Slither (2006)
Directed by: James Gunn
Premise: An alien species attached to a meteor crashes in the rural town in the American south and begins to take over the citizens, turning them into zombies.
What Works: Slither is an effective homage to the alien invasion films of the 1950s and 60s. Gunn got his start in films by Troma Studios like Tromeo and Juliet and he has brought that same sensibility of extreme gore mixed with humor to this film. The mix is fairly even, using the humor to deflate the terror and set the audience up for a new scare. The jokes are well placed and well timed and reveal a self-consciousness that makes the film even funnier. There is also a great, although not very subtle, sexuality to Slither not seen in science fiction since the Alien films.
What Doesn’t: In the last act of the story, the tension gets deflated and the story is resolved in a way that defies logic, even for this kind of genre film. Slither occasionally sides with too much humor, making it a little silly and not allowing the drama to play out.
Bottom Line: Slither is good, icky fun and it will appeal to fans of the genre. Those who liked movies such as Tremors, Evolution, or Cabin Fever will want to check this out.
Episode: #90 (April 2, 2006)