eXistenZ

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Year:	1999
Country of origin:	Canada / UK
Director:	David Cronenberg
Genre:	Play long the new flesh
Starring:	Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe
Rating:	5/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120907/
Tagline:	Play it. Live it. Kill for it.
Favourite line:	"The whole pod just disappeared into your back."

Highly underrated VR pastiche from the master of the downbeat, David Cronenberg.

The plot:
A new game has been designed, called eXistenZ by the finest game creator on Earth, Allegra Geller, played by the scrumptious Jennifer Jason Leigh. Players of the game plug into the game via bioports, artificial orifices in their backs that literally jack them into their game pods, organic lifeforms that carry the game data.
During the launch of the new game, Geller is attacked by a man carrying a flesh weapon, a gun made of organic material, that shoots human teeth.
As the movie plays out, it becomes clear that lines are being drawn between the realists and the gamers, and blood will be spilled to decide the outcome.

Playing with Cronenberg's favourite themes: human reliance on technology, fusing flesh and machine, mutation etc, this portrays a convincing if slightly confusing world where reality is distorted, and no-one is quite certain if they are living their real life, or immersed in a computer game.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is magnificent, not least because she comes across as - and forgive the expression - a right dirty bitch, and Jude Law makes for a good foil, all bumbling innocent.
Some striking visuals add to the potent mix, as flesh and bone are fused, game pods pulse with life and umbilical cords attach man to machine.
A very pleasing, very 'Cronenberg' movie indeed.