Wes Craven's Chiller | |
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Chiller | |
Genre | Horror Sci-Fi Thriller |
Written by | J.D. Feigelson |
Directed by | Wes Craven |
Starring | Paul Sorvino Michael Beck Beatrice Straight Laura Johnson Dick O'Neill Alan Fudge Craig Richard Nelson |
Music by | Dana Kaproff |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producer | Richard Kobritz |
Producers | J.D. Feigelson Anderson G. House |
Editor | Duane Hartzell |
Running time | 104 min. |
Production companies | Frozen Man Productions J.D. Feigelson Productions Polar Films |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | May 22, 1985 |
Chiller (also known as Wes Craven's Chiller) is a 1985 American made-for-television horror film directed by Wes Craven and written by J.D. Feigelson. [1] It follows corporate executive Miles Creighton (Michael Beck), who dies and is cryonically preserved in the hopes that he can be revived. Ten years later, the procedure is a success, and Miles returns, but without his soul. The film premiered on CBS on May 22, 1985.
Miles Creighton is cryonically preserved. When his storage tank malfunctions and begins to thaw, Miles is rushed to a hospital. His mother, who has missed her son terribly during his 10-year incapacitation, arranges for surgeons there to perform a procedure that was not possible when Miles was originally frozen. The operation is a success and Miles revives.
Miles returns to the company which his father (now deceased) had started. He ruthlessly strips down anything that the company does not require to be profitable, and fires the man responsible for keeping the company running in Miles' absence.
A series of mysterious deaths occur and circumstantial evidence implicates Miles. His mother, of course, does not want to believe her beloved son is a heartless killer. It is only when Father Penny arrives at the hospital in critical condition that she is convinced her son is evil. Penny tells her that Miles was responsible, and she rushes home to save her step daughter and have Miles arrested.
The events that follow pit Miles against his mother, and she ends up locking him in a walk-in freezer. The police arrive and discover that Miles, though apparently frozen, is still alive. His mother comes to the rescue by shooting her son in the chest with a policeman's revolver. At the hospital later, it is implied Miles survived but it is unclear if he will survive the surgery as the techniques to save his life 'aren't quite there yet'.
The final scene is set at the cryogenics facility, where another alarm goes off as another storage tank malfunctions and begins to thaw. This is followed by several more storage tanks malfunctioning.
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Cryobiology is the branch of biology that studies the effects of low temperatures on living things within Earth's cryosphere or in science. The word cryobiology is derived from the Greek words κρῧος [kryos], "cold", βίος [bios], "life", and λόγος [logos], "word". In practice, cryobiology is the study of biological material or systems at temperatures below normal. Materials or systems studied may include proteins, cells, tissues, organs, or whole organisms. Temperatures may range from moderately hypothermic conditions to cryogenic temperatures.
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Cryopreservation or cryoconservation is a process where biological material - cells, tissues, or organs - are frozen to preserve the material for an extended period of time. At low temperatures any cell metabolism which might cause damage to the biological material in question is effectively stopped. Cryopreservation is an effective way to transport biological samples over long distances, store samples for prolonged periods of time, and create a bank of samples for users. Molecules, referred to as cryoprotective agents (CPAs), are added to reduce the osmotic shock and physical stresses cells undergo in the freezing process. Some cryoprotective agents used in research are inspired by plants and animals in nature that have unique cold tolerance to survive harsh winters, including: trees, wood frogs, and tardigrades.The first human corpse to be frozen with the hope of future resurrection was James Bedford's, a few hours after his cancer-caused death in 1967.[15] Bedford's is the only cryonics corpse frozen before 1974 still frozen today.
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