Shiver: DVD Review
The Movie:
Wendy Alden, a young secretary in Portland lacking in self- confidence becomes victim of a savage killer who has claimed the lives of a number of other women. Somehow Wendy finds the resources of courage to fight back and escape.
Shiver is a film that takes the horror element and makes it actually real. We’re so used to seeing monsters, slashers and ghosts in horror films but this brings serial killers back as probably one of the scariest type of antagonists in movies. I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this movie but it was actually kind of refreshing to step back from the big budget horror films and experience something that feels so personal and intimate. It feels a bit more “real” to see a story like this and then when you mix in the “low-budget” aspect it just seems so raw. Almost like you can get into the film a bit more. With that being said, it won’t work at all if you don’t have actors that can actually perform. Danielle Harris, John Jarratt and Casper Van Dien gave performances that were consistent with the raw-ness of the film itself. I’ve been a fan of Harris since she came back on the acting scene. She gave a intense and realistic performance which makes me wonder if she drew a bit from her real life situation. Jarratt was chilling with his portrayal of the killer and had this look to him that gave off a sense of normalcy but with a creep factor behind it. There was a moment in the beginning of the film where he beats a victim with a pipe and even though nothing graphic is shown the intensity of each hit, the way it would bounce slightly and the clever editing definitely made it a cringe worthy moment. Van Dien has the cop role down pretty good but he’ll always be John Rico to me. I’ve always thought that he really deserved more credit as an actor and you can really see how his acting ability has evolved in this film. It really floors me that this guy isn’t a superstar but this role may get some much needed attention back on him. Don’t watch this film expecting Shakespeare because it’s far from that. If you’re in the mood for a surprisingly good thriller the check this one out for sure.
