Shock Waves…..Peter Cushing and Nazi Zombies!
Does anyone remember USA Up All Night? It was hosted by “then” horror hottie Rhonda Shear. It showed low budget and now cult classic films. This and USA Saturday Nightmares was the pinnacle of horror television for anyone around that time. These shows introduced me to some of my all time favorite films. One of which I want to share, its called Shock Waves.
Being fascinated with zombie films in general as a kid, this one threw me for a loop. Not only were the zombies dead Nazis, they also came from the water. Great, now zombies can walk in water, swim and are the most evil people on the planet.
This is another movie I know exactly where I was when I first saw it. My brother and I were at the babysitters in Alabama. She of course was in the other room on the phone while we sat directly in front of the TV with the lights off, watching USA Saturday Nightmares. This almost sounds like a set up for a 90’s slasher movie, but that’s really how it was.
The movie has Peter Cushing (one my top 5 favorite horror actors) as a Nazi commander who is in charge of a secret group of SS undead soldiers who can live underwater and man U-boats. If that isn’t enough for you, John Carradine plays the captain of a boat who manages to “Munson” up and beach himself, the couples and the damn ship on a remote island. From there they learn of the Nazi commander, the secret SS zombies, yada yada yada….you can tell where this goes.
This movie is head and shoulders better than the other Nazi zombie films in this subgenre. The one scene that terrified me as a kid, was when you see the SS zombie Nazis slowly rise one by one out of the water and begin to walk on land. Man, that scene is creepy. Something I just learned today, Alan Ormsby did the makeup on Shock Waves. He was writer/actor in the zombie film Children Shouldnt Play With Dead Things. Over all check it out, it’s defiantly a film worth watching and Im sure this will be getting remade in the future.
MURDER LEGENDRE 
August 5, 2009 at 11:13 am
I was a big fan of “Commander USA’s Groovy Movies”
August 6, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Seriously, what happened to USA network? It was so great. Thank god we have AMC now.
August 5, 2009 at 2:16 pm
My favorite USA Up All Night movie was Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death.
August 6, 2009 at 1:43 pm
It’s a little more on the Sci-fi side of things but I loved TNT’s Monster Vision.
August 6, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Monster Vision was great!
August 6, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Don’t forget about Joe Bob Briggs!
August 10, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Damn, I need to find this film along with Surf Nazis Must Die.
August 16, 2009 at 3:45 am
Wow! Lost in the vortex of memory again. I remember this flick being on the CBS Late Movie (???). The teaser, after the CBS logo & music, had the very scene you speak of—-the heads rising out of the water! That terrified me! Not sure if I even watched the movie after that!! Was able to find you, and this, by Googling “Peter Cushing + nazi movie”—–and they say the internet is a time waster. Hah! Thanks for the great photo. That was the exact image in my head!
August 16, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Thats awesome to hear Phill! Be sure to let us know any other movie you want us to dig up for ya.
October 21, 2009 at 5:46 pm
That’s when I saw this, on the late movie on CBS! I’m guessing 1981-82. For years I never knew what this movie was called. The day it was on I had bought a record (maybe the record) by Cowboys International, and may actually have been listening to it on the headphones while watching the movie. So now every time I hear that record, I think of zombies walking out of the water!