SLITHER

A meteorite falls in the middle of the forest surrounding the small town of Wheesley. From its interior, an alien parasite is released that penetrates the body of Mr. Grant, slowly transforming him into a repulsive mutant being hungry for flesh and eager to reproduce. From the slimy/romantic encounter between the monstrous Grant and an old flame, a brood of vermiform parasites is born that soon begin to insinuate themselves into the bodies of the inhabitants of Wheesley, transforming them into equally monstrous beings perpetually hungry for flesh. The local police commander, Bill Pardy, along with Grant's wife, the mayor of Wheesley, and the young Kylie will attempt to survive the horror that is contaminating the entire country. Take some disgusting alien vermiform parasites, abundant genetic mutations, tentacled monsters, flesh-eating zombies, a group of likable heroes, and a good dose of splatter; add a pure atmosphere of 80s horror camp and a pinch of irony; mix well and you will have served one of the happiest examples of "original" horror produced in recent years: "Slither". It is inexplicable how the work directed by James Gunn had such a lukewarm public success, both in his homeland and in Italy (where it made a brief appearance in theaters in the month of July, distributed in very few copies), given that it is a must of everything a horror film can contain to make fans happy. In fact, it is really difficult that "Slither" could disappoint a horror movie enthusiast, as it is so full of energy and memorable situations as well as explicit citations of the horror that was. In "Slither" you can find something of "Dimensione Terrore" (the vermiform parasites from space capable of zombifying humans), of "Society" (the orgy of flesh), of "The Thing" (mutations on humans and animals), and even of "Blob" (the meteorite containing the parasite); but everything is constructed in such a way that one never falls into the simple shortcut of plagiarism disguised as citationism, because the various elements integrate and create a completely natural and original synergy, reminding the expert viewer of the various films and making them enjoy a small great film that exudes 80s entertainment from every pore. To the dynamic direction of James Gunn (for years in charge of work at the award-winning Troma company) is added the equally witty screenplay by the same Gunn, capable of almost perfectly alternating funny moments, sometimes grotesque, with scenes of absolute terror and disgust (anthological is the bathroom scene where Tania Saulnier is attacked by the alien leeches). Then there is the excellent cast composed of two good character actors like Michael Rooker (the unforgettable serial killer of "Henry - Pioggia di sangue") and Gregg Henry (the villain of De Palma's "Omicidio a luci rosse"), accompanied by Nathan Fillion ("Serenity"), Elizabeth Banks ("Spiderman"), and Tania Saulnier ("Il Prescelto"). A special mention goes to the effective special effects, great protagonists of the film, consisting of a mix of modern (and well-made) computer graphics effects and old-style fx, including latex prosthetics and extreme makeup, often happily engaged in bringing to life horrendous splatter scenes. In conclusion, "Slither" is an absolutely successful divertissement, an attempt to reproduce even today the formula of the high-quality blood B-movie, made with economy of means but with great richness of ideas. One of the most successful and entertaining films of recent years. Highly recommended!