Shivers (aka “They Came from Within”) (1975): 50th Anniversary of Cronenberg Body Horror Film (*AMOUR*)

Directed by David Cronenberg

David Cronenberg is considered the master of body horror, and 50 years ago, one of his first forays into the subgenre was released.

Shivers, an underrated zombie movie, considering the time in which it was made, tells the story of a parasite infecting numerous individuals, transforming them into violent sex fiends.

Grade: B- (**1/2* out of *****)

Shivers
United States theatrical release poster, featuring an alternate title

Written and directed by Canadian David Cronenberg, who was already 32, it starred Paul Hampton, Lynn Lowry, and Barbara Steele.

Setting and Premise:

At Starliner Towers, a luxury apartment complex outside Montreal, Dr. Emil Hobbes murders a young woman named Annabelle. He slices open her stomach, pours acid into the wound and then kills himself.

Nick Tudor, who has been suffering from stomach convulsions, finds their bodies but leaves without calling the police.

The two bodies are found by resident doctor Roger St. Luc, who calls the police.

Hobbes’ medical partner, Rollo Linsky, tells St. Luc that he and Hobbes had been working on a project to create “a parasite that can take over the function of a human organ.”

Critical reaction upon initial release of the movie was negative, especiallyby Canadian reviewers. Cronenberg blamed the unfavorabe reviews on the fact that it was perceived as a cheap exploitation flick, since it was part of a double bill with Snuff.

Though sharply uneven, that movie sets the sturdy foundation for the director to build upon as he went on to develop and improve his body horror craft in the following years.

Shown at the Cannes Film Fest Market, Shivers, like other American horror and B-pictures, received its first serious cnsideration by French, niot American, critics.

Like much of Cronenberg’s future work would do, Shivers combines gruesome horror imagery with poignant social commentary.