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Slither - Blu-ray Review

5 beersGod, I have missed this movie.  Slither has long been my go-to movie when folks I encounter have questions about the often-misunderstood horror-comedy subgenre.  This is highly quotable material and it goes for broke in its commitment to entertain as the zingers and its sticky icky splatter thrills are unstoppable.  The film is creepy enough with its solid effects – a healthy combination of practical and CGI – and spitting infected people to be gross and, as there is often a wink and a nudge along the way, keeps its spirits up.  

CrittersTremorsSlither.  When it comes to creature feature horror comedies, this seems to be the Holy Trinity of underappreciated titles.  There are others, sure, but people seem to keep coming back to these three titles for constant entertainment and their cult status continues to climb.  For the longest time, though, it was Slithers that got the cold shoulder.  I could never understand why.  And now, thanks to Scream Factory, it beats the others to the Collector’s Edition release. 

And why not?  Scream Factory is simply striking while the iron is hot and the writer/director behind this modern cult classic is ON FIRE.  Plus, if you ask me, Slither gives Air Supply the best reintroduction into popular culture with its use of “Every Woman To Me” as the alien at the center of the flick attempts to woe his bride. 

Written and directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), it feels only appropriate to showcase Slither’s certifiable command of weirdness and genre expectations.  We get human mutilations, hive-like behaviors, cattle assaults and, hell, even deer get in on the mutating fun.  It’s freaky – with both a shower and a bathtub scene – as these outer space worms shove themselves down any opening they can.

Gunn, who writes about an alien invasion in the way only he can, and his cast – which includes Nathan Fillion as Bill Pardy, Elizabeth Banks as Starla Grant, Gregg Henry as Mayor Jack MacReady, Michael Rooker as Grant Grant, Tania Saulnier as Kylie Strutemyer, Brenda James as Brenda Gutierrez, Don Thompson as Wally Whale, Jenna Fischer as Shelby Cunningham, Haig Sutherland as Trevor Carpenter, and Jennifer Copping as Margaret Hooper – definitely deliver the goods in this slime fest of kooky space oddities invading a small town with more shotguns than stoplights. 

The charisma is high with this one and, if the cast members are to be believed, there was little improv behind the scenes. Gunn’s voice is that spot-on with the humor.  And, trust me, there’s not a sour note in this flick.  Not surprising considering Gunn’s track record with Troma and the Scooby Doo movie franchise. 

The small town of Wheelsy won’t ever be the same after this extraterrestrial parasite rips through its main street.  Even the cattle aren’t safe.  Originally made when the horror comedy genre was dead in the water, Slither was a box office bomb.  It did receive favorable reviews from the critics, who praised its throwback vibe to 1950s type of B movie terror.  But audiences were nowhere to be seen.  It has gone on to be something else, of course, thanks to home video releases and late night showings on movie channels.       

“Something’s wrong with me, ” the movie famously suggests.  Its fans know this to be true and they love Slither for its humor and its depravity.  There can be only one Slither and, thanks to Scream Factory, this bitch is hardcore.

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Slither - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R for strong horror violence and gore, and language.
Runtime:
95 mins
Director
: James Gunn
Writer:
James Gunn
Cast:
Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Slug it out.
Memorable Movie Quote: "If I weren't about to shit in my pants right now, I'd be fuckin' fascinated."
Theatrical Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
March 31, 2006
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
August 1, 2017.
Synopsis: From the co-writer and director of Guardians Of The Galaxy and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, comes the deliciously demented story of an unnamed evil wreaking havoc on a small town. Intent on devouring all life on Earth, this dark and slimy entity is infecting anyone in its path. Now it's up to the local sheriff, Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion, Firefly, Serenity), and his team to stop the spread of rampant devastation – and shocking mutilation – before it's too late. This outrageously funny horror film also stars Michael Rooker (Guardians Of The Galaxy, The Walking Dead), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect) and Gregg Henry (Body Double, Jason Bourne).

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Slither - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Collector's Edition

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- August 1, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

With a new 4K scan of the original interpositive, Scream Factory’s new release of Slither is a must for ANYONE who digs horror-comedy subgenre offerings.  Scream Factory presents the film on 1080p with a clean transfer that preserves the film’s original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  The film is dominated with deep yellows, browns and greens that absolutely burst with color.  It’s a dark film, for sure, but the black levels never crush and hold their edges.  The clothing items – including Banks’ white nightgown – are detailed and the simple down to earth backgrounds burst with new details and a nice level of clarity.  The new transfer gives us a supple look at Rooker’s transformation design and his spiky tentacles are crisp and detailed, as well.  Black levels are solid and skin tones are natural.  Shadows are defined and the film has a new depth previously unseen.  Audio wise, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 stereo soundtrack is clear and the dialogue is never lost or hard to hear.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  •  All hail be to Scream Factory!  The NEW commentary, featuring Writer/Director James Gunn and Actors Nathan Fillion And Michael Rooker, is simply amazing and fun and, as Gunn continues to cast both Fillion and Rooker in his movies, relevant.  It’s not to be missed.

Special Features:

  • Scream Factory doesn’t disappoint with their NEW supplemental items.  We get Gunn and Henry in new interviews talking about the movie.  And don’t forget the commentary.  The rest have been ported over from the original DVD release.
  • NEW Audio Commentary With Writer/Director James Gunn And Actors Nathan Fillion And Michael Rooker
  • NEW The Genesis Of SLITHER – An Interview With Writer/Director James Gunn
  • NEW The Other MacReady – An Interview With Actor Gregg Henry
  • Audio Commentary With James Gunn And Nathan Fillion (From 2006)
  • Deleted And Extended Scenes With Optional Commentary By James Gunn
  • Visual Effects: Step By Step
  • Slithery Set Tour With Actor Nathan Fillion
  • The Sick Minds And Slimy Days Of SLITHER
  • Brewing The Blood – How To Make Blood
  • Bringing SLITHER's Creatures To Life
  • Lloyd Kaufman's Video Diary
  • Gag Reel
  • Who Is Bill Pardy? Featurette
  • Theatrical Trailer

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Slither - Blu-ray Review

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