Shocker (1989)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Wes Craven uses the Nightmare On Elm Street formula, and obtains average results. Shocker is not the best horror film, but it's definitely not the worst either. This film does have some high points. Mitch Pileggi gives a very good performance as Horace Pinker, and he's very… More
  Wes Craven uses the Nightmare On Elm Street formula, and obtains average results. Shocker is not the best horror film, but it's definitely not the worst either. This film does have some high points. Mitch Pileggi gives a very good performance as Horace Pinker, and he's very amusing to watch on screen. Shocker is a film that shouldn't be taken too seriously, as the mode on screen feels quite silly at times, but it's what makes it fun in the first place. Not Wes Craven's best film, but definitely not his worst, Shocker is a very good film to watch if you want to waste a good two hours. Just don't go expecting excellent. An underrated film for sure, Shocker does have a lot to offer the viewer and despite all it's flaws, it's simply a silly horror film with ideas left over from the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise. Another thing that makes this film good is the rocking heavy metal soundtrack, Shocker the film may be average but the soundtrack is great.

• Anthony L

  
  Shocker?, you?re not wrong, this is awful!

• Cassandra M

  
  "Shocker" takes a lot of heat for the similarities it shares with another Wes Craven film, a true horror classic, "A Nightmare On Elm Street." While "Shocker" is not a horror classic, it doesn't deserve the backlash it has received. In actuality,… More
  "Shocker" takes a lot of heat for the similarities it shares with another Wes Craven film, a true horror classic, "A Nightmare On Elm Street." While "Shocker" is not a horror classic, it doesn't deserve the backlash it has received. In actuality, "Shocker" is one of the better horror flicks of the late 80s and early 90s. Starring Mitch Pileggi as Horace Pinker and Peter Berg as Jonathan Parker, "Shocker" is a solid slasher story with plenty of gore. Pinker is a mass murder who murders high school athlete Jonathan Parker's family, and then Parker's girlfriend. After being brought to justice, Pinker is sentenced to death by electrocution, but that is only the beginning. Pinker studied black magic, and he turns himself into electricity during his date with the chair. He is able to transfer his soul into other bodies, effectively moving around the city, adding to his impressive body count. No one is safe, and Parker cannot trust anyone except for some gridiron teammates. Parker searches for Pinker to kill him once and for all, which leads to an awesome battle that takes the two through every television channel on the dial. The film is as gory as any of the "Nightmare" films and is much better than the "Friday the 13th" series. "Shocker" was supposed to be the first in a series of films, a series that was supposed to become the next great horror franchise, but the concept apparently felt flat before Craven's vision could be realized. Nonetheless, "Shocker" was a very good horror film. It delivered a ton of thrills and spilled a lot of blood. I seriously recommend this film for every horror fan

• Dean M

  
  This thrilling horror film has the dream / reality / possession gimmick was done to death in director Wes Craven's own "A Nightmare on Elm Street".

• Sam C

  
  Kinda fun up until the awful final act.

• Marcus W

  
  Fuck yes! Craven takes the camerawork of Carpenter, the relentless villainy that Cameron perfected, the writing strength of Argento, and some of his own flair to produce his best work. Sure the (first two) Scream films may be cleverer, yet for sheer inventiveness this film wins.… More
  Fuck yes! Craven takes the camerawork of Carpenter, the relentless villainy that Cameron perfected, the writing strength of Argento, and some of his own flair to produce his best work. Sure the (first two) Scream films may be cleverer, yet for sheer inventiveness this film wins. Freddy Kreuger may be a more memorable bad guy but he was always too "playful", Pinker would eat him for breakfast. Lets face it, any film that has a posessed five year old hunting people in a JCB has got to be good.

• Christopher B

  
  Much to my eternal shame, I really dug this film in my teens because of it's rockin' soundtrack (it had Alice Cooper on it!) and it's wacky comedy. Watching it now, it looks like it was put together by a goofy teen even nerdier then myself at the time...oh wait… More
  Much to my eternal shame, I really dug this film in my teens because of it's rockin' soundtrack (it had Alice Cooper on it!) and it's wacky comedy. Watching it now, it looks like it was put together by a goofy teen even nerdier then myself at the time...oh wait it's even worse! It's that fuckin' Wes "I suck ass" Craven. Bleeech.

• Barry L

  
  Absolutely brilliant....Loved it for sheer originality.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings