Slugs the Movie (1988)

   
Directed by: Juan Piquer Simon

Written by: José Antonio Escrivá, Ron Gantman & Juan Piquer Simon
Shaun Hutson (Novel)

Starring:

Michael Garfield .... Mike Brady
Kim Terry .... Kim Brady
Philip Machale .... Don Palmer
Alicia Moro .... Maureen Watson
Santiago Alvarez .... John Foley
Concha Cuetos .... Maria Palmer
John Battaglia .... Sheriff Reese
Emilio Linder .... David Watson

Release Date: Theatrical: February, 1988

*Images courtesy at: www.i-mockery.com

 

 

 

Rating:

 

People are dying mysteriously with their bodies rotting in which a health worker Mike Brady (Michael Garfield) does some researching on this issue in which he finds out that the cause is that people are devoured by meat eating slugs in which was caused by some sort of toxic in their sewage system.
He tries to tell the authorities about it but they laugh at his story so he goes to the aid of a friend Don Palmer (Philip Machale)
to go down to their sewage system and snuff these critters out.

 

The cover of the box looked interesting and I saw the beginning of it with two teenagers in a boat of a lake. I wondered to myself if this was a summer movie or not. The lines and performances looked very amateurish and then there's an opening credits with a neon background showing a bunch of slugs. I was thinking to myself that this looked terribly lame. Then I spot on the credits that this was based on a novel. My guess is that the novel didn't sell well cause I've never heard of it. Definetely not in the same vein as Stephen King or Dean Koontz by any means.
While the main characters do some research on a first murder case on what seems to be an attack by some wild animal there's a nagging neighbor which tries to make the story humoress but I'm not laughing at all.
Then the story starts with a middle aged drunk walking his dog and a teenage delinquent speeding past him which seemed very cheesy but fun to watch as well as seeing his lifestyle on how filthy his big run down house is and infested by slugs YUCK!!! Then it's such a joke when he lies on his couch and is attacked in which made me think "Is this for real???"
The scenery looked quite poor but yet gloomy which seemed to suit the story looking like it takes place in late fall or early winter. There's many shocking moments used in this story such as some slugs slithering into a glove of a gardener and then he puts on the glove and can't get it off and tries everything to get it off but no hope so he chops his hand off with an axe in which this moment can make you cringe as well as this moment being a pre-Saw in some sort of way.
We also see some slugs hiding in some lettuce that's being cut up to make a salad without this person noticing that their vegetable is contaminated by the slugs. I was like "Oh gross they're gonna eat it????" Later on one of them said the salad tasted a bit salty and I was like "YUCK!" Later on this person has migranes in which you think to yourself that something terrible is going to happen and later on it just does which is incredibly shocking. For people who have a strong stomach I would advise you not to see this.
In this film we have to have your everyday teenagers as one of them seems to want to have a challenge by dating a juvenile delinquent in which this character very much so reminds me of a Buddy Repperton type from the Stephen King classic Christine. The fun does start when this delinquent and his girlfriend starts to get naughty by hanging out in the house which does give it a teenage horror feel to it but it falls flat when they end up fornicating. Yes of course we need some teenage lust in this film. It gets shocking as the slugs come into the room eating these two alive in which this sure looks pretty graphic and intense.
There's also a close up shot on someone about to touch a slug and the slugs mouth is going to bite which looked like cheesy special effect in which I got a chuckle out of.
There's the odd scary moments in the film like the slimy trails the slugs leave or attacking a house eating the wood while two of the main characters are leaving their house till they find a problem which seemed to be well done and saving the film from bombing along with the other odd fun moments mentioned beforehand here.
There's more teenage partying moments with a bunch of them having an outdoor Halloween dance party but yet it doesn't look Halloweenish at all. Still it seemed to look cheesily fun.
The excitment starts a bit with two people going into the sewage system to flush these slugs out but I was grossed out with anyone going into a dirty sanitation sewage system. There's some great struggling moments close to the end of the film which makes you watch it wondering if one of them will survive the madness happening. Also there's moments in the sewage system that seemed to borrow heavily from the 1980 flick Alligator.
Bottom line is this flick was pointless and a waste of time to make with plenty of low production values. One of those trashy drive-in types of films is the right word for this one. We've seen stuff like this before.

