- Born
- Birth nameDavid Paul Cronenberg
- Height1.75 m
- David Cronenberg, also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of Blood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1943. His father, Milton Cronenberg, was a journalist and editor, and his mother, Esther (Sumberg), was a piano player. After showing an inclination for literature at an early age (he wrote and published eerie short stories, thus following his father's path) and for music (playing classical guitar until he was 12), Cronenberg graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Literature after switching from the science department. He reached the cult status of horror-meister with the gore-filled, modern-vampire variations of Frissons (1975) and Rage (1977), following an experimental apprenticeship in independent film-making and in Canadian television programs.
Cronenberg gained popularity with the head-exploding, telepathy-based Scanners (1981) after the release of the much underrated, controversial, and autobiographical Chromosome 3 (1979). Cronenberg become a sort of a mass media guru with Vidéodrome (1983), a shocking investigation of the hazards of reality-morphing television and a prophetic critique of contemporary aesthetics. The issues of tech-induced mutation of the human body and topics of the prominent dichotomy between body and mind were back again in Dead Zone (1983) and La Mouche (1986), both bright examples of a personal film-making identity, even if both films are based on mass-entertainment materials: the first being a rendition of a Stephen King best-seller, the latter a remake of a famous American horror movie.
With Faux-semblants (1988) and Le Festin nu (1991), the Canadian director, no more a mere genre movie-maker but a fully realized auteur, got the acclaim of international critics. Such profound statements on modern humanity and ever-changing society are prominent in the provocative Crash (1996) and in the virtual reality essay of eXistenZ (1999), both of which well fared at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals. In the last two film projects Spider (2002) and A History of Violence (2005), Cronenberg avoids expressing his teratologic and oneiric expressionism in favor of a more psychological exploration of human contradictions and idiosyncrasies.- IMDb mini biography by: Marco Rambaldi<rambaldi@hotmail.com>
- SpousesCarolyn Cronenberg(1979 - June 19, 2017) (her death, 2 children)Margaret Hindson(1970 - 1977) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- ParentsMilton CronenbergEsther Cronenberg
- RelativesDenise Cronenberg(Sibling)Aaron Woodley(Niece or Nephew)E.C. Woodley(Niece or Nephew)Malcolm Cary Cronenberg Grove(Grandchild)
- Prioneered the "body Horror" genre that involves mutation, parasites, or particular medical conditions.
- Frequently uses the music of Howard Shore
- Frequently casts Jeremy Irons, Robert Pattinson, Viggo Mortensen, Robert A. Silverman, and Vincent Cassel.
- Most of his films were shot in Canada (Vidéodrome (1983), La Mouche (1986), Faux-semblants (1988), A History of Violence (2005) and more).
- Costume design of his films are frequently provided by his sister Denise Cronenberg.
- Was offered the chance to direct Le Retour du Jedi (1983) but he declined.
- Turned down the chance to direct RoboCop (1987).
- Costumes in his films are usually designed by his sister Denise Cronenberg.
- Turned down the chance to direct Top Gun (1986).
- Has admired bugs and insects since childhood. This fascination has lingered on, and can be felt through many of his films.
- It's my conceit that perhaps some diseases perceived as diseases that destroy a well-functioning machine actually turn it into a new but still well-functioning machine with a different purpose. The AIDS virus: look at it from its point of view. Very vital, very excited, really having a good time. It's really a triumph if you're a virus. See the movies from the disease's point of view. You can see why they would resist all attempts to destroy them. These are all cerebral games, but they have emotional correlatives as well.
- Since I see technology as being an extension of the human body, it's inevitable that it should come home to roost.
- My dentist said to me the other day: I've enough problems in my life, so why should I see your films?
- You have to believe in God before you can say there are things that man was not meant to know. I don't think there's anything man wasn't meant to know. There are just some stupid things that people shouldn't do.
- Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to fend off madness and chaos.
- La Mouche (1987) - $1,000,000
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