David cronenbergs film dead ringers centers on twin gynecologists, who use their identical nature to seduce women into unwittingly falling for both of them. Dead ringers is a misogynistic, egotistical, drug influenced and at times beautiful tale of hopelessness in separation between two identical twins and it is one hell of a ride. David cronenberg discusses his film dead ringers cabada 1988. Based extremely loosely on a true story, dead ringers stars jeremy irons. If the fly is considered his greatest film, then dead ringers shows him at his most mature as a director. Keep reading to learn about 21 gruesome reallife tales that some of the alltime best scary movies are based on. Based on a true story to a certain degree, the film tells the story of beverly and elliott mantle jeremy irons, twin gynecologists who often pretend to be one another, even with women such as actress claire niveau genevieve bujold. The premise of dead ringers is derived from bari wood and jack geaslands 1977 novel, twins, a fictionalized account of the true story of stewart and cyril marcus, twinbrother gynecologists and barbiturate addicts who were found dead in their manhattan apartment in 1975. Dead ringers is a tale about scary and creepy doppelgangers.
You read rightirons essays the dual role of identical twin doctors, who frequently sub for each another. What dead ringers says about narcissism, the war of the sexes, and existence itself is so true and yet so visual, words just feel cheap in describing it. Ive had dead ringers in my to watch list for a long time. Origin of the phrase dead ringer today i found out. Dead ringers isnt a direct of adaptation of the marcus brothers life. Based extremely loosely on a true story, dead ringers stars jeremy irons and jeremy irons. The true crime story behind david cronenbergs horror.
A cronenburg film whose plot summary hinted at a surreal story, but left virtually everything to the imagination, sounded like an incredible horror gem just waiting to be watched. But some of the most terrifying movies out there are a case of art imitating life, rather than the other way around. In 1988, canadian director david cronenberg released the psychological thriller dead ringers, loosely based on a bestselling novel called twins, which itself was based on reallife. Cronenberg tells the story, and lets the viewers emotions determine how much he enjoys the film. Its not a typical cronenberg movie ive used to see from him, there isnt much body horror but after all this movies story didnt need that. The movie is loosely based on the 1992 book in a dark. However, some of the elements of dead ringers actually came from actual events. The marcuss were fortyfive years old when they died, presumably leaving behind friends, families, colleagues, and acquaintances. Dead ringer also known as who is buried in my grave. Based on a book thats based on a true story that the author later said wasnt true. Dead ringers is the vulgar exploitationmovie title given to david cronenbergs new film, which was originally and more poetically titled twins. Still, if you like horror movies, this one will keep you on the edge of your. This time around i was able to find out that that david cronenberg based this dark.
The recently released horror film veronica, which is apparently too scary to even finish, is based on a true story. From serial killers to unexplained supernatural experiences, here are the real. Now heres the real story thats right, this movie is based on a real life story. Dead ringers is a 1988 horror drama film directed by david cronenberg and starring jeremy irons its a story about twin gynecologists, elliot and beverly mantle, who run a brisk business treating infertile women. What i didnt remember is how convulsively funny it is.
Stewart and cyril marcus were twin gynecologists on staff at new york hospitalcornell medical. Dead ringers aims to hurt, but in a very elegant way. Their script was based on the lives of stewart and cyril marcus and on the novel twins by bari wood and jack geasland, a highly fictionalized version of the marcus story. That gives the movie an added layer of danger, because the story is based on something that really happened and could happen to anyone. Adding further drama to their plight, they are targeted by the ghost of former resident.
Loosely based on a true story, cronenbergs visually stunning horror tragedy is. Although often veering into fantasy and surrealism, one of cronenbergs most nauseating films, dead ringers, is actually based on a true story. David cronenberg, director of the fly, based this controversial and stylish psychological horror, on a bizarre true story. The ending left me wondering for a long time, so tragic story. David cronenbergs film dead ringers centers on twin gynecologists, who use their identical nature to seduce women into unwittingly falling. Dead ringers dr is a movie that had my hopes up when i finally got a chance to watch it. Having not seen dead ringers for at least 15 years until i revisited it for this column, i mainly remembered the creepy symbiosis between the brothers, the creepier use of specially designed gynecological instruments, and that it was maybe the single lousiest date movie ever made.
