Shocker (1989)

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.

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer:

Wes Craven

Stars:

Michael Murphy, Mitch Pileggi, John Tesh

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mitch Pileggi	...	Horace Pinker
John Tesh	...	TV Newscaster
Heather Langenkamp	...	Victim
Peter Berg	...	Jonathan Parker
Jessica Craven	...	Counterperson
Camille Cooper	...	Alison (as Cami Cooper)
Richard Brooks	...	Rhino
Sam Scarber	...	Cooper
Ted Raimi	...	Pac Man (as Theodore Raimi)
Keith Anthony-Lubow-Bellamy	...	Football Player
Virginia Morris	...	Diane
Emily Samuel	...	Sally
Michael Murphy	...	Lt. Don Parker
Peter Tilden	...	Reporter
Bingham Ray	...	Bartender

Storyline

A murderous TV repairman, Horace Pinker is killing people in a small town left, right and center. He eventually finds the home of Lt. Parker, who is investigating his crimes, and savagely murders Parker's wife, son and daughter. His other son, Jonathan has a strange connection to Pinker through his dreams, and he directs his father to Pinker's business, where a small group of officers enter. Pinker escapes in a horrific spree, killing four officers and then targeting Jonathan's girlfriend, Alison. Another dream leads Jonathan and his dad to a residence where they catch Pinker in in the act of kidnapping. Pinker is arrested after a fight with Jonathan and sentenced to die in the electric chair. When executed, Pinker - who supposedly had given his soul to the devil in exchange for the power to come back as an energy source - takes over people's bodies and continues committing murders, until Jonathan devises a plan to bring Pinker into the real world, and then cut off his power source...

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Plot Keywords:

supernatural power | serial killer | electric chair | electrocution | demon | 

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Taglines:

Mass murderer Horace pinker was put to death. Then he really got mad.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shocker: No More Mr. Nice Guy

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios - 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$16,554,699

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alive Films, Universal City Studios, Carolco International N.V.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alive Films took the rights to the film when fellow horror director and friend John Carpenter bowed out of his four-film deal with the production company after making They Live (1988), offering the remaining slots in his contract to Wes Craven. As a result, Craven's next two projects, Shocker and The People Under the Stairs (1991), were financed by Alive.

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Goofs

When Jonathan's father is possessed by Pinker and Jonathan is arrested and placed in the squad car, his friend breaks the back passenger window to free him. When Jonathan's father gets in the car to chase him, the window is up and intact as he speeds away.

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Quotes

Horace Pinker: Come to look death in the face, huh schoolboy?

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Connections

Featured in Alison's Adventures with Cami Cooper (2015)

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Soundtracks

Love Transfusion
Performed by Iggy Pop
Courtesy of Virgin Records

User Reviews

Morphing can be dangerous

I found this gem on late night cable, maybe one of the HBO's or thisTV (out of Indianapolis), and I was nicely surprised.

I was going to listen to it and work on my computer in the other room, but couldn't leave the couch, because it is very visual and astute. The killer uses "energy" from electricity and television, a wry comment of society.

Wes strides the very delicate line of humor/horror and he does it very well. Films seem to be either SCARY MOVIE (spoof) or SCREAM, (horror). But to have you scared, and then to inject humor is hard. Here you are afraid of the serial killer morphing around, than laughing when he morphs into a little dangerous girl with a protective mom. It kind of reminded me of Night of the Creeps, where slimy worms, keep transferring to other bodies, including a very hot blonde.

You all know the plot by now, so check out this gem, especially the end when Wes takes dead aim at media images.

I am anxious to get the uncut version so see why he had to submit it 13 times to the "approval board" to get a release rating.