Shivers - Vestron Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Canada, 1975
Director: David Cronenberg
Writer: David Cronenberg
Cast: Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry, Allan Kolman, Susan Petrie, Barbara Steele, Ronald Mlodzik

Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Approximate running time: 87 minutes 35 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $17.99

"Creeping parasites systematically infect an isolated high-rise condominium in Montreal. The symptoms of the disease are fright- ening: victims commit acts of uncontrollable violence accompanied by unusual sexual behavior. A doctor races to discover the cause of the disease and tries to stop it from spreading." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Shivers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.8 GB

Feature: 18.4 GB

Though Vestron Video’s transfer appears to come from the same source that Arrow Video uses for its 2014 Blu-ray release. These two transfers are not identical; image clarity looks stronger and grain is better resolved for Arrow Video’s release. Also, Arrow Video’s release gives the main feature about 6 GB more space than Vestron Video’s release.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The audio sounds are clean, clear and balanced throughout. Included with this release are removable English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a slipcover (limited to first pressing), a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, also the stills gallery extra can-be watched with an audio interview with executive producer John Dunning (8 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), three radio spots (2 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a TV spot (1 minute 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two theatrical trailers (3 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director David Cronenberg from 1998 (21 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Greg Dunning titled Celebrating Cinépix: The Legacy of John Dunning (10 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with special make-up effects creator Joe Blasco titled Outside and Within (12 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Lynn Lowry titled Good Night Nurse (16 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with David Cronenberg titled Mind Over Matter, an audio commentary is with David Cronenberg and moderated by Chris Alexander, and an audio commentary is with producer Don Carmody and moderated by Chris Alexander.

Summary:

By the time David Cronenberg directed Shivers, he had already directed a few short films, worked extensively for Canadian television and had two feature-length albeit experimental films, Stereo and Crimes of the Future, under his belt. That said, Shivers is widely regarded as the launching point for Body Horror, a type of cinema his name has since become synonymous with.

Far too many modern horror films are one-dimensional and content to shock the viewer with grotesque imagery. This by the numbers approach to the genre often leads to its demise until another creative film or filmmaker comes along and gives the genre a much-needed shot in the arm. Fortunately, for fans of horror cinema, there are filmmakers like David Cronenberg who are going to take you to places you have never been before.

Shivers is a first-rate example of how to make a riveting and entertaining horror film so that no matter how many times you revisit it, it does not lose any of its potency. The prime reason why this film works so well is because of the things that David Cronenberg brings to the table, and not the things that one would normally expect from a horror film. Many of the themes he would later develop in his career would be infused into the Shivers.

The parasite wreaking havoc in this film is created by a doctor who is trying to come up with a way to replace damaged organs. From there, the apartment building where the bulk of the film takes place becomes ground zero for the infestation when the doctor takes one of his patients there and tries to remove a parasite.

This initial setup does a great job of setting into motion the mayhem and bloodlust that ensues. And though the characters are never fully fleshed out, this ultimately does not prove to be a problem since the main attraction is the parasites.

Shivers visually has many standout moments, such as when the doctor responsible for creating the parasite removes one from a patient and then commits suicide. Other standout moments include a scene where a woman taking a bath gets attacked by a parasite that comes up through the drain in the tub. And finally, this film’s jaw-dropping finale is another superb moment.

From a production standpoint, the visuals are strong throughout, and pacing is never an issue. When it comes to gore, there is an ample amount of gore and sexuality on display. And without a doubt, the most surprising aspect of this film is how effective the special effects are. With a scene where parasites explode out of a man’s chest being the most memorable moment in regards to special effects.

When it comes to the performances, one would be hard pressed to fault any of the cast, who are enthusiastic in their respective roles. The main draw, performance-wise, is that it features two actresses who are well-known for working in the horror genre: Lynn Lowry (The Crazies) and Barbara Steele (Black Sunday). It is Steele’s character that gets attacked while trying to take a bath.

This is where far too many filmmakers falter due to limited resources and/or their lack of experience with an actual film. This is not the case for David Cronenberg, who creates an utterly tangible world with Shivers, making the result one of the most satisfying horror film debuts.

Vestron Video's Shivers Blu-ray is a first-rate release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an abundance of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer