is, how the thought processes behind many of his disgusting or "out there" images come from a real sense of purity and clarity. He is a fascinating specimen, and more than deserving of the 256 pages devoted to him. I wish critics, feminists and film historians who have dismissed Cronenberg, based on limited theories, should read this book and learn the workings of a true artist. In my opinion it is hard to criticize something you've never embraced in some way.
Rating:
Summary: A true Auteur
Review: This must-read is for anyone who has ever wondered about the relationship between venereal diseases and their application to modern Film. Cronenberg's style of writing is extremely poetic, subjective and provocative; his meditations bring forth a Proustian dialogue that is as infectious as it is terrifying. The ideas of a 'biological horror film' are not only discussed, but engage the reader as only the greatest horror writers, past and present, have done; bears comparison to H.P. Lovecraft and Du Maurier.
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