I have "always" wondered if Shocker takes place in the same universe as Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Because of the similarities of Pinkers and Krugers powers.
lolllll YES!!!! thank you I always said that for years thank you for that! , the dream sequences , the atmosphere and the area they live i always had that feeling
Horace is essentially a ghost with an eletrical gimmic, so I think the limp and the prison clothes are because it's pretty standard ghost lore that they remain in a state reflecting their death. (Various Ghostbusters ghosts and Anakin Skywalker being major exceptions). Ghost Alison is wearing her funeral dress.
I love Shocker! I remember my dad brought home a VHS copy back in like 1989 or 90. I was like 6 then but I was allowed to watch it. I ended up watching it over a dozen times over the next 2 decades and now I have a DVD of it. One of my favorite lesser known horror movies. I wish they would have made a few more while Mitch Pileggi was still physically able to play Horace. Would be funny to see Peter Berg direct a reboot and make a cameo😂
I've watched this film about 7 times, it was one of my faves as a kid but I've NEVER once gone into it this deep, the damage to my mental health just isn't worth it lol I hope you earn a good living from your channel Josh, I'm guessing the therapy sessions from running it can't be cheap 😂🤣😅
I’ve watched this movie more than 7 times. We know Shocker has problems. It’s entertaining as all hell, but it can’t be denied that it has all sorts of plot holes, wtf moments, and just a whole lot of things that make zero sense. Honestly, if Mitch wasn’t casted as Horace Pinker, the probability of this film sucking would be very high. In my opinion, his acting skills help save this from being Cravens worst movie. Shocker is a ridiculous but humorous train wreck of a film, and I absolutely love it, but just because I love its charm doesn’t mean I can ignore its flaws. This video had a lot of questions that slipped under my radar.
Here's some answers: - Horace Pinker is just a ghost that has his own built in power source. He doesn't need to steal energy from other objects to become corporeal. - The reason he has a limp is when people die they stay in their final form when they were alive. Ghosts can envision themselves as whatever they want, but Horace hasn't mentally broken away from his final physical form. - The necklace buried with the Alison is the same one that appears on Jonathan. Ghosts have the power to teleport physical objects. - The necklace in this movie has the same power against evil as the one in Evil Dead. Love. I just had this crazy theory pop into my head as I watched this. What if Shocker and Videodrome take place in the same universe? Horace like Ren got a hold of the transmissions, the lips that appear out of the TV is Horace's version of Nicki and the New Flesh is becoming a ghost.
Great video! Also was lucky enough to catch it in the theater several times. Has always been a favorite of mine. Would have loved a sequel, but doubt they would have gotten it right.
I remember watching this on VHS being maybe 8. After that watch I remember being worried about touching the a/b switch to go from cable to local TV for quite a while.
Although I found the 2023 Richard Brake movie THE GATES very hokey, kind of low-budget, trashy affair (not for the right reasons). I thought I was watching a loose precursor to Shocker with a giant Phantasm 2 homage. I love your channel. It stinks. I just found it this year, but I binged a fair amount of your content in a week. Great channel. Cheers
The reason Horace Pinker end up looking like himself when he manifests in the movie, and limps when he possesses people, is due to residual self image.
Loved this movie seen in theaters. I still love it today. I always wanted more Pinker and wish i could see a workprint cut the studio hacked this one up.
Horace isn't the main character of the suffering the character named Torqe who could turn into a rage monster is Horace one of the bosses you fight. Great vid anyhow
I am 53 nowadays and thanks to a Projectionist Freind I got To see it in theaters For Free. Plus since then I also still have the soundtrack om storebought Cassette tope too.
Can you do an ultimate dead last episode with all the nightmare on elm sts, Friday the 13ths, Halloweens, leatherfaces, child's play, screams, and hellrasiers
16:34 Maybe it , the Necklace was a Science thing that Shorts out the Shocker? Because of the metal involved? As like If You stuck something metal in a Socket a wall socket?
