Splinter (2008)

Trapped in an isolated gas station by a voracious Splinter parasite that transforms its still living victims into deadly hosts, a young couple and an escaped convict must find a way to work together to survive this primal terror.

Director:

Toby Wilkins

Writers:

Ian Shorr, Kai Barry

Stars:

Shea Whigham, Jill Wagner, Paulo Costanzo

7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Charles Baker	...	Blake Sherman Jr.
Jill Wagner	...	Polly Watt
Paulo Costanzo	...	Seth Belzer
Shea Whigham	...	Dennis Farell
Rachel Kerbs	...	Lacey Belisle
Laurel Whitsett	...	Sheriff Terri Frankel

Storyline

While camping in the woods, Polly Watt and her clumsy boyfriend Seth Belzer damage their tent. They decide to spend the night in a low-budget motel. Meanwhile the criminals, Lacey Belisle and Dennis Farell, have trouble with their runaway car while heading to Platt and they walk on the lonely road. When Polly passes by Lacey, she stops the car and the couple is rendered by Dennis. However, Polly hits something in the road and while replacing the tire, they are attacked by a weird splinter. The car overheats and they stop in a gas station, where they are trapped by zombies, victims of the splinter parasite.

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Plot Keywords:

parasite | gas station | tent | woods | escaped convict | 

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Taglines:

Terror is more than skin deep.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/gore and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 2009 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Splinter

Filming Locations:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

ContentFilm International, Magnet Releasing, Indion Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

(at around 1h 17 mins) At the end of the movie Farrell gives Seth the key to a lock box in a bank in Platt and tells him to go there to get his nest egg to give to the trucker's wife. The address listed on the tag is 1060 W. Addison. This is the address for Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, IL.

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Goofs

The cinder blocks which are in the background during the freezer scene are stacked side by side when first seen, but when seen again to break the bone in the arm of "Dennis" they are stacked one on top of the other.

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Quotes

Seth Belzer: [after watching the parasite tear a police officer apart] It ah... it took half of her.

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Connections

References Cool Hand Luke (1967)

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Soundtracks

West
Written by Jodee Purkeypile
Performed by The Alice Rose

User Reviews

Good acting and good script with mediocre effects

This movie is stuck somewhere between a theatrical release-quality film and a direct to DVD movie, but much better than your ordinary Sci-Fi channel special.

The acting is top quality. All characters, especially the one portrayed by Shea, are portrayed exceptionally well. The plot keeps you glued to your seat, and you can't wait to see what happens next or how they will think of a way out of their predicament.

The only problems lie in the filming of the "monster" and to a lesser degree, the sound. I'm not a personal fan of the "flicker" style of filming so it may work for others. I prefer a fluid style of filming throughout the entire film. It's hard to keep track of the events occurring when things "flash" around rapidly.

But if you can overlook it's extremely minor flaws, you're in for a treat with this one. The acting and the central theme of the plot are strong enough to overcome its shortcomings.

My final ratings: Quality: 7 Entertainment level: 7 Overall: 7 Consensus: This might be Toby Wilkins' break as a writer/director and is a standout performance for Shea Whigham