SHIVERS (1975)

MURDEROUS PARASITES THAT CAME FROM WITHIN AND GAVE EVERYBODY THE SHIVERS

In 1975 Canadian film maker David Cronenberg made his inaugural feature. For reasons known only to himself (and I sincerely hope it stays that way), he chose to tell the story of genetically altered parasites that, upon entering the human body, turn that human into a violent, insatiable sex maniac. Then these slimy little creatures are passed from body to body, presumably turning human society into a never ending sex orgy. The original title of this pleasant little cinematic opus was THE PARASITE MURDERS. When released, the film was known alternately as SHIVERS, THEY CAME FROM WITHIN and by its French title, FRISSONS.

The story takes place in a high rise apartment complex, the Starliner, located on an island just minutes away from the city of Montreal. As the opening credits roll, we are taken on a photographic tour of the complex, narrated by a disembodied male voice. We see the modern (for 1975) decor and furnishings, the common areas, and the shops, restaurants and medical facilities on the ground floor. After the credits, we see a young couple arriving to look at an apartment and being greeted by a rather gaunt, weird looking manager. As they begin their tour, the scene switches abruptly to the interior of one of the apartments where a violent confrontation is occurring between a young woman and a much older man.The man is Dr. Hobbes, one of the creators of the parasite. He had used the woman as a guinea pig by implanting her with a parasite. However, the experiment has gotten out of control, and the doctor intends to kill the woman, destroy the parasite before it can spread, and then commit suicide. He doesn't know that the woman has been sexually active with several residents of the complex who are now infected as well. This opening sequence is very unsettling as the film switches back and forth between the graphic brutality taking place in the woman's apartment and the placid conversation between the young couple and the manager. Cronenberg wastes no time leading the viewer into a world of disorder as the tranquil, antiseptic environment of the complex is shown as a thin veneer that barely conceals the ugliness going on behind closed doors.

We also learn that Cronenberg is not going to hold anything back visually. The disgusting murder/suicide is shown in as much glorious gory detail as he was able to get away with. Blood is in ample supply. And soon we are treated (?) to a look at the parasites themselves, slithering their way around the building and grounds. They look like pieces of raw meet that can move. (Delicious looking indeed, although not nearly as amusing as the man-made chickens in David Lynch's ERASERHEAD.) One infected man standing on a balcony vomits a parasite onto an umbrella being carried by an old lady. It lands with an audible "splat" and then crawls off into the brush seeking its next host.

While all of this marvelous movie magic is entertaining the viewer, Dr. Hobbes' partner, having discovered what Hobbes had been doing, contacts the Starliner's resident physician, Dr. St. Luke, and alerts him to the danger. The two men try to capture and destroy the parasites before they become unstoppable. In the meantime, the film shows us scene after scene of various residents of the building being attacked and infected by the creepy crawling monsters. Some of these scenes contain elements of dark humor, such as one showing a parasite jumping out of a washing machine and landing on a woman's face. However, some scenes are quite ugly, especially those involving children, and are difficult to watch.

The most ostentatious infection happens to a gorgeous Lesbian named Betts, who receives a parasite while lounging in a bathtub and sipping a glass of wine. The enterprising little creature comes up through the drain, swims its way between the woman's legs and enters her body. Betts is portrayed by veteran actress Barbara Steele, who adds name value to a cast of lesser known actors. Miss Steele had been a popular star of European films during the 1960's, many of them stylish horror films with Gothic themes (BLACK SUNDAY, THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, NIGHTMARE CASTLE). She brings considerable dramatic and sensual flair to her supporting role. Her other major scene involves a Lesbian kiss which shows the parasite advancing from her throat and entering the mouth of her partner. Miss Steele would later praise Cronenberg as a director and called him the man who introduced gynecology to the horror film.

The elegant Barbara Steele in SHIVERS.

David Cronenberg firmly establishes his style with this impressive, visceral first effort. He isn't content with just getting his point across, but insists on jamming it right into our faces, overwhelming us with one grotesque image after another. He is showing us a society in decay and totally out of control, living solely for unlimited sexual pleasure and conquest. How appropriate that he would make this film in the 1970's, the era in which the sexual revolution of the previous decade was enjoying its ultimate victory with the spread of the free love, one night stand, drug infused, contraceptive culture that was finding rapid acceptance in mainstream Western civilization. Cronenberg was certainly trying to make a statement, but he couldn't possibly have known how prescient that statement was. Dark and disturbing throughout, SHIVERS ends with a celebration of cynicism and hopelessness.