Slither (2006)

I remember when Slither was first released.  I was 16 years old and really steadily into my genre film development, especially horror comedy.  This was the time of Eli Roth and Rob Zombie, so R Rated had returned to the mainstream and it was awesome.  When I saw the trailer for Slither was foaming at the mouth with excitement.  It was a special time for me; I was starting to become a film geek, I was discovering beer and I'd even managed to lose my virginity while listening to a Fall Out Boy cd.  Yep, it was a great time, but all the awkward sex and beer didn't compare to Slither (and it still doesn't).  It was hit or miss getting into theatres to see it because I was too young so I didn't risk it.  So I done the next best thing - bought it illegally on video tape.  I loved it instantly and watched it at least 20 times on a piss poor picture.  Thankfully, when the DVD came out I went to HMV and got sold it no problem.  Anyway, Slither was a huge love of my life then and it is still a film I enjoy immensely to this day.  It's no longer the masterpiece I used to think it was when I was 16, but it's still a wonderful entertaining movie that never gets old.  Great setting, disgusting monsters and slugs and a wonderful small town atmosphere, Slither has the ingredients that concoct the meal that feed my fanboy hunger.

Slither is an homage to the horror of the 80's, the sci-fi horror of the 50's, Troma films and B movies in general.  The plot is quite similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Night of the Creeps.  Many Creeps fans even bitched about this ''rip-off.''  I'm a Creeps man myself, but this isn't an all out rip-off. Very similar?  Oh yes indeed-y, but it makes it's own disgusting fun.  James Gunn is a horror fan who made a movie for horror fans and paid homage to all the movies that made him a horror fan in the first place.  Michael Rooker plays a squid, Elizabeth Banks is at her all time hottest and Nathan Fillion stars in a lead role.  What's not to love?  There's slugs, Republican hating zombies and buckets of goo.  Sold yet?

According to Gunn, the purpose of Slither was to write a fun, in-your-face gory horror film reminiscent of the 80's classics like Re-Animator, The Fly, Return of the Living Dead, Basketcase and Evil Dead 2.  Gunn stated that he hoped it would pave the way for more horror films to breakthrough into the marketplace.  Slither wasn't exactly a huge financial box office smash though, but I feel it did its part.  Even a small contribution is a contribution, and Gunn would certainly go on to do his part for horror breaking back into the marketplace when he wrote the screenplay for the financially successful Dawn of the Dead remake.  Slither is indeed however his finest achievement (some of you might argue his work with Troma is better but for me Slither wipes the floor with all Troma.  However, his superhero movie Super is an equally great achievement).

Slither is a blast.  Pure and simple.