History Film / Shocker

* WeaponOfChoice: Pinker prefers knives, even in undeath.

The film centers around young Jonathan Parker (Creator/PeterBerg), who starts having [[DreamingOfThingsToCome prophetic dreams]] of SerialKiller Horace Pinker (Creator/MitchPileggi) after he kills most of his foster family. Seeking justice, Jonathan turns to his police officer foster father Lt. Don Parker (Michael Murphy) and convinces him that he can track Pinker through his dreams. With Jonathan's help police are able to capture Pinker, who is sentenced to die in the electric chair. However, before the moment of his execution Pinker makes a DealWithTheDevil and becomes one with the electricity after his execution. This gives him the ability to possess the bodies of others, allowing him to continue his killing spree from beyond the grave.

* DisneyAcidSequence: The final chase scene, which takes place ''[[TrappedInTVLand through the medium of television itself]]!'' Jonathan and Pinker weave in and out of the [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar riots in Berlin,]] a boxing match, an Music/AliceCooper concert, ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver'', stock footage of Atomic Bomb testing (with Pinker as ''the explosion''), ''Film/{{Frankenstein|1931}}'', a live Newscast (to the shock of the anchorman), World War II, and into a Series/{{Roseanne}}-{{Expy}}'s house.

* ReligionOfEvil: Pinker worships the devil. [[FauxSymbolism Or the television.]] The preacher kicks Pinker's shrine, calling it "blasphemy".

* VillainSong: The soundtrack has several for Horace Pinker, which also reflects on EvilIsCool, examples include "No More Mr. Nice Guy," "Shocker," "Different Breed," and the most obvious "Demon Bell — The Ballad of Horace Pinker."

* AwardBaitSong: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZLqoG0zqMk Timeless Love]] by Sayara.

* BodySurf: Pinker's special powers. He's very bad about selecting bodies with bad hearts, though.

* EvilLaugh: When not taunting, Pinker's laughing.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Jonathan does this twice to people possessed by Pinker.
* ImColdSoCold: Allison says this when she appears in Jonathan's dreams for the first time.

* KnifeNut: Pinker prefers knives, even in undeath.

* {{Novelization}}: By Randall Boyll.

* ReligionOfEvil: Pinker worships the devil. [[FauxSymbolism Or the television.]]
** The preacher kicks Pinker's shrine, calling it "blasphemy".
* ResurrectiveImmortality: Pinker's ultimate reward granted by Satan. Or by television, whichever happens to be more evil.

* SerialKiller: Who could it be?
* SlasherSmile: Pinker gives one to Jonathan while possessing the body of his stepfather.
* SpiritAdvisor: Allison, and all the other people Pinker killed for Jonathan.

* VertigoEffect: Used on Jonathan when Pinker causes an explosion outside the prison.

* PracticallyJoker: Like ComicBook/TheJoker, Horace Pinker's an AxCrazy LaughablyEvil LargeHam threat. Ironically, his actor would go on to [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman voice]] [[TheCommissionerGordon the complete opposite]].

* PracticallyJoker: Like ComicBook/TheJoker, Horace Pinker's an AxCrazy LaughablyEvil LargeHam threat. Ironically, his actor would go on [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman voice]] [[TheCommissionerGordon the complete opposite]].

* PracticallyJoker: Like ComicBook/TheJoker, Horace Pinker's an AxCrazy LaughablyEvil LargeHam threat.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[KillTheCutie Allison's fate]] early in the movie. Subverted in that her ghost continues to be an active and significant character throughout the rest of the movie.

* NotSoDifferent: Pinker says this to Jonathan about how they enjoy killing. But at the end, Jonathan refused to kill him by knife.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[KillTheCutie Allison's fate]] early in the movie.

The film centers around young Jonathan Parker (Creator/PeterBerg), who starts having [[DreamingOfThingsToCome prophetic dreams]] of SerialKiller Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi) after he kills most of his foster family. Seeking justice, Jonathan turns to his police officer foster father Lt. Don Parker (Michael Murphy) and convinces him that he can track Pinker through his dreams. With Jonathan's help police are able to capture Pinker, who is sentenced to die in the electric chair. However, before the moment of his execution Pinker makes a DealWithTheDevil and becomes one with the electricity after his execution. This gives him the ability to possess the bodies of others, allowing him to continue his killing spree from beyond the grave.

%%* AxCrazy: Pinker.

The film centers around young Jonathan Parker, who starts having [[DreamingOfThingsToCome prophetic dreams]] of SerialKiller Horace Pinker after he kills most of his foster family. Seeking justice, Jonathan turns to his police officer foster father and convinces him that he can track Pinker through his dreams. With Jonathan's help police are able to capture Pinker, who is sentenced to die in the electric chair. However, before the moment of his execution Pinker makes a DealWithTheDevil and becomes one with the electricity after his execution. This gives him the ability to possess the bodies of others, allowing him to continue his killing spree from beyond the grave.

* LukeIAmYourFather: At the moment of his execution, Pinker reveals to [[HeroicBastard Jonathan]] that he is his father.
** Hinted at all of a couple minutes earlier during the arrest. "It runs in the blood" indeed.

* TheCameo: [[CreatorCameo Wes Craven]] appears near the end of the movie. Creator/HeatherLangenkamp appears briefly as a corpse.

%%* BaldOfEvil: Pinker.

* FamilyExtermination: Horace Pinker targets the family of the police detective who has been investigating his murders, and also because the same detective adopted Pinker's biological son Jonathan, killing almost his entire adoptive family in front of him.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Pinker's aim with guns is horrendous. He's likely [[GenreSavvy aware of this]], given his usual means of murder involves knives and tearing people apart with his ''bare hands''.

* VillainSong: The soundtrack's AwesomeMusic songs has several for Horace Pinker, which also reflects on EvilIsCool, examples include "No More Mr. Nice Guy," "Shocker," "Different Breed," and the most obvious "Demon Bell — The Ballad of Horace Pinker."

* TheCameo: [[CreatorCameo Wes Craven]] appears near the end of the movie. [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Heather Langenkamp]] appears briefly as a corpse.

* VillainSong: The soundtrack's AwesomeMusic songs has several for Horace Pinker, examples include "No More Mr. Nice Guy," "Shocker," "Different Breed," and the most obvious "Demon Bell — The Ballad of Horace Pinker."

* OffingTheOffspring: Pinker's main goal.

'''''Shocker''''' is a horror film directed by Creator/WesCraven which was released in 1989.

* LaughablyEvil: Aside from being dangerously AxCrazy, Pinker is a definite doozy.