Shivers (aka They Came From Within, The
Parasite Murders, 1975)
David Cronenberg’s debut feature prefigured both Alien
and AIDS with its tale of parasites -- a metaphorical sexually
transmitted disease -- that turn humans into nymphomaniacal
zombies as they move from host to host, infecting the residents
of a Canadian apartment complex. As in all of Cronenberg’s
films, the movie has a low-key immediacy to it that makes the
perversions of its milieu all the more distressing.
Shivers is the original Canadian title of this film. If
you're looking for it in the U.S., the title is They Came
From Within. The movie was originally edited for U.S.
consumption, but as far as I can tell, the most recently
released TCFW videocassette (Vestron Video VA4403) is identical to the Canadian
cut of Shivers except for the title.
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