Main Cast: Peter Cushing, Brooke Adams, John Carradine, Fred Buch, Jack Davidson
Release Year: 1977
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
This horror film concerns a shipwrecked yachting party. Rose (Brooke Adams) and her fellow yacht-mates, including the captain (John Carradine) run aground on an island when they hit an odd-looking freighter. Once beached, they meet up with an aging SS Commander (Peter Cushing) who had been in charge of a crew of zombies. This is not meant as a comment on the quality of the men under him, they were "real" zombies. Since the zombies were taken from the ranks of murderers and other miscreants, they were not activated and the SS Commander sunk them with his submarine. Now they are rising up from the depths to create mayhem among the stranded members of the yachting party. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Review
This moody creep-fest doesn't quite live up to its cult reputation, but offers enough atmosphere and chills to make it worthwhile for horror buffs. Shock Waves' best element is its consistently creepy atmosphere. Ken Wiederhorn's direction downplays cheap shock effects in favor of slowly building a atmosphere of dread that is enhanced by the film's picturesque yet scary seaside locale and a nerve-jangling synthesizer score. This approach gives the film a dreamlike feel reminiscent of Carnival of Souls, especially in the strangely lyrical scenes where the zombified soldiers rise from the water and calmly stalk their prey. However, Shock Waves has trouble maintaining this feel because the script loses steam about midway through, devolving into a series of disjointed set pieces that fail to realize the promise of the first half. It also suffers from inconsistent performances. Luke Halpin and Brooke Adams make likable, low-key leads, but the other supporting performances are often amateurish and Peter Cushing's otherwise professional work is hampered by a German accent that comes and goes. As a result, Shock Waves is frequently compelling, especially during the eerie first half, but never truly satisfying. That said, it is quirky and compelling enough to make it worth a look for horror buffs. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Don Stout - Dobbs; Luke Halpin - Keith; Bob Miller; Gary J. Levinson; Tony Moskal; Bob White - Death Corps Member
Credit
George Richmond - Art Director, Jacquie Kabelis - Costume Designer, Ken Wiederhorn - Director, Norman Gay - Editor, Richard Einhorn - Composer (Music Score), Alan Ormsby - Makeup, Jessica Sack - Production Designer, Reuben Trane - Cinematographer, Jessica Sack - Production Manager, Reuben Trane - Producer, Michael Matee - Set Designer, John Kent Harrison - Screenwriter, Ken Wiederhorn - Screenwriter
