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Shivers [1975]
![Shivers [1975]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/412T74PJWTL._SL160_.jpg)
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
"If this picture doesn't make you scream and squirm, you should see a psychiatrist--quick!" shouts the film's trailer. This time the hyperbole is right. Shivers, David Croneberg's debut feature and Canada's first domestic horror film, is an ingeniously engineered modern horror that, like George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), charts a social breakdown by tearing through our most intrinsic taboos. A genetically engineered designer parasite--part-aphrodisiac, part-venereal disease--created by a modern day mad scientist escapes into a colourless, self-contained apartment complex and goes searching for hosts. This monstrous parasite multiplies and invades the alienated occupants, turning them into a pack of Id-driven sex maniacs. Cronenberg's suffocating vision of modern life turns his budgetary limitations--dreary, bland sets, flat lighting and numb performances--into a severe portrait of society out of touch with its physical and emotional existence. Cronenberg pushed the boundaries of gore in 1974, but more insidious is the way he pushes the boundaries of behaviour: under the influence of this insidious, invasive disease families turn to incest and murder, strangers sexually assault the helpless and finally they band together as a pack of bloodthirsty, libido-driven animals. That taboo-breaking display still has the power to get under your skin. The film has also been released under the titles The Parasite Murders and They Came From Within. Cult horror icon Barbara Steele co-stars. --Sean Axmaker
Have you met my daughter Erica?
Review date: 2005-03-03 Rating: 10 out of 10
I first saw this when a teenager - and I was still disturbed by it when I saw it again recently, now in my 30's. The casting is brilliant: all the people look slightly strange, slightly off kilter. The sequence at the end in the swimming pool, in slow motion, still sends shivers (really no pun intended - can't think how to put it better)down my spine. Along with 'Rabid' (also an 'infected' film), this is my favourite Cronenberg.
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Review date: 2001-12-17 Rating: 10 out of 10
This excellent film leads from a shocking start on a rapid downward spiral of fear and tension.
The eponymous creatures spread and with them the film, set in a tower block becomes one of the most terrifying experiences i have ever witnessed. the closed spaces and excellent direction make this a frighteningly real and intense experience.
The zombilike infected haunt the building and your imagination for hours. The plot and the direction of the film make it one of the seminal horrer films for this type of close up and suspenseful terror. This film left me breathless and truly scared in places and finished on a chilling note. A refreshing and ddifferent take on a much trodden path that is a must have for any horrer fan.
Fearsly frightening and compelling viewing.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Susan Petrie
Lynn Lowry
Paul Hampton
Allan Kolman
Joe Silver
Director(s):
Recording label: Prism Leisure
Manufacturer: Prism Leisure
EAN: 5055002550461
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2003-01-06
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 84 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1976-07-06
Language: English (Original Language)