When a
reputable scientist murders a young woman in his apartment by
destroying her internal organs before taking his own life, it's
liable to raise a few questions. Enter Dr. Roger St. Luc, who is
called in to investigate and discovers that the scientist was
performing experiments whereby he used mutated parasites. Now the
parasite are on the loose in the apartment complex, and infesting
humans who in turn spread the parasite through sexual activities.
David
Cronenberg's first major release showcases the kind of material he
would come to be known for, mainly the marriage of horror and
sexuality. It also shows that Cronenberg was also much more
preoccupied in being controversial than in genuine thrills and
chills, as is his custom in his films today (CRASH comes to mind).
SHIVERS is merely an excuse for some gross-out moments, and
outrageous titllation in the form of lesbianism, incest, and orgies.
Bad acting and poor screenwriting mars the entire production (which
was filmed at under $200,000 Canadian), while the attempts at humor
are severely anemic at best. Recommended strictly for Cronenberg
fans and schlock-horror buffs (which are probably synonymous).
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