Editing David Cronenberg (section)

==Early life and education ==
David Cronenberg was born in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], on March 15, 1943.<ref name=fullbio/> Cronenberg is the son of Esther ({{nee}} Sumberg), a musician, and Milton Cronenberg, a writer and editor.<ref name="filmr">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/84/David-Cronenberg.html |title=David Cronenberg Biography (1943–) |publisher=Filmreference.com |access-date=May 18, 2011}}</ref> He was raised in a "middle-class progressive [[Jewish]] family".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.egs.edu/faculty/david-cronenberg/biography/ |title=David Cronenberg - Film Director - Biography |access-date=August 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817024054/http://www.egs.edu/faculty/david-cronenberg/biography |archive-date=August 17, 2012  }}."</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/heraldmagazine/99409-canadian-icon-david-cronenberg|title=Canadian Icon: David Cronenberg|work=The Chronicle Herald |date=April 14, 2014|access-date=December 2, 2016}}</ref> His father was born in [[Baltimore, Maryland]], and his mother was born in Toronto; all of his grandparents were [[Lithuanian Jews|Jews from Lithuania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viggo-works.com/index.php?page=1392|publisher=Viggo Works|title=Film-Related 2007|access-date=December 2, 2016}}</ref> Milton wrote some short stories for ''[[True Detective (magazine)|True Detective]]'' and had a column in the ''[[Toronto Telegram]]'' for around thirty years.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=2}} The Cronenberg household was full of a wide variety of books, and Cronenberg's father tried to introduce his son to [[art films]] such as ''[[The Seventh Seal]]'', although at the time Cronenberg was more interested in [[Western film|western]] and [[Pirate film|pirate]] films, showing a particular affinity for those featuring [[Burt Lancaster]].<ref name="nymag.com">{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/features/14547/|title=Filmmaker David Cronenberg Discusses His Influences - Nymag|website=New York Magazine|date=September 22, 2005 |accessdate=June 8, 2021}}</ref>

A voracious reader from an early age, Cronenberg started off enjoying [[science fiction magazines]] like  ''[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]'', ''[[Galaxy (magazine)|Galaxy]]'', and ''[[Astounding]]'', where he first encountered authors who would prove influential on his own work, including [[Ray Bradbury]] and [[Isaac Asimov]], although he wouldn't encounter his primary influence, [[Philip K. Dick]], until much later. Cronenberg also read [[comic books]], noting his favorites were ''[[Tarzan (comics)|Tarzan]]'', ''[[Little Lulu]]'', ''[[Uncle Scrooge]]'', ''[[Blackhawk (DC Comics)|Blackhawk]]'', ''[[Plastic Man]]'', ''[[Superman]]'', and the original [[Fawcett Comics]] version of ''[[Captain Marvel (DC comics)|Captain Marvel]]'', later known as ''Shazam''. Although as an adult, Cronenberg feels [[superhero films]] are artistically limited, he maintains a fondness for ''Captain Marvel''/''Shazam'', criticizing how he feels the character had been neglected.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cronenbergmuseum.tiff.net/science_transcription_06-science_transcript_06-eng.html|title=David Cronenberg: Virtual Exhibition|website=cronenbergmuseum.tiff.net|accessdate=June 8, 2021|archive-date=June 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613043527/http://cronenbergmuseum.tiff.net/science_transcription_06-science_transcript_06-eng.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a448221/david-cronenberg-superhero-movies-are-adolescent-at-the-core/|title = Cronenberg: Superhero films are adolescent|website = [[Digital Spy]]|date = January 3, 2013}}</ref> Cronenberg also read [[horror comics]] published by [[EC Comics|EC]], which in contrast to the others, he described as "scary and bizarre and violent and nasty—the ones your mother didn't want you to have."<ref name="nymag.com"/> He has cited [[William S. Burroughs]] and [[Vladimir Nabokov]] as influences.<ref>{{cite book|author=Browning, Mark |date=2007|title=David Cronenberg: Author or Film-maker?|publisher= Intellect Books|isbn= 978-1-84150-173-4}}</ref> 