The acting is not the best in shape and alot of it seems to be overdubbed by american actors with the Spanish actors but let's take a look here.
Michael Garfield (Mike Brady)
was a bit stiff with what he did for his character but yet came across as someone who is good and seriopus about the incidents happening in his small town. He shows that good guy heroic type of behavior too in the film in which he was a good drawing card to the story. He shows a good calm type of behavior too which came off nicely onto the screen. Does well getting stern towardsan onscreen sheriff about what is happening in their town which looked quite strong with his aggressions. Shows off a nice calming moment while trying to escort someone out of the house during a terrifying incident. Shows some good wit when he talks to someone about a bait they plan to use before going into a sewage system as this was nicely done. He needed a bit of improvement on his characteristics just a little bit.
Philip Machale (Don Palmer) brought on an easy going type of outgoing role which was nicely done. He also made his part as a family man come to life by acting caring and loving along with showing a good sense of humor to the story. He also comes across with a nice seriousness on what is happening too. He does show a bit of a better characteristics but at the same time it looks a bit rough since he has gained a reputation in a couple of daytime soaps in which his talents really show his experience from stuff like that.
Alicia Moro (Maureen Watson) was one of those local Spanish cast members in which is hard to tell if her voice was overly dubbed or not. It seems to be though but yet she comes across as believeably flirtatious as well as having a very friendly type of behavior. She was very smooth with what she did in her role.
Santiago Alvarez (John Foley) seemed to pull off his part not too shabby as a scientish in which he shows a good and well focused type of behavior studying his experiments. He would be one of the most remembered characters in this film due to his performance and was an interesting key role to the story.
Concha Cuetos (Maria Palmer) had her voice in and was a Spanish local in which she really had a great storng speaking voice as well as coming across as someone very easy going in which she drew across nicely in her role and getting into her part very nicely.
John Battaglia (Sheriff Reese) was a bit rough with his role in which he seems to almost be a line reader and having a hard time getting into character but he does show a good stubborn attitude along with showing the good odd sterness in which he portrays this type of attitude. He was just average in his role though. Yet his voce might have been overdubbed which can explain this.
Emilio Linder (David Watson) was another fellow who had his voice overdubbed but yet he seemed to get into the knack with his role as someone who is laid back and good to be around. He brings a nice charisma to what he did in the story as well as knowing how to act intense too when the terror hits him. Does a good job in a washroom of a restaurant looking in a mirror and realising his nose is bleeding as well as showing fearful expressions on this which looked impressive. There's a good reaction on him in pain later on talking to others and then really screaming in pain which seemed pretty intense.

There's a butt shot revealed on both Kris Mann and Kari Rose while fornicating in bed.
There's also a full breast shot on Rose while getting out of bed falling into the trap of slugs and more skin and butt shot on Mann while trying to struggle from this madness.

There's blood and gobs of other stuff bubbling up from a lake
A gardener chops off his hand with an axe and plenty of fake looking blood splurting out
There's corpses exposed with slugs and worms eating their flesh out
A girl is eaten alive with her face being devoured by slugs
A persons eye and side of his face explodes with slugs and worms crawling out
A guy is being devoured by slugs in a sewage system

The music was strongly done with a great background orchestra with alot of high sounding vilin music for the mysterious suspenseful scene's as well as the odd drum rumblings. There's also quivering music for the opening with high screeching sounds which didn't do much for me and sounded cheesy. Alot of storng army type music too which seems to do the trick for the scene's when the adventureous moments start to occur. There's also some metal scraping sounds when the slugs are about to do a deadly deed which was pretty creepy sounding though.

Mike Brady: Sheriff, you don't mind if I smoke do you?
Sheriff Reese: I sure as hell do, Brady. You can muck up your own lungs if you want but don't mess with mine, goddammit.
Sheriff Reese: [Brady throws his cigarettes out the window] Today's your lucky day, Brady.
Mike Brady: Oh really, why's that?
Sheriff Reese: Littering's a $500 fine in this state, don't let me catch you doing it again.
Mike Brady: Sheriff, you know what they found in those candies you're eating? Rat shit and maggot's eggs!
Sheriff Reese: [Sheriff spits the candy out the window] Pfffttt!
Mike Brady: Oh, now sheriff... littering! That's a $500 fine!
Sheriff Reese: Son of a bitch.

Mike Brady: Now maybe, just maybe, we're dealing with a mutant form of slug here, a kind that eats meat!

Kim Brady: Did you hear? About Harold and Jean Morris?
Mike Brady: Nope, why?
Kim Brady: They're dead.
Mike Brady: Ah, come on now...
Kim Brady: Yeah, I heard it on the news. There was some sort of explosion in their greenhouse. They were both inside.
Mike Brady: Wha-Wait a second, how'd this happen?
Kim Brady: No one knows.
Mike Brady: Ah, Jesus. They were nice people. I liked them a lot.
Kim Brady: I know, I did too.
Mike Brady: [long pause as Brady looks down at the garden] So what are you doing out here anyway?