Chiller (1985)

Very well executed

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Miles Creighton passed away and was frozen cryogenically by the wishes of his mother Marion. One night his cryogenic chamber malfunctioned and he started thawing out. The security called for an emergency and Miles was rushed to the hospital, his mother notified and after some time he was revived - he lives again after 10 years frozen! He becomes the president of his father's company and he changes everything about, from policies to firing people. His personality is completely different - he's become very abusive, violent, hateful and willing to kill - he's downright horrible. The big question is: "Did Miles' soul/spirit reunite with his body after being dead for 10 years or is it someone else's soul/spirit within him?" I liked this film. It's a slow movie that feels more like a film from the 1970s than the mid-80s which is something I really enjoyed about it.7.5/10

Business man Miles Creighton, played by Michael Beck is cryonically, (not cryogenically - yes there's a difference), preserved for 10 years due to a medical transplant not being possible at the time of his death. One night his tube malfunctions and he is taken to hospital where his mother arranges for the procedure to be undertaken.The operation is a success and his mother is just happy to have her son back in her life and tries her best to continue life as normal and returns her son to the family company as CEO. To everyone else, Miles is just not normal and appears emotionally distant and ruthless with his decisions in the company and with people in general. The only one who dismisses this is his mother who brushes aside the nay-saying as simply a result of his long time in stasis and the impromptu revival. However it becomes clear that Miles has indeed changed and sparks the debate of whether a deceased person once revived is also revived with a soul. Miles becomes violent and sociopathic towards most people and only when he tries to kill the family priest by running him down with his car does the mother finally realise that what has been returned to her is not her loving son.Miles ends up being re-frozen in a large walk-in freezer and is then shot dead by his mother after he attacks a police officer revealing his demonic eyes to his mother just before he dies. The movie ends back at the cryonic facility with sirens sounding as more cryo-tubes start to malfunction.Chiller can be described as one of Wes Cravens' weaker efforts as this tries to go for a more atmospheric suspense over blood and gore. And as this was made for TV, the violence is quite low-key so even for 1985 it would be hard to consider this a horror movie and is instead more of a thriller. The quality of picture and sound is quite low, so in watching this you can be forgiven for thinking that this came out in the mid- seventies. Most of the cast performances in this are not the best but I felt that Michael Beck did a good job of portraying a soulless psycho where killing or hurting people isn't given a second thought. Chiller also came out at a time when cryonics was starting to regain interest in the early/mid eighties after the failures and legal scandals of the seventies, so the ethical, spiritual and moral implications were being discussed vigorously by religious, family and legal groups and whether cryonically frozen people should be brought back and this movie does briefly touch on that point. As yet a successful revival is still beyond the current technology levels so Chiller is pure fantasy and remains scientifically impossible. It's not the greatest movie by any means but if you manage to catch this on late night TV, then it's at least worth a look.

After his success with A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, director Wes Craven for some reason decided that his next project would be this TV movie. I'm not a big fan of this director on the whole; early exploitation flick The Last House on the Left as well as his modern slasher Scream sit well with me, but the rest of his work is very hit and miss and I'd hesitate to call him the master that others have labelled him as. The main theme here is cryogenic freezing, although it's more a springboard for the plot rather than an important part of the movie. The main influence here is obviously the excellent 1974 zombie film Deathdream and we focus on Miles Creighton; a businessman cryogenically frozen for ten years before an accident that means he has to be thawed out immediately. Miles is a part of a project for people that are ill; they pay to be frozen in the hope that they will be revived in the future when their illnesses can cured. Miles is successfully revived and it's seen as a miracle...but the person that wakes up is not the person who was frozen, as Miles returns without a soul.This film could actually have been quite decent judging by the idea behind it, but instead we're given a plot that doesn't really have a lot to it and it has to be said that Craven doesn't make the best out of the potential of the film. The 'soul' is the main focal point, but it would seem that not having a soul and simply having a murderous intent/no compassion are the same thing, which feels a bit unimaginative. The film was made for television so it's not particularly nasty and it's obvious that not a lot of money was spent on it as the whole production feels very cheap. Michael Beck never became a very popular actor and that isn't surprising judging by his performance here; while he is passable, he largely lacks charisma and is not formidable in the central role. The plot doesn't flow too badly but there's a real lack of suspense and/or tension and things slow down too much too often, which results in the film being rather boring on occasion. It all boils down to a predictable ending also. Overall, I have to admit that I was not impressed at all by this film and as far as Craven's filmography goes, Chiller would have to go down with Shocker, the Scream sequels and The Hills Have Eyes II as a miss.

A young man(Michael Beck)has been under cryogenic stasis for approximately ten years when his tube malfunctions. His mother Marion(Beatrice Straight)is dead-set on seeing her son revived from the dead and is persistent that surgeons try to re-animate him with far more modern procedures and medical technology than they had the previous ten years he was in his death sleep. They do succeed, but this comes with a price..he emerges without a soul, merely a cold-blooded human monster with his own carnal cravings in mind. He's a threat to everyone around him because Miles is no longer the young man people once knew. Marion can not be convinced because of her blind loyalty and love..that long ten-year wait for your son's life brought back to fulfill the lonely void can keep many a person from what's obviously right in front of you. Miles fires trustworthy exec, Clarence(Dick O'Neill) who has kept the Creighton business afloat over the years since the passing of Marion's husband. Miles claims he just doesn't need Clarence anymore even though he lacks mere months until retirement. Miles moves Leigh Kenyon(Laura Johnson)into a made-up position so that he can sexually abuse her while paying the woman handsomely. He also cuts off the business' charity ties to save finances..including Reverend Penny's(Paul Sorvino)church. Miles also lustfully gazes at cousin Stacey(Jill Schoelen)from his room as she swims. It's only a matter of time before Miles turns homicidal..but, it's the fact that he has no conscience or reason which makes him a deadly threat to anyone who stands in his way. Not even mother Marion can halt Miles from pursuing his carnal appetites.Interesting look at what could happen if you bring a loved one from the dead..Craven is obviously limited by the television medium. I'm sure if he directed this as a theatrical film, the violence would have certainly been more potent. Miles' reign of terror is still quite chilling because Beck is so menacing in the title role. When he smiles, pure evil shows in abundance. Craven gets some terrific supporting performances from an able cast, especially Straight(who I thought was marvelous, as the mother hell-bent on seeing her son alive even though the consequences are disastrous)and Paul Sorvino as the minister who is shaken spiritually by the return of someone from death. The best scene in the film could be when Miles informs Penny that there is nothing but darkness when you close your eyes in death. The "crisis of faith" angle is an interesting one even if this aspect doesn't get developed much. There's a real tense scene where Miles drags Penny's carcass down the road, holding a devious grin on his face. I don't think the film(probably because of time constraints among other things, and limited funds)gets enough time to fully realize the great premise it has, but I thought the film was fairly entertaining. It's always nice seeing Schoelen, even in a much limited role. This is Beck and Straight's show, however, playing polar opposites..his evil against her good intentions. That tragedy of a mother having to put a stop to her son's evil ways is the center of the film's success I think. Good little movie, but could've been great. There's a terrific special effects sequence from Stan Winston..as Beck returns from a coma, underneath his skin are "pressure bubbles" which pulsate. It's really a cool scene and quite unnerving.