Early films that later proved influential on Cronenberg's career include [[Experimental film|avant-garde]], [[Horror film|horror]], [[Science fiction film|science fiction]], and [[Thriller film|thriller]] films, such as ''[[Un Chien Andalou]]'', ''[[Vampyr]]'', ''[[The War of the Worlds (1953 film)|War of the Worlds]]'', ''[[Freaks (1932 film)|Freaks]]'', ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]'', ''[[Alphaville (film)|Alphaville]]'', ''[[Performance (film)|Performance]]'', and ''[[Duel (1971 film)|Duel]]''. He also cited less obvious films as influences, including comedies like ''[[The Bed Sitting Room (film)|The Bed Sitting Room]]'', as well as [[Disney cartoons]] such as ''[[Bambi]]'' and ''[[Dumbo]]''.<ref name="indiewire.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/05/watch-90-minute-discussion-with-david-cronenberg-about-his-career-films-inspirations-much-more-98530/|title=Watch: 90-Minute Discussion With David Cronenberg About His Career, Films, Inspirations & Much More|first=Joe|last=Cunningham|date=May 6, 2013|accessdate=June 8, 2021}}</ref> Cronenberg said he found these two Disney animated films, as well as [[Universal Pictures|Universal's]] live-action ''[[The Blue Lagoon (1949 film)|Blue Lagoon]]'', "terrifying" which influenced his approach to horror.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/14/david-cronenberg-interview-my-imagination-not-a-place-of-horror|title=David Cronenberg: 'My imagination is not a place of horror'|date=September 13, 2014|website=the Guardian|accessdate=June 8, 2021}}</ref> Cronenberg went on to say that ''Bambi'' was the "first important film" he ever saw, citing the moment when Bambi's mother died as particularly powerful.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/the-cronenbergs-dark-art-just-runs-in-the-family/article4198336/|title=The Cronenbergs: Dark art just runs in the family|accessdate=June 8, 2021|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=May 21, 2012|last1=Lacey|first1=Liam}}</ref> Cronenberg even wished to screen ''Bambi'' as part of a museum exhibition of his influences,  but Disney refused him permission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cronenbergmuseum.tiff.net/tiff_01-eng.html|title=David Cronenberg: Virtual Exhibition|website=cronenbergmuseum.tiff.net|accessdate=June 8, 2021|archive-date=June 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613042635/http://cronenbergmuseum.tiff.net/tiff_01-eng.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In terms of conventional horror films that frightened him, Cronenberg cited ''[[Don't Look Now]]''.<ref name="indiewire.com"/>

Cronenberg attended Dewson Street Public School, Kent Senior School, [[Harbord Collegiate Institute]] and [[North Toronto Collegiate Institute]]. He enrolled at the [[University of Toronto]] for Honours Science in 1963, but changed to Honours English Language and Literature the next year. He graduated from university in 1967, at the top of his class with a general Bachelor of Arts.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|pp=1–2}}<ref name=fullbio/> Cronenberg decided to not study for a master of arts after making ''[[Stereo (1969 film)|Stereo]]''.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=17}}

Cronenberg's fascination with the film ''[[Winter Kept Us Warm]]'' (1966), by classmate [[David Secter]], sparked his interest in film. He began frequenting film camera rental houses and learned the art of filmmaking.<ref name=fullbio>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/86249/David-Cronenberg/biography|title=David Cronenberg: Full Biography|access-date=April 16, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222043459/https://movies.nytimes.com/person/86249/David-Cronenberg/biography|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Jonathan Crow|date=2009|archive-date=February 22, 2009}}</ref> Cronenberg made two short films, ''[[Transfer (1966 film)|Transfer]]'' and ''[[From the Drain]]'', with a few hundred dollars.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=13}} Cronenberg, [[Ivan Reitman]], Bob Fothergill, and Iain Ewing were inspired by [[Jonas Mekas]] and formed the Toronto Film Co-op.{{sfn|Rodley|1997|p=15}}