Shivers (1975) starring Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry, Allan Kolman, Susan Petrie directed by David Cronenberg Movie Review

Shivers (1975)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Allan Kolman in Shivers (1975)

The Sex Bug

Starliner Towers is a modern apartment block which amongst many of its resources boasts shops, dentists and doctors all within the complex. But Staliner Towers has something else, a parasitic bug which brings out the sexual cravings in people. It wasn't meant to be that way as it was designed by a scientist to make people healthier but instead turns them sex mad and violent. The scientist behind hopes to have sorted the problem by murdering the school girl he experimented on before slicing his own throat. Except the school girl had been sexually active in the complex and this parasitic infection has spread.

One of the funniest things I have ever come across is someone who ranted at me saying that I couldn't be a proper movie lover if I wasn't a fan of David Cronenberg. This person was so belligerent that when I couldn't stop laughing it just made them angrier. In fairness I like some of Cronenberg's movies and one of those is "Shivers" an early Cronenberg movie where he didn't have a big budget to play with or the experience behind the camera. What it means is that "Shivers" is raw and has a real b-movie feel but that adds to its enjoyment.

Now part of what is good about "Shivers" is that it is uncomplicated; a parasite is spreading between people who live in a swish apartment block with those becoming infected coughing up blood as it grows inside them, wriggling inside their stomachs and possessing their minds. It isn't in the least bit fancy but with it hitting the marks when it comes to being creepy, violent and of course sexual with various scenes of nudity it is effective.

Interestingly because "Shivers" came early on in Cronenberg's career and because this didn't have a big budget it has acting which isn't that great. It also doesn't have fleshed out characters with many just there to be victims. As such when the movie is over you find yourself forgetting who was in it and who the characters were but know you want to watch it again.

What this all boils down to is that "Shivers" is a good old fashioned b-movie involving the deadly spread of a parasite within a luxury apartment block. In fact it is so stripped back that even for those who don't enjoy Cronenberg's movies might find this one entertaining.


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