They Came from Within (1975)
"Shivers" (original title)

The residents of a suburban high-rise apartment building are being infected by a strain of parasites that turn them into mindless, sex-crazed fiends out to infect others by the slightest sexual contact.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg

Stars:

Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Hampton	...	Roger St. Luc
Joe Silver	...	Rollo Linsky
Lynn Lowry	...	Nurse Forsythe
Allan Kolman	...	Nicholas Tudor (as Alan Migicovsky)
Susan Petrie	...	Janine Tudor
Barbara Steele	...	Betts
Ronald Mlodzik	...	Merrick
Barry Baldaro	...	Detective Heller (as Barry Boldero)
Camil Ducharme	...	Mr. Guilbault
Hanka Posnanska	...	Mrs. Guilbault
Wally Martin	...	Doorman
Vlasta Vrana	...	Kresimer Sviben
Silvie Debois	...	Benda Sviben
Charles Perley	...	Delivery Boy
Al Rochman	...	Parkins

Storyline

A scientist living in an apartment complex kills a girl and uses acid to destroy her internal organs, and then kills himself. While investigating, a doctor discovers that the scientist was doing experiments on the use of genetically engineered parasites as organ transplants. Soon, other people in the complex begin showing signs of carrying the parasites, spreading the things through wanton orgiastic abandon, and the complex begins suffering an attrition problem.

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Plot Keywords:

parasite | apartment | apartment building | doctor | violence | 

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Taglines:

Going MAD is just the beginning...

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 July 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

They Came from Within

Filming Locations:

Île-des-Soeurs, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 179,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Cinépix, DAL Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's filming dates in the summer of 1974 is revealed by the news broadcast of an actual labor dispute involving the construction of Montreal's Olympic Stadium for the 1976 Olympic Games.

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Goofs

When the nurse escapes the French couple's flat and reaches the underground car park, she has blood over her hands and leg. However shortly after her car is crashed and she climbs out of the front window with the doctor there is no blood on her.

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Quotes

[Last lines]
[Radio programme tune]
Radio News Reporter: The time is 5.26 a.m. This is Gerald Keys with the Media Sculp sunrise news bulletin. There is still no confirmation by Montreal city police concerning alleged reports of a city wide plague of violent sexual assaults. The assaults, believed to have originated in the vicinity of Starliner Island, began late last night, and have spread with increasing frequency this morning. Reports of the attacks have been termed irresponsible and hysterical, by a Montreal city ...

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Connections

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010)

User Reviews

competent debut, given the circumstances and time period

Cronenberg's directorial feature film debut is built around a now-familiar amalgamation of sex, technology, and medicine gone mad. The Canadian "Shivers" (original American release title "They Came From Within", aka "The Parasite Murders") opens with a slide show advertising a creepily perfect-sounding high-rise apartment building isolated on an island but just minutes away from downtown Montreal. We are told that the complex contains practically everything necessary to maintain a comfortable life- medical and dental practices, clothing stores, a gift shop, a deli, recreation, etc. Ideally, it would seem, the only reasons a resident would leave would be to work, socialize with non-residents, or take a vacation, if that wasn't too redundant. But of course, something terrible is just under the polished surface.

Cronenberg's direction is obviously not as polished as in later features, but we begin to see his signature style translated well into a full-length format.