Slither!
I’d heard that the movie Slither was supposed to be this dark horror comedy thing, featuring Nathan Fillion, the actor who portrayed Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly. Well, that was enough for me. When I saw the commercials for the DVD, however, I was afraid it was going to be a little too gross for me to watch.
As a general rule, I’m not a huge fan of slasher flicks (not slash flicks — that’s another animal, entirely). They’re unnecessarily bloody, usually lacking in plot and character development, with very cheesy (and rather brief) interludes between the gore. I like a good psychological thriller, where my imagination is filling in the blanks and scaring me well beyond the end of the movie. Those are the mark of a good writer/director/producer/etc.
So, when I agreed to go over to my friend’s house last night and watch Slither, I did so with some trepidation. He was going to make dinner, and we were going to watch the movie afterward. As usual, over at his house, I ate too much (so VERY good food!). I was hoping that was not going to impede my “enjoyment” of the movie.
(Spoiler Warning: The following will contain spoilers regarding both the movie Slither and Dawn of the Dead. You have been warned.)
I was . . . um, pleasantly isn’t the right word . . . happily surprised by the movie. It was pretty disgusting, but, ironically, not over-the-top — and it was hilarious! It was also very well self-contained. I’m pretty sure there couldn’t be a sequel, and you know the characters get away in the end.
Let’s compare this to, say, Dawn of the Dead (the new version). DotD was gory, a little funny, and gave you a spark of hope that the characters were going to get away to safety in the end — then snatched that spark away if you’re stupid enough to watch it through the credits.
**SPOILER WARNING! SCROLL DOWN FAST!!!**
Yes, the DotD characters bite it in the end (haha, stupid pun — very sorry) (not really). ALL of them. Even the dog. There is no hope for mankind, no hope for a happy ending. It sucks. Like a Hoover. I was so very unhappy with that movie.
In Slither, killing the hive mind kills all the little critters taking over the town. YAY! The characters you like walk away in the end! Woohoo! 
It was quite the satisfying ending. Nathan Fillion lives, of course. Was there ever any doubt? 
**END SPOILER**
Seriously, this movie is hilarious. You should see it, if you don’t mind a little gore and slime. 
Oh, and by the way, if you see something weird in the woods — especially something that looks vaguely like an alien, a meteor, a pool of slime, etc. — DO NOT POKE IT WITH A STICK.
Poke it with a shotgun shell. Repeatedly. It doesn’t matter to science. Science will never miss it.
You’ll be glad you did. Seriously.
November 9th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
“As a general rule, I’m not a huge fan of slasher flicks (not slash flicks — that’s another animal, entirely).”
Wait, I’m confused–does that mean you’re a huge fan of slash flicks? =)
Sig
November 9th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Oops — no, that’s not what I meant at all. No slasher OR slash.
Silly husband.