I think the top question is how long did Craven and Cunningham work on the idea together and then later part ways to make the same movies differently. Face it, Shocker and The Horror Show have so much in common that it could've been legally actionable unless they had a deal...
I was never oblivious to the importance of music/scores in movies (especially because some of my go-to Halloween rewatching often included the likes of Trick or Treat, Black Roses, Rocktober Blood, and had such craziness as electric-guitar-drills), but it was movies like Top Gun, Rocky IV, & Iron Eagle [and obviously almost anything from Carpenter] that truly piqued my interest in paying greater attention to soundtracks. And by the time I got to SHOCKER I was fully on-board with appreciating such a fitting & fun soundtrack.
I have always mixed up this movie, and the movie called 'Horror Show'. Both came out in 1989 and both were about serial killers who got put to death by electric chair and both were able to come back. I loved them both, but always wondered how studios could get away with releasing such similar films.😆
Most of the questions could be answered with the words: "Wes Craven". 🙂(And expanded as: "Wes said so" 🙂). For instance, the creature that infuses Horace with the power(s) could be charitably explained as a demon coming from a mish-mash of religions, such as voodoo's Baron Samedi, but Wes Craven did not give its origin much thought. It was originally just a vague idea of a generic demon. He did not comment on it when discussing "Shocker" in later years, and he only described it in the script as "something powerful and evil, clearly from another dimension". (Personally, if I were tasked with finding a forced explanation of the demon for Wes, I would go towards voodoo, but I would identify it as an entity less used in mass media than Baron Samedi is. If we go for voodoo's loa spirits, then, for instance, Baron Criminel would fit very well as the Evil Mouth - especially considering Horace's nature and apparent history!).
The most obvious question of all is one I often ask real life believers in "Magick", is if it is real and powerful why has no one used it in any measurable way to acquire power or why haven't we seen the effects before now. So far I have only received silence and blank "deer in the headlight" looks lol!
I always just figured the answer to the 10 questions you posed here and any others for this movie was a single answer... Cocaine; lots and lots of Cocaine. I mean, it was the 1980s.
I actually did get to see this when it first came out in the cinema. While it's not one of Wes Craven's greatest films, it was far from his worst. I consider that his worst movie. I still really liked it. It was good zany fun, especially the fight through all the different tv broadcasts. The only thing I didn't like about it is that it wasn't bloody enough. But, for that I blame the MPAA. Back during the 80's and 90's, they were more brutal than most horror movie slashers.
Just thought of something In season 6 of supernatural the serial killer from shocker is sam and dean grandfather died earlier in the series is brought back to life along with sam later on is possessed by a worm and to kill the worm after being head shoted by electrician maybe a reference bonus the guy from jason goes to hell plays rufus and is also possessed by the worm perhaps multiple call backs hmmmmmmm
I'm amazed you got 35 minutes of content out of Shocker. I was always disappointed in this movie after A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Serpent and the Rainbow, and I hated the heavy metal soundtrack.
I've not seen this but I have wanted to for years. It didn't make a franchise at the time but I do wonder if it would be more successful now. I have a degree in religious studies and an interest in the occult. I would say the symbols are just scribbles, tbh.
Rather than being psychosomatic, since his powers are electrically influenced, could it be a glitch in his powers due to damaged electrical signals that transmit orders/sensations/stimuli to his leg? I know people that have injuries resulting from damaged nerves that I believe resulted in interrupted electrical signals (causing their symptom[s], such as a limp). Of course, I could totally be wrong (I'm no Electrophysiologist).
And, yes I'm factoring in that a possession would come with "new nerves", but what I'm suggesting is that when the nerves in his true body were damaged originally, that injury 'weakened' (for lack of a better word & not wanting to repeat the word 'damaged') the actual electrical signal route his powers were flowing. Hence it having created a 'glitch' in his electrical system pathways. (But once again, not an Electric Boogaloo doctor.)
Ok, as the video plays on I see you hit on this topic. My bad, should've followed the rule of not commenting until you've watched the whole video. But hey, maybe a few more comments will help tickle the algorithm.
