Ostensibly, Shocker is one of Wes Craven's most accessible film on DVD shelves thanks to double feature packs. This of course, is how I came about viewing both The People Under the Stairs and the aforementioned Shocker. Shocker is one of Craven's experimental films, per say. He equips many new tactics in film making, tactics influencing an ability to craft a custom rock soundtrack around the film and present undiscovered film thematics. As far as 80s modern horror goes, Shocker is avant-garde cheese.
Craven rejects reality and creates 80s archetypes with their high school football and perfect suburban lives. When a mysterious family-killer slays his family after our he dreams it (Predates the entire beginning of Final Destination), he realizes he has a psychic link to the killer. After identifying him and his execution, he becomes a technological being capable of transferring through air waves and instruments of electricity. Think pre-Ghost in the Machine, but quirkier.
A 2009 remake of this film has already been eyed by producers looking to ravage more classic horror films. Hollywood has hit an all-time low. Despite the fact that a pseudo-remake was already released with the title of Fallen starring Denzel Washington with an infinitely similar plot line, the Hollywood machine is forever flawed disgraced with some of the most pitiful directorial talent this side of America. Shocker is forever doomed to be mediocre but has spawned many films based off of Shocker's ideas alone.
I approve.
The strange ideology that plagues Shocker is the remorseless lead. Our football star hero loses his mother, sister, brother, and girlfriend all within a couple of days. Despite this setback, he continues on as monotonous as usual. Shocker is merciless in it's scenes of graphic brutality. Though present, always implied, never detailed. And that's the only gracious attitude present in Shocker.
For its age, Shocker is an uncompromising amusing horror film. With a climax disguised as an attack on censorship of violence in media, Shocker proves to be more "shocking" than the likes of such films as The Hills Have Eyes and Last House on the Left. An early appearance from Skinner on X-Files is the delectable star power here. Acting as Horace Pinker, Craven created a madman with a limp that will not stop and will kill anything in his path, be it children, women, or police officers. An early incarnation of the ruthless serial killer, Shocker is a film that was ahead of its time and remains a cult classic.
Craven rejects reality and creates 80s archetypes with their high school football and perfect suburban lives. When a mysterious family-killer slays his family after our he dreams it (Predates the entire beginning of Final Destination), he realizes he has a psychic link to the killer. After identifying him and his execution, he becomes a technological being capable of transferring through air waves and instruments of electricity. Think pre-Ghost in the Machine, but quirkier.
A 2009 remake of this film has already been eyed by producers looking to ravage more classic horror films. Hollywood has hit an all-time low. Despite the fact that a pseudo-remake was already released with the title of Fallen starring Denzel Washington with an infinitely similar plot line, the Hollywood machine is forever flawed disgraced with some of the most pitiful directorial talent this side of America. Shocker is forever doomed to be mediocre but has spawned many films based off of Shocker's ideas alone.
I approve.The strange ideology that plagues Shocker is the remorseless lead. Our football star hero loses his mother, sister, brother, and girlfriend all within a couple of days. Despite this setback, he continues on as monotonous as usual. Shocker is merciless in it's scenes of graphic brutality. Though present, always implied, never detailed. And that's the only gracious attitude present in Shocker.
For its age, Shocker is an uncompromising amusing horror film. With a climax disguised as an attack on censorship of violence in media, Shocker proves to be more "shocking" than the likes of such films as The Hills Have Eyes and Last House on the Left. An early appearance from Skinner on X-Files is the delectable star power here. Acting as Horace Pinker, Craven created a madman with a limp that will not stop and will kill anything in his path, be it children, women, or police officers. An early incarnation of the ruthless serial killer, Shocker is a film that was ahead of its time and remains a cult classic.
-mAQ
I always liked this movie. I even had the soundtrack for it.
ReplyDeleteI always get this flick confused with "The Horror Show"...
ReplyDeleteEither way, both classics
Shocker is my favorite Wes Craven film. Very underrated, I believe. And Peter Berg is great in it. Ah, the good ol' days.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Y'alls blog got tagged for "objectionable content"??? Today was the first time I saw the disclaimer. Do you perhaps know who complained to Google about you and why? Silly, silly, silly...