Way back in the mid 1980’s, cheap teenage slasher films ruled the genre box office. The FRIDAY THE 13^TH series was huge, and lousy slasher rip-offs were sprouting up at the theaters like the plague. The time was right for upstart company New World Pictures to unleash a nuclear monster movie on the public. Zombie films were popular at the time, so cannibalism was a big draw. The producers decided to include the cannibal angle in their monster film, and adopted the atmosphere and attitude of a Zombie thriller. They hired first time director Douglas Cheek and writer Parnell Hall to bring their monster concepts to fruition. The producers drew up an unusual advertising campaign based around the title, C.H.U.D. (which stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers). Trailers teased the theatrical and television audiences, and curiosity attracted moviegoers to the film’s opening. The ad campaign paid off, and the horror crowd who were sick of the slasher pictures welcomed C.H.U.D—it turned out to be a sleeper hit. Cheek and Hall delivered a monster flick that paid tribute to the radioactive horrors of the 1950s, while incorporating controversial subjects of the time, including homelessness and environmental concerns. 15 years after its original release, Anchor Bay released a special edition DVD that puts into perspective this unlikely horror flick from the 1980’s.

The film stars John (THE SEVENTH SIGN) Heard stars as George Cooper, a photographer who likes to take pictures of the homeless. Kim (BRAZIL) Greist is his pregnant wife, Lauren. Christopher (F/X) Currie plays Captain Bosch, a law enforcement officer searching for his missing wife. Daniel (LEVIATHAN) Stern portrays "Reverend" A.J. Stern, who tends a New York City soup kitchen. George (DARK END OF THE STREET) Martin is Wilson, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the lead villain of the picture. Eddie (Q, THE WINGED SERPENT) Jones plays skeptical Police Chief O’Brien. J.C. (MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE) Quinn portrays Murphy, a reporter who stumbles onto a government conspiracy.

As the film begins, a young woman is walking her dog on the streets of New York late at night, when a inhuman claw emerges from a manhole and drags her underneath the streets. She happens to be the wife of Captain Bosch (Currie). More disappearances plague the neighborhood, but Chief O’Brien instructs Bosch to keep a lid on the situation. Meanwhile, a bag lady (Ruth Maleczech) is arrested for attempting to steal a gun away from a police officer. For her one phone call, she calls photographer George Cooper (Heard), who formed a bond with the homeless people when he did an award winning photo-essay on their plight. George leaves his beautiful wife Lauren, and springs the bag lady from jail. She takes him deep underground and shows him the suffering of the homeless at the hands of an unknown menace. Meanwhile, the Reverend (Stern) calls in a multiple missing persons report from the soup kitchen where he works. Bosch investigates all leads that may undercover facts of his wife’s whereabouts, and he personally pays a visit to the soup kitchen. He tells Bosch that a group of homeless people who live underground have not been seen for weeks. A reporter named Murphy (Quinn) keeps tabs on the police and Cooper.

Bosch and the Reverend begin their own investigation. They uncover government materials in the sewers (including radioactive-proof suits and geiger counters), and realize something is up. Bosch calls a meeting with city officials and requests the presence of Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman Wilson (Martin). Bosch and the Reverend go in and attempt to get some answers out of the heated meeting. It’s obvious from the discussion that Wilson is covering something up, but he reveals that a pile of radioactive waste is sitting underneath Manhattan until the NRC gets the word to clear it out. Bosch suggests that this nuclear waste has produced a mutation. The officials all scoff at the accusation until Wilson gets a phone call that they have captured the dead body of a monster. Bosch and Wilson go to see the ugly critter and have it dissected. Like all Government conspirators, Wilson insists that this mutation (which was asphyxiated by gas) is responsible for the disappearances, and since it is dead, the city is now safe. But Bosch challenges that claim and is sure there is more of those creatures. Meanwhile, Murphy hooks up with Cooper, and together they head underground to investigate the well-being of the homeless who live beneath the city.

At the soup kitchen, the Reverend heads into the tunnels to check on the homeless folks, and one of Wilson’s goons locks the door after him, so he can’t get out. The Reverend is now trapped underground, and avoids the C.H.U.Ds until he runs into Cooper. On the surface, Wilson sends a group of cameramen underground and Bosch sends a team of police officers armed with flame-throwers to escort them. They are wiped out in a matter of seconds by a group of C.H.U.D.s, who used to be homeless people. Then a group of these creatures emerge from the underground and attack a small diner (offscreen). Wilson commands his men to block all passageways into the tunnels underneath New York City. He intends to flood the underground with gas hoping to kill the C.H.U.Ds. They are unaware that Murphy and Cooper are trapped in the tunnels along with the mutations. The toxic gas is released, and several of the C.H.U.D.s head to the surface. One of the mutations emerges in the basement of Cooper’s apartment building and menaces Lauren. Can George and the Reverend struggle through the tunnel labyrinth before time runs out? If they make it pass the C.H.U.D.s, they still must contend with the deadly gas…

Director Doug Cheek never worked on any other films, but he proves he studied the tactics of low-budget filmmakers George Romero, Abel Ferrara, and Larry Cohen. C.H.U.D is full of low-budget atmosphere and Romero-esque moments, including a scathing soundtrack that is guaranteed to unnerve the audience. Unlike Romero, the blood and gore does not drive the film. Cheek establishes a grim mood of realism, especially in the claustrophobic depiction of the underground sequences. Parnell Hall’s script contains some realistic characters in unrealistic situations. The three main characters are not conventional Hollywood heroes. They are not physically tough, but mentally tough who want to help their fellow citizens, even if those citizens don’t have an address. These characters are interesting because they question the authorities and/or superiors and don’t take any shit. Hall crafts some witty dialog that rolls off the actor’s tongues—this is not traditional B-movie dialog in the vein of a FRIDAY THE 13^TH sequel.

Though the script consists of above average B-movie situations, the Government conspiracy angle is nicely developed and played out (Fox Mulder would love this flick). The main villains are not really the C.H.U.Ds, but the vile human character of Wilson (capably essayed by George Martin), whose bark is far worse than his bite. C.H.U.D. does have a few original moments, such as the scene where a team of policemen and cameramen go underground and are quickly wiped out by the C.H.U.Ds. The officials watch the monitors as the cameras quickly turn to static. This bit was lifted by James Cameron for ALIENS the following year. Genre fans have been harsh towards the C.H.U.D. creations, but I found them endearingly repellent, and different from anything we have seen before. Though the designs of the monster suits are not anatomically feasible (with their luminous oversized eyeballs), their appearance suggests an imposing, enhanced musculature. The monsters alternate their movements between zombie-like shuffling and serpent-like quickness. Their howls are appropriately guttural, and their main diet consists of human flesh!

C.H.U.D. the movie is rooted strongly in the mid-eighties. All the trademarks of the Reagan regime are here, including nuclear waste, untrusting government, and environmental concerns. This film barely scratches the surface of the homeless issue, though. These characters are either victims, or are exploited in some bizarre fashion (as if suggesting that all homeless people are insane). C.H.U.D. features a solid B-movie cast who act circles around the B-movie casts of today. John Heard is very professional, along with actress Kim Griest (who I wish made more genre films), as she possess a certain sweetness, and is not a bimbo despite looking like a model. Christopher Curry is very good as Captain Bosch-a man who can’t believe the stupidity of his superiors. Daniel Stern brings more life to his Reverend character than the script deserves. Stern is loud, dirty, and no-nonsense. He thinks nothing of giving lip service to the highest ranking officials in town. There is even an early appearance by one of the biggest nuclear mutants around, John Goodman.

-  Phil Chandler

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