SHIVERS: the 70s horror film that took everyone to court

Imagine dropping your very first movie—and instead of applause, the Canadian government slaps you with a lawsuit. That’s exactly what happened to David Cronenberg with Shivers (1975). A low-budget horror film about mutant parasites that, somehow, blew up into a real-life scandal. Critics weren’t just disgusted by how messed up the film was—they also accused it of draining taxpayer money through Canada’s film subsidy system. The backlash got so intense it sparked a nationwide fight over cultural funding. And right in the middle of it, Cronenberg got kicked out of his home and almost lost his career. So buckle up—because today we’re diving into Shivers, the cult horror movie that lit a national firestorm.

00:00 - Intro
00:37 - The Rising Director
02:20 - Chasing the Money
04:15 - Shooting Shivers
07:00 - The Article That Sparked the Scandal
08:40 - Canadá vs. Cronenberg
13:14 - The Outbreak
15:57 - Long Live the King of Venereal Horror

Shivers, also known as The Parasite Murders and They Came from Within, and, for Canadian distribution in French, Frissons, is a 1975 Canadian science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Paul Hampton, Lynn Lowry, and Barbara Steele.

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