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Stereo (1969)

Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Production: 1968
Running Times: 65m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: black and white
Ratio:
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Director: David Cronenberg

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Emergent Films
Producer: David Cronenberg

SCRIPT
Script: David Cronenberg

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: David Cronenberg
Cameras and Lenses: Arriflex

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: David Cronenberg

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Aides: Janet G.M. Good, Pedro McCormick, Stefan Nosko

CAST

Ronald Mlodzik
Jack Messinger
Iain Ewing
Clara Mayer
Paul Mulholland
Arlene Mlodzik
Glenn McCauley

In the near future, a young researcher visits the Canadian Academy for Erotic Inquiry to investigate the work of missing para-psychologist Luther Stringfellow. Seven young adults have been subjected to radical brain surgery which has removed their power of speech but enhanced their latent telepathic powers. The researcher watches with a cool detachment as the experiment begins to go down routes that Stringfellow never imagined.

By Cronenberg's own admission, these early works are hard going and Stereo, with its cold, clinical narration and absence of anything even remotely resembling a story, can be the hardest work of all. There are, however, some fascinating ideas at work, ideas that Cronenberg would return to many times in subsequent films. One for Cronenberg completists, perhaps, and not really recommended for the casual viewer.

1968
August
Day Unknown: Canada – filming begins

November
6: Canada – filming ends

1969
June
23: Canada – shown at the National Arts Centre

aphrodisiacs, brain surgery, doctors, drugs, human experiments, medicine, the paranormal, scientists, suicide, telepathy

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009