Holy shi.... Ever have the vague impression of a memory? I've tried every keyword combo I could think of but not even google could help me find the title to this movie! Speaking of this... anyone know of an 80's alien flick that had little green men in bomber jackets walking around a small midAmerica town? Lol
![[TH] VALORANT Champions Seoul - Grand Final - EDG vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WvObMc9VelI/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh man. This is a throw back to the days of digging through my dads VHS tapes haha.
Hope you didn’t find the one your mom and dad made
I have "always" wondered if Shocker takes place in the same universe as Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Because of the similarities of Pinkers and Krugers powers.
lolllll YES!!!! thank you I always said that for years thank you for that! , the dream sequences , the atmosphere and the area they live i always had that feeling
Horace is essentially a ghost with an eletrical gimmic, so I think the limp and the prison clothes are because it's pretty standard ghost lore that they remain in a state reflecting their death. (Various Ghostbusters ghosts and Anakin Skywalker being major exceptions). Ghost Alison is wearing her funeral dress.
I love Shocker! I remember my dad brought home a VHS copy back in like 1989 or 90. I was like 6 then but I was allowed to watch it. I ended up watching it over a dozen times over the next 2 decades and now I have a DVD of it. One of my favorite lesser known horror movies. I wish they would have made a few more while Mitch Pileggi was still physically able to play Horace.
Would be funny to see Peter Berg direct a reboot and make a cameo😂
One of my favorite craven movies!!!
I've watched this film about 7 times, it was one of my faves as a kid but I've NEVER once gone into it this deep, the damage to my mental health just isn't worth it lol I hope you earn a good living from your channel Josh, I'm guessing the therapy sessions from running it can't be cheap 😂🤣😅
I’ve watched this movie more than 7 times. We know Shocker has problems. It’s entertaining as all hell, but it can’t be denied that it has all sorts of plot holes, wtf moments, and just a whole lot of things that make zero sense. Honestly, if Mitch wasn’t casted as Horace Pinker, the probability of this film sucking would be very high. In my opinion, his acting skills help save this from being Cravens worst movie. Shocker is a ridiculous but humorous train wreck of a film, and I absolutely love it, but just because I love its charm doesn’t mean I can ignore its flaws. This video had a lot of questions that slipped under my radar.
I've always really enjoyed Shocker its not on the level of Elm Street but its such a fun ride. It's a shame it didn't get a sequel.
Wes Craven wanted to make this into a franchise but it didn't do well. I love this film 😊🐾💜👍
It's ashame that we will never get *SHOCKER II: STATIC SHOCK*
Here's some answers:
- Horace Pinker is just a ghost that has his own built in power source. He doesn't need to steal energy from other objects to become corporeal.
- The reason he has a limp is when people die they stay in their final form when they were alive. Ghosts can envision themselves as whatever they want, but Horace hasn't mentally broken away from his final physical form.
- The necklace buried with the Alison is the same one that appears on Jonathan. Ghosts have the power to teleport physical objects.
- The necklace in this movie has the same power against evil as the one in Evil Dead. Love.
I just had this crazy theory pop into my head as I watched this. What if Shocker and Videodrome take place in the same universe? Horace like Ren got a hold of the transmissions, the lips that appear out of the TV is Horace's version of Nicki and the New Flesh is becoming a ghost.
One of my favorite UQ you've done! Awesome Job!
Shocker is one of my favorites ever
Great video! Also was lucky enough to catch it in the theater several times. Has always been a favorite of mine. Would have loved a sequel, but doubt they would have gotten it right.
I just realized how he travels through electricity and picks up different bodies to possess while the whole time Looks like a taxi.
"magic fire" XD best explanation yet! Great video, Josh!
I remember watching this on VHS being maybe 8. After that watch I remember being worried about touching the a/b switch to go from cable to local TV for quite a while.
This movie is underrated and it may well be a little all over the place, it's one hell of a ride and it's my favorite of Cravens work.
