The Plot: Alex is a artist just now moving out of his friend’s apartment, due mainly because his girlfriend has put off “relations” until he has his own place – but unfortunately she’s still a little gunshy. However, that’s okay since the sultry mistress across the way in his new apartment is more than eager to jump his bones. After having some strange yogurt with another dark character in the apartment building, and a little bit of gross looking wine – Alex wakes up covered in slime and a new hunger… a hunger that can resist the slime… a hunger for blood!

The Review: When I first found the trailer for Slime City, not too long ago, I was enthralled. Along with the DVD cover art, it seemed at the time as if it would be another great New York based independent horror film in the same vein as something like Frank Henenlotter’s work. However, watching the film it becomes immediately apparent that it is drastically different from that sort of film. Slime City actually takes itself somewhat serious as a genre film, and doesn’t carry any of that wild atmosphere of something like Frankenhooker. Instead it’s actually a more direct horror film with more along the lines of Herschell Gordon Lewis than the previously mentioned Henenlotter or the fantastic Street Trash which I had also envisioned this film being similar to. Instead of being an outlandish punk rock horror with a taste for over the top acting and ridiculous plot points – it is a much more subtle and general horror story featuring many of the classic motifs of the genre. The sweet girlfriend who doesn’t want to put out, the smart-alek male lead and his friend just full of bravado and the ancient curses of yesteryear befalling our modern cast. What is actually enjoyable about the film however, is how strange it actually is. There’s a depth of imagination in films like this, and films of the eighties, that seems so lacking in a day like this. What the film may lack in terms of great performances or general plotting, is made up for in the strange ancient satanists corrupting modern day youths and exacting their revenge (in a manner of speaking). At the end of the day, I can’t say it all makes the absolute most sense in the world or that it’s the strongest horror flick from the era – but even with all the expectations I had for it; I still was not disappointed and I think that speaks for how entertaining the film really is.

I have to give it to Shock-O-Rama, they have released some films that desperately needed digging up with their line, including this film which I actually would have never heard of they had not picked it up for distribution. They’ve also apparently released the classic hefty-woman-goes-killing film “Criminally Insane”; which although being an absolute mess – I have a great fondness for. I sincerely hope they are able to keep up the good work and bring to light other American classics still left in the shadows. Slime City, which features a fairly odd title since the film never really encompasses anything happening throughout the city and simply what goes on in one apartment, turns out to be a drastically different film than I originally imagined it to be but something unique and fun in its own right. is a throwback to a different kind of horror that you don’t see a whole lot of these days. Inner city paranoia, apartment living and the claustrophobia that comes with it – at one time it seemed like these were hot topics in the horror world but I can think of few films like Shivers or Repulsion in many years. I mentioned H.G. Lewis above and I have to say, especially during the final thirty minutes or so I was heavily reminded of the Godfather’s style. The confined sets down to the over the top color schemes and dramatic horror musical cues… oh, and there’s also a fair amount of bloody gore that comes into play around that time too.Although some of the performances were obviously from non-actors or those with limited experience, thankfully none of the performances seem to be on that Lewis level, who would often have his performers going so far over the top that whatever it was they were doing could barely be considered “acting”. Robert Sabin as Alex is probably the best member in the cast, even though he takes some time to go a bit overboard, he is still charming and versatile as the lead and keeps the film cemented with a solid performance. Keeping with the discussion of performances, I was originally going to make some kind of sarcastic remark about the obviously fake wig worn by the character of Nicole, the sultry mistress across the street who seduces the character of Alex – but then I found out that both this character as well as the sweet and angelic girlfriend “Lori” were played by the same actress; Mary Hunter. I have to say, being that I never even recognized this during the course of the film – that wig may have been bad, but thanks to it as well as Mary Hunter’s performance, it certainly fooled me!

Slime city is a quintessential New York indie horror, and although different from the works of other fellow filmmakers of the time – it isn’t a surprise to see how many members of the cast worked with Henenlotter, worked on Street Trash and there are even ties to Jersey based Troma. Slime City is one of those films that seems to fit so well into a certain time and place and thankfully is now preserved in DVD format. Although not as “wild & crazy” as one might assume when viewing that great cover artwork, it’s still a pretty fun and often unintentionally humorous blast of low budget horror. I definitely recommend it for any horror fans out there looking to expand their horizons. I would recommend maybe a rental first, but for diehard gore fans just looking for a few dismemberment’s and some goofy fun – that may not even be necessary. I give it a four out of five, I personally think its great but opinions may vary. So I definitely say give it a look first, but overall, I think it’s a lot of fun even to this day. Check it out!