The worms turn your stomach: "Slither"

In 1990, a little monster movie that came out with no fanfare turned out to be a lot better, and funnier, than anyone thought. Between the mostly B-movie cast and the bare bones story -- how to escape giant worms that are trying to eat people in the desert -- "Tremors" proved to be a cult hit that has hung around for years and, sadly, spawned three straight-to-video sequels.

It didn't take long while watching "Slither" to think of "Tremors," and the parallels between the two are many. First and foremost, creepy worms again are the monster du jour, although the problem here is sheer numbers instead of super-size. Second, there's no shortage of one-liners and other banter, similar to our pals Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon in "Tremors." Third, we again have a largely B-movie cast, with a few faves -- longtime and relatively new -- mixing it up while the fit hits the shan.

In short, the recipe works. "Slither" is pretty good.

Our story starts with a strange meteorite crashing to earth, I think somewhere in Florida. Wouldn't you know it? Out pops some kind of wormlike alien thingy, who -- after we've met the main players -- takes control of the local rich guy. Before long, strange things are afoot, and it's up the rich guy's wife, the police chief, the mayor and others to figure out what's going down while trying to stay away from the space worms. Considering there are thousands of them, that ain't easy, and it ain't pretty what happens to you once they getcha.

The great thing about this homage to 1950s horror movies, i.e. "The Blob," is how game the cast seemed to be for this. Really, it's hard to decide who I liked the most. Nathan Fillion brings the earnest cheekiness from "Serenity" to his role as the chief, dropping lines like this: "My easy-going nature is gettin' sorely f*ckin' tested." Elizabeth Banks, aka Beth from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," is cute as the rich guy's wife. Heck, we even get Jenna Fischer of "The Office" fame in a small role as the police dispatcher, apparently thanks to her husband, director James Gunn.

The best performances, though, come from two old hands. Michael Rooker is a classic "that guy" whose most famous roles are the title character in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" -- that's a good one for Family Night -- and the bald guy in "Mallrats." (Who wants a chocolate-covered pretzel?) Here, Rooker is the rich guy who gets infected by the alien, and his reaction and transformation are hilarious. The guy had to have a good attitude to pull this off.

Matching him, albeit with less makeup, is Gregg Henry, another actor who has been around for a while. I always think of Henry either from "Body Double" or "Payback," neither very good movies, but not boring, either. In "Slither," Henry is the mayor, and his foul mouth and put-upon nature make Murray Hamilton of "Jaws" seem like a prince. It's really pretty funny. Get that guy a Mr. Pibb.

Yeah, you can say I thoroughly enjoyed this little monster movie that could. Like I said, if "Tremors" was your speed, "Slither" will be a fun time. No Bobby De Niro or Dame Judi Dench, perhaps. But like they'd be able to keep the worms out of their mouths anyway.