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Movie Review - Slither (2006)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
James Gunn |
| Starring: |
Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, and Jenna Fischer |
| Rated: |
R (for strong horror violence and gore, and language) |
| Length: |
96 minutes |
| Genre: |
Comedy/Horror |
| Tagline: |
What Ever You Do... Don't Scream. |
| Studio: |
Universal |
| Website: |
Slither |
| Release: |
March 31, 2006 |
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PLOT
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One dark, quiet night in what appears to be a small Southern town, some sort of meteor arrives to disrupt this
peaceful little community. An alien slug burrows his way inside of Michael Rooker who must now feed on other
residents in town, turning them into weird zombie-like creatures. A tribute to the B-grade monster flicks of
old ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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"Lots of blood and guts, bigger-than-life special effects, tons of action - with a little bit of camp factor -
something kind of retro."
Any questions? That quote from director James Gunn pretty much sums it up. Saying this movie isn't for everybody
is like saying, "That Tom Cruise sure is one loose screw." Slither is definitely a movie with the potential
to force people to walk out of the theater exclaiming, "I don't get it."
I'm sure you don't, grandma, but those who do "get it" will thoroughly enjoy it. Come on, how can you not appreciate
Captain Mal from Firefly delivering campy one-liners and bragging about how he can't get drunk because of
all his muscle?
Gunn set out to make a film in the vein of the cheesy monster movies he grew up loving as a kid. With a solid
mixture of nasty-looking creatures, intentionally stupid dark comedy, and a couple of surprising moments of
legitimate tension, I have to say "mission accomplished."
If you aren't in the mood to see tentacles burrowing into stomachs, bloated bodies exploding, people being sliced
in half, and alien slugs forcing their way down throats then you're gonna want to sit this one out. However, if
this sounds right up your alley then yes, you are one sick puppy, but you'll definitely get your money's
worth.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Budget: $15,000,000
- Director Gunn readily admits this movie is an homage to such old school horror films as Re-Animator,
The Thing, The Brood, Basket Case, and The Fly.
- Todd Masters served as the special effects artist. Some of Masters' other credits include Six Feet Under
(for which he won an Emmy), Nightmare on Elm Street 5, Mortal Kombat, and Tales from the
Crypt.
- There were some days when Michael Rooker had to be in full makeup for 18 or 19 hours.
- The role was so physically demanding, thanks to the top heaviness of the prosthetic, that Rooker saw a masseuse
every day after work.
- An estimated 300 gallons of methylcellulose slime was used during filming.
- Jenna Fischer, who stars as the adorable Pam on The Office, has a small role and is married to
director Gunn. Man, she's cute.
- Nathan Fillion was in Serenity with Gina Torres who was in Bed of Roses with Josh Brolin who was
in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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Dream on. This movie gets Hiroshima'd with "f" bombs and other profanities. And if you're at all queasy when it
comes to blood and gore and other gross things then you'll want to stay away. There's only about a half second of
topless nudity, though there are a few sexual conversations and situations.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer makes it blatantly clear that this is a movie that doesn't take itself seriously. There's no way you
can watch the trailer and then claim "I didn't know what to expect!"
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THE GIST
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Going into Slither I knew exactly what to expect. Come on, the movie is called SLITHER! What are
you expecting, an epic romance? I most likely won't be adding it to my DVD collection but it was certainly
entertaining for a one-time watch.
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