Chiller (1985)

Chiller is an American television horror film with elements of science fiction. It was directed by Wes Craven and written by J.D. Feigelson. It was produced by, and  and first aired on CBS on May 22nd, 1985. The premise of the film involves a man named Miles Creighton who successfully undergoes cryonic suspension. When he awakens in the future however, he emerges psychologically deranged and sets out to do away with those he feels are detrimental to the company that his late father had started - by any means necessary. Chiller stars Michael Beck as Miles Creighton, Beatrice Straight as his mother, Marion Creighton, Laura Johnson as Leigh Kenyon and Dick O'Neill as Clarence Beeson.

Notes & Trivia

 * This film is alternatively known as Wes Craven's Chiller.


 * The tagline for this film is, "The nerve-tingling story of a man brought back to life...without his soul!".


 * Chiller was first released to home video in VHS format by Ace Video/Edde Entertainment in 1993. It was released on DVD in Region 1 format by Leisure Entertainment on January 8th, 2002. It was re-released with new packaging art by Direct Source Label on April 1st, 2004.


 * This is Wes Craven's tenth movie as a director and his second television movie. His first TV film was Stranger in Our House in 1978.


 * This is the only work in the horror genre for actor Michael Beck.


 * This is Beatrice Straight's second work in the horror genre. She previously played Doctor Lesh in the 1982 ghost thriller, Poltergeist.


 * This is actress Laura Johnson's first work in the horror genre. She is also known for playing Doctor Alyce Hunter in the 1989 television movie Nick Knight.


 * Actor Dick O'Neill is also known for playing a character named Warren in the 1981 werewolf movie Wolfen. This is his only other work in the horror genre.


 * Actor Jerry Lacy is also known for having played multiple characters on the 1960s daytime Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. He played Reverend Trask, Lamar Trask, Gregory Trask and Tony Peterson.


 * The scene where Marion locks Miles inside of the walk-in freezer is reminiscent of a similar scene in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining where Wendy Torrance had to lock her psychotic husband, Jack, inside of a meat freezer.


 * The scene with the peep hole is likely a send-up to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, Psycho in which the mentally disturbed Norman Bates spies on guests at his Bates Motel through a peep hole.


 * Actress Mimi Craven, who plays Nurse Cooper is the wife of director Wes Craven. She also appeared in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, where she played a nurse character named Donna Cooper. It is possible that both of these characters are meant to be the same person. If so, then by extension, Chiller takes place in the same continuity as the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series.


 * A copy of the home video VHS version of this film can be seen in the 2013 documentary .


 * The original VHS release of the film cuts out several minutes from the beginning, which details the cryonic suspension process.

Keywords
1980s; Corpse; Cryogenic suspension; Dead animals; Detective; Doctor; Dogs; Gunshot victims; Hospital; Newscaster; Nurse; Officer; Orderly; Psychopath; Secretary; Technician