Staying true to classic rubber-suited monster movies of yesteryear (Prophecy: The Monster Movie), Stephen Traxler’s Spawn of the Slithis follows the typical bi-pedal creature storyline.  Wayne Connors (Blanchard), a perm brandishing disenchanted high school journalism teacher gets wind of a grisly murder.  He goes to investigate the crime scene at a bickering elderly couple’s house where they were torn apart.  What he finds is a mud-like substance, and takes a sample for his friend, Dr. John (Claire) to diagnose.  This is where Slithis differs from other likeminded monster flick’s; the film tries to sound more technical than need be with the creature’s creation explanation (but works nonetheless).  Dr. John’s analysis finds that apparently some 20 years ago near Wisconsin an experimental test facility was discovered leaking an “infinitesimal” amount of radioactive sludge into a nearby lake.  The nuclear trash messed up the silt of the lagoon – some babble about protoplasm, absorption, radioactivity, and organic mud and presto – we get the Spawn of the Slithis!  The rest of the film follows Connors in his attempts to find the root of the problem and put an end to this “big slimy goddamned lizard!”

Made in 1977 for $100,000, director Stephen Traxler takes the traditional sea monster idea created with Creature From the Black Lagoon, and creates a campier atmosphere, while filling as much gore and even nudity as he can get away with into this PG rated film.  It seems some 20 years ago the MPAA were far less stringent with their horror scrutiny.  They even let slide the perverted nature of the Slithis.  In one awesome scene he rips open the shirt of a hot babe exposing one of her breasts before slaying her.  Even noxious sea monsters get horny!  I wonder if Slithis were to have exposed two of her breasts, would that garner an R-rating?

Despite the movies turtle-paced runtime, it’s still filled with moments worth recognition.  Two greasy wino’s can be seen hanging out near the home of the Slithis. One shits his pants, and tries to pass it off as mere gas.  Nevertheless, Bunky, wino # 2 can’t be fooled!  Drunk or not, he knows that Preston, wino #1 has passed out and shat himself.  The film even opens with an unmatched sequence to consume your interest.  Two kids gleefully toss a Frisbee to one another while filmed in slow motion.  One of the kids is fat and dressed tightly in a lime t-shirt.  They show him running in slow motion too, as the kids find two mangled dogs by the shoreline; awkward amusement at its best.  There’s even a police chief that gives overacting a new meaning.  I kept waiting for his eyes to pop out of his face.

Spawn of the Slithis is far from a masterpiece of horror sci-fi cinema, but it does deliver a rubber suited payoff.  It’s a shame that the film is so poorly paced.  Viewers will definitely find themselves antsy throughout its runtime.  If you can tolerate this, the sporadic deaths, comedy, and final showdown with afro man on a boat are well worth it.  I need to acquire the ‘Slithis Survival Kit’ which apparently accompanied the film as a marketing campaign upon its theatrical release.  Who wouldn’t want a Slithis vomit bag?