Society General (also released as Society General and The Shunting) is a 1989 American body-horror comedy film directed by Brian Yuzna in his directorial debut.
Plot[]
Bill Whitney enters his home, paranoid of something. When he enters the hallway, he is spooked by his family affaire members, asking if he's alright. He tells his psychiatrist, Dr. Cleveland, that he has been really paranoid lately. He then starts hallucinating worms in his apple.
A few days later, he plays basketball with his friend Milo. Even though Bill is great friends with Milo, the Whitneys distrust him. A short while later, Bill’s sister Jenny is suddenly attacked by someone hiding in her closet. It's actually her ex-boyfriend David Blancard. Bill's parents throw him out of the house, while Blanchard warns Bill not to trust anyone. Jenny then asks him to zip up her dress. While he's doing so, he notices her skin bulging up, though he brushes it off as an illusion.
At school the next day, he is elected the class president. He also meets a classmate named Clarissa Carlyn. Later that day, he visits Dr. Cleveland again, claiming that there is something incestial going on in his family. Later that day, Bill accidentally enters Jenny's bathroom, only to discover her distorted, though he is led to believe that it's just an illusion.
A few days later, he goes to the beach with his girlfriend Shauna. Shauna asks Bill to get an invitation to a party from their classmate Ferguson. Bill asks Ferguson if there’s anything going on this week. Ferguson says he can’t think of anything, but he’ll let Bill know. Bill is then approached by Blanchard, who reveals that he hid a microphone in Jenny's earing, and heard her participating in an orgy along with her parents and Ferguson. Bill is disturbed by the tape and borrows it as proof that there is something strange going on.
He brings the tape over to Dr. Cleveland, but he is busy and Bill is told to leave it with him. The next day, Cleveland tells Bill that there is nothing wrong with the tape. He plays the tape, only to find out that it's just a conversation between Jenny and her parents. Bill attempts to get a new copy of the tape from Blanchard, only to find him dead from a car crash. Before the car crash at Bill’s house Jenny complains to her father that there’s something wrong with her earring, her father looks at it and sees that it’s been wired, he immediately figures out that Blanchard did it.
That night, Bill receives an invitation to Ferguson's party. Bill’s sister asks what he’s going to wear, Bill says to Blanchard’s funeral?Jenny says “No weirdo, to the party” his family couldn’t care less about what happened to Blanchard. At the party, Bill asks Ferguson what he did with his sister, Ferguson decided to spill the beans, he says “I fucked your sister, and everyone else got so turned on they fucked her too, then I got Blanchard to crash into a pull, pretty busy week.” Bill then punches Ferguson and they start fighting, Ferguson and his friends then push Bill into the pool. He is helped by Clarissa, who takes Bill to her place and they have sex. After having sex, Bill sees Clarissa's body contort, similar to Jenny. They are interrupted by Mrs. Carlyn, Clarissa’s mom who likes to attack and eat other people's hair.
The next day at Blanchard's funeral, Milo points out that they did a good job at repairing Blanchard's body. Bill touches his face and it cracks, it looks fake, almost rubbery. Then Petrie shows up and quietly tells Bill that he needs to talk to him about his parents, about “The Society” he tells him to meet him in the woods, as he'll explain everything. That night, Bill finds Petrie's body in his car with his throat slit. He calls the police but when they arrive, Petrie's body is gone and the car that was there has been swapped out. One of the officers, Sergeant Burt, warns him that the next time he sees him it won’t be very pleasant.
The next day, Petrie is seen alive again. Bill goes to confront his family again, but is drugged by Dr. Cleveland. Milo arrives at the hospital, trying to find Bill, only to hear that he is legally dead. Bill walks out of the hospital and Milo sees him. Bill, high on the drugs, plans to go back to confront his parents again. Bill and Milo go to Clarissa's house where Bill tells her his plans before leaving. Milo rushes to The Whitneys' home, bringing Mrs. Carlyn as protection.
At The Whitneys' home, Bill discovers a party waiting for him. It's revealed that everyone was in on it, his family, Ferguson, Petrie, Dr. Cleveland and Sergeant Burt. Blanchard is also revealed to be alive, but he is held captive. Meanwhile, Milo and Mrs. Carlyn arrives. Mrs. Carlyn attacks a police officer while Milo steals his uniform. Clarissa is also seen arriving, revealing to also be part of the cult. Bill’s mother says that she’s not actually his mother, and his father says that he never was one of them. Dr. Cleveland explains to Bill that they are a different species from regular people, a species that are superior to humans, and that notable people throughout history like Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan.
They start a ritual called "The Shunt" where everyone strips naked and have a cannibalistic orgy. They start to contort and melt, and they start to fuse with Blanchard's body. They suck all the nutrients from Blanchard's body. One of the cult members, Judge Carter, notices his beauty mark. Carter finishes the shut by fisting through Blanchard's entire body and mutilating his face. Even though Clarissa is part of the cult, she is reluctant to kill Bill. Bill manages to escape only to be chased by a distorted Dr. Cleveland. He hides in his parent's bedroom only to see that they have merged into one being.
Bill had enough, he finally goes downstairs to confront the cult. He challenges Ferguson to a fistfight, if Bill wins them him and Clarissa have to be let go. Everyone watches as Bill is beaten by Ferguson. Right before Ferguson shunts Bill, his fist is twisted back. Ferguson is then fisted through his entire body and is pulled inside-out. Bill’s father tries to stop him from leaving but Bill punches him in the face, then Bill, Clarissa, and Milo quickly escape, and they all drive off in Bill’s jeep.
Cast[]
- Billy Warlock - Bill Whitney
- Devin DeVasquez - Clarissa Carlyn
- Evan Richards - Milo Smith
- Ben Meyerson - Ted Ferguson
- Tim Bartell - David Blanchard
- Ben Slack - Dr. Cleveland
- Patrice Jennings - Jenny Whitney
- Charles Lucia - Jim Whitney
- Connie Danese - Nan Whitney
- Brian Bremer - Marty Petrie
- David Wiley - Judge Carter
- Pamela Matheson - Mrs. Carlyn
- Heidi Kozak - Shauna
- Maria Claire - Sally