PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Wes Craven is one of the few filmmakers on the planet not named John Carpenter deserving of the title “horror master.” The creator of both the Scream and A Nightmare On Elm Street.franchises, the late Craven’s filmography is home to a littany of horror gems, including The Hills Have Eyes, Last House on the Left, Deadly Friend, and The Serpent and the Rainbow. Often lost among the shelves in this extensive horror library is a fun little horror film that’s celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2024. I am speaking, of course, about Wes Craven’s Shocker (1989).
Shocker Synopsis
After being sent to the electric chair, a serial killer uses electricity to come back from the dead and carry out his vengeance on the football player who turned him in to the police.
Directed by Wes Craven, Shocker stars Peter Berg (Chicago Hope), who went on to an amazing film and television career as an actor, director and producer. The film also stars Mitch Pileggi and Michael Murphy. It features memorable performances from a young Richard Brooks (Law and Order) and the one and only Ted Raimi (as Theodore Raimi). Jason Lives alum Vincent Guastaferro (“Wherever the red dot goes…ya bang!”) is also on hand delivering a fun turn as a local cop, Pastore.
The film opened domestically on October 27, 1989 in 2nd place behind Look Who’s Talking. It took in $4.5 million opening weekend en route to a modest $16.5 million domestic haul.
Is it Craven’s best? No. Is it worth watching? Absolutely! And here are five big reasons to love this crazy film!
5. The Soundtrack – From the haunting chords that play in the opening killer montage to the end credits scroll, the Shocker soundtrack features some great heavy metal, Produced by famed songwriter Desmond Child, this collection includes a screeching Megadeth cover of Alice Cooper’s No More Mister Nice Guy, the masterful Demon Bell by Dangerous Toys, and a song that should have been an all time KISS staple: Bonfire’s Sword and Stone. Child lends his vocals to an all star talent lineup redubbed The Dudes of Wrath on the title track, which features an incredibly powerful Paul Stanley vocal performance for the ages, Check it out!
4. The Stunts – This is a straight up horror movie, but there are some fantastic stunts throughout. The film features multiple brawls between Berg and Pileggi, including one on a rooftop, and one that rages through a series of television programs. The athletic Berg dazzles on the football field and gets his Demon Bell rung in hilarious fashion by a goal post. He’s chased on foot by a crazed cop and an even crazier construction worker and is nearly run over by a bulldozer. There’s wirework, underwater work, electrical charges everywhere, a car chase, massive explosions. The stunts on this film are crazy! And worth the price of admission.
3. The Blood – Wes Craven must have had an in with the ratings board. The blood in Shocker is off the charts for a mainstream, Universal Hollywood release. The killer slaughters his victims mercilessly, including about a dozen police officers, and the hero’s extended network of friends and family. It’s all done with top notch practical FX. Along the way you have blood painted walls, a literal blood bath, and a dead girlfriend who keeps coming back covered in the red stuff. You may remember the line in A Nightmare On Elm Street about the missing coroner in the bathroom throwing up? I’m guessing that coroner would have similar trouble holding his lunch down here, too.
2. The Nightmares – In a lot of ways, Shocker feels like a spiritual Elm Street sequel. There are tons of dream sequences — nightmares, really, that pervade the film. Jonathan sees his family killed in a dream that soon becomes reality. At one point, Jonathan goes to sleep with the intention of finding the killer and bringing him forward to justice, much like Nancy in both the original Elm Street and again in Dream Warriors. The creepiest dreams, however, involve Allison, who appears frequently in spirit form including an intense sequence I refer to as “The Lady of the Lake.” It’s all very surreal and very Craven. A Nightmare on Elm Street afficionados will give it two thumbs up.
And the number 1 reason to love Wes Craven’s Shocker? No more mister nice guy…
Horace Pinker – While he’s no Freddy Krueger, Mitch Pileggi’s Horace Pinker holds his own in the pantheon of horror bad guys. Foul mouthed. Intense. Brutal. Capable of jumping from body to body and room to room via electrical current! Pinker is not to be trifled with. The body swapping stuff is particularly fun. Pinker’s depraved personality makes its way into Alice Cooper guitarist Kane Roberts, the aforementioned Vincent Guastaferro, and, most amusingly, into a bike riding little girl who makes an amazing, foul mouthed, mini Pinker. My favorite part, though? A possessed Pinker-eyed, grabby massage chair! It’s gold, Jerry. GOLD!
Final Thoughts
There you have it: five reasons to love Wes Craven’s Shocker! If you’ve never seen it, it’s worth seeking out. If you have seen it, it’s probably been too long, and you should give it another spin. I’m happy to say it still holds up! I had a lot of fun revisiting it for the 35th anniversary.
Shocker is streaming now on Shudder and available to rent and own on digital platforms. Physical media versions are also widely available.
What are your thoughts on Wes Craven’s Shocker? Tell us in the comments!
