Shivers (1975)

While this may not be the first feature film from writer-director David Cronenberg, it's very much the film that put him on the map as a major talent in the field of horror. Not everyone was impressed with Shivers when it was released, there was some famous outrage from one or two noted critics of the time, and it's easy to see what some found so offensive about it. But it's also easy to see just how assured Cronenberg always is when it comes to mixing the cerebral with the visceral.

The basic plot concerns an invasion/infection of parasites in an apartment block that turns the residents into unabashed, lusty, animalistic beings. This doesn't sit well with anyone uninfected, but it's far from the worst thing that a parasite can do to you, which allows it to spread quite quickly, as more and more people are seduced by those acting under the spell of the parasite. One man (Roger St. Luc, played by Paul Hampton) discovers the full reality of the situation, and tries his best to save the residents before it's too late.

With a heady mix of sex, death, and body horror, this is classic Cronenberg, in terms of the ideas being explored. While not as polished and intriguing as the many movies he would go on to helm, it's a fascinating premise, mainly thanks to the fact that the people infected in the movie seem to go on to have quite a good time of things. I mean . . . . . . . . it's a parasite that basically boosts your sex life, if you find enough other carriers.

Hampton isn't too bad in the lead role, but Cronenberg always seemed to be more concerned with his ideas than the actual acting in a number of his early movies. Allan Kolman and Susan Petrie are both pretty good as a husband and wife, with the former showing the transformative effect of the parasite while the latter worries about just how best to help her ill partner. Joe Silver is another level head amongst the madness, and Barbara Steele has a small, but memorable, role that should please her fans. But it's Lynn Lowry who makes the biggest impression, with this being one of a few movies from this era that really allowed her to shine in the horror genre. She plays a nurse here, helping Hampton to try and gain control of the situation, and she's allowed to take turns at playing cute, strong, scared, and sexy.

Not the best parasite movie. Not the best Cronenberg movie. Not the best horror set in an apartment block. But Shivers remains a unique, and creepy, experience, perhaps due to the fact that Cronenberg identifies more closely with the infected than anyone else onscreen. Well worth adding to your viewing schedule and your collection.

8/10

Get this Arrow release (Region B only) ASAP - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shivers-Dual-Format-DVD-Blu-ray/dp/B00KHSM936/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1412886620&sr=1-1&keywords=shivers

Basement Jack (2009)

There's a killer (Eric Peter-Kaiser) who attacks families during lightning storms and, guess what, he spends time hiding in the basement until the conditions are just right. His name is Jack. Hence the title of the movie: Basement Jack. He's been doing the same thing for years now and there's one girl he wants to catch up with, one potential victim who escaped his clutches. That girl is Karen Cook (Michele Morrow) and she is determined to do all she can to help the police catch the sick murderer. But what creates and motivates such an individual? Flashbacks showing his treatment at the hands of a very cruel mother (Lynn Lowry) provide the answer.

Basement Jack isn't a great movie, but there are a couple of famous horror genre faces to keep an eye out for and one or two moments that save it from being a complete waste of time. Director Michael Shelton and writer Brian Patrick O'Toole seem to think that they're doing something quirky and unique, but it just comes across as annoying in some places and highly derivative in others. The last 10-15 minutes, in particular, really disappoint and I only hope that they move in another direction for whatever they line up next instead of trying to create a sequel.

The cast are a mixed bunch. Peter-Kaiser doesn't have much to do beyond being "the boogeyman" so he's fine in that regard, Michele Morrow is okay as the leading lady and Lynn Lowry has a lot of fun playing one of the worst mothers I've ever seen. Sam Skoryna is pretty weak as Officer Chris Watts, but Nathan Bexton makes things better with his amusing, eccentric turn. And it's always good to see Tiffany Shepis in anything, no matter how big her role or how bad the rest of the movie is.

The budget wasn't that big and this was Michael Shelton's first time as director (though it wasn't the feature screenwriter's first time as a feature screenwriter) so there's certainly room for him to develop his craft and improve upon this rather flat debut. He shows that he knows the basics, but any horror movie now needs much more than just the basics to make a good impression in a constantly overcrowded field.

I'll end by saying that this is, oh yes, something only to be bought if found in a bargain basement.

4/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basement-Jack-DVD/dp/B0037Z95WE/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1361296761&sr=1-1

The Haunting Of Whaley House (2012)

The Asylum reappear once more on this blog (and I'm sure that they'll continue to grace this little corner of the internet with their presence) and this time it's with another one of their haunted house movies. Now, as much as many people seem to have an aversion to The Asylum and their working model, many people are most probably aware of how much I tend to enjoy their output. Some of their movies are awful, some of their movies are entertainingly awful and some of their movies, as hard as others find it to believe, are properly enjoyable. The haunted house movies that they've released (including the Paranormal Entity films and A Haunting In Salem) have been very entertaining, which is why I had high hopes for The Haunting Of Whaley House.

It's a step down from their other haunted house movies but still fun nonetheless. The premise is wonderfully simple - a young woman (Penny, played by Stephanie Greco) gets a job showing people around a haunted house. She doesn't believe it's actually haunted but that doesn't matter, the other woman taking the tours round (Bethany Romero, played by the lovely Lynn Lowry)  does and she advises Penny not to take things lightly. So you know that trouble is coming when Penny's friends convince her to let them all go around on their own private tour.

Written and directed by Jose Prendes, The Haunting Of Whaley House provides what you'd expect it to provide. There are some dumb teens, there's one moment of fleeting nudity and there are ghosts. Sadly none of these things are treated in the best possible way. The dumb teens are bland and interchangeable, the fleeting nudity is too fleeting (oh, everyone knows how shallow I can be so don't act all surprised now) and the ghosts don't show themselves enough to provide the easy jumps that a film this low on tension could benefit from.

Thankfully, there are some good moments that manage to entertain and the presence of Lynn Lowry in a cameo role makes everything a bit easier to endure for horror fans but the movie is, ultimately, something that you can all too easily miss out on with no regrets.

5/10

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