Slimy Fun

“Slither” may be the most disgusting, stomach-turning and repulsive film opening in theaters this year.

Written and directed by James Gunn (“Dawn of the Dead”), the movie works as homage to B-movies “The Toxic Avenger” and “Tromeo and Juliet.” Not only is it sickeningly funny, but it also provides enough jolts to illicit gasps and screams.

The film opens as a small asteroid crashes near the sleeping chief of police, Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion, “Serenity”) in the small town of Wheelsy. The next day, a local businessman, Grant Grant (Michael Rooker, “JFK”) leaves his sleeping wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks, “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Wet Hot American Summer”) to attend a seedy karaoke bar. Grant meets a former acquaintance, Brenda (Brenda James, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), and the two head into the woods for an adulterous encounter. However, Grant’s conscience gets the best of him and he decides to return to his wife.

Before exiting the woods, he discovers a large slug crawling away from the space rock that crashed the previous night. Poking and prodding the slug only leads to trouble for Grant and the rest of the sleepy town. Dogs, cows and other farm animals disappear all over Wheelsy. The uptight and boisterous mayor, Jack MacReady (Gregg Henry, “Gilmore Girls”), sends the police to discover who or what is behind the mysterious dealings. Events turn gory when the team discovers hundreds of slugs that turn residents into acidic, slime-spewing zombies.

“Slither” isn’t for the faint of heart or faint of stomach. Rather than relying on heavy visual effects, the film retains a classic horror movie feel with impressive makeup and animatronics. The makeup department, headed by Monica Huppert (“X2”), does a fantastic job of creating filthy creatures and repugnant creepy crawlers.

The movie also makes ample use of hillbilly culture and mythology. Gunn creates a number of cliched characters with southern roots, but incorporates a humorous and inventive spin. Working on the same level as 2004’s “Shaun of the Dead,” “Slither” pokes fun at horror movies that precede it with quirky freshness. Gunn also takes full advantage of the R rating. There is no holding back with “Slither,” which happily displays dog-eating zombies and possessed children hell-bent on mayhem.

Unfortunately, audiences failed to catch on to the campy fun during opening weekend. The film made a paltry $3.88 million at the domestic box office, according to www.imdb.com.

The film may not appeal to every demographic, but “Slither” guarantees a gory good time at the movies.