C.H.U.D.

release year: 1984
genre: horror
viewing setting: home VHS, 12/23/02

synopsis: Beneath the streets of New York (and increasingly, above) people are disappearing...and from time to time, strange roars echo through the sewers...

impressions: This was a low-budget, well-done early 80s horror movie. It mixed horror and drama, threw in some scares and gore, and just had fun with itself. Movies like this won't win any Oscars, but they are entertaining, as well as a cut above the poorly-done ones and those that are just plain bad. The script did a good job of weaving together several subplots and different characters' motivations. For good measure, government plot and cover-up was tossed into the mix.

things to watch for: The diner scene at the end - one of those cops is a somewhat-slim John Goodman in an early appearance!

acting: John Heard, Daniel Stern, and the actor who played Captain Bosch all did good jobs as the protagonists. The woman who played Heard's girlfriend was all but useless. The evil government scumbag was fairly convincing.

final word: Good solid B-grade horror entertainment, worth seeing.

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