It’s hard to imagine a creator trying to undermine their own creation. Such is the case with 1989’s Shocker, Wes Craven was disgruntled with Bob Shaye (head of New Line Cinema) for not allowing him to be involved in any future Nightmare on Elm Street installments or profit participation. Wes was justifiably upset.
Attempting to create a slasher villain as a newer, sleek, modern film series seems absurd in 2024. Yet, it happened. Every major studio was eager to acquire a Freddy Krueger-type character. Craven leveraged his filmography at Universal Studios to facilitate his revenge.
As listeners of The Offering know all too well, when a film is created for any reason other than the creator’s self-expression, it’s often a recipe for disaster. In the case of Shocker, while it’s far from an unmitigated disaster, it might have been too ambitious in its scope and ahead of its time.
Aside from its metal soundtrack and association with MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball, the film is largely forgettable. Shocker serves as Craven’s side project until he could be reunited with his original nightmarish creation. For that reason, the film feels tawdry and full of unexplored ideas.
That said, you could do a lot worse. For my money, though, skip this one and watch Wes Craven’s New Nightmare instead. It has much more emotional depth and offers a more profound exploration of Craven’s tormented relationships with his creations.
