Slime City (DVD)

This shlock-shocker was written and directed by Greg Lamberson, and released on video in 1989 — it’s now making its DVD debut with new additional release material.

The basic story follows Alex (Robert C. Sabin), a  college student who moves into a run-down building in New York City. At first, he’s pleased to discover how friendly and hospitable his neighbors are.

Alex, after having consumed a neighbor’s homemade yogurt, wakes up the next morning to find himself covered in a clear, gel-like slime. He commits a murder in the back alley behind his apartment, and presto — he’s back to normal. Unfortunately, he’s developed an insatiable craving for the cursed curds and every time he treats himself, he trickles slime from his pores and has to kill and kill again, creating a vicious circle of consuming/oozing/killing. Before long, Alex attracts the attention of the local law, an NYPD cop named Irish O’Bannon (Dick Biel). In the meantime, a horrified Alex learns that his condition is caused by the ghost of a suicide occult priest and desperately seeks a way out of his terminal troubles.

Slime City is definitely not the kind of movie I’d watch for fun on my own time, but in trying to view it objectively for the purpose of review I have to say it’s not the worst low-budget horror movie I’ve seen lately. For example, it’s not as good-looking as Cookers, but it’s not as boring; Slime City isn’t as funny as The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, but then again it’s got better writing overall. It’s all relative. If you like shlock cinema (and you know who you are!) you could do worse than Slime City. (Still.. I’d recommend Lamerson’s novel, Personal Demons, over this film any day.)

Extras on the DVD include an amusing commentary from Lamberson and Sabin, plus deleted scenes and a making-of featurette. There’s also a bonus feature film by Lamberson called Naked Fear (made in 1999), and trailers for other Retro Shock-O-Rama DVD releases.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson