Fortunately, Cronenberg's latest is a riveting experience. Released to theatres and now DVD on the heels of The Matrix, eXistenZ is kinkier and more sublime than that Keanu Reeves vehicle. The film is about people craving a synthetic universe; it alights their senses in a way that the ordinary doesn't. If they lived in a Matrix all the time, they would study it, marvel at it, respect it--escape would be the last thing on their minds.

When we first meet renowned game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), she's preparing to guide an anxious audience of churchgoers through the prototype of her latest adventure, "eXistenZ". (Video-gaming: the new religion.) But the game's over before it could begin, thanks to an assassin armed with a 'gristle gun' (it shoots teeth for bullets) who makes an attempt on Allegra's life. Ted Pikul (Jude Law), a marketing consultant, quickly becomes her head of security; after smuggling her out of harm's way, the two embark on a strange road trip through the kind of backwoods territories that call their motels "Motel"s and their gas stations "Country Gas Station"s.

Allegra is furious that Ted does not possess a "bioport," a spinal orifice that's required to jack in to her inventions--"eXistenZ" is neuro-powered. (The controllers themselves are fleshy organisms replete with "umby cords," and for the pod to function, one must stroke it like a baby. Or a lover--it's all about perception.) So he gets one, the procedure performed by a conspicuously happy gas station attendant (Willem Dafoe) who has successfully installed three bioports in his day. ("Well, you're my third," he tells a nervous Pikul.)

Much was made about the perversity of the effects. A whole group of French critics dwelled on the presence of the overtly homoerotic bioports and umby cords (bioports moreso resemble assholes than vaginas). Yawn, say I: to discuss the sexuality in Cronenberg's movies is to reflect on the presence of blue in our sky above. eXistenZ is full of less incidental ideas, and it grows thematically richer upon repeat viewings. The film explores the complicated relationship between an artist and his/her creation (Allegra is simultaneously protective and critical of "eXistenZ"; she winces at poor acting and underdeveloped characters within the game). It's about the price of fame (the assassination subplot was modelled after Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses debacle). It's about, moreso than Crash, "the reshaping of the human body by technology."

This is the first movie to really nail the appeal of virtual reality (VR). VR is still a thriving research in the computer business because it would permit our ids to act out without consequence. (The "eXistenZ" universe isn't aesthetically appealing, but its boundlessness entices.) When Ted kisses Allegra, gets the urge to murder a Chinese waiter, and shouts out rude demands, he assigns blame on his character. Allegra, in turn, encourages such behaviour, because she knows that not only will it get the passive Pikul addicted to her virtual world, it'll also provide an outlet for his bottled frustrations. Whether or not that will improve Ted's real self--instill him with boldness--is a question eXistenZ doesn't formally address.

My guess is, No, it wouldn't. Participants in such highly sophisticated VR games would likely become increasingly agitated by their daily routines; unable to act on his whims, a Ted might go berserk. eXistenZ is well acted and solidly told, though its loaded story is slightly compromised by a cheeky finale--Cronenberg insists on playing out an anti-video game tract even though his heart doesn't seem to be in it.

Because eXistenZ is a Canadian movie, Alliance had the opportunity to create a special edition DVD separate from the movie-only Miramax version. This is a fabulous disc; after the shoddy treatment The Red Violin received on my fave format by Alliance (full frame, no 5.1 mix) back in August, I feared the worst for eXistenZ, but all is well. Video, audio, and extras are exemplary. The 1.78:1 letterboxed, 16x9-enhanced presentation is a bit too dark at times, but finely-detailed (check out that computer-animated Serendipity logo!) images and superior fleshtones compensate. Compression artifacts are invisible. The 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is solid. Howard Shore's score is enveloping; the rears are also used for scenes at a Trout Farm and a Chinese restaurant. The subwoofer has little to do except during the explosive climax, but it's a non-issue. Dialogue is well mixed with music and effects.

Supplemental material is as follows: three commentary tracks, a documentary, and a trailer. David Cronenberg waxes nostalgic on the making of eXistenZ, and anyone who heard him speak on Criterion's Dead Ringers disc knows how enjoyable he can be. His thoughts are well organized and coherent; I really appreciated his explanation of some of the film's more confusing insert shots, though that's not to say eXistenZ bewilders without his assistance. Director of Photography Peter Suschitzky has a track to himself, and it's as entertaining as Cronenberg's: the cinematographer outlines the physical challenges inherent in shooting even simple, dialogue-driven sequences. Finally, special effects supervisor Jim Isaac also gets 98 minutes to himself; after listening to his session, I felt as if I'd been through a course in basic engineering.

The featurette, called "The Invisible Art of Carol Spier", covers more than just the career of eXistenZ's production designer (and frequent Cronenberg collaborator) Carol Spier. Over the course of one hour, we are shown the practical aspects of sci-fi moviemaking, with interviews and candid footage that don't condescend to the viewer. Contained within this special (which originally aired on CBC) is the Hitchcockian trailer that Cronenberg assembled for eXistenZ in the fall of '98, a preview that played in Canadian moviehouses only briefly. The standard theatrical trailer can be accessed via animated menus (reminiscent of Criterion's The Silence of the Lambs interface) and viewed in French or English. All in all, a great package that shows up Buena Vista yet again.-Bill Chambers

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