I would love to see you do a 10 unanswered questions video on the Prowler. I have several questions about that movie.
Although I found the 2023 Richard Brake movie THE GATES very hokey, kind of low-budget, trashy affair (not for the right reasons). I thought I was watching a loose precursor to Shocker with a giant Phantasm 2 homage. I love your channel. It stinks. I just found it this year, but I binged a fair amount of your content in a week. Great channel. Cheers
This movie is awesome . Mitch pileggi is outstanding and the soundtrack is a banger.
I just noticed that the sketch of Pinker looks like Mr. Clean 😂😂😂
shocker was so awesome! such an aquired (sic) taste!
The reason Horace Pinker end up looking like himself when he manifests in the movie, and limps when he possesses people, is due to residual self image.
Loved this movie seen in theaters. I still love it today. I always wanted more Pinker and wish i could see a workprint cut the studio hacked this one up.
No more Mr Nice Guy just got the collectors edition Blu Ray in October for as a birthday present plus came out in 1989 a great year for movies
Is that the same cop from Friday the 13th part 6. Wherever the red dot goes yabang
we need a Shocker, Kiss The Girls, Childs Play triple crossover here. Ah hell bring Short Circuit into the mix
Super fun movie. Do you think Lance Henrickson would approve.
The questions I always had about this movie was how did he get the necklace in the dream and how did Jon enter the TV. Obviously the answer is magic.
I remember watching this movie but that's about all I can say about it it never really stuck but if there's nothing else on I probably watch it again.
Horace isn't the main character of the suffering the character named Torqe who could turn into a rage monster is Horace one of the bosses you fight. Great vid anyhow
Josh can you do a Unanswered on the 90s The Stand?
Great video. Personally I wish someone would do an unanswered questions on the sadly underrated The First Power.
I am 53 nowadays and thanks to a Projectionist Freind I got To see it in theaters For Free. Plus since then I also still have the soundtrack om storebought Cassette tope too.
Can you do an ultimate dead last episode with all the nightmare on elm sts, Friday the 13ths, Halloweens, leatherfaces, child's play, screams, and hellrasiers
16:34 Maybe it , the Necklace was a Science thing that Shorts out the Shocker? Because of the metal involved? As like If You stuck something metal in a Socket a wall socket?
The First Power (1990) has a similar plot. The killer in that movie can also possess people.
Yep, there certainly are similarities. But perhaps even more so is the movie "The horror show" which features Lance Henriksen.
Would be interesting to see a list of the best "Forklift buttons" in movies. Power rangers Operation Overdrive had a pretty fun but corny one
I think the top question is how long did Craven and Cunningham work on the idea together and then later part ways to make the same movies differently. Face it, Shocker and The Horror Show have so much in common that it could've been legally actionable unless they had a deal...
Can you do a 10 questions video of the final destination movies. I have several questions about those
I was never oblivious to the importance of music/scores in movies (especially because some of my go-to Halloween rewatching often included the likes of Trick or Treat, Black Roses, Rocktober Blood, and had such craziness as electric-guitar-drills), but it was movies like Top Gun, Rocky IV, & Iron Eagle [and obviously almost anything from Carpenter] that truly piqued my interest in paying greater attention to soundtracks. And by the time I got to SHOCKER I was fully on-board with appreciating such a fitting & fun soundtrack.
I have always mixed up this movie, and the movie called 'Horror Show'. Both came out in 1989 and both were about serial killers who got put to death by electric chair and both were able to come back. I loved them both, but always wondered how studios could get away with releasing such similar films.😆
I saw Shocker growing up. My unanswered question is "What even the hell??". I always thought this movie was a bit of a mess.
I always comment this, because it's always true: Unanswered Questions is my favorite series on this channel.
Most of the questions could be answered with the words: "Wes Craven". 🙂(And expanded as: "Wes said so" 🙂).
