Recent Reviews
Film Review: SLITHER
By Dave Dreher
Mar 6, 2006, 18:48

As I sat on the bus headed for the screening of the film I couldn’t help but wonder if James Gunn could really deliver a balls out original horror film.  He has had a hard time getting any respect from the horror community.  His idea of “fast zombies” in the Dawn remake has been a sore spot for fans since day one and then he followed it up with Scooby Doo.  Not a couple of things that really earned him much respect for the majority of some horror fans.

The previews and promos for Slither have looked great and having heard the cast and crew sing its praises (like they would do anything but) my interest was now peaked even more.  Time to put up or shut up and show the film to 300 horror geeks and see what happens. 

James Gunn and members of the cast are in attendance as was Lloyd Kaufman, James’s old boss.  So you’ve got 300 skeptical horror geeks, the cast of your film and your old boss,   a tough audience to impress.

Let’s cut to the chase shall we?  SLITHER is flat out the best horror films I have seen since Shaun of the Dead.  There, take that.

 Uncompromising, hilarious and gross SLITHER goes to a place that we really don't see anymore, funny creative horror.  I like the way Gunn thinks, he thinks like a horror fan.  He is not afraid to go for the throat when needed and he is equally unafraid to lay back and let a strong performance make a statement on its own.

Spoilers lie ahead so if you want to remain in the dark about facts of the film, stop now.

SLITHER tells the tale of a small town that is overtaken by a horde of space slugs.  That’s really all there is to it.  A meteor crashes; a sluggy thing creeps out and hides in the woods until stumble upon by one Michael Rooker who turns in one of his best performances in years.  What follows is a series of events involving these slugs and the “hosts” which house them.  The town sheriff, wonderfully portrayed by Nathan Fillion of Serenity fame, chases these “things” around all the while quipping off one liners that are nothing short of brilliant.  Very witty, sharp tongued humor that is edgy yet wonderfully simplistic at its core.  It really is a beauty to behold. 

Also I just have to mention the wonderful visual effects in the film.  Although CGI is used there is a wonderful representation of good old fashioned physical effects in SLITHER.  The make up wore by Michael Rooker for the better part of the film is one of the best monster make ups in years.  This film is destined to become an instant classic; they’ll hold reunion conventions for this one in 15 years, trust me.

As I was writing this look at the film the official assets for the film arrived in my inbox so here is what Universal has sent out to promote the film.  This is the films “official” synopsis:

Slither is an edgy blend of heart-stopping terror, wry humor and surprising humanity from genre-bending screenwriter James Gunn, whose Dawn of the Dead became one of 2004's most surprising hits.

The sleepy town of Wheelsy could be any small town in America--somewhat quaint and gentle, peopled with friendly folks who mind their own business. But just beneath the surface charm, something unnamed and evil has arrived...and is growing. No one seems to notice as telephone poles become clogged with missing pet flyers, or when one of the town's richest citizens, Grant Grant (Michael Rooker), begins to act strangely. But when farmers' livestock turn up horribly mutilated and a young woman goes missing, Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) and his team, aided by Grant's wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks), uncover the dark force laying siege to their town...and come face-to-face with an older-than-time organism intent on absorbing and devouring all life on Earth.

Slither is the feature film directing debut of screenwriter James Gunn (the recent hit re-envisioning of Dawn of the Dead) and stars Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry and Michael Rooker. It is also written by Gunn. Slither--a Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films presentation of a Strike Entertainment Production--is produced by Paul Brooks and Eric Newman.

The films official site is just chock full of great stuff.  Click here to go there now.

Universal also sent over a bunch of pics, please enjoy them below.