Slimed

Director(s) - Eric Manche and Jeff Nitzberg
Starring - Jordan Lee, Dustin Triplett, and Jessica Borusky
Release Date - 2010
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi/Comedy
Tagline - "Action. Horror. Exploding children"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     My luck with indie horror films has been in point the last few days.  Recently, I was lucky enough to check out the werewolf film Betsy from director Shawn Burkett and Concept Media before moving on to the bigfoot centered films Mountain Devil and Something in the Woods.  After watching these I wanted to continue my indie horror spree and check out some more no budget fun.  Next on my list is one of the newest acquisitions of Troma and will premier on their streaming service Troma Now.  The film, Slimed, was originally shot in 2010 and just now found distribution.  I love anything Troma so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to hook me up.  Thanks Troma for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check out this film!

     The film follows atheist park ranger Rock Rockerson (Lee) who is about to lose his park to back taxes when he encounters a bible salesman named Pepe(Triplett).  Pepe proposes that they build a nature center in the middle of the park to appeal to a younger generation and Rock agrees.  They venture out to a secluded part of the park with a horrible past to build when Rock discovers that Pepe was tricking him into building a church.  While they are quarreling a test subject from a chemical company rolls down the hill covered in a glowing green substance.  They set out to investigate the origin of it and discover a corporate conspiracy and a world unlike their own.

     I have a high standard when it comes to Troma.  I want wacky characters, ridiculous stories, and gruesome kills.  Slimed delivered just that.  I loved the way the film was shot, the story, the characters, and the overall look.  Slimed delivered and is easily one of my favorite Troma distributed films of recent years.  The acting in this one is not great but I love the way it was done.  All the characters are not natural.  Instead, you get characters as if they were written for a children's program.  The acting and the cast reminded me a lot of shows like Pee Wee's Playhouse and I fucking loved it.  The story for this one is fun.  It never has a slow moment and continuously builds upon itself.  Also, there is several twists and turns so you never know where this crazy rollercoaster ride will take you next.  The film does a great job at incorporating horror and sci-fi elements that you can find in drive-in staples of the 50s and 60s.  It was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed that.  Finally, the film is a visual feast.  It has tons of classic visual and practical effects.  The practical effects are decent but nothing memorable but what really stands out is the campy visual effects and classic camera tricks.  I love seeing things like that in indie cinema.  When you can't make the visual effects look authentic you can still have fun with them which can be seen in the works of Dustin Mills and the modern holiday classic Thanksgiving.  Overall, Slimed is a testament of indie horror filmmaking and turning a no budget into an unforgettable film.  I cannot recommend this film enough.