Nato – Slither
What do you get when you mix fanboy acting god Nathan Fillion, a before her time Elizabeth Banks, and Troma-raised writer/director James Gunn? Well, you get this delightful little creature feature which is part backwoods horror comedy, part torture flick, as Michael Rooker creepily infects a slew of unsuspecting bumpkins.
Now, did I purposely suggest writing a Netflix Watch Instantly recommendation themed column this week just to re-watch Slither again? No, but hot damn if I’m not enjoying me some solid alien horror comedy goodness as I write. Gunn channels everything he learned while working on Troma sets in his cinematic infancy, comes up with his own creative story and clear vision, and birthed a phenomenal B-Movie horror mash-up for all to enjoy.
Lead by a colorful cast of stereotypical locals, Gunn’s actors give Slither some down home Southern charm, but its leads all meld right in with the atmosphere as well. Fillion and Banks both put on their best country-fried drawl, with Fillion bringing his typical cocky yet confident performance, like a deer hunting Malcolm Reynolds. Mayor Jack MacReady (Gregg Henry) plays along perfectly with the local motif as well, playing a notably hilarious town leader, obviously trying to explaining why a “giant squid” is killing livestock.
When I think Halloween movie watching, I think hanging out with your friends and enjoying a fun watch. When I think of those parameters, I most definitely think Slither.
Great, now I have to somehow will myself to keep writing this article instead of watching the rest. I mean, zombie deer?! Get on this right now.
Remy – The Gate
Okay, why is it I have never talked about how much I love this movie? Listen, this has everything awesome about the eighties, all in one horror film: Bad clothes, heavy metal music, bitchy older sisters, and opening a gate to Hell.
Seriously, the movie is about some kids who play a metal album backwards, and it opens a gate to Hell in their backyard. Little, badass demons pour out, and a bunch of crazy shit begins to happen, and it’s all eighties, and all amazing. Why you are reading this and not streaming the movie RIGHT NOW is beyond me, but I will explain my favorite shot in the movie, a shot I am shocked hasn’t been stolen and used over and over again in other horror films.
Some big zombie guy comes into room, falls down, and breaks into a bunch of little demons that scatter all around the room – that’s it.
It may sound simple, but the effect was outstanding at the time, and put a fear of heavy metal in me I have never gotten over. Actually, I finally faced that fear last year when I formed the metal band, Crypt Dick. It’s a play off the word cryptic. You need to be dark and tortured to understand us. You should check out our Myspace page. We have 56 fans. I feel like I need to use a sarcasm font here.
I would turn that font off again and tell you one more time to watch The Gate, though. It is fun horror, which I don’t get to recommend enough. I know I normally recommend truly messed up cinema, but I’ll save that for my next pick.
 Continue reading on the next page…
