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Slugs (1988) - Blu-ray Review

3 beersTwo horny teenagers interrupt their quickie – now that the parental units have left the house – to down some more hooch.  The guy needs something to drink.  Apparently, her vagina isn’t satisfying all of his needs.  Poor girl.  As the dude leaves his best gal’s warmth, he discovers that the floor of her bedroom is moving.  He is quickly bitten.  He falls back into the bed, pulling his chomped ankle onto the bed for a closer inspection.  Blood spurts everywhere.  That’s when they see the slugs sliming their way across the floor of the bedroom.  The naked girl makes a run for it, but slips and falls to the ground.  She rolls around in agony as slugs cover her.  Screaming all the way to her last breath, she is soon gored and gouged into a pool of nothingness by the creeping death that is 1988’s Slugs

Admit it, you WANT to see it now.

Slugs.  You already know they are disgusting.  What if they had fangs?  What if they actually ate through human flesh?  Mutant slugs, man.  Mutant fucking slugs.  HELL, NO.  Yet, that’s the freakishly fun territory covered in director Juan Piquer Simón’s much-celebrated Slugs.  Of course, the film fares better with a forgiving audience used to the limitations of low-budget horror.  Its simple dialogue is often hilariously awful, especially as the tension is ratcheted up.  Which means, if you are anything like the nut behind the computer typing this review, you are going to appreciate it a bit more that you should.

That being said, this 1988 Spanish-American b-movie actually has a lot going for it, especially for the gruesome gorehounds out there.  From blood-soaked bedroom sheets to naked women getting slug-chomped, the tiny beasties kicking about in this production are cringe worthy.  There are a lot solid practical effects on display as the slugs in this picture – still no bigger than one half of a dollar bill – chomp their way up through the pipes and into the homes, the floors, the beds, and the clothes of the citizens in this rural town. 

In this way, the slugs take over.  Starring Michael Garfield and Kim Terry, it is the humans – led by a rather over-extended health inspector – who are slow to act in the wake of a series of unexplained killings.  We got another one, Earl!  The police are confused and, when not citing litter policies to the townspeople, they actually open up an investigation into the murders.  With no evidence and, literally, little human remains to go on, the search for the killer goes nowhere fast.  It’s hard to put handcuffs on a slug.

Filled with scenes where slugs literally make up the floor people walk upon, it takes a strong stomach to make it through all the slippery slime trails and squishy noises the movie builds itself upon.  The effects of the film are pretty severe and gory.  Even heads of lettuce are not safe from these itty-bitty bastards and their destructive path.  And, by the way, ALWAYS check your lettuce leaves for slugs.  You DO NOT want to accidentally swallow one.  They WILL kill you in a very gnarly – from the inside out – manner.  Forget Jaws.  More than likely, you will ALWAYS remember the ominous slow zoom onto a leaf of lettuce for the rest of your life.  I promise.

Slugs, released from Arrow Video with a brand new restoration from original film elements, can be yours to own.  Bring home the slow-moving madness today!

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Slugs (1988) - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
89 mins
Director
: J.P. Simon
Writer:
Jose A. Escriva
Cast:
Michael Garfield, Kim Terry, Philip MacHale
Genre
: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline:
They ooze. They slime. They kill.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Now maybe, just maybe, we're dealing with a mutant form of slug here, a kind that eats meat!"
Theatrical Distributor:
New World Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
February 5, 1988
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
September 27, 2016
Synopsis: Killer slugs on the rampage in a rural community.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Slugs (1988) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Arrow Video
Available on Blu-ray
- September 27, 2016
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: LPCM Mono
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc
Region Encoding: Region A

Arrow Video’s treatment of Slugs is as reverential as it should be.  Watching this brand new restoration (from original film elements) in glorious 1080p is of very high quality.  The colors are crisp; the skin tones are natural; and the viscous blood pops in a bright and bold red.  The film grain is kept beautifully intact, and even in the film’s darkest scenes there isn’t a great deal of deterioration.  The slugs – and there are a lot of them – are rippled with details.  Black levels are strong, too.  No major restoration/DNR processing signs appear noticeable, which leaves a faithful print.  Similar to the video, the audio is of utmost quality. Capturing every nitty-gritty noise, the Original Uncompressed PCM Stereo audio is impacting and balanced.  Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are also provided.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • There are two audio commentaries for this release.  One is from the author of the book the film was based on, Shaun Hutson, and the other is from writer and filmmaker Chris Alexander.  Both are solid listens that dive into the inspiration of the movie and its lasting impact.  They are both fun and informative.

Special Features:

For me, it doesn’t get any better than what Arrow Video provides its fans.  From the newly commissioned artwork by Wes Benscoter to the reversible sleeve art from the original release to the supplemental items themselves, this release is fully loaded and ready to gross you out. The supplemental items on the disk itself are meaty and of consequence, too.  There are NEW interviews with actor Emilio Linder, special effects artist Carlo De Marchis, art director Gonzalo Gonzalo, and production manager Larry Ann Evans.  Also included is a fully illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by writer Michael Gingold.

  • Here’s Slugs In Your Eye
  • They Slime, They Ooze, They Kill: The Effects of Slugs
  • Invasion USA
  • The Lyons Den
  • Awards Promo Reel
  • Original Theatrical Trailer

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Slugs (1988) - Blu-ray Review

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