101 Films, out now

When Rose suffers terrible injuries in a motorcycle crash, she undergoes experimental skin-graft surgery that transforms her into patient zero for a devastating virus.

David Cronenberg’s 1977 follow-up to Shivers continues with the theme of body horror and has lost none of its impact in the intervening years. For those brought up with the glorious sunshine of Hollywood movies, the chilling grey of Canada immediately adds a gloom that is only accelerated by the grim on-screen action.

Marilyn Chambers, best known for her adult movie appearances, is excellent as Rose, who, recovering from her surgery, immediately infects a doctor through a barbed proboscis that lives in her armpit. We see the raw orifice from which it appears and then the blood pumping along its translucent length. It’s as repulsive and terrifying as when I first experienced it in the early 1980s, and now it looks even more revolting thanks to the new-to-the-UK 2K transfer from the ordinal camera negative, presented in director Cronenberg’s favoured aspect ratio.

It’s not long before Rose’s victims are foaming at the mouth and trying to chomp down on an unsuspecting Quebec population. These zombies don’t respond to regular rabies medication and soon martial law is declared as Montreal is gripped by the disease. Santa Claus is shot, a baby is killed, a surgeon tries to cut of a nurse’s finger – it’s strong stuff.

101 Films’ release includes The Quiet Revolution: State, Society and the Canadian Horror Film, Part One – a brand new 70-minute feature-length documentary exploring the social contexts behind Canadian horror cinema from filmmaker and author Xavier Mendik. If, like me, your primary reference to Canadian Horror is David Cronenberg, there’s lots new to discover from production company Cinepix to Ivan (Ghostbusters) Reitman’s role.

There’s a selection of audio commentaries to enjoy – Jen & Sylvia Soska (directors of the 2019 remake), writer-director David Cronenberg and the ‘The Artist as Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg’ author William Beard. The impressive package also includes an audio interview with author Jill C. Nelson, an interview with actress Susan Roman, an interview with David Cronenberg and 1999 documentary The Directors: David Cronenberg.

Verdict: Always a Cronenberg highlight for me, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly would follow in due course, but for sheer uneasy stomach-churning horror, this takes some beating. The print is clarity itself and the addition of some meaty documentaries and interviews will leave Rabid fans foaming at the mouth in anticipation. 10/10

Nick Joy