Thursday, Sep. 17, 2009

"Splinter"

With only four characters having any real screen time and no star actors, you would think that “Splinter” would be a bomb. You might think from the outset that it is just another horror film, with another forgettable monster – ripping apart and devouring a list of B-rated extras. But “Splinter” is more than that. OK, it does have your stock characters – your bad guy, your wimpy boyfriend, your tough-yet-sensitive girl and your junkie. It is more important to tell you what it doesn’t have. It doesn’t have characters that you cheer to see get killed. It doesn’t have a big fake monster. It doesn’t have a lot of money wasted on scenes of melodrama and overacting. It is a small version of some of the best creature features of the past – “The Thing” and “Alien.” Only instead of a laboratory in Antarctica or a spaceship, “Splinter” takes place in a convenience store in the middle of nowhere. If you are a fan of monster movies, slice out an hour-and-a-half, and give “Splinter” a chance.