In case you missed it … ‘Slither’

Relative to it’s genre, I don’t think you could find a movie much closer to perfect than ‘Slither’ from writer-director James Gunn (Tromeo and Juliet). This comedy-horror gorefest packs in a ton of fun and surprises, as well as those great pieces of trivia for the most discerning of movie geeks. ‘Slither’ is a bloody wonderful movie, containing a Christmas wish list of homages and influences. The movie clearly takes influence from both ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and from ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’. It’s an quirky dark and humorous hybrid of alien and zombie flicks, packed with some truly awesome and original special effects.

The film begins with a meteor falling to Earth, which a couple of locals stumble upon while embarking on some good ole’ country adultery. Grant Grant, played by Michael Rooker (Mallrats), has the misfortune of finding the gooey alien creature that oozed from within the busted meteor. Here we have another great homage, pulling influence from ‘The Blob’. Grant in turn becomes the dangerous and grotesque host for his E.T. which proceeds to “infect” the other townsfolk. His wife Starla, played by Elizabeth Banks (Meet Bill), manages to escape his wrath, teaming with Deputy Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) to try and find a way to survive as the town becomes overrun with flesh-eating alien-parasite-zombies.

The special effects get better and better as the film draws nearer to the end. As the original host-creature grows in size and strength, the influence of John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ becomes more apparent. If you wonder why I keep mentioning what I believe to be homages and influences, it’s because I observed them as such. The key is that these homages are extremely well-done and remain true to the old saying “imitation is the highest form of flattery”. The film remains unique and original while also paying respect to the modern classics of the genre. [I get the feeling James Gunn may become the Quentin Tarantino of the horror genre.]

Aside from the special effects, the music is a crucial element to the success of ‘Sliver’. The soundtrack employs some great songs that offer comical relief and relative support to the scene. Among the best examples is Air Supply’s Every Woman in the World, which plays during an otherwise extremely creepy climactic moment when Starla encounters her husband-turned alien bad guy just before all Hell breaks loose. Some other great and somewhat unexpected musical appearances include the theme song from ‘The Crying Game’ and Crustal Gayle’s ‘I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love’.

I never thought I would describe anything in such a way, but ‘Slither’ is a masterpiece of comedy-horror that’s both grotesque and sexy at the same time. The film contains countless quotable quotes that are bound to become modern classics of the movie geek jargon. Among my most favorites are when Bill Pardy says “My easy-going nature is gettin’ sorely fuckin’ tested”. I’ll end on this… any film that ends with a walk off into the sunset by the survivors of a brutal battle with alien-parasite-zombies while Baby I Love You by The Yayhoos is playing, gets my vote!