Stream it now Shocker 1989

 

An underrated movie, Shocker is a fun campy movie that should be given a second chance. Horace Pinker is an unforgettable villain. I hope that if any more of Craven's movies are remade, it would be this one, and The People Under The Stairs.

Shocker was pretty awsome , Horace Pinker character was pretty cool too. Wes Craven is the best.

I finally saw this movie when i bought the Wes Craven collection and was very disappointed. The only redeeming qualities are Wes Cravens's creative vision and visuals. Besides that the movie is a mess, filled with horrible dialog. The movie was very poorly written. It seemed like he focused all his attention on the cool special effects.

Great little flick by Wes Craven. Unfortunately this film doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Many have classified it as A Nightmare on Elm Street through television and its not.
The action seen is awesome for a horror flick and the thriller aspect is great.
The killer is portrayed as a sick humorous, very much like what Freddy became, but no where like Craven's original conception of Freddy was. I love this character, he's sick and simply just having a good time, at everyone else's expense.
The ending falls abit weak, but the TV fight is one of the most hilarious set of scenes you'll ever see in a horror flick.
Keep in mind Wes Craven has done a lot of great films, but due to his status as horror icon because of the Nightmare film and Last House on the Left it hurt his career a little during this time and films like this were overlooked and forgotten about. Give this film a chance and you'll love it.
3 out of 5 stars

The dreams of a teenaged psychic, Jonathan (Berg), leads to the arrest and eventual execution to a TV repairman who was also a prolific serial killer (Pileggi). But when the maniac is put to death in the electric chair, his paranormal powers are awakened... and he becomes a malevolent force made of pure electricity and resumes his murder spree. Can Jonathan stop the mass-murderer a second time before he kills everyone he loves?

"Shocker" is a gory action/comedy with some horror elements, but it is really more of an action film. It's a movie that teenagers--and adults who never quite made it past 16 mentally--will appreciate for its goofy, brainless quality. Anyone who likes to engage the brain while watching a film will quickly want to turn off the DVD player in disgust.

The film suffers first and foremost from the fact that it was obvious why it was made: Writer/director Wes Craven was waving a bottle around in an attempt to capture the same lightning that led to the creation of Freddy Krueger and the highly successful "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film series. However, where the the Freddy phenom grew out of a film that feels like a genuine artistic effort (not to mention being a damn scary movie), "Shocker" feels like a calculated effort to create another "film franchise". Even as a kid, I noticed the shadow of the marketing machine lurking just beyond the edge of the frame... and watching the film again some 20 years later, it's distractingly evident.

The obvious hope that this would be the "pilot episode" for another series of movies means this film rates among the worst trash. It's somewhat redeemed by the fact the cast are pretty decent actors--I was startled to see Mitch Pileggi in a COMPLETELY different role than anything he's played since--the idea of a "technological ghost", and by the pure insanity of the nature of the final showdown between our dashing young hero and the insane, disembodied serial killer. (I won't go into detail, because if the film seems interesting to you, it's far better if you are surprised.)

Later this year, we'll be treated to a remake of "Shocker" (IMBBPro lists it as "Wes Craven's Shocker"). While it undoubtedly will suck as badly as the majority of the idealess, vapid remakes that so many filmmakers are producing these days, this is one of those movies that could be improved by a remake. IF they make a movie that's viewed as "let's just make a great movie" instead of the launch pad for a series.


Shocker
Starring: Peter Berg, Mitch Pileggi, Cami Cooper and Michael Murphy
Director: Wes Craven

One of the worst piles of crap I have ever endured.

I wanted to write a review on what i thought was the worst movie of all time: Wes Craven's "Shocker." The fact that the time and energy was taken to create such total garbage gives aspiring movie makers and screenwriters like myself exponential hope they our dreams may become a reality. "Shocker" is just that, a shock. The worst acting combined with a putrid storyline; it almost made me sick watching it. At times you will break out into laughter mainly because you are expected to take this film seriously. If you have not seen "shocker" i do advise you to try and stomach this visual torture devise. It is a lesson in awful craftsmanship and makes any other movie you watch from there on tolerable. Shame on you Wes Craven.

I do not know if you all remember this but the whole serial killer goes to the electric chair and then comes back to life has been done several times. Craven jumped on this with Shocker and I must say he did a decent job. What could have been really good turns stupid as the angel of a dead girl shows up with her light powers! LOL!!

Here's another film rating.

I am guilty of loving more bad 1980s horror films than any normal person should. I don't know why, but I've come to accept that flaw in my personality and I expect everyone else to accept it too. ;)

Shocker