Slither

Anyone of remotely delicate sensibilities should keep far, far away from Slither, said Randy Myers in the Contra Costa, Calif., Times. The film positively 'œrejoices in giving us close-ups of gooey creepy-crawlies burrowing into mouths of Southern hillbillies.' These critters have hitched a ride to Earth on a meteorite that crashed near Wheelsy, S.C. Soon, they've taken up residence in Grant Grant, the town's richest man. It's not everyone's 'œcinematic cup of tea,' but it's 'œhysterically funny,' and written and directed by a man with the 'œcampy sensibilities to successfully pull off this kind of trash.' James Gunn pays tribute to creature features, zombie movies, and alien invasion films all at once, said Tom Long in the Detroit News. More impressively, he does so while deftly balancing the grossness with slapstick comedy. Slither also benefits from a cast far finer than that of most B movies, said David Germain in The Miami Herald. It's led by Nathan Fillion, as police chief Bill Pardy, who's superbly goofy, while maintaining his rakish charm. 'œThis guy deserves to be a major star.' Michael Rooker as Grant and Elizabeth Banks as his wife, Starla, are also terrific. The peak moment comes when the zombies do A Streetcar Named Desire, chasing Starla while calling her name instead of Marlon Brando's 'œStella!'

Rating: R

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