Shocker (1989) **

 Back in 2007 when I last watched Wes Craven's Shocker (1989), I rated the film 2/10. I just thought it was irretrievably horrible. But I do go back and forth on this ridiculous supernatural psycho slasher film mimicking A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), because it is so bonkers, so outrageous. This is Craven totally unhinged, having an absolute blast. I assume that Craven just went for it, throwing all caution to the wind, just not giving two fucks about story coherence, embracing the batshit crazy story with all its off-the-wall developments. My daughter was asking me why Alison's (the absolutely beautiful blonde long-haired Camille Cooper) ghost is visiting teenage hero, Jonathan (Peter Berg). Why was her heart necklace Jonathan got her for her birthday such a weapon against Horace Pinker (Pileggi)? Is it because the necklace and her spirit represent pure love and Horace represents pure evil so that combat plays out with Jonathan in the middle trying to stop his abusive father (revealed by Horace while he's about to fry in the electric chair)? How does Jonathan have the ability to travel through the television signal as Horace does? What is the television signal lips Horace calls out to while electrocuting himself and using black magic in his prison cell? Was it some type of evil Horace was selling his soul to in order to have the ability to move from body to body and even function as electricity, traveling about as he sees fit in order to continue to kill and torment his son? Jonathan and Pinker going from television show to television show, interacting with characters and situations as they take place, just in and out of that realm back into reality; how does that work exactly? And I could only shake my head and tell her, "It is wacko, kid. Trying to explain it is futile."

Great special effects (Pinker as a human television signal, and the journey through one television show after another are impressive) and some great makeup effects (Pinker kills folks with that knife as throat slits bleed out, and the burned head (and his husk setting aflame and burning out) of Pinker after the electric chair, not to mention, some nasty business involving a lower lip bite and very bloody crime scenes) do provide the film some credibility, but the story is such a fucking mess.

Still as the summer kicks in, Shocker, really a nasty piece of work as Pinker murders families and remains such a thorn in Berg and his adoptive cop father, Michael Murphy's side, on HBO seems like a cult hit fit for this time of year. I am not surprised this remains popular with some who grew up with it. I never took to it as some did, but I have noticed a cult following over the years. A few I knew back in the late 80s and early 90s actually found it entertaining. I can agree with them it isn't boring. And it moves really fast, too. But don't look for it to make a lick of sense.