Review of Crimes of the Future (1970) by Eric B — 07 Jan 2010

Despite more variety in sets and the upgrade to color, "Crimes of the Future" is actually harder to sit through than the preceding "Stereo." Like "Stereo," it's essentially a silent movie with added narration and sound effects, but the narration is sparser so the action is even more difficult to follow.

The scenario: A cosmetics-related disease has killed off most of the world's women. The afflicted secrete a strange white foam which others find arousing to taste and, well, things turn weird after that. The main character is stationed at a facility which treats victims of this "Rouge's Malady," but after all the patients die, he decides to work with feet instead. Wouldn't you?

It's a good film for foot fetishists, particularly if webbed toes excite you. That must have been a fun casting call. And Ronald Mlodzik (returning from "Stereo") still has a fascinating face which looks more like an art student's sketch than the mere product of sperm and egg.

There is some suggestive content involving a child which is a bit unsettling but, hey, we are talking about David Cronenberg here.

It's interesting that "Down the Drain," "Stereo" and "Crimes of the Future" all take place in clinics of some sort. And droll, quirky names like Antoine Rouge, Adrian Tripod and the Oceanic Podiatry Group make me wonder if Cronenberg is a Thomas Pynchon fan.