HORROR TEN SPOT: Deadly Virus Flicks (Part 1)

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Metastasizing across the globe this weekend is CONTAGION – Steven Soderbergh’s star-studded entry into the deadly virus subgenre. It’s a fascinating prospect on many fronts: Soderbergh, who usually toes the line between slick Hollywood entertainment and artsy-auteur fare, is said to soon forgo filmmaking in favor sculpting ( a sabbatical he’s now calling it). If CONTAGION is indeed one of his last, he may have something truly special in store for us. Furthermore, given such a rife cinematic subject matter, how Soderbergh sets his apocalyptic vision of the world apart from others is something I’m sure we won’t be let down by. Shouldn’t be hard though…if you’re anything like me, you’d be happy watching Marion Cotillard wash f*cking dishes! That being said, why not take a look back at some of the best filmic examples of the realm Soderbergh looks to mutate. Here now are my ten favorite deadly virus flicks!

WARNING: MINOR TO MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!

#10. CARRIERS (2009)

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Pimped and plugged as an out-and-out horror flick, many who saw Alex and David Pastor’s soul-crushing CARRIERS were likely surprised by just how austerely dramatic the material played. In other words, there’s usually a modicum of fun to be had with these types of films, but with CARRIERS, the tone and tenor becomes so heightened that the film comes off far more as a desolate, disturbing drama rather than a thrill-a-minute scare-fest. In fact, CARRIERS is a PG-13 film…and you know what, that’s fine by me. Why? Because the Pastor bros. seem far more concerned in eliciting an emotional response through its content – a believable doomsday scenario – rather than simply scaring us through graphic carnage and gratuitous imagery. Finely acted, quickly paced, CARRIERS does a nice job of viscerally engaging us in a way that makes us feel like we’re one of the 4 remaining survivors…in the entire world. A scary prospect indeed!

#9. RESIDENT EVIL (2002) 

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It’s hard to dismiss the multimedia, pop-culture ripple RESIDENT EVIL has caused in the last decade or so…spanning from videogames to novels, from comic-books and merchandise to a soon to be 5th film. However, considering how far the title has come in the last ten years, it’s the initial cinematic entry that still bears the high mark for us. Sure, this is a slight variation on the mutated-virus theme, but when all is said and done…it is a deadly strain that morphs mofos into odious, maw-spuming zombies. And for that we’re thankful! Interestingly enough, horror legend George A. Romero was originally set to direct the film, but creative differences over Romero’s script caused an impasse between he and the studio in 1999. It certainly would have been cool to see what Romero did with the material, but truth be told, I’m glad he didn’t get the chance to. Somehow, the literal and cinematic marriage of Anderson and Jovovich has worked well in creating one of the strongest, most badass female characters we’ve seen in some time.

#8.CABIN FEVER (2002)

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“Pancakes, pancakes…PANCAKES!” Fostering a love-it or hate-it schism, Eli Roth’s darkly comedic horror flick CABIN FEVER offers a much welcomed variation on the deadly virus paradigm. Instead of an airborne disease or some kind of zombie-inducing plague, Roth’s murderous mutation is one apparently inspired by a real life condition the writer/director had when was younger: A gnarly skin-eating virus! And while it pains me to see Jordan Ladd’s pretty face reduced to a masticated puddle of teeth and bone, nothing makes my skin crawl more than seeing the gorgeous Cerina Vincent shave the skin off her leg in the bathtub. So erotic, so foul, so utterly marring. Believe it or not, according to the film’s sound mixer, John Neff, the F/X in the film are 100% accurate. You see, Neff is said to have had a gnarly case of a flesh-eating bacterium in his system. Dude survived, barely, after 13 nonstop days of intensive medical treatment. Not that I wish ill-will on anyone, but I hope that story isn’t a publicity hoax.

#7.SHIVERS (1975) 

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Now, I could have just as easily spotlighted the bodily horror of David Cronenberg’s RABID, but since SHIVERS came out two priors, why not award the original! Also known as THEY CAME FROM WITHIN, Cronenberg shows his trademark verve – on a much lower budget – in a film about a high-rise apartment complex ravaged by a parasitic scourge. But instead of mindless, flesh-starved zombies…it’s mindless, SEX-starved drones that they slowly alter into. A nice distinction, as only Cronenberg knows how to pull. Shot in a mere 15 days, Cronenberg resorted to such low-fi techniques as using his own shoulder, padded, to be stabbed in one scene (apparently the blade missed the pad). Also, when star Susan Petrie couldn’t produce tears on the spot, David had freshly diced onions brought in to help the lass. When that failed, Cronenberg slapped the poor broad across the grill. No joke! Talk about dedicating yourself to your art!

#6. THE CRAZIES (1973/2010)

Buy THE CRAZIES (1973) on DVD here

Buy THE CRAZIES (2010) on DVD here

While I still prefer George A. Romero’s 1973 original to Breck Eisner’s 2010 redo, I do think both versions of THE CRAZIES certainly warrant some love here. I mean, come on…when a virulent water-source (or tainted biological weapon, as in the original) begins to plague unsuspecting townsfolk, the entire area is soon overrun by a cavalcade of blood-parched mouth-foamers. What more do you really need? While we’re on the subject, check out Jean Rollin’s French homage THE GRAPES OF DEATH for an awesome time as well (in that film, it’s a pesticide that causes the “craze”). But back to the predecessor…Romero’s gritty, $270, 000 Pennsylvania shoot, locals aplenty, bereft of any actual Hollywood stuntmen…his film has an indubitable authenticity, one I see mirrored and even heightened by the trailers for CONTAGION. And while I did appreciate the Lynn Lowry cameo in Eisner’s retouch, the original, as in most of Romero’s work, had a far more poignant subtext I tend to appreciate in low-budget horror.

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2!