I thought I really liked horror films until I saw “Slither.” That’s not an insult to the film. I just realized I don’t like horror as much as writer/director James Gunn and his legion of horror geeks do. I kind of knew that all along, but it never really hit me until I saw this flick.
“Slither” is big dumb fun with some blood and guts thrown in. Homage’s to other (better) horror films run as rampant as the slithery aliens onscreen and film buffs are going to ejaculate all over one another trying to count them all. “Slither” is a James Gunn dream film and hell, the guy earned the right to make it by writing the two “Scooby Doo” movies as well as the “Dawn of the Dead” remake. More power to him. Yet it also should be noted Gunn graduated from the film school of Troma and “Slither” is basically a Troma movie made on a huge budget. Equally silly, pointless and I guess, fun.
The film starts with a meteor crash in a small town and millions of slimy little turd-like creatures rush out and into the forest. They soon find their way inside the townspeople and turn them into zombies who crave meat. But the plot thickens from there and I don’t want to give it away, although chances are horror fans have seen it all before. Speaking of clichés, there’s a simple love triangle between police officer Bill Pardy (“Firefly” heo Nathan Fillion), his onetime love Starla and her “is she really going out with him” husband Grant, played in full-on creep mode by Michael Rooker.
Like I said, this movie doesn’t aspire to be super scary or super great. I can accept that. My issues lay mainly in the CGI special effects. They suck! I have a feeling they look bad on purpose, but it would have been more fun to see bad Troma level gore than what looks like nothing more than fancy video game effects. CGI blood still looks like you’re playing “Mortal Kombat” onscreen. I also have to admit to not getting much out of a big budget B movie. B movies are fun because they’re rinky dink. I got the joke and just didn’t like the joke even though I respect Gunn for doing what he wanted to do.
