31 Days of Drafts and Darkness:

"Slither" (2006)

The 1950's featured horror heavily influenced by science fiction and alien invasion. The late 60's and early 70's are known for being the golden age of zombie films (Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'Dawn of the Dead'). Then the 80's ushered in a series of slasher flicks and gory creature features.

Tonight's entry is a pizza with all the terror-toppings, looking to pay homage to all of the above genres simultaneously.

The Plot:

In a sleepy mid-western American small-town (in scary movies, is there any other kind?), a meteorite crashes into a grassy field. The town millionaire, played by Michael Rooker (Merle from "The Walking Dead") stumbles upon the space rock and can't help but investigate. The suspiciously fleshly-looking hunk of meteorite fires a barb into Grant's chest. This sparks a string of mutations in the poor guy's body that begin to mutate him from human to....uh, squid throughout the course of the film.

Along the way, his grotesque metamorphosis will see him spreading this alien infection to other townsfolk. Some get directly mutated through an injection of goo from the tentacles on Grant's chest. Others fall victim to a plague of brain slugs that turn their hosts into zombies under the control of the monstrous Grant.

With more and more of the town getting infected, it's up the to town sheriff ("Firefly's" Nathon Fillion), the mayor, Grant's wife, and a neighborhood teenager to battle the zombie horde and find a way to destroy Grant before the invasion can spread over the planet. With each infected resident's brain wired into a sort of Grant-centered hive mind, the monstrous millionaire literally has eyes all over the town.  

The Flavor:

Director James Gunn (also known for the indie hero-satire 'Super') shows his die-hard horror fandom through this film. "Slither" is his homage to a huge variety of horror styles, encompassing elements of monster movies, body horror, zombie film, and sci-fi invasion flick. What makes the film so entertaining isn't that these elements are simply present, but that the style and vibe of the film wraps around each genre it honors. You'd swear you were watching a creature feature or zombie flick from decades ago if you were to walk into this film half-way through.

"Slither" also uses frequent humor to prevent its audience from getting too grossed-out. Although the film throws buckets of slime at the screen, much of it is done to over-the-top and nonrealistic effect. Oh sure, there are ample Ewwwww moments. We are talking about a film that blends brain parasites, zombies, and body horror after all. Alien goo comes with the territory. But all the gore and gunk is showcased in the cartoony-sort of way that never makes it overly nasty.  You'll laugh after the initial wince.

The cast and the bewildered way they face the onslaught further sets the largely-comedic tone of the film. "Slither's" heroes react to the situation much in the same way any of us would. They're not dashing heroes or cowering fools, rather regular people flabbergasted at just how the hell to respond to all the craziness unfolding around them. 

In fact, the most realistic part of the film is seeing just how frozen and dumbfounded Nathon Fillon and his friends get when something monstrous appears in front of them. Much like we'd react, their brains simply can't process that what they're seeing is real.  

"Um...we're actually seeing this, right? This is really happening. It's not just me. Right? Guys?"

"Slither" overall tone reminds me fondly of "Ghostbusters" in how the average-Joe heroes must buck up and face the horrific with what little insight and resources they have. That they're able to maintain a sarcastic kind of rapport throughout  keeps things light. The film's a lot more horror-centric than "Ghostbusters", but has plenty of laughs to help smooth the scares out. "Slither", for all its guts and glory, never forgets to wink at the camera.

Best Paired with:

That said, though "Slither" never takes itself too seriously, know what you're in for when you sit down to watch. Many of the makeup effects are done in the practical style, so ample latex and karo syrup get tossed around. There's also plenty of green, yellow, and other nasty-looking shades of alien bodily fluid spraying left and right. As I noted, it's all cartoony, but in the excessive sort of way that might make things too icky for some viewers. Those that are up for casual horror may want to fast-forward through a few moments. Even the little slugs, of which there are dozens, are slimy and gross.

If you're a horror fan for or all of the genres "Slither" pays tribute to, you'll find plenty to make you smile. James Gunn's love for horror shines through "Slither" with a multitude of references and in-jokes. Because of the horror-pedigree the movie's based on, while much of it is hysterical, know that there's plenty of splatter to go with it. If you're in the market for a spooky Halloween flick with some creative and old-school effects, "Slither" makes for a great time. 

Order a pizza (Make it vegetarian, not meat-lovers. Trust me on this), and enjoy.

Accompanying Brew:

Ok, so here we have a horror/dark comedy with equal touches of gross, terrifying, and campy fun. Easy as it would be to recommend something lighter, "Slither's" sheer quantity of horror references gives it a depth that calls for a more robust beverage.

Red Hook's Out-of-your-Gourd Pumpkin Porter features almost as many flavors as "Slither" does horror genres. The darker malts used in the brew give it the roasted taste and heavier body characteristic of typical porters. Alongside that, you've a bright pumpkin spice note that plays well with the bolder malts. This combo of dark malts and pumpkin spice showed up in the Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout (reviewed in the entry from Oct. 5th), and like in that brew, the stronger malt flavor prevents the spices from getting overpowering. As a porter, Red Hook's seasonal beer has a lighter body than Fisherman's stout, but it's still heavier that your typical golden ale.

But we're not done talking flavor, yet. Out-of-your-Gourd also includes a splash of maple syrup. With a less-hoppy element than something like Anchor Steam's Big Leaf Maple, the sweet notes and tang of the maple syrup are more upfront with the roasted malts. Much in the same way these dark malts help balance the pumpkin spice, so too do they prevent the maple sweetness from getting to be too much. You're left with an aftertaste that features some spice and maple flavor, but is mostly composed of roasted notes. This helps to cleanse the palate in between sips.

For a fun and suitably-spooky Halloween film and brew, both "Slither" and Red Hook's Out-your-Gourd Pumpkin Porter paired up very well. Both are balanced blends of numerous flavors into one tasty and rich product.