31 Days of Horror: Splinter
Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 31, 2009
Splinter (2008)
Synopsis: A young couple crosses paths with an on-the-run criminal and the three of them end up stuck inside a gas station, hunted by a voracious and ever changing parasitic creature. The three have to work together if they have any chance of surviving this night from hell.
Killer Scene: I love this film from start to finish, but if I had to pick a single scene, it would revolve around the parasitic hand that infiltrates the gas station and sets about making their night even worse. A hand may not sound threatening, but this scene is awesome and conjures up fond memories of the demonic digits of Evil Dead II.
KillSheet
Violence: There is a fair amount of blood spilled here, with broken bones and cuts, an excellent arm amputation scene, and an infected raccoon going Captain Insane-o on a gas station attendant. Not overly violent (there are only like 6 characters in the whole film, so your options are limited) but it satisfies my red desires.
Sex: No sex to speak of, but there certainly is some sex appeal in star Jill Wagner (who you might recognize from Blade: The Series). She remains fully clothed but is totally hot, so that’s a plus.
Scares: You get your standard jump scares here and there, but hardened horror vets won’t have a problem sleeping when it’s over. Unless of course you end up stranded in the middle of nowhere at a gas station. The way the creature moves and builds itself up with body parts is freaky and could cause some unpleasant night thoughts in those subject to them. A creepy and atmospheric movie like The Thing or Alien provides enough scares to keep you curled up, but nothing to cause your bladder to empty.
Final Thoughts: This was my favorite horror movie released in 2008 and I knew right then and there it would make the 31 Days of Horror list this year. While this list has no real order to it, I do try to save some of the better films for the end of the month and place a sort-of winner on Halloween, and this year I wanted it to be Splinter. If you haven’t seen this film, definitely check it out. It was made on a limited budget with limited locations, yet manages to pack in good scares and kills with a totally awesome creature. Shea Whigham turns in an excellent performance, though I’d say the star is definitely the creepy crawling creature. From scene one this movie kicks ass and doesn’t let up until the credits roll. It definitely has a bit of a retro feel, and by that it I mean it ignores all the contemporary bullshit tropes of twist endings, teenage cast, and goofy self-awareness.
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