10 Weird And Creepy Moments In David Cronenberg Films

5. Mugwumps And Ejaculations

There is no doubt that Naked Lunch is far from a perfect adaptation of William S. Burroughs' good taste-demolishing masterpiece of a novel. Its bizarre structure of unrelated scenes, horrifying focus on every taboo subject imaginable, and graphic descriptions of sexual and narcotic practices is unmatched in literature. As Cronenberg himself noted, "A literal translation just wouldn't work. It would cost $400 million to make and would be banned in every country of the world". What Cronenberg opted for instead was a semi-biographical focus on Burroughs himself (through the character of William Lee) that drew on many scenes from the novel in order to render the film as surreal and twisted as the original text. Undoubtedly the most striking feature that the director borrowed from the author was the creature referred to in Naked Lunch as a Mugwump. Untrustworthy agents that inhabit the city of Interzone, Mugwumps are reptilian beings that embody all of the vices that Lee encounters... Particularly those of a sexual nature. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of these creatures is the fact that they sport phallic shapes on their heads that, yes, ejaculate regularly and are milked for their contents which supposedly prolong life. While the symbolic meaning behind this grotesque spectacle is somewhat unclear, there can be no questioning Cronenberg's success in bringing to life one of Burroughs' most disconcerting creations.