If you're going to release a film called 'Shocker', you're taking a big risk as saying that its rubbish becomes easy, and for Wes Craven; it's a risk that didn't pay off. Craven has had a number of deserving successes before he made this shocker, with films like The Last House on the Left and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but this film represents a huge hole in the man's list of directorial credits. Personally, I don't rate Craven too highly anyway; and that's mostly because of films like this. The director has certainly made a lot more rubbish than he has stuff worth seeing, and it's unfortunate that a career which started off so promisingly ended up making bottom of the barrel stuff. Anyway, the plot is actually rather promising and it follows a similar idea to the one that made A Nightmare on Elm Street such a success. The film features a homicidal repairman who enjoys killing people right up to when he is caught by police. Naturally, he sentenced to death by electric chair; but the authorities didn't count on him making a bargain with Satan, and after a silly sequence involving a TV - our killer is back!
Perhaps the most annoying thing about this film is the running time. For a film with a retarded plot like this, it's unnecessarily long and while Craven does have a few good ideas; there's not nearly enough to fill nigh on two hours. After the stupid scene where the killer electrocutes himself, I honestly didn't think I'd make it all the way to the end; but the film does pick up a little after that with a body swapping sequence that, while derivative of several other films, actually works quite well. That part of the film lasts for about twenty minutes, and once it's over we're back to tedium. The final sequence, which is fitting, is also ridiculous as our two major characters find themselves in a TV. This part of the film features movies such as James Whale's classic Frankenstein, but it's a bit too silly and while the film is tongue in cheek all the way through; it just doesn't work. All this nonsense is topped off by a silly script that neither manages to build characters or provide entertaining dialogue and side-plots such as the one revolving around the ghost of the lead character's girlfriend provide nothing in the way of interest. Overall, I highly recommend skipping this film.
Perhaps the most annoying thing about this film is the running time. For a film with a retarded plot like this, it's unnecessarily long and while Craven does have a few good ideas; there's not nearly enough to fill nigh on two hours. After the stupid scene where the killer electrocutes himself, I honestly didn't think I'd make it all the way to the end; but the film does pick up a little after that with a body swapping sequence that, while derivative of several other films, actually works quite well. That part of the film lasts for about twenty minutes, and once it's over we're back to tedium. The final sequence, which is fitting, is also ridiculous as our two major characters find themselves in a TV. This part of the film features movies such as James Whale's classic Frankenstein, but it's a bit too silly and while the film is tongue in cheek all the way through; it just doesn't work. All this nonsense is topped off by a silly script that neither manages to build characters or provide entertaining dialogue and side-plots such as the one revolving around the ghost of the lead character's girlfriend provide nothing in the way of interest. Overall, I highly recommend skipping this film.