Dear Movies, I Love You | “David Cronenberg & The Shrouds (2024)”
Hosts: Millie De Chirico & Casey O'Brien
Date: August 19, 2025
Episode Theme: A deep dive into David Cronenberg’s legacy and his 2024 film The Shrouds. Millie and Casey explore Cronenberg’s ongoing relevance, discuss how personal grief and technology merge in The Shrouds, and reflect on what makes Cronenberg a singular voice in cinema.
Episode Overview
This episode celebrates director David Cronenberg—one of cinema’s least “cute” filmmakers—and his latest film, The Shrouds (2024). The hosts use the occasion to unpack Cronenberg’s career-long obsessions, the body horror subgenre, and the emotional themes of aging and grief present in both his life and films. They blend scholarly enthusiasm with irreverent humor, making deep film analysis accessible for movie lovers of every stripe.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
1. Lighthearted Banter & 90s Nostalgia
Timestamps: 01:36–06:48
- Millie describes her plush “cookie guy” and how it keeps her from banging on the desk while recording, segueing into a discussion of cute Asian pop culture mascots and their adult appeal.
- Casey observes the sharp contrast between this “cute” opening and the discussion to follow: “David Cronenberg is one of the least cute directors out there.” (06:40)
Memorable Quote:
“We are talking today about the director David Cronenberg and his 2024 movie, The Shrouds. I would say David Cronenberg is one of the least cute directors out there.”
—Casey, 06:37
2. Movie Diary: What We’ve Been Watching
Timestamps: 10:35–29:02
- Millie watched the new Naked Gun (2020) in theaters, praising its slapstick energy and nostalgic vibe, especially the comedic turn by Danny Huston.
- Casey finally saw Mystery Men (1999), describing it as “delightful” and creatively stylized, praising its wild production design and cast.
- Brief digression into '90s TV nostalgia, reminiscing about The X-Files and Buffy.
Memorable Moment:
Discussion on the need for silly, broad comedies today:
“Just the stupidest shit… bring back some of the like dumbest things. …I would kill for an Austin Powers or a Wayne’s World 2.”
—Millie, 11:38
3. Main Topic Introduction: Cronenberg & The Shrouds
Timestamps: 31:31–35:32
- The Shrouds may be (but hopefully isn’t) Cronenberg’s final film. Both hosts feel it would be a meaningful capstone because it directly grapples with mortality and artistic legacy.
- Discussion of the surprising presence of Yves Saint Laurent (the fashion house) as a top-billed producer, segueing into the trend of brands entering film production.
- Millie notes the trend: “All these consumer products are now trying to get into movies… maybe Mr. Clean is going to have a couple movies coming out next year.” (34:23)
4. Cronenberg and the Personal Touch
Timestamps: 36:46–42:49
- Both hosts explain their personal connections to Cronenberg’s work.
- Millie discusses her “Videodrome scar”—after real-life surgery, Cronenberg’s fixation on the body took on a new personal resonance.
- Casey describes his fascination with Cronenberg’s blend of technology, the body, and disturbing imagery.
Notable Quote:
“There’s truly no movies like these David Cronenberg films.”
—Casey, 42:09
5. Cronenberg at Beyond Fest: “Sliding Doors” Moment
Timestamps: 42:54–45:24
- Both hosts realize they attended the same day-long Cronenberg marathon at LA’s Egyptian Theatre years ago but didn’t know each other—a “sliding doors” moment of film fandom.
6. The Shrouds: Plot & Themes
Timestamps: 45:50–51:33
- Casey summarizes the labyrinthine plot: Vincent Cassel plays Karsh, inventor of “GraveTech,” a tombstone with live video feeds of decomposing loved ones. His system is hacked and vandalized, leading Karsh into a maze of conspiracy, technology, and grief.
- Both hosts agree the film is deeply personal, inspired by Cronenberg’s own loss of his wife to cancer (50:03).
7. Grief, Technology, and Perverse Mourning
Timestamps: 51:33–63:08
- The hosts unpack how Cronenberg fuses personal mourning with tech critiques and body horror.
- Millie questions whether Karsh is sympathetic or a morally bankrupt “tech bro” obsessed with ownership and boundaries—even after death.
- Casey views Cronenberg’s approach as an “exploration of the insane thoughts you have when you’re grieving… played out for real.”
- They marvel at the perverse notion of wanting to watch a loved one decompose in 8K—and the ways technological mediation both distances and distorts grief.
Key Quote:
“He goes really dark. He’s in his 80s, and he’s dark as fuck. I love that.”