For instance, the creature that infuses Horace with the power(s) could be charitably explained as a demon coming from a mish-mash of religions, such as voodoo's Baron Samedi, but Wes Craven did not give its origin much thought. It was originally just a vague idea of a generic demon. He did not comment on it when discussing "Shocker" in later years, and he only described it in the script as "something powerful and evil, clearly from another dimension".
(Personally, if I were tasked with finding a forced explanation of the demon for Wes, I would go towards voodoo, but I would identify it as an entity less used in mass media than Baron Samedi is. If we go for voodoo's loa spirits, then, for instance, Baron Criminel would fit very well as the Evil Mouth - especially considering Horace's nature and apparent history!).
Could you do a ten questions about monster squad
If made a deal with the devil it would be angel powers
The most obvious question of all is one I often ask real life believers in "Magick", is if it is real and powerful why has no one used it in any measurable way to acquire power or why haven't we seen the effects before now. So far I have only received silence and blank "deer in the headlight" looks lol!
i'm 42 and never heard of this film.
I always just figured the answer to the 10 questions you posed here and any others for this movie was a single answer... Cocaine; lots and lots of Cocaine. I mean, it was the 1980s.
Always wondered if a link can be drawn between this one, House 3, and Ghost in the Machine.
I've only known it as The Horror Show, but it's a fun movie. I can see a connection.
possession , electricity ... Electrocist.
I actually did get to see this when it first came out in the cinema. While it's not one of Wes Craven's greatest films, it was far from his worst. I consider that his worst movie. I still really liked it. It was good zany fun, especially the fight through all the different tv broadcasts. The only thing I didn't like about it is that it wasn't bloody enough. But, for that I blame the MPAA. Back during the 80's and 90's, they were more brutal than most horror movie slashers.
I made my girlfriend watch this a few months ago..
Just thought of something
In season 6 of supernatural the serial killer from shocker is sam and dean grandfather died earlier in the series is brought back to life along with sam later on is possessed by a worm and to kill the worm after being head shoted by electrician maybe a reference bonus the guy from jason goes to hell plays rufus and is also possessed by the worm perhaps multiple call backs hmmmmmmm
What are your thoughts on the Heather Langenkamp cameo?
5:12 Demons? I think you just described My Ex Gf. (Rim-Shot.)
He's an electric deadite!!!!!!!!
I'm amazed you got 35 minutes of content out of Shocker. I was always disappointed in this movie after A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Serpent and the Rainbow, and I hated the heavy metal soundtrack.
A staple of USA up all night
I've not seen this but I have wanted to for years. It didn't make a franchise at the time but I do wonder if it would be more successful now.
I have a degree in religious studies and an interest in the occult. I would say the symbols are just scribbles, tbh.
I have always loved this movie. I think a modern remake would be cool...dude over think it...its just a fun movie 🙄
There are good movies there are bad movies and some movies are just fun
Rather than being psychosomatic, since his powers are electrically influenced, could it be a glitch in his powers due to damaged electrical signals that transmit orders/sensations/stimuli to his leg? I know people that have injuries resulting from damaged nerves that I believe resulted in interrupted electrical signals (causing their symptom[s], such as a limp). Of course, I could totally be wrong (I'm no Electrophysiologist).
And, yes I'm factoring in that a possession would come with "new nerves", but what I'm suggesting is that when the nerves in his true body were damaged originally, that injury 'weakened' (for lack of a better word & not wanting to repeat the word 'damaged') the actual electrical signal route his powers were flowing. Hence it having created a 'glitch' in his electrical system pathways. (But once again, not an Electric Boogaloo doctor.)
Ok, as the video plays on I see you hit on this topic. My bad, should've followed the rule of not commenting until you've watched the whole video. But hey, maybe a few more comments will help tickle the algorithm.
Holy shi....
Ever have the vague impression of a memory? I've tried every keyword combo I could think of but not even google could help me find the title to this movie!
Speaking of this... anyone know of an 80's alien flick that had little green men in bomber jackets walking around a small midAmerica town? Lol
sounds like Spaced Invaders?
🔥⚡️
Nerd