There is one thing that has changed since i saw it the last timethe internet. The conservatory, casa loma, toronto this fauxmedieval folly is a natural for the screen and graces plenty of films made in the city, including edgar wright s scott pilgrim vs the world, jeanclaude van damme actioner maximum risk, and most famously, xmen, where it became professor. The story goes that there was always a person at the graveyard at night who was listening for the dead ringers to pull on the bells so that they could save them. I didnt know it was a cronenberg movie and was like, huh, strange movie. In dead ringers, david cronenberg tells the chilling story of identical twin gynecologistssuave elliot and sensitive beverly, bipolar sides of one personalitywho share the same practice, the same apartment, the same women. Made into the motion picture dead ringers by david cronenberg. It stars jeremy irons in a dual role as beverly and elliot mantle, brilliant twins who grow up to be brilliant gynecologists. The ethics of filming something thats actually based on a true story, especially one where people have died, are foggy at best. But puenzo is interested in larger truths than retelling the. Dead ringers tells the tale of the impossibly goodlooking identical twins elliot and beverly mantle both played by jeremy irons. Seeing a stolen life yesterday left me hungry for some more creepy twin films, and decided to go directly to one of the creepiest ever made i saw dead ringers not too long after it was first released, probably on rental video. Dead ringers may be a beautifully structured and wellacted movie, but it certainlys isnt an easy film to watch. True to cronenbergs assertion, dead ringers is both wholly original and uniquely disturbing. A mother and daughter, still wounded from a bitter custody dispute, hole up in a rundown apartment building.
What happens in the german doctor which feels, at times, like a reallife horror story could have occurred, i suppose. David cronenberg is no different as he demonstrates in dead ringers. This is a fine, although somewhat dull psychological story of a gradual, total mental breakdown. When a new patient, glamorous actress claire niveau, challenges their eerie bond, they descend into a whirlpool of sexual confusion, drugs, and madness. Its somewhat possible that such people existed, but the phrase itself, once again, probably has nothing to do with graveyards at all. Dead ringers is a 1988 canadianamerican psychological thriller film starring jeremy irons in a dual role as identical twin gynecologists.
Intrigued by the mysteries of sex and anatomy, the brothers grow from inseparable playmates to worldrenowned specialists. It was named one of the top 10 truestory horror movies of alltime. What i really did like about the film was the dread, the fear of seperation. David cronenberg directed and cowrote the screenplay with norman snider. Their script was based on the lives of stewart and cyril marcus and on the.
Its no surprise that these twin brother who lived and died together inspired fiction and films. Dead ringers shows david cronenberg at his artistic best. I just saw his latest movie, maps to the stars, recently. Being the more suave of the two, elliot woos them, and when hes finished he pulls the old switcheroo and pawns the. Dead ringers is a 1988 canadianamerican psychological body horror drama film starring jeremy irons in a dual role as identical twin gynecologists. Inspired by true events, it tells the story of identical twin gynaecologists both played brilliantly by jeremy irons, whose relationship deteriorates when. Twins is a spellbinding novel of the bizarre lives and shocking deaths of twin doctorsbound together by more than brotherly love, damned together to a private hell of unspeakable obsessions. That, and they have a tendency of taking advantage of them, too. Especially in the horror genre, the stories inspired by true events frequently try to fill in these blanks. I suppose we have been through a lot by the end and although there is an horrific sadness there is an awful inevitability and we like the twin brothers can finally see no other way out. Focusing on the horror of the human body and the intersections of psychology and technology, these artsy films have become cult classics amidst genre enthusiasts. With dead ringers, cronenberg broke from his already trademark brand of stretchy, gooey, practical effectsaided body horror, opting instead for a more clinical approach though he couldnt resist a dream sequence in which claire bites into a fleshy, pulpy web conjoining the twins.
The real life story behind the movie dead ringers the. Part horror, part fantasy, and full blown thriller. It dares the very taste buds of cinema with concerns so far beyond the polite, and so far beneath the easy shock, it could have been made by an alien. Im a big cronenberg fan, and this might be my favorite of his films. Ive waited a long time to see this movie and i myself was not disappointed in the slightest. And thats not the only horror flick based in truth. Pretty cool movie as betty davis plays twin parts, this is a twist ending suspense film that most will be able to guess 12 way through it. Alpha twin elliot is the first to seduce, then once he has tired of a woman, he passes her on to his more demure and shy brother beverly. A very fine film that challenges and rewards just about equally and somehow has a downbeat ending that manages to be uplifting. When was the last time a gynecologist was in a movie, even as a figure of fun. Although often veering into fantasy and surrealism, one of cronenbergs most nauseating films, dead ringers, is.