SHOCK! SHOCK! SHOCK! (1987) Directed by Todd Rutt and Arn McConnell
Rhino VHS
THE FILM
New wave weirdos unite! Now let’s see...Super 8, a lo-fi drum machine, and the essence of a cheap 70s Filmmation cartoon, only filtered through a nightmare. Yeah, last time I checked, that’s all you needed. And you thought ‘87 was only good for Vision Street Wear and Howard The Duck?
A young child seemingly murders his own parents after a frustrating day of playing with blocks. After a bucket full of black blood-gore is thrown, we see that the kid is all grown up and currently residing in a loony bin. But behold: a daring escape! The guy (I didn’t catch his name) picks up a woman in distress and she gives him a present. From the inside of a wristwatch, the Star Of Bartos appears. The Star Of Bartos is very popular and seems to contain magical powers. So popular in fact, that a trio of off-kilter gangsters will stop at nothing to obtain it from our hero and his chanteuse. That can only lead to one thing: Faux-artsy dream sequences! Well, maybe two things if you count the hilariously bad gore. Waitaminnit...who’s that guy in the superhero costume and why is he battling a stop motion behemoth monster?! What’s the use? I’m going delirious. It’s great fun, so don’t try to stop me.
It’s only fitting. All of that stuff occurs during Shock! Shock! Shock! and does so in the context of a narrated late 50s sci-fi film. Post-dubbed and shot in Brooklyn NY on Super 8, this is a raw genre cut-and-paste, filled with intentional hilarity and never overstaying its welcome at just under an hour. Sure, some of the humor was a little cheesy, but the weirdness level totally made up for that. And then there’s the “ageless” quality. If it wasn’t for the lone car scene involving a beat-up Chrysler, I’d be hard pressed to tell you exactly when this film was shot, which definitely scores a plus in the charm department. Throw in some homemade new wave for a score and you’ve got a punky hodge-podge of mindless thrills, not likely to disappoint.
Imagine a tight cross between Starman and The Weird World Of LSD, just sprinkled with some rubber-headed gore and dumb jokes. Shock! Shock! Shock! might sound disastrous on paper, but have you ever known me to kid?
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Wow, stereo sound. Now that’s something you don’t see around these parts too often. The picture looked a little dupey, so I wasn’t able to appreciate all of the Super 8 inconsistencies that were surely present.
EXTRAS
Seriously -- no.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Alternate reality cinema in full force. Despite some dorky humor, Shock! Shock! Shock! manages to deliver the peculiar fix that you need. Take a look if you ever have the chance.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 08.04.04 | 
Smelly knife
?
Sudden tights
I like the shoes too
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