Review of Shock Treatment (1981) by Marc B — 06 Sep 2016

30 years later, this grossly misunderstood film, widely dismissed as a misfire back in 1981, seems more like its creator's earnest attempt to warn us of some impending doom. Like an accidental prophecy of our bleak broadcasting future, with a touch of dark humor, SHOCK TREATMENT plays like someone woke up from dreaming the real horrors of American Reality TV, 30 years ago, and then tried to jot down their visions before they could forget them.

If Anthony Burgess ever wrote a Game Show, I imagine it would have went something like this. Denton really is America's Truth - The Home of Happiness indeed. God help us. It's messy but its meta-weird, fun, and surprisingly intellectual stuff.