Shivers (1975)

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg (written by)

Release Date:

6 July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

T-E-R-R-O-R beyond the power of priest or science to exorcise.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Parasite | Apartment | Doctor | Sex | Violence

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paul Hampton	...	Roger St. Luc
Joe Silver	...	Rollo Linsky
Lynn Lowry	...	Nurse Forsythe
Allan Kolman	...	Nicholas Tudor (as Allan 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
Julie Wildman	...	Miss Lewis
Arthur Grosser	...	Mr. Wolfe
Edith Johnson	...	Olive
Dorothy Davis	...	Vi
Joy Coghill	...	Mona Wheatley
Joan Blackman	...	Elevator Mother
Kirsten Bishop	...	Elevator Daughter (as Kirsten Bishopric)
Fred Doederlein	...	Emil Hobbes
Sonny Forbes	...	Garbage Room Man
Nora Johnson	...	Laundry Woman
Cathy Graham	...	Annabelle
Robert Brennen	...	Boy
Felicia Shulman	...	Girl
Roy Wittan	...	Bearded Man (as Roy Whittan)
Denis Payne	...	First Elevator Man
Kevin Fenlow	...	Second Elevator Man

Directed by
David Cronenberg

Writing credits
David Cronenberg		(written by)

Produced by
Don Carmody	....	co-producer
John Dunning	....	executive producer
André Link	....	executive producer
Alfred Pariser	....	executive producer
Ivan Reitman	....	producer
Peter James	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert Saad

Film Editing by
Patrick Dodd

Art Direction by
Erla Gliserman

Makeup Department
Joe Blasco	....	creatures creator
Joe Blasco	....	special makeup artist
Louiselle Champagne	....	makeup assistant (as Louisette Champagne)
David Dittmar	....	assistant special makeup
Suzanne Garand	....	makeup artist (as Suzanne Riou-Garand)

Production Management
Don Carmody	....	production manager

Art Department
Rose Marie McSherry	....	art assistant

Sound Department
Len Blum	....	sound assistant
Danny Goldberg	....	sound supervisor (as Dan Goldberg)
Michael Higgs	....	sound recordist
Jean-Claude Matte	....	boom operator
Nolan Roberts	....	re-recording
Jim Thompson	....	boom operator

Stunts
Fournier Frères	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
John Daoust	....	key grip
Attila Dory	....	still photographer
Yves Drapeau	....	first assistant camera
Paul Gravel	....	second assistant camera
Jean-Paul Houle	....	best boy
Jim Lawler	....	assistant grip
Rick Maguire	....	first assistant camera
Dexter Pattie	....	assistant electrician
John Sawyer	....	gaffer
Tom Sawyer	....	electrician

Music Department
Ivan Reitman	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Diane Boucher	....	continuity
Stewart Harding	....	production assistant
Irene Litinsky	....	production secretary
Josette Perrotta	....	production secretary
Cliff Rothman	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) (this motion picture was made with the assistance of) (as Canadian Film Development Corp.)
• Cinépix
• DAL Productions

Distributors

• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1975) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Trans American Films (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Gloria (1976) (Austria) (theatrical)
• P.M Productions (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Scotia International Filmverleih (1976) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Astral Video (Canada) (VHS) (77 minute TV version)
• Avalanche Home Entertainment (video)
• CIC Video (Canada) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (video; as "They Came From Within")

Other Companies

• Aquascutum of London  furnished by (Mr. Hampton's wardrobe)
• Carlsberg Beer  acknowledgement
• Casgrain & Charbonneau Ltée.  acknowledgement
• Cassidy's  acknowledgement
• Coca Cola  acknowledgement (as Coca-Cola)
• Danish House Furniture  acknowledgement
• Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Royal Victoria Hospital  acknowledgement
• Developers of Nuns' Island, Montreal  the producers wish to thank (for the use of their buildings and facilities in the making of this motion picture)
• Freedman of Montreal  tailored by (Mr. Silver's wardrobe)
• Metropolitan Structures of Canada  acknowledgement
• Mirrophonic Sound  sound studio
• Montreal Municipal Aquarium  acknowledgement
• Phillips Security  acknowledgement

Also Known As:

Frissons (Canada: French title)
Orgy of the Blood Parasites (Canada: English title) (working title)
The Parasite Complex (Canada: English title) (working title)
The Parasite Murders
They Came from Within (USA)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Italy:T (DVD re-rating) | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Île-des-Soeurs, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)

Trivia:

David Cronenberg cast Lynn Lowry as Nurse Forsythe because of her haunting eyes and strange screen presence.

Goofs:

Continuity: Roger St. Luc rings the old Québequois couple from the lobby after being attacked in the basement. In the previous scene, however, the viewer sees the manager cut the phone lines. Despite this, the French couple answers the phone and tell St. Luc that his girlfriend, the nurse, has left the apartment. But the reason that she left the apartment was because the phone had been cut off.

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...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ghostbusters II (1989)

Decent Cronenburg Film

SHIVERS (aka THEY CAME FROM WITHIN) is another pretty twisted outing from freak-o Canadian director David Cronenburg. SHIVERS is not nearly as memorable as some of Cronenburg's other works (VIDEODROME, THE FLY or my personal favorite - THE BROOD...) but it is still worth a look for anyone that is into Cronenburg's strange cinema.

SHIVERS is about parasites that enter their human hosts and cause them to do all kinds of strange sexual and violent things. Pretty cool concept that is handled well, and the film is both weird and entertaining as only Cronenburg can do it. Again, not the best of his films by any means, but still solid. Give it a shot - 7.5/10