With recent news that James Gunn is reteaming with actress Elizabeth Banks for an upcoming horror movie in which he’ll produce, now is a perfect time to revisit their first partnership; his directorial debut Slither. Released 12 years ago on March 25, 2006, Gunn’s debut struck the perfect balance of funny and gross-out scary, never veering too far into either territory. Considering Gunn’s Troma roots, his deft ability to handle gore and humor should come as no surprise.
Also written by Gunn, the story follows a slug-like alien invasion by way of meteorite that crashes into the quaint town of Wheelsy, South Carolina. The parasites turn the town’s residents into zombies and mutated monsters, spreading fast with only a small rag-tag group to stand in their way. It’s a premise that inevitably draws comparisons to Fred Dekker’s horror-comedy from 1986, Night of the Creeps. The truth, though, is that Gunn’s film pays homage to a vast number of horror films. Too many to call this a copycat of a singular film.
Slither is a treasure trove of horror Easter Eggs. You can spot references in the background of scenes shot in town, like R.J. McCready’s Funeral Home, a nod to The Thing. There’s a sign that says “Henenlotter’s Saddle Lodge presents Deer Cheer,” named after director Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Frankenhooker). The character Brenda is a niece to Randy Flagg in the script, a nod to a major villain in the Stephen King universe. Brenda happens to be watching The Toxic Avenger when Grant (Michael Rooker) comes to her house. The high school is named after a character, Earl Bassett, in Tremors. Rob Zombie is the voice of the doctor talking to Elizabeth Banks’ Starla on the phone. The mutilated dogs are discovered on “Castevet’s farm,” an homage to the Satan-worshipping neighbors in Rosemary’s Baby. The list of references is endless.
Gunn himself has said in interviews that it was David Cronenberg’s films The Brood and Shivers that played the biggest influences on him when creating the story of Slither, and Junji Ito’s surreal horror graphic novel Uzumaki. There’s a distinct level of deep-seated passion for the genre on display, but one of the things that I love most about Slither is that it’s one that Gunn still appears to hold very dear. Whereas most who start out in horror seem to sweep their early efforts under the rug once they’ve hit it big in Hollywood, Gunn embraces it. He gave Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman and the slugs from Slither a cameo in blockbuster hit Guardians of the Galaxy, perpetually keeping one foot in horror as he becomes more successful.
As fantastic as the gore and creature effects are, and the many gags and jokes that actually stick their landing, it’s the core theme of love and family that keeps Slither grounded. Guardians of the Galaxy is so regarded because of the group of misfits at the center of the film that you really care about, something that Gunn was already well versed at in his directorial debut. Both wield humor as defense mechanisms for human emotions and pain beneath. The central love triangle between Starla, Grant, and Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) provides the emotional heartbeat of the film, and what made typically gore-averse critics go crazy over the film.
At the box office, Slither flopped, failing to recoup its budget despite decent critical praise. Over the years it’s amassed a much bigger cult following, and with it a slew of fantastic home releases chock full of extra footage and features to highlight just how detailed Gunn and crew’s work on this underappreciated gem really was. Slither has aged-well 12 years later for its practical effects, humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and heart. It’s not an homage to any one film, but a love letter to horror itself.
