Ronald Mlodzik, Jack Messinger, Iain Ewing

The first film by director David Cronenberg, the black and white, hour-long feature Stereo is more self-consciously avant-garde, and less visceral, than his later work. Nevertheless, many of the usual...( read more  read more... ) Cronenberg concerns are present: a futuristic setting, bizarre scientific experimentation, and an obsessive exploration of perverse forms of sexuality. Stereo borrows the structure of an educational film, masquerading as a documentary record of an experiment performed by The Canadian Academy for Erotic Inquiry, under the guidance of Doctor Luther Stringfellow. (Indeed, the film is almost entirely silent, except for a series of voice-overs by the experimenters.) The project centers around a series of surgical techniques that are designed to create the ability for telepathic communication. The scientists are successful, and proceed to examine the interaction between the experimental subjects, especially the rise to dominance of one of the telepaths. As the study progresses, the researchers introduce the telepaths to various drugs, including aphrodisiacs, to increase the intensity of their bond and induce a state of "omnisexuality." When the telepaths begin to isolate themselves, however, it becomes clear that the experiment has had unforeseen side effects -- effects that ultimately lead to violence.

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44% liked it

285 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 5 min.

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Release Date: January 1, 1969

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Flixster Reviews (21)


  • August 3, 2008
    mi favorite cronenberg film, as a mental health professional its a very intresting analysis of all the main themes that are the core of cronenberg movies they are, love, sex, violence crazynes, and the terror of having to take a look inside and fiding that the most horrifying thi...( read more)ng is one self
  • July 31, 2008
    ENGLISH: The idea of structuring a movie as a fake scientific documentary was great, but it has been unfortunately developed in a dull, uninspiring way.

    ITALIANO: L'idea di strutturare il film come un finto documentario scientifico era grandiosa, ma e' stata sfortunamente svilup...( read more)pata in modo noioso e privo di ispirazione.
  • February 24, 2008
    Good to see early Cronenberg being such a huge fan. But this is not very good, it is rather boring and not all that interesting. When you read what it is about it sounds interesting but the execution of it, is not however. Due to budget there is no music, no sound what so ever, o...( read more)nly the narration voice-over. The characters in the film, well half the time I can't tell what they are doing, with no sound it makes it all the more difficult. It is a bit too long, but the themes presented in this are typical Cronenberg, a sign of things to come.

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Stereo : Watch Free on TV


Stereo Trivia


  • In Boogie Nights, Don Cheadle's character Buck Swope tries to convince a customer a stereo systems has had a "TK421 modification". To what Stars Wars character is this a reference?  Answer »
  • In High Fidelity (2000), what song/band does John Cusack put on the stereo hoping it will be catchy enough to sell a few records?  Answer »
  • In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, what does Ferris throw at the stereo to turn off the snoring sound?   Answer »
  • Which 007 James Bond movie was the first to be filmed in Dolby Stereo?  Answer »

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