What the fuck
First Cronenberg movie
There's certainly stuff to enjoy here - the effects are still pretty decent even to this day, there's a cool shot or two here (The one where Forsythe is running down the stairs is pretty cool, though I thought there would be a jumpscare there lol). The acting is so odd and mostly bad, especially the guy who played Dr St Luc. Some of it does fit the tone perfectly, like Forsythe's acting, which was one of the best parts of the movie for sure. I don't really think Cronenberg fully hits on the main themes here, or maybe I just don't connect with it here. The idea of a parasite turning people into hedonistic sex-crazed beasts is intriguing and lends itself to some very uncomfortable scenes, but Cronenberg doesn't really stick the landing here, I think. The parasite looks very phallic, which is intentional, but I don't know whether there is any meaningful commentary. Forsythe's final monologue outright states that those infected see everything as sexual and erotic. This could lead to some interesting ideas, but the mindlessness of those who become infected just takes those away imo. Maybe you could say that parasite just brings out the beast inside every man and woman, but I don't think there's any real resolution for that idea. The weird psychosexual vibes throughout are interesting tho
Overall, I think Shivers is a fun enough 70s exploitation horror with some good effects, but nothing more.
I am still very excited to delve into more Cronenberg stuff tho
What the fuck
First Cronenberg movie
There's certainly stuff to enjoy here - the effects are still pretty decent even to this day, there's a cool shot or two here (The one where Forsythe is running down the stairs is pretty cool, though I thought there would be a jumpscare there lol). The acting is so odd and mostly bad, especially the guy who played Dr St Luc. Some of it does fit the tone perfectly, like Forsythe's acting, which was one of the best parts of the movie for sure. I don't really think Cronenberg fully hits on the main themes here, or maybe I just don't connect with it here. The idea of a parasite turning people into hedonistic sex-crazed beasts is intriguing and lends itself to some very uncomfortable scenes, but Cronenberg doesn't really stick the landing here, I think. The parasite looks very phallic, which is intentional, but I don't know whether there is any meaningful commentary. Forsythe's final monologue outright states that those infected see everything as sexual and erotic. This could lead to some interesting ideas, but the mindlessness of those who become infected just takes those away imo. Maybe you could say that parasite just brings out the beast inside every man and woman, but I don't think there's any real resolution for that idea. The weird psychosexual vibes throughout are interesting tho
Overall, I think Shivers is a fun enough 70s exploitation horror with some good effects, but nothing more.
I am still very excited to delve into more Cronenberg stuff tho
