It Came From Sundae Monday

A lot has been made of David Cronenberg's latest, Eastern Promises. Unfortunately, I left a day after it came out in the US, and it's not out yet in the UK. This is one of my most eagerly anticipated films of the year, after A History of Violence topped my 2005 list, and the reviews have me more excited than ever. And so, keeping Mr. Cronenberg in mind this week, I have found one of his earliest short films. From the Drain has inklings of the Cronenberg we would get to know later, but it still lacks the greatness of his features. A tight set bound piece effectively portrays the claustrophobia these men must be fearing, and the film has a very strong use of zooms and close-ups. There is a zoom towards the mouth of man who fears the tendrils in the drain. This echoes the early zoom towards the drain itself, as if to suggest that his vocal fear of the tendrils is just as responsible as the drain for the presence of the tendrils. It gives a wonderful look at the man who would make Videodrome and Naked Lunch. Enjoy.