Slither [2006]

October 24, 2009

There are only a few deliciously squirmy and hilarious horror comedies as good as the one we’re going to be talking about today, Slither. If you haven’t seen this one, you’re in for a treat. I want you to savor this movie, to make a night out of it. Timing is everything! Get the goodies and be prepared to have a time of your life. I like all kinds of creature features but the kind I like the most is the humorous one. Kind of like Feast or The Faculty or, better yet, Tremors! And if you can balance all of these elements and create the right kind of atmosphere, well then, you got yourself a winner.

Slither is all these things and more! It’s also an homage to all of those goofy creature features that came out during the late seventies and eighties. I think that The Blob is a perfect example of a movie that tried to tell such a story. And you know me, I like anything eighties-related. Moreover, in the opening scene, you can see the “R.J. McCready’s Funeral Home” sign. As you already know, R.J. McCready was Kurt Russell’s character in The Thing, one of the OG body horror movies. It’s the little details like this that get me all excited. They show that somebody put a lot of work in and knew what he was doing.

After a meteor crashed near a small and idyllic American town, strange things started happening. And out of them came them, the slithery little things. Just because of this a bit wacky but still Lovecraftian premise don’t think that Slither will look cheap or amateurish. This is a big production and the quality of special effects is stunningly good. And yes, we will get the chance to see these little worms in all their slimy glory. To finish this referencing segment, yes, the plot of Slither is awfully similar to the one of Night of the Creeps. And From Beyond, if we’re being honest.

Welcome to Wheelsy, a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere. It’s even quieter now, in the middle of the night but that’s about to change. A small meteorite crashes in a nearby field exposing a strange parasitic creature. A creature that needs to find a host now. And a horny couple looking to have sex in the woods seems like perfect victims.

I really can’t explain why Slither didn’t do better at the box office. The most important thing about this movie is not to take it too seriously. To go into it expecting it to be over-the-top and wacky. At least that’s what I think you should do. And hold out for one hell of a finale. The cast did a terrific job and I’m sure you’ll recognize most of them. I will single out Elizabeth Banks and Nathan Fillion as the two of them gave excellent performances. They knew just how quirky and serious they had to be to maintain the atmosphere.

Also, I have to add that those little slugs or worms look positively disgusting. Slimy and unpredictable, there’s something so repulsive about them that I didn’t know whether to look away or bask in their glory. Moreover, some of the scenes I can freely say are not for the squeamish despite the rather cheerful atmosphere of the movie. While I know that we, fans of the body horror genre, will enjoy them, I’m not so sure about the others. However, this is your opportunity to gross out some cinema prunes with Slither, a refreshing horror-comedy definitely worth watching.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two of my favorite wacky movies of the eighties and nineties, Freaked and Society. I remembered it because the main “creatures” here and in that movie look awfully alike. Wow, those people who kept saying that Gunn took a lot of elements from other movies might be right after all… Although I can’t hate on a guy since he gave us such an entertaining movie that we will enjoy in the decades to come. Now I just need to get some beer and weed.