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EspañolSLITHER (2006 FILM)
(Redirected from Slither (film))
'''Slither''' is a 2006 horror-comedy film by Universal, written and directed by James Gunn, and starring Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, Tania Saulnier and Jenna Fischer, and was produced by Paul Brooks and Eric Newman. ''Slither'' was James Gunn's directorial debut, and borrows from classic alien invasion films such as ''The Blob'' and particularly ''Night of the Creeps''.[2][3][4]
Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) is infected by an extraterrestrial creature that threatens to destroy the human race. Soon, unusual things begin to happen within the normally peaceful town of Wheelsy. Pets go missing, followed by livestock, and finally people, with all of it leading back to Grant. As Grant slowly transforms into a hideous creature, his wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks) begins to notice her husband's behavior and physical changes. Wheelsy's citizens are infected by the alien parasite plague, which is transforming them into zombies. The zombies are being controlled through a hive mind relationship with Grant. A small group of survivors led by the town's sheriff, Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion), try to prevent the parasites from spreading. When the heroes disocver the zombies can be traced back to Grant, they realize they need to kill him. In a desperate attack, the survivors manage to blow up the Grant monster, killing the zombies as well. An after-credit sequence shows Grant's remains infecting a cat.
Slither'' was a box office bomb, earning only $3,880,270 in its opening weekend, and grossing a domestic box office of $7,802,450 and a foreign box office of $4,279,936, substantially less than its total budget of $29.5 million (when marketing costs are included). "We were crushingly disappointed," said Paul Brooks, president of Slither's production company, Gold Circle Films. Consequently, some studio insiders have expressed that Slither's performance may discourage future production of similar films. Producer Paul Brooks offered this explanation about why ''Slither'' failed to catch on with movie-goers:
Film review website Rotten Tomatoes, which calculates the consensus of critics across the USA, found that "Slither" was generally embraced favorably by critics,[5] with a rating of "84% fresh".[6] The movie was also featured in the April 14th, 2006 issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' as #1 on "The Must List"; "Ten Things We Love This Week".[7] ''Slither'' picked up the 2006 ''Fangoria'' "Chainsaw Award" for the ''Highest Body Count'', and garnered nominations in the categories of ''Relationship From Hell'', ''Dude You Don' t Wanna Mess With'', and ''Looks That Kill''.[8] Additionally, the horror magazine ''Rue Morgue'' named ''Slither'' the “Best Feature Film of the Year,” a title bestowed on the film by the magazine’s messageboard community as well.[9] Amongst the critics who did not like the film, ''Ebert & Roeper'' gave ''Slither'' two thumbs down, with Richard Roeper saying he was ''"all zombied out"'' after reviewing a wave of zombie-themed movies from the year before.[10]
''Slither'' was released on regular DVD and on HD DVD / DVD hybrid disc on October 24th, 2006.[11]. The HD version is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen encoded at 1080p and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround. Critic Michael Phillips made ''Slither'' his DVD pick of the week on ''Ebert and Roeper''. The DVD opened at #15, grossing $2.08 million in its opening week.[12] The DVD total gross reached $11.1 million.[1] ''Slither'' was listed as one of the “Top 25 DVDs of the Year” by Peter Travers in ‘’Rolling Stone’’ Magazine [13].
In addition to the film, the DVD contains two making-of documentaries, one being solely dedicated to the visual effects. The DVD also contains deleted and extended scenes, a blooper reel, visual effects progressions, a set tour with Nathan Fillion, and audio commentary by James Gunn and Nathan Fillion. Also included are featurettes outlining how to make edible blood, and Lloyd Kaufman's documentary discussing his day on set, and the shooting of his one line (which was eventually cut from the film). Finally, there is an added bonus entitled "Who Is Bill Pardy?" which is a joke feature made by Gunn with the sole purpose of roasting Nathan Fillion, and was shown at the film's wrap party.[14]
Director James Gunn was said to be influenced by the wave of graphically violent horror B-movies of the 1970s and 1980s, largely created by such directors as John Carpenter, Lloyd Kaufman, David Cronenberg and Stuart Gordon, some of his homages include:
★ ''Slither'' is strikingly similar to ''Night of the Creeps''. Both films feature plagues of small parasitic worms. In both movies, the creatures originate from outer space and travel to earth in the form of a meteorite, a homage to ''The Blob'' (1958). Another similarity between the films is that the alien worms enter people via their mouths, transforming their hosts into zombies. During the climax of each film, the heroes use flammable gas as a weapon, creating an explosion which finally destroys the alien menace. Both ''Night of the Creeps'' and ''Slither'' name characters, and settings after classic horror icons. At the end of both films, a small surviving piece of the alien attaches itself to a domestic pet.
★ For the bathtub scene, James Gunn said he was inspired by the movie ''Shivers''.
★ The owner of the saddle lodge where the start of the deer season was celebrated is named after Frank Henenlotter.
