Slither (2006) Reviews

• An homage to everything

  Newski_the_Hippie2006-03-05

  James Gunn wrote Slither as an homage to the horror movies he loved. Every single one of them. From the Deadly Swarm, to The Fly, to the Toxic Avenger, to Basket Case, to some films most people wouldn't know much about. The film is about a loving husband (though noticeably not the best. His love for his wife is one of his better sides) who is stung by an alien insect. He starts mutating into a squid beast while slug like monsters Terrorize a small town where cell phones don't exist. It's obvious from the previews that this is a bit of a comedy. You'll be surprised at just how suspenseful it really is. The horror ranges from cheap pop-outs, hilarious gore, and heart pounding action in a genre bending film that is like Tremors for adults. The movie is well acted, and all the actors have such great chemistry together. While the movie isn't an excellent film, those looking for a good time have nothing to complain about. It keeps the audiences entertained like few other movies can.

• A Horror Movie Made By Horror Fans for Horror Fans

  w00f2006-03-31

  Today, I am a happy gorehound. I've just seen "Slither," and it was a truly good time! OK, let's face it... this one isn't going to win any awards for originality. The story here is "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" meets "Night of the Living Dead" with hints of "The Blob," David Cronenburg's "Shivers," and a more-than-passing special effects nod to Brian Yuzna's "Society." But it WORKS here. James Gunn, a veteran of Troma Studios, has made a horror fan's horror flick. Laced with homages to everything from 1950's drive in cinema to R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" books (not to mention a clip from a Troma movie on a TV in one scene). Gunn clearly knows his audience, because he IS his audience. He delivers up a movie that might be formulaic, but its over-the-top gore, it's black humor (this is one horror show that never takes itself too seriously), and it's general gung-ho, pull-no-punches attitude turn what could have been yet another plodding bit of cinematic flotsam into what could well be an instant horror classic on par with "Re-Animator." If you know what I'm blathering about here, if the names and the titles of these films are familiar, then see "Slither." You're going to love it.

• As pure B-movie fun, Slither pulls no punches.

  urthstripe3212006-03-30

  It is absolute fun, plain and simple. It gets in, does it scares and it's laughs, and gets out quick. As what it was meant to be, it was absolutely brilliant. It does its own thing, and it does it perfectly, and the result is pure entertainment, nothing more. So, if you like movies like Shaun of the Dead, Army of Darkness, Dead Alive, Gremlins, Tremors, or anything in that vein, you will like this movie. Or if you just wanna see Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) again on the big screen and wistfully wipe a tear or two away, you can go see this movie too. It's creepy, it's gleefully gross, it's HILARIOUS, and I don't think I wasted a single minute watching it. Great movie.

• Damn entertaining...

  ecwaenigma2006-03-06

  First off, I'm a horror nut and no matter what anybody else says, this is NOT a rip-off of "Night of the Creeps" or "The Deadly Spawn". James Gunn himself said at a recent Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in Chicago that the only film that played a part in "Slither" was David Cronenberg's "They Came from Within" (AKA - "Shivers"). There's a blatant homage to it that fans of the Cronenberg film will spot right away, and that's cool. That what James Gunn is about. You forget, this is a guy from the house that Kaufman built - Troma. Nods and inside jokes abound in "Slither". It's a horror movie for real horror movie fans. Slimy, not gory. Funny, not insipid. "Slither" is the next logical step from the guy who wrote the remake of "Dawn of the Dead". It's a little more fun, a lot less serious, and features a great cast that makes this movie what it should be - hugely entertaining. Perfect, no. But it sure is fun and makes you look forward to what he'll do next.

• Slither is your B-grade horror/comedy movie that has everything and is hilarious

  the-movie-guy2006-03-31

  (Synopsis) The movie opens with a meteorite landing in the backwoods of the small town of Wheelsy. The bad news is that our atmosphere did not burn up everything inside the meteorite. One of Wheelsy's rich business men, Grant Grant (Michael Rooker), who is married to the young and beautiful high school biology teacher, Starla (Elizabeth Banks), finds a slow moving slimy thing behind the town bar. The slug stops moving as Grant moves closer, he becomes infected by the slug. Grant begins to change and evolve into a bloodthirsty meat-eating squid creature with a need to kill to maintain his life. Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) and Starla must defeat this creature or the entire earth will be consumed. (My Comment) Slither is a 1950's type B-grade horror/comedy movie scenario that has everything. A billion-year-old alien parasite from outer space with penetrating tentacles that sucks the life out of you, fast moving slugs that want to get inside your mouth, dogs and cows being eaten by human and deer zombies, an enormous mother glob, and the small town being terrorized by a monster. This is your classic B-grade movie that is a lot of fun watching. You will laugh from beginning to end. For budget reasons, it looks like they used the old standby, tomato ketchup, for blood. There are some scary moments, but most of the scenes are hilarious. If you want an enjoyable night and a good laugh, this is the movie to see. (Universal Pictures, Run time 1:36, Rated R)(8/10)