The paint-by-numbers plot of "Slugs" is hardly innovative, even for a horror movie: chemical wastes generate mutated, flesh-eating killer slugs in a small community whose authority figures refuse to believe the stalwart head of the local health department until it is too late. Our heroes are on their own to devise a way to kill the beasties and do so with explosive vigor and sacrifice...except. And although the film was made after Roger Corman left New World, it has his trademark drive-in blend of teen sex, blood, and gross-out makeup effects. But the direction is tight, efficient and never lagging, with good production values within its budget and mostly competent acting and dialog that lets the clichés roll. Special effects are quite well done (if generally repulsive), and the small town atmosphere (exteriors were primarily filmed in the upstate New York town of Lyons) is effective. Slugs is an above average entry into the low budget eco-horror genre, good for those who still miss Saturday night at the drive-in.

Thanks, Bekah! What a fun time this was!I listen to a horror-movie podcast daily called Shockwaves. On it, 3-4 hosts comment on movies they saw that week and one cohost in particular, Rebekah McKendry, talks about Slugs almost weekly. It's her "guilty pleasure," though they try and shy away from that term.I'm a huge When Animals Attack films fan. Cheese, sure. Realistic, eh. But, when these creature-features cross my path, I just enjoy the sh|t out of them.This movie, I've been told (Thanks, Kevin!) was unintentionally hilarious. In the first few frames, it's rock-solid LOL. One could look at this, in those opening shots on a boat with the male-half being sucked into the water by some 3-inch slugs as a bad-bad film, but because it, and the dialogue, was so hilarious, I was instantly on- board.Apparently, previous toxic waste created these mutated, meat-eating slugs and they proceed to terrorize an "arm-pit" town. Of course, we have our government employees hot on the case to exterminate them!I've seen my share of When Animal Attacks films. They're all pretty much the same, like the ghost stories of late. But, this one stood out. Quite a bit, in fact. There were tons of creature attacks. More than the norm for these 80s horror subgenre films. And in a lot of the cases, the gruesome factor was at 10, like they were really trying. It's bad, sí. But, it's so painfully on target for this type of film, it's thoroughly enjoyable. You MUST like When Animal Attacks movies and bad 80s dialogue to get into it, but if you're like me…you'll slug right past the bad to get to the goods.***Final thoughts: Now, watch Squirm via the MST3k version. The same type of movie, but the MST3k guys really bring that movie to life.

Back in the 80s the glut of low budget horror films was running rampant. Most weren't playing in theaters around the country but the movies did make their way to the grindhouses of the world and then onto video store shelves where horror and gore fans flocked to find the latest release. One such film that garnered attention as well as a small cult following was the film SLUGS, new on blu-ray from Arrow Video.The story is fairly simple and feels like it was derived from the tons of oversized radiation induced monsters of the fifties. A small town is having a rash of murders occurring and no one seems to know what the cause is. Each victim seems to have been eaten alive, their skin and flesh wolfed down to the bone. With no trace of evidence to connect the murders to anyone local Sheriff Reese is at wits end.The local health inspector, Mike Brady, is called to the scene of the first known death. Brady and Sheriff Reese never have seen eye to eye, not in small part due to the Sheriff's always angry disposition. How this man ever got elected is beyond me. Looking for clues Mike doesn't find anything definite but he does notice a trail of slime at the murder scene.As the film progresses more people are killed and in the most gore filled ways. One young teen couple is fooling around only for the girl to fall out of bed and into a massive pile of the man eating blood sucking slugs that are the protagonist in the film. Like the title didn't give that away. Nude and covered in blood and slugs her fate is sealed. The same holds true for various other town folks who are attacked and killed.By the time Brady figures out what is going on he tries to warn the mayor and Sheriff. But with a major development deal in the making and the folks behind it in town no one wants to hear about it. With the help of his best friend, the town planner, they take to the sewer system with the aid of the local high school science teacher to flush out the slugs and bring an end to their reign of terror.So the first question is, is this film any good. Seriously? With a title like SLUGS you ask that question? Of course it isn't a great cinematic achievement. But then again with a title like that and a plot to match why would anyone expect it to be Oscar material. So let's rephrase that question. Is the film a fun filled romp that is absurd, gore filled, cheezy and enjoyable if you let it be so? Absolutely. Don't go in expecting great theater and you'll have some fun with this one.The over the top gore aspect of this film is exactly what made those films in the 80s pop with horror fans. Having gone through decades with little gore and then fueled by films like DAWN OF THE DEAD the gore factor suddenly took off through the roof. Slimy slugs with big mouths and sharp teeth as well as being able to slide along faster than real life slugs seemed like a natural antagonist. This American/Spanish production made the best of what small story there was and created one of those movies that popped up on cable non-stop and rented well at video stores.While those VHS copies are still found, more often than not for sale on ebay, this release puts all of those to shame. Arrow Video, who I've hailed before for saving genre titles and non-mega hits that still have fans, has done it again with a quality transfer of the film. The washed out, blurry tape versions have been replaced with a sharp picture that is amazing considering the sources. The sound is also amazing.If that wasn't enough the extras are enough to keep you busy as well. Included are an audio commentary track by writer/filmmaker Chris Alexander, HERE'S SLUGS IN YOUR EYE – an interview with actor Emilio Linder, THEY SLIME THEY OOZE THEY KILL: THE EFFECTS OF SLUGS – an interview with special effects artist Carlo De Marchis, INVASION USA – an interview with are director Gonzalo Gonzalo, THE LYONS DEN – an interview and locations tour with production manager Larry Ann Evans, a 1988 Goya Awards promo reel, the original theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve with newly commissioned artwork and a fully illustrated collector booklet with new writing by writer Michael Gingold. When watched with the movie it's enough to keep you busy for an entire evening.So SLUGS isn't a cinematic achievement that major film scholars will be dissecting for years to come. It's fun! It's one of those movies that you don't have to look for subtext in or find political implications running throughout. It is a simple monster movie with the oddest choice of creature you can think of. Pop this one during a party and watch folks howl with laughter while groaning at the gore scenes as well. It's a popcorn movie for those with strong stomachs and fun for horror fans who will want to add this one to their collection.

You can't take this movie seriously...certainly the producer, director, and actors didn't. This is a movie crying out for the MST3K treatment, as there are just dozens of funny lines and situations. (One of my favorites is how the second male-lead questions a plan to dump huge amounts of "lithium-based arsenic" into the town's sewer system to make all the slugs explode. After asking, "You're not thinking of doing that, are you?" he basically goes along without any further argument or persuasion. You have to see it to appreciate the 180-degree turn he executes.) The music is unbelievable, too. Much of it sounds like it was stolen from a 1950s Saturday-morning kids' show.There's quite a bit of blood and some graphic sequences, but nothing too disturbing. In fact, there's no real tension at all in the movie. There's also a smattering of nudity, but just enough to hook the high school boys in the 80s.Another one of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Palmer (Phillip MacHale) meets two more couples at a bar near the beginning of the movie. The other couples are fairly young and attractive, as is Palmer. But his wife is (inexplicably) played by Concha Cuetos, a fairly popular actress in her own country. She ought to be playing a matron who is threatened in her home by the slugs. Instead, your first reaction is, "Palmer is dating HIS MOM?!?" Later on, when they start making lovey-dovey conversation, you really can't help but just laugh out loud and squirm a bit.Finally, the one scene that makes the movie totally worth it is the scene where a slug takes a nip at the lead character's finger. I won't tell you where it is in the movie, but be prepared to see the scariest slug ever.I would give this more stars, but some of the secondary characters actually seem to think that they were making a genuinely scary movie.