Shocker

1989
R
1h 49m

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

18K

YOUR RATING

Home Video Trailer from Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Play trailer1:19

3 Videos

99+ Photos

Slasher Horror Supernatural Horror Comedy Horror Thriller

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.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.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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

18K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Videos3

Trailer 1:19

Shocker

Clip 2:23

Shocker: Horace Gets Zapped

Clip 2:23

Shocker: Horace Gets Zapped

Featurette 1:43

Shocker: The Dudes Of Wrath Interview

Photos154

+ 147

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
According to Wes Craven, the film was severely cut for an R-rating. It took around 13 submissions to the MPAA to receive an R instead of an X rating. Some of the scenes that were cut include: Pinker spitting out fingers that he bit off from prison guard, longer and more graphic electrocution of Pinker, and longer scene of possessed coach stabbing his own hand.

Goofs
Camera and sound crews' shadows visible during football game.

Quotes
Jonathan Parker: We can't go killing people just to get Pinker out of their bodies.

Crazy credits
The music in the end credits is heard ending over the MPAA Rated R screen.

Alternate versions
While uncut in cinemas, on video it was later indexed by the BPjM. As a result, an edited FSK-16 rated version was made for a wide commercial video release in Germany. This one contains over 4 minutes of cuts for violence, either reducing or outright removing the many violent bits, making the movie pretty much unwatchable. Only in 2016 was the indexing lifted, and one year later the uncut version was granted a FSK-16 rating, waiving all cuts from previous cut German releases.

Connections
Featured in Gorgon Video Magazine (1989)

Soundtracks
Sword and Stone
Performed by Bonfire
Written by Desmond Child, Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick
Courtesy of BMG Ariola GmbH/RCA Records

User reviews113

Review

Featured review

A Mess That Just Doesn't Come Together

Shocker (1989)

** (out of 4)

Disappointing Wes Craven shocker about college football player Jonathan Parker (Peter Berg) who after a bump on the head witnesses a murder as it is happening. He tells his cop father (Michael Murphy) and before long they're able to capture the serial killer Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi). After dying in the electric chair the killer manages to force his spirit into the bodies of others via electricity.

SHOCKER was meant for the horror legend as an attempt to start up a new series since the Freddy Krueger character had gone into directions that he didn't really like. Sadly for Craven and the viewer the end result is somewhat of a mess. SHOCKER starts off decent enough but it quickly falls apart during it's second half and there are just way too many problems for the film to work.

I think the majority of the blame has to go towards Craven's screenplay. The film starts off as some sort of weird thriller with elements of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. The entire thing dealing with Jonathan seeing the killer just didn't work. To make matters worse is that the second half with the spirit jumping is just downright stupid and it never becomes believable to the point where you can get caught up in what's going on. Another problem is that the film clocks in at 109 minutes, which is about twenty minutes to long. There are so many stretches of boring stuff that you can't help but wish Craven had cut it down.

Both Berg and Murphy deliver good performances and their relationship is certainly the best thing about the story and it helps keep you somewhat entertained. Pileggi easily steals the picture as the foul serial killer and it's really too bad the entire film wasn't based around him. Once the spirit jumping happens it takes the actor out of the material and the film flat-lines. SHOCKER features a nice score and some interesting ideas but they just never come together.