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‘Slither’ Is NOT A Remake Of ‘Night Of The Creeps’!!

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Over the weekend I got into a debate with Lonmonster and Mr. Disgusting on Twitter. It all started when Lonnie asserted that Slither was a remake of Night Of The Creeps and pretty soon we got into discussing which one of them might be the better film. A lot of folks I respect have mentioned the Creeps vs. Slither thing to me over the years, so I figured I’d finally weigh in with my thoughts here.

First of all (and with all due respect to my colleagues), I’d like to say that Slither is in no way a remake of Night Of The Creeps. Yes, I will concede the point that the biology of the slug creatures is quite similar (especially when you consider the fact that they “possess” people). Aside from that though, I don’t see a whole lot of similarity. The slugs in James Gunn’s film are part of a host of creatures that all tie into the consciousness of the creature that has taken hold of Michael Rooker’s Grant Grant. While the slug induced infections in both films threaten world domination, the psychology of the creatures is wildly different. The creature inside Grant Grant is a world conqueror, we see through its memories that it has effortlessly toppled more feral planets. But the stumbling block on Earth is that it has to confront one of the elements that makes us well… human. Love.

Grant Grant is feeling love for the first time, which is ultimately his undoing. When he makes love with Starla (Elizabeth Banks), he cries tears of joy at this utterly unfamiliar feeling. Of course he’s still going to be the world conquering creature that he is (and he kills plenty of people in the film) but his affection for Starla is palpable enough to be his downfall. In a way he’s a malevolent, viral, version of King Kong. And the blonde is his weakness.

After that the differences between the two films become even more vast. Night Of The Creeps is more of a collegiate romp, whereas Slither remarkably makes a vast canvas out of a small town. By shifting protagonists in each act, we’re allowed to spend considerable time with the residents of Wheelsy. From cops to farm families, adults to children, rich to poor, politicians to trailer trash. In fact, it seems as though we don’t see any college age characters, a demographic that populates the vast majority of the Creeps cast (Tom Atkins deservedly legendary performance aside).

And, while I love Night Of The Creeps, I’d have to argue that Slither is overall the better film. Both of them are underrated horror comedies, but Slither really sticks the landing. It’s my feeling that Creeps sort of loses momentum at the end. Around the time J.C. tragically checks out (an admirably bold move that unfortunately serves to undercut the fun vibe of the film) I begin to feel my interest waning somewhat. The image of Chris and Cindy armed with a shotgun and flamethrower outside the sorority house is a great one, but the actual payoff of the sequence is sort of slight.

Slither, on the other hand is able to keep us invested all the way until the end credits. Starla offering herself to the monstrous Grant Grant in the name of saving their marriage emotionally reinvests us before the final, violent showdown. The image of the encroaching “zombies” dropping suddenly when their link to Grant’s consciousness is terminated is fantastic. And the final shot of Starla, Bill and Tania limping away is incredibly satisfying.

Both films are great horror comedies, and I wouldn’t fault anyone for disagreeing with me, but Slither sticks to my ribs more. And it’s most certainly not a remake. Disagree? Have a preference? Vote in the poll below!

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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