—Casey, 40:08
8. The AI Assistant & Surreal Tech Horrors
Timestamps: 63:10–69:14
- “Honey,” the film’s AI assistant, uses the dead wife’s likeness and voice. The hosts discuss the disturbing blurred lines between digital memory and real presence—the ultimate Cronenbergian nightmare.
- Millie recounts how Honey’s transformation into a demented, twerking AI avatar was viscerally disturbing.
- Both reflect on the comfort and horror of tech extensions of ourselves, referencing Cronenberg’s own quote:
“Technology is not alien… it’s completely human.”
9. Twins, Horniness, and Recurring Cronenberg Themes
Timestamps: 69:30–80:07
- Discussion of Diane Kruger playing both the deceased and living twin—a motif linking The Shrouds to Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers.
- Casey observes recurring Cronenberg motifs: mutilated bodies, “vulva”-like scars, conversations during sex, and the interface of technological and organic horror.
- Both hosts delight in the absurd sudden horniness throughout the film, finding humor in Cronenberg’s dark, adult artistic world.
- They place Cronenberg’s worldview alongside other “white-haired Davids,” notably David Lynch’s fascination with doppelgangers and dream logic.
10. Artistic Legacy and The “Weirdos”
Timestamps: 80:32–83:39
- Millie and Casey reflect on Cronenberg as one of cinema's last true “art-house weirdos.” They lament the dwindling cohort of filmmakers who approach film as personal, challenging art instead of pure proxy for coolness and social standing.
Quote of Note:
“There are so few filmmakers who are artists… to express yourself so intimately and artistically through this medium.”
—Casey, 82:45
Fun Segment: The Cronenberg Quiz
Timestamps: 83:51–90:32
- Casey challenges Millie to name Cronenberg films based on invented devices, disorders, and institutions (e.g., “Telepod” from The Fly, “Umbicord” from eXistenZ, “Spectacular Optical Corporation” from Videodrome).
- Millie holds her own, earning five out of six answers correct.
Notable Laugh Line
“I thought your head was gonna explode like a scanner.”
—Casey, 90:14
Staff Picks / Recommendations
Timestamps: 90:49–94:41
- Millie’s Pick: Rabid (1977) — Marilyn Chambers stars in a grindhouse gem featuring a classic Cronenberg body horror orifice (the “armpit orifice”).
- Casey’s Pick: Titane (2021, Julia Ducournau) — A Palme d’Or–winning, Cronenberg-inspired French film about a woman impregnated by a car; celebrated as fresh body horror with its own transgressive vision.
Favorite Cronenberg Films
Timestamps: 95:26–96:34
- Millie: “The Fly.”
- Casey: “Three-way tie: Dead Ringers, eXistenZ, and Crash. I’ll just say Crash. I love Crash.”
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
“I appreciate that. They’re like thought experiments from hell, basically.”
—Millie, on Cronenberg’s film concepts (62:19) -
“The horniness of this movie is a huge component. …Am I allowed to be horny again?”
—Casey, 72:53 -
“He kind of has a patina to his films… movies for interesting, slightly dark adults.”
—Millie, 77:14
Closing & Next Episode Preview
Timestamps: 96:58–97:54
- Next week: Diving into the “Usher Cinematic Universe” with a focus on She’s All That (1999).
- Reminder to send film questions, regrets, gripes, or groans to dearmovies@exactlyrightmedia.com.
Summary Takeaway
This episode is a rich, insightful, and irreverent journey through The Shrouds and the larger Cronenberg oeuvre. Millie and Casey highlight the director’s uncanny knack for fusing the clinical and the personal, finding both horror and humor in mortality, technology, and human oddity. By blending thoughtful critique, grounded personal stories, and pop-culture riffs, this episode makes a compelling listen for cinephile nerds, Cronenberg newbies, and anyone in search of weird, artful darkness.
Episode Timestamps Reference
- 06:37 — “David Cronenberg is one of the least cute directors…”
- 11:38 — “The bomb. We need something like this. Just the stupidest shit…”
- 31:31 — “It’s time for our main discussion… covering my boy David Cronenberg…”
- 40:08 — “He goes really dark. He’s in his 80s, and he’s dark as fuck. I love that.”
- 50:03 — “And you know his wife passed away, right?”
- 62:19 — “They’re like thought experiments from hell, basically.”
- 77:14 — “They require a few brain cells. Right?”
- 82:45 — “There are so few filmmakers who are artists…”
For anyone passionate about cinema, Cronenberg, or the provocative discomforts at the edges of art, this episode is not to be missed.