Although it's fairly safe to state that David Cronenberg delivered his greatest work during the 1980's (with genuine masterpieces such as "The Fly", "Scanners" and "The Dead Zone"), his 70's films definitely shouldn't be underestimated! Titles like "The Brood" or "Rabid" are solid cult-gems that truly proved that he was a gifted filmmaker whose talent would only increase with every new project he set his intelligent mind to. This "Shivers", released back in 1975, is yet another entirely different chapter in the Cronenberg success tale... It was the director's first long-feature film, made with an extremely low budget, but already showing his large interest in mixing shocking horror with subtle social criticism. Obviously inspired by the style and format of Romero's classic "Night of the Living Dead", the story focuses on the newest invention of some over-ambitious medics: genetically engineered parasites that are entered inside human guinea pigs and supposed to fully take over the functions of ill or dying organs. Naturally, this medical breakthrough isn't as effective as it should be, and all the inhabitants of a luxurious building complex are mutating into sex-craving zombies. In many ways, Cronenberg's cinematic debut feels like watching an authentic exploitation film! It's not just the low budget and the extreme use of gore; the odd casting, the twisted premise and the apocalyptic ending all feel very exploitation-like. Heck, this film even goes by several vicious alternate titles that sound like they only could have been invented by wicked exploitation distributors (for example: "Orgy of the Blood Parasites" or "They Came from Within"). I surely don't intend to make all this sound like it's a negative thingon the contrary! "Shivers" is a truly bizarre and adrenalin-rushing movie containing loads of nasty gore, sleaze and morbid humor. Some of the dialogue is sensational (= "man is an animal that thinks too much" or "dying is an act of eroticism") and the fairly unknown cast does a great job portraying the sex-driven but mindless "zombies". There's a terrific supportive role for Barbara Steele! Nearly 15 years after her best role in "Black Sunday" she still is the yummiest witch queen of B-cinema! "Shivers" isn't exactly brilliant, but it's certainly better than most other contemporary horror films and it's a fascinating oddity showing where and how Cronenberg began his masterful career. Highly recommended!