Shocker (1989)

[CPiz 232]

One of the not-so-good Wes Craven films. About a convict that makes a deal with the Devil to survive execution by electric chair and instead becomes pure energy that can possess any human (or TV set). Mitch Pileggi (Walter Skinner on the X-Files) stars as the killer. Ted Raimi is in it. Dr. Timothy Leary has a cameo. John Tesh too! Alice Cooper, Megadeth and 80s metal supergroup The Dudes of Wrath all did original music for the movie. 8% on Rotten Tomatoes.

[sillstaw 414]

I watched a video review of this movie, and to be honest, this seems like such a perfect choice. It's so beautifully crazy that I'm surprised I haven't watched it yet.

 

Or, as someone on another forum put it, "People need Shocker like plants need water and sunshine."

[CPiz 232]

I watched a video review of this movie, and to be honest, this seems like such a perfect choice. It's so beautifully crazy that I'm surprised I haven't watched it yet.

 

Or, as someone on another forum put it, "People need Shocker like plants need water and sunshine."

 

I used to watch a lot of horror movies, and I actually kind of enjoyed watching this one, but not because it was a "good" movie. Craven is really adept at counterbalancing the horror with some humorous scenes, but in this one, it was difficult to tell what was supposed to be funny and what was funny because it was so cheesy. A lot of the unintentional humor is watching the actors playing the killer's host bodies trying to mimic him.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

 

I used to watch a lot of horror movies, and I actually kind of enjoyed watching this one, but not because it was a "good" movie. Craven is really adept at counterbalancing the horror with some humorous scenes, but in this one, it was difficult to tell what was supposed to be funny and what was funny because it was so cheesy. A lot of the unintentional humor is watching the actors playing the killer's host bodies trying to mimic him.

I loved this one as a kid, and the soundtrack was AWESOME. It took a hell of a long time for that Megadeth cover of "No More Mr. Nice Guy" to pop up anywhere else though. Anyway, the first half of the movie is solid, still holds up and has some pretty horrific stuff in it, but once the botched execution and body-jumping stuff starts, it goes off the rails. It's like a totally different movie and somehow goes even more into "Nightmare on Elm Street" rip-off territory than it did when the dream stuff was the only weird thing that was going on. Weird dream powers and precognition versus body hopping and riding the lightning is straight Grade-A bonkersauce.

[jimkiler 84]

I loved this one as a kid, and the soundtrack was AWESOME. It took a hell of a long time for that Megadeth cover of "No More Mr. Nice Guy" to pop up anywhere else though. Anyway, the first half of the movie is solid, still holds up and has some pretty horrific stuff in it, but once the botched execution and body-jumping stuff starts, it goes off the rails. It's like a totally different movie and somehow goes even more into "Nightmare on Elm Street" rip-off territory than it did when the dream stuff was the only weird thing that was going on. Weird dream powers and precognition versus body hopping and riding the lightning is straight Grade-A bonkersauce.

 

I also liked this movie, but i don't remember any of the stuff you wrote about. I have not seen it in 20 years or more.

[DartanganMcgee 30]

I'm sure there is an adult film with the same title. Seriously though, between Peter Berg's performance in this film, and his directorial effort(or lack thereof) with Battleship, I'd say he's been given far too many chances in this business.

[sillstaw 414]

Seriously though, between Peter Berg's performance in this film, and his directorial effort(or lack thereof) with Battleship, I'd say he's been given far too many chances in this business.

 

Well, he's been directing for years. He's also helmed "Friday Night Lights" (a critical darling, but I was bored by it, likely because I don't care about football at all), "The Kingdom" (which I remember liking well enough), "Hancock" and "The Rundown."

[seanotron 2307]

He was also supposed to do a Dune reboot, but thankfully that did not happen.

[NeilMiddleton 13]

I used to love this movie as a kid, but now I only like it for nostalgic reasons. Unlike Scream, Craven tries to balance humor and horror and fails at both. Of course, none of the plot made much sense, either.

 

I think it'd be a perfect candidate for the show. Haven't seen it in years. Might have to check it out again...

[lolholm 5]

Oh yes. This is one of the more insane serial killer films ever made.

[Johnny Unusual 525]

Here's the trailer

 

 

And a review

 

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Here's the trailer

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ45o5nBbA8

 

Oh wow, literally EVERYTHING in the trailer is in the second half of the movie. If you were expecting all that, you'd wonder what the hell you were seeing in that first hour, which as I said before IS pretty great. It's a lot like "From Dusk Til Dawn" where there's a very specific point where it decides in a split-second that it doesn't want to be whatever kind of movie it was anymore. There's something else I saw very recently that was like that too, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it was. I don't think it was "World's End", because it didn't do a COMPLETE 180 when all the sci-fi stuff was introduced mid-film. I'm sure I'll think of it at some point...

[RyanSz 3140]

What was weird about this movie was how much it copied from Nightmare on Elm Street, especially as Craven was hoping this could become a franchise, to how certain movies copied from it. I mean the Denzel Washington movie Fallen is basically a non-tech ripoff of this movie. Also, I think it's safe to say that Peter Berg is better suited to directing rather than acting, when he talks he just sounds like he got hit in the head one too many times as a kid so he can't be taken seriously as a leading man.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

What was weird about this movie was how much it copied from Nightmare on Elm Street, especially as Craven was hoping this could become a franchise, to how certain movies copied from it. I mean the Denzel Washington movie Fallen is basically a non-tech ripoff of this movie. Also, I think it's safe to say that Peter Berg is better suited to directing rather than acting, when he talks he just sounds like he got hit in the head one too many times as a kid so he can't be taken seriously as a leading man.

To be fair (at least in this film), he DOES play a football player, and we do see him run face-first into a goal post at the beginning, so there's some possible reasoning for the way he talks. It might be a stretch, but it is a somewhat reasonable explanation for possible bad acting being disguised as a character trait! Do I get a No-Prize?

[angrycarptbager 0]

Movie is just insanity. Wes Craven supposedly made this as an FU to New Line Cinema for not giving him enough Freddy money. So he rehashes some of the same story ideas came up with this

Staring Peter Berg and an out of his mind Mitch Pileggi.

[angrycarptbager 0]

John Tesh is in this too!

[ReporterAmber 10]

1989's Shocker. PLEASE. It's batshit crazy. Bonus: John Tesh has a role.

[Funkdog78 16]

I only have one thing to say: no more Mr nice guy

[Funkdog78 16]

It’s October let’s do a scary movie

[WhalePrintPants 4]

omg I saw this in the theaters while very stoned when I was in college and the memory I have of it is my girlfriend exclaiming while laughing very hard "Oh my god is that John Tesh? Please make it stop."

We weren't the only ones laughing at it. This is a stellar pick, CPiz. 

[Funkdog78 16]

Paul was talking about this in the latest episode lawnmower man 2.  I'm telling yall this film is a gem for the gang to review too lol.