Wednesday, October 18, 2006

31 Days of Halloween - Day 18 Movie



"Slither" (2006) is my favorite monster movie since "Deep Rising"(1998). In tone they are very similar. I saw it when it was released theatrically, and was very excited when a package from Universal arrived the other day with the DVD inside.

The story involves space parasites with a colony mind who take over a small town, mutating some of the residents, and turning others into zombie-like beings. There's tadpole like creatures, tentacled former humans, killer deer, you name it. Saving the town is left to the town's police chief, the woman he loves, the town's mayor, and a teenage girl.

Written and Directed by James Gunn, it's sharp, witty, and a lot of fun. You can really tell it's made by someone who loves monster movies as well. There's plenty of in jokes with characters and stores named after characters from John Carpenter's "The Thing", "Videodrome," "Tremors" and "Rosemary's Baby." It's terrifically cast, and it was nice to see a movie populated by people who looked like real people, the monsters were great, and mostly of the now, sadly, old school, latex appliance variety.

I can't emphasize how much fun this movie was. It was a welcome oasis in today's sea of stupid slasher flicks and crappy remakes. If you're sick of the spawn of "Saw" and heavily watered down Japanese horror, then hit the stores next Tuesday and pick up a copy of this highly entertaining monster movie.

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