★ A department store at the beginning of film is named R.J. MacReady, referring to Kurt Russell's character in John Carpenter's ''The Thing''.[15]
★ A general store at the beginning of the film is called Max Renn's Guns & Ammo, a reference to James Woods' character in the film ''Videodrome''.
★ The local school is named Earl Bassett High after a lead character in the movie ''Tremors'' played by Fred Ward.
★ There is a mention of a family ranch owned by the 'Castevets'. The Castevets were Rosemary's neighbors in ''Rosemary's Baby''.
★ The music that is playing as the group of heroes arms themselves with confiscated weapons is from the movie ''Predator''.
★ The film Brenda is seen watching before Grant pays her a visit is ''The Toxic Avenger'', James Gunn's start in the film industry. Also, Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Films who made ''The Toxic Avenger'', has a cameo in the film as the 'Sad Drunk'.
★ The Mayor's last name is also MacReady, Kurt Russell's character in John Carpenter's ''The Thing''.
★ Dr. Karl, the doctor that Starla calls about Grant, was voiced by horror film buff and director Rob Zombie.
★ Director Cameo - The conversation Starla had with a fellow teacher was played by James Gunn
★ Jenna Fischer says that James Gunn gave her the role of Shelby as a "birthday present" after another actress left the film
★ After the credits, a brief scene is shown where a cat gets possessed by the remaining creature. An early draft featured this happening to Bill, at which time Starla sees the wound on his chest and shoots him.
1. http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/va/20060405/114423644400.html
2. http://movies.go.com/slither/r769695/horror
3. http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=24375
4. http://www.metroactive.com/bohemian/04.05.06/slither-0614.html
5. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/rtawards/movie_2006.php?r=21&mid=1159017&type=w
6. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/slither/
7. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1181146_7%7C%7C451056%7C0_0_,00.html
8. http://horror.about.com/od/tvseriesminiseries/a/chain_award06.htm
9. R.I.P. 2006 The Year in Review
10. Reviews from the Weekend of April 1–April 2, 2006. Ebert & Roeper, from movies.com.
11. Slither oozes to HD DVD This October
12. http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/rentals?date=2006-10-29®ion=us
13. Best 25 DVDs Peter Travers
14. jamesgunn.com
15. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439815/trivia
★
★ Official site
★ Trailer
'''Slither''' is a 2006 horror-comedy film by Universal, written and directed by James Gunn, and starring Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, Tania Saulnier and Jenna Fischer, and was produced by Paul Brooks and Eric Newman. ''Slither'' was James Gunn's directorial debut, and borrows from classic alien invasion films such as ''The Blob'' and particularly ''Night of the Creeps''.[2][3][4]
| Contents |
| Plot |
| Cast |
| Response |
| Box office |
| Critical reception |
| DVD release |
| References to other films |
| Trivia |
| References |
| External links |
Plot
Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) is infected by an extraterrestrial creature that threatens to destroy the human race. Soon, unusual things begin to happen within the normally peaceful town of Wheelsy. Pets go missing, followed by livestock, and finally people, with all of it leading back to Grant. As Grant slowly transforms into a hideous creature, his wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks) begins to notice her husband's behavior and physical changes. Wheelsy's citizens are infected by the alien parasite plague, which is transforming them into zombies. The zombies are being controlled through a hive mind relationship with Grant. A small group of survivors led by the town's sheriff, Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion), try to prevent the parasites from spreading. When the heroes disocver the zombies can be traced back to Grant, they realize they need to kill him. In a desperate attack, the survivors manage to blow up the Grant monster, killing the zombies as well. An after-credit sequence shows Grant's remains infecting a cat.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Banks | Starla Grant |
| Nathan Fillion | Bill Pardy |
| Michael Rooker | Grant Grant |
| Gregg Henry | Jack MacReady |
| Tania Saulnier | Kylie Strutemyer |
| Jenna Fischer | Shelby Cunningham |
| Brenda James | Brenda Gutierrez |
| Don Thompson | Wally Whale |
| Haig Sutherland | Trevor Carpenter |
| Jennifer Copping | Margaret Hooper |
| Lloyd Kaufman | Sad Drunk |
Response
Box office
Slither'' was a box office bomb, earning only $3,880,270 in its opening weekend, and grossing a domestic box office of $7,802,450 and a foreign box office of $4,279,936, substantially less than its total budget of $29.5 million (when marketing costs are included). "We were crushingly disappointed," said Paul Brooks, president of Slither's production company, Gold Circle Films. Consequently, some studio insiders have expressed that Slither's performance may discourage future production of similar films. Producer Paul Brooks offered this explanation about why ''Slither'' failed to catch on with movie-goers:
Critical reception
Film review website Rotten Tomatoes, which calculates the consensus of critics across the USA, found that "Slither" was generally embraced favorably by critics,[5] with a rating of "84% fresh".[6] The movie was also featured in the April 14th, 2006 issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' as #1 on "The Must List"; "Ten Things We Love This Week".[7] ''Slither'' picked up the 2006 ''Fangoria'' "Chainsaw Award" for the ''Highest Body Count'', and garnered nominations in the categories of ''Relationship From Hell'', ''Dude You Don
DVD release
''Slither'' was released on regular DVD and on HD DVD / DVD hybrid disc on October 24th, 2006.[11]. The HD version is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen encoded at 1080p and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 surround. Critic Michael Phillips made ''Slither'' his DVD pick of the week on ''Ebert and Roeper''. The DVD opened at #15, grossing $2.08 million in its opening week.[12] The DVD total gross reached $11.1 million.[1] ''Slither'' was listed as one of the “Top 25 DVDs of the Year” by Peter Travers in ‘’Rolling Stone’’ Magazine [13].
