While it may not become a horror classic, Slither is simply a fun movie to watch that is filled with past sci-fi and horror elements and balances perfectly between scares and humor. Yes, you have to be a bit twisted to see the joke in slugs-like creatures turning people into flesh eating “zombies,” but the laughs are there.
Slither is a nod and a wink to all the great camp and “B” horror movies (such as The Blob and Evil Dead) that have come before it. Written and directed by James Gunn (who brought us the screenplay for the remake of Dawn of the Dead), the film stars Nathan Fillion (Firefly and Serenity), Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, and Elizabeth Banks.
The film kicks off with a meteor falling to earth and landing in the wood by the little redneck town of Wheelsy, South Carolina. The town, which has an annual celebration in honor of the first day of deer hunting season, is made up of simple people - including a wise-cracking sheriff (Fillion), a loudmouth mayor (Henry), the hot school teacher (Banks), and her rich older husband (Rooker). We quickly discover that Fillion and Banks have a bit of a past, but that she went with Rooker because of his money.
The happily married couple is having some trouble in the bedroom which ends up sending Rooker into the woods with another woman. Instead of getting lucky, Rooker discovers a strange looking slimy slug-like creature. Being an intelligent man, he decides to give it a poke with a stick.
Naturally, he gets bit, and over the course of the movie he slowly begins to transform into some hideous sluggish creature – that actually looks more like an inbred squid. Rooker also develops an unquenchable hunger for meat - including domestic pets. He is also filled with a need to pass along his little slugs to someone, but doesn’t want to give them to Banks because he loves her. Instead, he heads to the trailer park in search for the girl he met at the bar.
While all this is going on, Fillion and his men are busy investigating just why so many pets and livestock are turning up dead, and the continue reports of a mysterious squid that is responsible for the killings – even though they are no where near an ocean. This brings them to Rooker’s door in time to see him trying to kill his wife (he really does love her). A chase and hunt follows with Fillion and company being led to Rooker’s secret, and the town being overrun by slugs and zombies!
Fillion has some of the best expressions since Ash in Evil Dead
Like I said, Slither isn’t going to win any awards for its plot or even its acting. Still, this is one fun movie and everyone seems to be in on the joke. It doesn’t try to be anything more than simply a good time. The scares are never that scary, and even the gore (which I was expecting more of) is kept somewhat tame.
Fillion, Rooker, and Henry are extremely good in the movie, and deliver some of the film’s best lines (most of which can’t be repeated in polite company). Fillion handles his role with the same swagger that we saw in Firefly and Serenity, and he is probably the main reason to like the movie. He is constantly saying quips under his breath, and has some of the best close-ups since Bruce Campbell in the first Evil Dead film. The scene where he is attacked by a zombie deer will make you laugh so hard you cry (again, to enjoy the film it helps to be a bit twisted in the first place).
The movie does have some problems – mainly in pacing and editing. The film drags in several places, and never seems to really get going until it is almost finished. The editing gets a bit annoying with cuts coming right when you are getting to the good parts. I am sure an unrated “director’s cut” will be coming down the line, and the film is good enough to deserve a double dip. The plot borrows from pretty much every horror film that has come before it, but that is part of the fun.
The DVD comes loaded with special features that are almost as much fun to watch as the movie itself. Features include feature-length commentary with Gunn and Fillion. The commentary is a bit more laid back than technical - which makes it a fun listen while you are watching the movie. There are a couple of behind the scenes featurettes that take you into the different aspects of the movie (including the creature effects). There is also a set tour with Fillion; some deleted scenes (which add up to about 10 minutes); and a blooper reel.
Could you hand me a piece of that dead possum over there?
If you are a fan of campy horror films or just want some mindless entertainment, Slither is the movie to watch. The film has its gross moments, but for the most part is simply straight-forward humor peppered with some horror. It is the perfect film to watch for Halloween, and I would highly recommend taking a chance on it.
Slither is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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