Shock Waves (1977)

[Psychocandy]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006FMCB.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

This is a pretty rare zombie movie starring John Carradine and Peter Cushing. That's some pretty heavyweight horror talent there. I've never seen it but have heard nothing but good things. It's now out on DVD (as the above picture demonstrates) and contains some pretty impressive extras. Can any schmoes vouch for it's excellence or otherwise. Thanks in advance.

[CAPTAIN BLAKE]

Very cool, stylish and original little horror flick. Reminiscent of THE FOG, but done a couple years earlier. The zombie make-ups were done by Alan Ormsby, who shows here as in CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS that he is capable of doing creepy and distinctive low-budget FX design. The bad guys here look cooler than hell.

This movie gets big points for stranding it's cast on a spooky deserted island. These sorts of isolation and attack scenarios are practically guaranteed to win me over.

Maybe not one of the very best of the 70's (I wouldn't compare it to TEXAS CHAINSAW or HALLOWEEN), but definitely on that second rung alongside TOURIST TRAP and DERANGED. Which means it's still better than 99% of the horror films released in the past decade. Can't wait for the DVD!

[bulletproof]

This movie scared the fricken crap outta me.I love the ending,and have always wondered,if there will ever be a Sequel to ShockWaves?There should be.Can you guys believe the Guy who made this went on to make a steaming pile of shit called Return of the Living Dead 2???

Shockwaves-8.5/10

[teenkiller]

This is one of the next films on my dvd pickup list. Without even realizing it I actually came up with an idea for a horror movie which inadvertently was ripping off this film. I was damn disappointed but I have decided to pick this up anyways to compare it to what I came up with and see if its the same. Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[countchocula]

Being a fan of the zombie subgenre, I knew that I had to get my blood-caked claws on Shock Waves. I couldn’t in my right mind pass up a film concerning underwater Nazi zombies! A fresh, clever premise that still feels fresh 25+ years later. It’s creepy to fathom the thought of people walking around on the ocean floor. Director Ken Wiederhorn milks this creepiness for all it’s worth. It’s a shame that he never really contributed much to the genre after this chilling debut. His direction is eerily poetic. It goes without saying that there are many aquatic scenes in this film. All of the underwater photography is appropriately morose and moody. The scenery is simply gorgeous. Even the soiled marshes are visually striking. The atmosphere is thick with gloom and the pace burns slowly. Actually, it burns a little too slowly. A few chunks of the midsection are lifeless, deadening the tension that the first act builds up proficiently. But the dread returns for the bleak closing stages. I won’t reveal the ending, but I will say that I admired its grim, ballsy approach. The DVD transfer is grainy as hell, but I can’t help but to think that this was somewhat intentional on Blue Underground’s part. The flawed picture quality gives this flick’s claustrophobic tendencies a boost. I should also mention that since Shock Waves wasn’t shot in widescreen, this widescreen format chops off the upper and lower portions of the film itself. So, this is one of the rare cases where watching the film in fullscreen is technically preferred. This wasn’t so much of a hindrance for me, though. It seems to me that it would only aggravate someone who has seen this flick on a fullscreen VHS.

A minor qualm that I have here is the complete lack of gore. There isn’t a single ounce of blood to be found. Zilch. Literally. In a zombie film. The high level of tension does compensate for this, but it would have been nice to see some sauce splattered here and there. I can see how it would have been difficult to inject grue into the proceedings, though. The Death Corps drown their victims; they aren’t terribly interested in devouring flesh. The zombies themselves are merely pasty fellows in goggles. Their outer shell is simplistic, but they still have a unique charm about them. This is just another testament to the originality of the whole shebang. On the acting front, I can’t say that I have any complaints. John Carradine steals the screen as the ill-tempered, cantankerous captain. I wanted more of him, but his screen time is tragically limited. The same can be said for Peter Cushing. He’s cool as the reclusive SS Commander, but he’s flung into the backseat. Both actors required greater emphasis. Brooke Adams is charming, engaging, and looks fantastic in a yellow bathing suit. Her acting chops are impressive and her character is comfortably well-rounded. Everyone else does well enough, but there’s no need to break their performances down. They’re just there. Shock Waves in itself isn’t just there. It most certainly stands out and is discernible from the rest of the pack. As long as you don’t go in expecting a barrage of intestines, strewn limbs, and scattered brains, you should dig this swastika-laden cavalcade.

My rating-3.5/5

[MotorizedInstinct]

When the zombies rose from the water i got goose bumps. This movie rocked and so does Peter Cushing.

[teenkiller]

This sounds like it has enough difference from my initial idea where I could actually write a draft of my idea without it sounding too similar. Thats a relief. Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[MotorizedInstinct]

Like countchocula said a few posts up there is hardy any gore in it so don't go into this one thinking you are in for a standard zombie fest. The director said on the DVD commentary that he was trying to go for a "Hammer style" horror movie, which i guess explains Cushings involvement. Great atmosphere and if you are a fan of survival horror or Cushing it is a must see. He gives a great speech toward the middle of the movie that had me smiling.

[angelinwhite]

This is certainly a treasure of the 70's horror genre. This actually used to come on quite a bit on one of our local stations back in the 80's. I rented it a few years ago and enjoyed it again immensely.

Pure mood and style. Wonderful idea too.

[Cronos]

I've always been intrigued by the whole zombie nazi idea but this film ended up being kinda dull most of the time, still it's a hell of a lot better than Oasis Of The Zombies and Zombie Lake (those were painful to watch). The scenes with the zombies were pretty cool but the pacing didn't do much for me, I was also disappointed with the lack of gore. It does have cool cover art though.

6/10

[Romero&Juliet]

Shockwaves is cool, although the VHS that I have suffers from atrocious dubbing. The voice-over ship wreck montage is completely ruined (if it was ever effective to begin with..).


Definitely one of them CLASSY zombie movies that, when you're sixteen and looking for gore(like I was when I first saw it) you'd be totally let down. I've since "wisened up."


I bet Peter Cushing got laid every day (well into his late seventies).

[Zombie Jesus]

I picked up the DVD as soon as I heard about it. I remember watching it with my dad when I was a kid and being totally creeped out. I never heard about it after that, I almost thought I dreamed it up as a kid. So yeah, movie kicks ass!