Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    Featured

    FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHTS: Shivers

    George ChimplesBy George ChimplesOctober 24, 20145 Mins Read

    Shivers is our next entry in the Friday Night Frights series. Does the feature film debut of David Cronenberg come with all the director’s obsessions and quirks fully formed? You betcha.

    FNFShiversCoverSHIVERS
    Directed by: David Cronenberg
    Written by: David Cronenberg
    Rated: R
    Year: 1975
    Roger St. Luc: Roger Hampton
    Nurse Forsythe: Lynn Lowry
    Nicholas Tudor: Alan Migicovsky
    Janine Tudor: Susan Petrie
    Betts: Barbara Steele

     

    DISCLAIMER: This entry must start off with a warning, since this is a horror film that traffics in issues of sexuality and violence. We will try not to delve too deep into these matters, but sensitive readers should be advised.

    LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH (wait, that’s a different movie)

    Shivers is an interesting companion piece to last week’s Friday Night Fright, Demons 2. Both use hyper-modern, high-rise apartments as their settings and detail the infection and subsequent descent into violence of the apartment dwellers. But where Demons 2 is pure exploitation, Shivers is something much deeper. Shivers is David Cronenberg’s first feature film (it’s also some of the first production work from Ivan Reitman, who made a little film called Ghostbusters), and it is quite the ambitious debut. Shivers bears the alternate title Orgy of the Blood Parasites, which is the odd alternative title that is actually accurate. Shivers also evinces the obsessions which characterize much of Cronenberg’s work: body horror, disease, sexuality, consent, the dangers of unchecked science, the line between man and animal.

    Body horror is one of the most off-putting of the horror subgenres. It addresses what is the most intimate and personal, the very stuff of our physical being. This makes it much more relatable than most horror tropes. Few people can say they’ve been stalked by a monstrous, spree-killing chainsaw wielder. No one has faced down a zombie apocalypse outside the safety of their computer or gaming console. But everyone knows the niggling sensation of wanting to scratch a scab before it has healed. Of seeing your own skin bubble up into blisters after a mere brush with a plant. Or worrying whether your mole is two millimeters larger than last month. This is the stuff of real horror, and seeing it magnified on the big screen can be one of the most visceral (pun intended) cinematic experiences. David Cronenberg is the godfather of this genre for a reason, and it’s easy to see why with Shivers.

    “DISEASE IS THE LOVE OF TWO ALIEN KINDS OF CREATURES FOR EACH OTHER”

    Shivers opens with a slide show expressing the virtues of the (excellently named) Starliner Towers apartment complex, immediately laying out the film’s cynical view of the aspirational yuppie lifestyle. The following scene juxtaposes a couple being sold an apartment with a James Lipton-looking guy assaulting a schoolgirl without any context. It is immediately jarring and disturbing, especially given the total lack of dialogue in the latter cuts. It’s as confident and disturbing an opening as you’ll ever see from a first time director. You can already see the seeds of his talent growing from that first sequence. It becomes apparent that James Lipton (it’s not James Lipton) was developing some sort of parasite, ostensibly meant to replace damaged organs in the human body. Of course, what ends up being described as both “an aphrodisiac and a venereal disease” ends up infecting most of the entire complex, despite the best efforts of Dr. Roger St. Luc and his erstwhile Nurse Forsythe. By film’s end, most of the characters have been reduced to violent, sex-seeking zombies. The last sequence, which finds St. Luc wandering through an apartment complex rife with horrible perversions, is surely one that will stick uncomfortably with a viewer for some time.

    Much like Demons 2, the characters in Shivers are mostly an afterthought. Cronenberg’s films can often seem icily remote, clinical, as a counterpoint to their fleshy obsessions. His protagonists are usually cerebral scientists and doctors, or people who have in some way lost touch with their basic humanity. This is the biggest problem with Shivers, as the lack of a sympathetic protagonist robs some of the tension, in turn causing pacing problems. However, the film is strikingly shot, with plenty of interesting visuals and enough memorable set-pieces to make the film worth watching. It’s about atmosphere and theme rather than an insightful look into any of character’s motivations, and Cronenberg can do atmosphere. If he decided to gleefully wallow in the gore, Shivers would tip the line into exploitation, rather than exploration. It is that clinical, removed eye that gives Shivers its power.

    BOTTOM LINE: SHIVERS AIN’T COLD, IT WAS HOT FROM THE START

    David Cronenberg is considered a master of horror for good reason. Videodrome, The Fly, Scanners – these are all much more polished pieces, but they all are variations on themes laid down in Shivers. It is not a comfortable film, by design. There are elements, sometimes as brief as a shot, that will invariably cross the line for one viewer or another. And that is Cronenberg’s intent. For all the horror and ugliness in this film, aside from the science fictional aspects, it’s nothing that humans haven’t done to other humans in real life. Cronenberg wants to lay bare the shrieking animal in each human that is barely covered up by the thin sheen of civilization. It’s not pleasant, but it may be an important lesson. Shivers features eight bodies (at least), four episodes of blood puking, Barbecue Fork Fu, Plier Fu, Crowbar Fu, inappropriate crepe eating, one T-boned car, throat slashing, strangulation, multiple parasites to the face, and one of the best monologues ever from Lynn Lowry, who plays crazy here and is most notable for playing another great crazy in, you guessed it, The Crazies. Check it out.

    David Cronenberg Friday Night Frights Horror Review shivers
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleSNEAK PEEK: Archer & Armstrong #25
    Next Article SNEAK PEEK: Harbinger: Omega #3
    George Chimples
    • Twitter

    George Chimples comes from the far future, where comics are outlawed and only outlaws read comics. In an effort to prevent that horrible dystopia from ever coming into being, he has bravely traveled to the past in an attempt to change the future by ensuring that comics are good. Please do not talk to him about grandfather paradoxes. He likes his comics to be witty, trashy fun with slightly less pulp than a freshly squeezed glass of OJ. George’s favorite comic writers are Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison, while his preferred artists are Guy Davis and Chris Bachalo, He loves superheroes, but also enjoys horror, science fiction, and war comics. You can follow him @TheChimples on Twitter for his ramblings regarding comics, Cleveland sports, and nonsense.

    Related Posts

    Top Five Things That Make You Instantly Happy

    Read More

    Supergirl #1 Review

    Read More

    One World Under Doom #4 Review

    Read More

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    AMAZON AFFILIATE

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    7.0
    May 16, 2025

    Supergirl #1 Review

    6.0
    May 15, 2025

    One World Under Doom #4 Review

    6.7
    May 13, 2025

    Absolute Green Lantern #2 Review

    8.0
    May 11, 2025

    Storm #8 Review

    6.3
    May 11, 2025

    Retro Review: Daredevil #131 (March 1976)

    Patreon Support
    Major Spoilers Store
    Recent Comments
    • Luis Dantas on Storm #8 Review
    • Michael Kenchington on PREVIEW: Giant-Size Wacky Races #1
    • derrigable on COMICS PORTAL: To (Almost) Everything, There Is a Season!
    • wiley on COMICS PORTAL: ‘Mouse Guard’ Is Back!
    • Elfo_oscuro on So You Want To Read Comics: Alternate History Edition
    Subscribe to the Major Spoilers E-Mail List
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2025 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    SAVE & ACCEPT