BEING TERRIFIED IS JUST THE BEGINNING!
When the residents of a luxury apartment complex outside Montreal are infiltrated by parasites and transformed into violent, sex-crazed maniacs, it’s up to Dr. Roger St. Luc to contain the outbreak from spreading to the city.
David Cronenberg's first feature length commercial film (aka THEY CAME FROM WITHIN and THE PARASITE MURDERS) burst onto the scene in more ways than one. While shocking audiences in record numbers for a Canadian film and winning him the Best Director prize at the Sitges Film Festival, it was also attacked by local critics and debated in Parliament after a scathing article headlined "You Should Know How Bad This Movie Is. After All, You Paid For It." pointed out that it was partially bankrolled by the Canadian Film Development Corporation, a taxpayer-funded initiative.
In line with his more well known films such as THE FLY and VIDEODROME, Cronenberg's love of entwining primal psychological fear, body horror, and pitch-black humour are all on display. There is a disturbingly erotic and transgressive nature to SHIVERS that has not lost any of its potency, even as we celebrate its 50th anniversary. You don't want to miss this seminal work by the principal originator of the body horror genre and a truly unique Canadian icon. - Steven Landry