David Cronenberg is one of the most influential figures in the horror genre, having been the director behind classics such as The Fly and Videodrome. Stanley Kubrick's one effort in the genre, meanwhile, was equally influential: The Shining. It might not have won favour with author Stephen King - who wrote the original novel, and has recently released a sequel called Doctor Sleep - but Kubrick's film is regularly cited as one of the greatest achievements in scary movies. 

Cronenberg, perhaps surprisingly, is not a fan of the The Shining. In an interview with The Toronto Star discussing a new exhibition dedicated to his career, Cronenberg explains "I think I’m a more intimate and personal filmmaker than Kubrick ever was. That’s why I find The Shining not to be a great film. I don’t think he understood the (horror) genre. I don’t think he understood what he was doing. There were some striking images in the book and he got that, but I don’t think he really felt it."

Cronenberg also argues "in a weird way, although he’s revered as a high-level cinematic artist, I think he was much more commercial-minded and was looking for stuff that would click and that he could get financed."

David Cronenberg's horror films are well-known for their imaginative and often gory special effects, terrifying transformations (or so-called 'body horror') and critiques of technology. In the last decade or so, the 70 year-old has moved away from the genre he made his name with to work on a variety of different projects and styles. His most recent films are A Dangerous Method and Cosmopolis, with Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars due next year.

Cronenberg's son Brandon recently made his own horror debut with the film Antiviral.

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)