Shocker (1989)
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8% of critics liked it
(12 reviews) -
33% of users liked it
(11,561 ratings)
Wes Craven's Shocker takes media manipulation to a new level in this story of an evil force emitted from television sets that has the power to kill. The film centers on high school athlete Jonathan Parker (Peter Berg). His estranged father is homicide detective Don Parker (Michael Murphy), who… More Wes Craven's Shocker takes media manipulation to a new level in this story of an evil force emitted from television sets that has the power to kill. The film centers on high school athlete Jonathan Parker (Peter Berg). His estranged father is homicide detective Don Parker (Michael Murphy), who has been working on capturing an elusive serial killer plaguing the town. One night, during a particularly vivid nightmare, Jonathan dreams that while Parker is away on an assignment, his family is murdered by the serial killer. In the dream, Jonathan can identify the killer -- local television repairman Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi). Amazingly, it turns out that Jonathan's nightmare was reality. Using Jonathan's dream as evidence, Pinker is brought to trail, found guilty, and sentenced to death in the electric chair. Before his execution, Pinker makes a pact with the devil so when he is electrocuted, the electricity from the chair will give his spirit powers of evil. At first, Pinker's murderous spirit travels in and out of people's bodies, prompting the host to commit murder. But when it seems more effective to communicate with people by television signals, the spirit is willing and soon people suddenly become possessed by Pinker's spirit through TV screens and engage in murderous atrocities. All this is done by Pinker to exact retribution upon Jonathan, who was responsible for sending him to his death. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- Wes Craven
- Genres
- Television, Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Oct 27, 1989 Wide
- Studio
- MCA Universal Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
A revisitation of the director's favorite themes (alternate realities, parent-child dynamics, lunatics spouting one-liners) that pitifully attempts to replicate A Nightmare on Elm Street.
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Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Proof positive that Wes Craven is not, in fact, any kind of master of horror
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Lower rung Craven
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Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Um dos piores filmes da carreira de Wes Craven - e perceba que estamos falando do responsável pelo terrível Um Vampiro no Brooklyn...
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Peter Berg
as Jonathan Parker
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Michael Murphy
as Lt. Don Parker
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Mitch Pileggi
as Horace Pinker
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Cami Cooper
as Alison
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Heather Langenkamp
as Victim
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Richard Brooks (VI)
as Rhino
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Theodore Raimi
as Pac Man
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John Tesh
as TV Newscaster
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Bingham Ray
as Bartender
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Ray Bickel
as Man Couch Potato
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Eugene Chadbourne
as Man in Bar
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Jessica Craven
as Counterperson
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Jonathan Craven
as Jogger
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Marvin Elkins
as Guard
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Vincent Guastaferro
as Pastori
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Sue Ann Harris
as Waitress
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Stephen Held
as Rookie
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Jack Hoar
as Sergeant
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Stephen R. Hudis
as Officer Robinson
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Holly Kaplan
as Neighbor
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Linda Kaye
as Woman at Stairs
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Christopher Kriesa
as Guard
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Dr. Timothy Leary
as TV Evangelist
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Ernie Lively
as Warden
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Keith Anthony Lubow-Bellamy
as Football Player
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Virginia Morris
as Diane
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Janne K. Peters
as Doctor
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Sam Scarber
as Cooper
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Wes Craven
as Neighbor
- Richard Price
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Kane Roberts
as Road Worker
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Bruce Wagner
as Executioner
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Lindsay Parker
as Little Girl
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Gary Michael Davies
as Cameraman
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Richard J. Gasparian
as Cop
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Richardo Gutierrez
as Guard Sergeant
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Joyce Guy
as Cop
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Christopher Keyes
as Bruno
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Marji Martin
as Woman Couch Potato
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Michael Matthews
as Evil Mouth
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John B. Mueller
as Fireman
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Joseph Roy O'Flynn
as Priest
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Emily Samuel
as Sally
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Mark Slama
as Kid with Crow Bar
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Bobby Lee Swain
as Priest
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Dendrie Allyn Taylor
as Young Mother
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Peter Tilden
as Reporter
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Karl Vincent
as Kid with Mask
- Gary M. Zuckerbrod
- Camille Cooper

