Slither (2006)
Review by Michael Varrati
Once, in discussion of one Hollywood’s latest hack-n-slash big budget horror pieces, a dear friend and associate of mine told me, “When I go to see a scary movie, I’m not looking for originality. In a way, it’s all mostly been done in this genre before…what I look for is fun and a good scare. If the movie delivers these things, then it works for me.”
…and with all the finger pointing comparisons with the 1980’s masterpiece Night of the Creeps (review), James Gunn’s Slither has been accused by some derisive fans as not quite original enough. After all, the fact that both movies have to do with alien slugs descending on a small town and turning its residents into mindless, murderous zombies does, I concede, call for a genre aficionado to place them side by side in analysis. After all, there just aren’t that many “zombie inducing alien slug” flicks out there. So yes, I will admit, Slither is similar to Night of the Creeps, and despite what so many have erroneously reported, the former was never intended to be an update or new version of the latter, it just so happens they had a similar theme. But, as my friend said- it’s horror, sometimes originality falls by the wayside. More importantly, we need to ask…is it fun? Well, you know what? Slither IS fun. In fact, it’s buckets of slimy, late night fun, with a side of alien menace glee.
So, all this talk of alien slugs and zombies, I somewhat just pushed you right into the extraterrestrial goo, dear reader, and for that I apologize. For the uninitiated in the world of alien parasites, allow me to give a brief overview of Slither’s plot, while remaining, as ever, spoiler-free.
Set in the small South Carolina town of Wheelsy, Slither opens at the height of the rural community’s deer hunting season. The town’s festivities in full swing (and what rural southern town doesn’t love shooting animals?), prominent townsperson, Grant Grant (not kidding) stumbles upon something quite unusual in the woods: a bug with bite. Once infected by the little pest, Grant’s physical structure begins to mutate into something grotesque and inhuman…and as pets, livestock, and people go missing, all signs point to Grant. But even before the local sheriff and his team can pull in the now slimy citizen, we learn that Grant’s bug was just the first of many, and in one hellish night, it’s small town South Carolina vs. Outer Space Slugs…winner take all, if either of them make it until morning.
This ought to catch you up. Somewhat. Like I said, we don’t want to give too much away.
As previously mentioned, this film was helmed by Troma veteran James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet), whom I have no problem citing as a wicked genius in the realm of horror and exploitation cinema. Gunn carries the knowledge that good horror flicks can be simultaneously horrifying and hilarious, and many scenes in Slither carry the unique mark of being able to make you laugh and jump in your seat at the same time. Gunn manages to achieve this balance through a tightly written script and a well selected troop of actors. Most notable is Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Doctor Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog [review]), whose performance as Sheriff Bill Pardy, the film’s hero and leader of the survivors, is acerbic and sharp. Fillion’s talent for tongue-in-cheek line delivery and cynical glances has convinced this reviewer that he’s got the potential to be this generation’s noveau Bruce Campbell, as rarely has there been a genre leading man that you want to root for more. Also present is Elizabeth Banks (Wet Hot American Summer, The Uninvited), who tones down her usual comedic style to play the film’s discreetly charming love interest, to both Fillion and the alien slugs, marking one of the better love triangles in recent cinema history.
The stage is set, the characters established and the slugs set loose. What follows is an excellent exercise in splatter horror that harkens and evokes the best the 80s had to offer, but is also much more than a homage. The set pieces are grotesque and slimy, it’s true, and thematically do somewhat evoke that memorable Night of the Creeps of yesteryear, but whereas its forebear relied on the simplicity of the scare, Slither and Gunn are willing to go one step farther and shove the pus and mutated bodies in your face, relentlessly. In this, Slither truly IS original, because for a Hollywood movie to not shy away from what could be considered too disturbing visuals, and more so, making them not just menacing, but funny at the same time…is the mark of an excellently executed story.
So, yes…Slither can be compared to previous films, but because of its sheer earnest nature and obvious love of horror, it is both vaguely similar to other pieces, but also a remarkable breath of fresh air. Solid direction, solid acting, wonderful script…and if you’re seeing it on DVD (which you most likely are at this point), a slew of extra features (the Gag Reel has convinced me working on this film would have been the best job ever) are worth the price of admission alone. Also, for film buffs, keep your eyes peeled for the “blink or you’ll miss it” cameo by Troma founder, Lloyd Kaufman. See? This movie has everything…alien slugs, zombies, a high splatter ratio, and Uncle Lloyd. If you need more than that, then maybe you need to stop watching movies.
The gist: Get up out of here, and Slither your way down to the rental store. It’s a trip you won’t regret, I promise…of course, that could just be the slug in my brain talking.
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