John C
Seen 'Jaws?' Probably. Either way, it kind of started a (mini!) genre of where one person knows there's a monster/threat on the loose, but the authorities clash with him because they're more concerned with the monetary cost of shutting down whatever it is. Or the authorities are just incompetent.
Well, 'Spawn of the Slithis' follows that formula. A journalist teams up with a fisherman to stop a mutated sea monster-thing from ripping apart the locals of Venice Beach in California.
And it's not bad. It's not great, but it's not the worse. The thing I enjoyed the most was the creature itself. Yes, it was effectively just a man in a rubber suit, but it was nicely ugly!
There's some gore here and there, but nothing particularly spectacular. The one drawback I found was when 'new' characters suddenly get introduced at sporadic parts of the movie. They don't stick around. They're only on screen to be victims, but the writers feels the need for us to get to know them before they end up being 'monster munch.'
If you fancy yet another film about a monster, there are worse out there. And plenty of better ones. It's up to you.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/03/25
Full Review
Audience Member
One of the best things about Yorkshire Television when I was growing up was the eclectic fare that made up their schedules. At night they showed the most wonderful and unexpected films you could ever imagine. They also showed films you had never heard of before that were either unavailable on video because of some silly oversight or they were caught up in some rights limbo which denied their exposure to a wider audience.
I used to scour the TV listings and use the timer on our prehistoric video machine during the 80's to record anything on late that sounded vaguely of interest to a cult film fan like myself. And there were plenty of movies offered up that I found interesting.
One such was Slithis from 1978, a monster movie that I'm so glad I recorded.
There's a monster on the prowl in 1978 Venice Beach who starts by killing the dogs in the neighbourhood but then starts killing humans. But don't worry. There's a local journalism teacher (!) and some of the nerdiest scientists you've ever seen who are on the trail of the sub-aquatic being named Slithis, a product of a leak from a local nuclear plant.
This is amazing cult film goodness. A man in a rubber suit is always better than the CGI monsters you see in modern day horror films. I love Slithis' look and the way that the film's lighting and colour palate changes dramatically whenever he makes an appearance. It's important to light your leading man in the best way possible.
I also love the locale of Venice Beach that was used with the settings being so beautiful and full of such eccentrics, bohemian types and winos. You get the impression that these extras were captured on film just the way they were which is fantastic. I wish I was a meths drinker in 70's Venice when Slithis was doing the rounds. But I digress...
There's also scientist types who give you the impression that they aren't actors at all but just knew the director and were asked to appear. Their acting is erm, raw. Think Edith Massey but rawer (and if you think that's some kind of insult, you obviously know nothing of my cinematic preferences. It's a compliment of the highest order. No 'so bad it's good' nonsense here!)
I was amazed by Slithis when I first saw it and I get more and more from it with every screening. It would make a great double-bill with the equally brilliant Blood Beach. Both self-aware and brilliantly executed horror movies from the 70's which also contain a deft sense of humour.
But as if this wasn't enough, I then learnt that Slithis had his own fan club! Yes, you heard that right. HIS OWN FAN CLUB!!!
I loved what I read about the publicity used regarding the release of this film. Every patron would receive a Slithis Survival Kit on the purchase of tickets to the movie. This kit (in reality a pink or yellow piece of folded cardboard) included information regarding joining the Slithis Fan Club, how patrons could help promote the notion that Slithis is, in fact, a victim (he is, after all, the product of nuclear plant leakage) rather than a foe and, most importantly, the information that if you keep the kit on your person at all times or stash it under your pillow at night then Slithis would know and won't come to pay you a visit when he inevitably stalks your neighbourhood.
You could even send off for a Slithis 8x10, a Fan Club membership card and merch order form.
As if that wasn't enough, the campus screenings of the film (notice where the film played and that the film's producers already knew the demographic who would dig Slithis the most) would involve someone wearing the actual costume from the film for the occasion. There's a great press clipping of one such screening with a picture of Slithis walking alongside students from the University of Nebraska.
This is all very William Castle (actually, Castle would have gone one further and not told anyone about about the costume and had someone wearing it jump out unexpectedly at the audience towards the end of the screening) and that just makes me love the film even more.
Do you remember showmanship? Do you remember films that were, y'know, fun?!
That's Slithis. And it's a terrific monster movie to boot.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/19/23
Full Review
Matthew D
Just enough monster actio to be passable, but the writers should have known that we don't want drawn-out conversations about the monster-- we want more of the monster. Less yak-yak, more roar-roar.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
06/25/21
Full Review
Audience Member
The first half hour started off pretty quickly, with a few deaths and even showing the monster right away (maybe too quick). It was moving along briskly, but then comes to a dead halt as the heroes investigate. It has quite a few bad movie moments that are a lot of fun, from bad slo-motion to one of the most hilariously over-the-top police chiefs I think I've ever seen on film. Seriously, I think the filmmakers got a local Shakespeare stage actor and cast him, as his twirled mustache and overacting is so out of place, even in a bad movie like this. I would almost say it was done on purpose and this movie was intentionally bad, but everything else takes itself so seriously. I wanted to like this movie, but it was a bit too dull.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
01/25/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A real stinker of a b-movie
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I gave this one star for the monster outfit and the cute turtle race. Besides those two things this is a great movie to take a nap to....and that's not a good thing.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
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