SLITHER

A Mysterious asteroid crash lands on our dear Planet Earth, more specifically in the quaint lil redneck town of Wheesly, Texas. As it turns out to be the asteroid was playing host to megalomaniac parasitic aliens hell bent on taking over the word. But of course!! The aliens find their first unsuspecting host body in local rich boy Grant Grant (Michael Rooker)who begins to sprout hive-like inflamations all over his body. Good ol' Grant in turn impregnates his ex-girlfriend's younger sister who in turns into a giant-sized parade-balloon who splits open end to end releasing a host of creepy slug like creatures who tend to crawl into your oral orifice and take over your body.

The world is in danger and who better to save the day than good ol'Sheriff Pardy (Nathan Fillion) along with childhood crush and Grant's good wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks). Yup! Strictly B-grade. And what fun!!!

Debut Director James Gunn plays the movie like a cinematic equivalent of a sustained poker face. He goes from scene to scene tongue firmly in cheek leaving no room for the feet. The scene where a distraught Starla tries to sweet-talk an infected Grant Grant who looks more like a giant fleshy squid with bad teeth, about marriage and it's promises and love is priceless. You can almost catch Gunn's wiseass smirk right behind the camera.

Horror is strictly of the gross-out and Boo varieties, with more of a leaning towards gross out. Gunn directs with a perverse whimsy such that even if he manages to build up tension, he rats on his earnestness with something downright farcical. He's giving them as low as they come.

Gunn's master-stroke lies in the casting of Nathan Fillion as Sheriff Brady. Coming off a terrific turn as Capt. Mal Reynolds in 'Serenity', Fillion understands the whimsical nature of the proceedings and is absolutely game. He seems to be having a ball of a time a la the legendary Bruce Campbell in 'Evil Dead'.

This is certainly not a movie for everybody. Those with a tendency to be easily disgusted and 'eww'ed, back off!! But for those out there who've worn out their 'Evil Dead' DVDs and are tired of catching all those "Tremors' reruns on HBO and AXN, this is essential cinema.