In addition to the film, the DVD contains two making-of documentaries, one being solely dedicated to the visual effects. The DVD also contains deleted and extended scenes, a blooper reel, visual effects progressions, a set tour with Nathan Fillion, and audio commentary by James Gunn and Nathan Fillion. Also included are featurettes outlining how to make edible blood, and Lloyd Kaufman's documentary discussing his day on set, and the shooting of his one line (which was eventually cut from the film). Finally, there is an added bonus entitled "Who Is Bill Pardy?" which is a joke feature made by Gunn with the sole purpose of roasting Nathan Fillion, and was shown at the film's wrap party.[14]
References to other films
Director James Gunn was said to be influenced by the wave of graphically violent horror B-movies of the 1970s and 1980s, largely created by such directors as John Carpenter, Lloyd Kaufman, David Cronenberg and Stuart Gordon, some of his homages include:
★ ''Slither'' is strikingly similar to ''Night of the Creeps''. Both films feature plagues of small parasitic worms. In both movies, the creatures originate from outer space and travel to earth in the form of a meteorite, a homage to ''The Blob'' (1958). Another similarity between the films is that the alien worms enter people via their mouths, transforming their hosts into zombies. During the climax of each film, the heroes use flammable gas as a weapon, creating an explosion which finally destroys the alien menace. Both ''Night of the Creeps'' and ''Slither'' name characters, and settings after classic horror icons. At the end of both films, a small surviving piece of the alien attaches itself to a domestic pet.
★ For the bathtub scene, James Gunn said he was inspired by the movie ''Shivers''.
★ The owner of the saddle lodge where the start of the deer season was celebrated is named after Frank Henenlotter.
★ A department store at the beginning of film is named R.J. MacReady, referring to Kurt Russell's character in John Carpenter's ''The Thing''.[15]
★ A general store at the beginning of the film is called Max Renn's Guns & Ammo, a reference to James Woods' character in the film ''Videodrome''.
★ The local school is named Earl Bassett High after a lead character in the movie ''Tremors'' played by Fred Ward.
★ There is a mention of a family ranch owned by the 'Castevets'. The Castevets were Rosemary's neighbors in ''Rosemary's Baby''.
★ The music that is playing as the group of heroes arms themselves with confiscated weapons is from the movie ''Predator''.
★ The film Brenda is seen watching before Grant pays her a visit is ''The Toxic Avenger'', James Gunn's start in the film industry. Also, Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Films who made ''The Toxic Avenger'', has a cameo in the film as the 'Sad Drunk'.
★ The Mayor's last name is also MacReady, Kurt Russell's character in John Carpenter's ''The Thing''.
Trivia
★ Dr. Karl, the doctor that Starla calls about Grant, was voiced by horror film buff and director Rob Zombie.
★ Director Cameo - The conversation Starla had with a fellow teacher was played by James Gunn
★ Jenna Fischer says that James Gunn gave her the role of Shelby as a "birthday present" after another actress left the film
★ After the credits, a brief scene is shown where a cat gets possessed by the remaining creature. An early draft featured this happening to Bill, at which time Starla sees the wound on his chest and shoots him.
References
1. http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/va/20060405/114423644400.html
2. http://movies.go.com/slither/r769695/horror
3. http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=24375
4. http://www.metroactive.com/bohemian/04.05.06/slither-0614.html
5. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/rtawards/movie_2006.php?r=21&mid=1159017&type=w
6. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/slither/
7. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1181146_7%7C%7C451056%7C0_0_,00.html
8. http://horror.about.com/od/tvseriesminiseries/a/chain_award06.htm
9. R.I.P. 2006 The Year in Review
10. Reviews from the Weekend of April 1–April 2, 2006. Ebert & Roeper, from movies.com.
11. Slither oozes to HD DVD This October
12. http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/rentals?date=2006-10-29®ion=us
13. Best 25 DVDs Peter Travers
14. jamesgunn.com
15. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439815/trivia
External links
★
★ Official site
★ Trailer
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