Cronenberg, David (1943– )

Canadian filmmaker of horror and science fiction films. His themes are sexual frustration and the terrifying power of the biological world. His authentic adaptation of William S Burrough's novel Naked Lunch (1991) won a host of international awards. Other films include Crash (1996), and eXistenZ (1999).

The grotesque low-budget chiller The Parasite Murders (1975; later retitled Shivers) established his reputation for gory special effects in a style known as ‘body horror’. He continued to make increasingly expensive features that soon had a cult following, including Rabid (1976), The Brood (1980), Scanners (1980), and The Fly (1986).

Cronenberg was born in Toronto. He made his feature debut with Stereo (1969). Dead Ringers (1988), with Jeremy Irons in a dual role as twin gynaecologists whose success sets them on the road to destruction, marked a departure from schlock horror. His other films include Videodrome (1982), The Dead Zone (1983), and M Butterfly (1993).