Jen and Sylvia Soska, the creative team behind Dead Hooker in a Trunk, American Mary, See No Evil 2, and the Women in Horror Month Massive Blood Drive campaign, are set to direct a remake of David Cronenberg's Rabid. Rabid is perhaps Cronenberg's most notorious film. It starred porn actress Marilyn Chambers in her first non-pornographic film. It was also a disturbing, visceral body horror with plenty of odd, sexually-charged scares and imagery.
Basically, a young woman's plastic surgery goes wrong, not physically but biologically. She develops a taste for blood. Everyone she feeds on turns into a blood-thirsty zombie, turning an elective cosmetic procedure into a city-wide epidemic of the undead.
Jen and Sylvia Soska are wonderful horror directors who understand body horror. They excel at creating well-rounded characters onscreen, especially female characters. The central figure in Rabid is a tragic hero and a monster in one, and the Twisted Twins have played quite a lot with that trope in their work.
The Soskas issued a statement that more than justifies excitement for a Cronenberg remake from these two:
The work of David Cronenberg is legendary, and ‘Rabid’ is much more than just a horror movie. The real message of his film is powerful, and even more pivotal as we look at the world around us today. It’s an honor to be involved in this love letter to his original, which we handle with the same respect as Paul Schrader’s ‘Cat People,’ Alexandre Aja’s ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ and John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing.'
Let's parse this statement for a moment.
First, the Soskas honor the significance of David Cronenberg in horror. There has never been and most likely never will be a director with such a brilliant and twisted vision of what horror and sci-fi can do. His films, even the less successful ones, are clear reflections of society's ills and force the viewer to confront their own misconceptions about hot button issues.
Second, they define a strong social vision for the film. Rabid, one of Cronenberg's earlier works, does tend to suffer a bit from sensationalizing Chambers onscreen. There is an undercurrent about addiction, trends, and body dismorphia that doesn't cut as clean as, say, his take down of video culture and the rise of instant stardom in Videodrome. Expect an especially nuanced approach to these topics, especially in regards to the external presentation of ideal femininity versus self-image from the Soskas.
Third, and most significant, the Soskas namedrop three very different horror remakes that all took a similar approach. Say what you will about the quality of Cat People, The Thing, and The Hills Have Eyes. Paul Schrader, John Carpenter, and Alexandre Aja took the core themes and plot elements of lesser known horror gems and created their own unique, stylized versions of these concepts. They are among the rare remakes in the horror genre that stand on their own artistic footing and don't just copy what worked so well in the original productions.
Jen and Sylvia Soska have quickly become two of the most beloved directors in the horror field for a reason. Their knowledge of the genre is only surpassed by the strength of their artistic vision in producing socially conscious horror that hinges on character development without shying away from violence. It's only a matter of time before one of their projects becomes a breakout success in mainstream cinema. Rabid could very well be the one.
Filming for Rabid is slated to start this summer.
