C.H.U.D. (1984)

A bizarre series of murders in New York City seems to point toward the existence of a race of mutant cannibals living under the streets.

Director:

Douglas Cheek

Writers:

Shepard Abbott (story), Parnell Hall (screenplay),

Stars:

John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Heard	...	George Cooper
Daniel Stern	...	A.J. 'The Reverend' Shepherd
Christopher Curry	...	Captain Bosch
Kim Greist	...	Lauren Daniels
Laure Mattos	...	Flora Bosch
Brenda Currin	...	Francine the Landlady
Justin Hall	...	Justin
Michael O'Hare	...	Fuller
Cordis Heard	...	Officer Sanderson
Vic Polizos	...	Hays
Eddie Jones	...	Chief O'Brien
Sam McMurray	...	Officer Crespi
Frank Adu	...	Interrogation Cop
Ruth Maleczech	...	Mrs. Monroe
J.C. Quinn	...	Murphy

Storyline

A rash of bizarre murders in New York City seems to point to a group of grotesquely deformed vagrants living in the sewers. A courageous policeman, a photo journalist and his girlfriend, and a nutty bum, who seems to know a lot about the creatures, band together to try and determine what the creatures are and how to stop them.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | city | mutant | sewer | bum | 

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Taglines:

They're not staying down there, anymore!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Producer's Web site for this film

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

C.H.U.D. (Caníbales Humanoides Ululantes Demoníacos)

Filming Locations:

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

C.H.U.D. Productions, New World Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 96 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"C.H.U.D." is an acronym for "Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller", but it also means "Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal", as one can (barely) read on the crates full of toxic materials.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie when George Cooper and the Reverend escape from the manhole, they realize that they are trying to be killed by Wilson, the supposed NRC guy. The Reverend finds Captain Bosch lying on the ground who was just shot (by Wilson) and grabs Bosch's gun from his belt. After killing Wilson, a scene is shown with the Reverend kneeling beside Bosch who still has the gun tucked in his belt.

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Quotes

[the police are returning Mrs. Monroe's bags after interrogation]
Mrs. Monroe: How do I know you didn't take anything?
Officer Crespi: How do I know you didn't give us anything?

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Connections

Referenced in Donnie Darko (2001)

User Reviews

"C.H.U.D."'s No Dud, But It Sure Piles On The Crud!

A movie more well known today for its infamous acronym of a title than anything else, "C.H.U.D." (short for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers...as well as something else) is a shoddily made, dingy affair from 1984 that still manages to somehow entertain. In it, the city of New York has come under attack by these monstrous denizens of the sewer lines and subway system (or is that a redundancy?), the result of the ill-considered dumping of radioactive waste by those bastids at the NRC, and a beleaguered cop (Christopher Curry), a hippy-type soup kitchen owner (Daniel Stern) and a hunky fashion photographer (John Heard) try to get to the, uh, bottom of the escalating nastiness. Befitting its grimy underground milieu and many seedy characters, the film has a dark, dirty feel but is still fun to watch; "C.H.U.D."'s no dud, but it sure piles on the crud! The film would surely have benefited from a larger budget--its glowing-orbed monsters look pretty ridiculous when seen clearly--but still features decent-enough acting, an effectively somber synth score by Cooper Hughes, an explosive shower scene, John Goodman and Jay Thomas (of all people!) as a pair of goofy cops, and some mildly effective gross-outs. As far as monster movies go, it is nothing special, but still fun enough, and deserving of much more than the "Bomb" rating that the drips at Maltinville have given it. And really, how can you dislike any film that manages to quote from both the Grateful Dead's "Uncle John's Band" AND Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime"? The picture is well presented on this Anchor Bay DVD, and includes some interesting extras as well. As revealed in the book "DVD Delirium," not to be missed is the hidden "Easter egg" extra, located by clicking on the C.H.U.D.'s eyes in the main menu. Fans of the film's female star, Kim Greist, should certainly appreciate this one! And oh...I love the appropriate name of the actor who plays the film's coroner: Henry Yuk!