"Slither" is a highly entertaining film that will gross you out and make you laugh at the same time.
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It's a funny coincidence that I received "Slither" in the mail a day after I had a lengthy discussion with an old friend about the current state of horror films. I am, by no means, an expert on horror nor would I say that it's my favorite genre, yet I can only stand by dumbfounded as the studios pump out a never-ending torrent of remakes and rehashed, derivative material. Then, along comes a nice surprise thanks to a little film called "Slither." If I told you "Slither" was a zombie movie, you'd probably dismiss it as you would any of the other zombie films that seem to pop up every other month. That would be a disservice to a fun film that is a refreshing relief to a stagnant genre.
"Slither" is filled with the over-the-top grotesqueries you'd find in a David Cronenberg film or the early work of Peter Jackson. Not much of a shocker as writer/director James Gunn cites their films as influences, along with those of Troma Pictures. In fact, keen-eyed film fanatics will spot numerous references to other movies like "The Fly" and "The Thing."
Elizabeth Banks plays the somewhat meek Starla Grant, a school teacher in the small town of Wheelsy. The majority of the town's inhabitants look like they may have kissed a few cousins in their day. Starla is married to Grant Grant (Michael Rooker), a domineering and frequently horny husband. After getting shot down in bed, Grant storms off for a constitutional and drunkenly stumbles into the woods. There, he's infected by an alien spore which arrived on Earth in a fallen asteroid. The spore begins mutating Grant, giving him an insatiable appetite for meat and a pair of tentacles that emerge from his stomach.
Soon, Grant impregnates a young girl causing her to balloon to mammoth proportions faster than you can say, "Violet Beauregarde." The poor lass bursts open, releasing a swarm of slugs which enter through the mouth and crawl into the brain, taking over the victim´s body. Unlike your typical zombie, the infected townsfolk think with a single intelligence, a combination of the alien being and Grant. This new hive mind wants Starla above all else.
Her only hope comes in the form of the town´s chief of police, Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion). They´re childhood friends and Pardy has carried a torch for her ever since. Maybe now that her husband is a carnivorous, mutant slug, he might have a shot. Also under Pardy´s protection is Kylie (Tania Saulnier), who narrowly avoided being escaped the slug attack that claimed her family. She acts as the film´s exposition device after seeing into the mind of the extraterrestrial spore. Finishing off this small group of unlikely heroes is the scene-stealing Gregg Henry as Jack MacReady, the town´s foul-mouthed, ill-tempered mayor.
Since "Slither" is a horror film, the first question that needs to be asked, is it scary? Not particularly. Perhaps, the film´s most tense moment when a slug swims across a bubble bath and attacks an unaware Kylie. "Slither" is much more a blend of horror and comedy. Things are done with a slight wink and a nod, but the filmmakers stay away from turning it all into a complete parody. Much of the comedy come from the hilarious, nonplussed reactions the characters have to the bizarre happenings around them. As Pardy, Fillion brings the same easy-going charm he had in "Firefly" and "Serenity." He´s got a great future as a leading man and, hopefully, we´ll see him in more roles like this.
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[release]19489[/release]