C.H.U.D. (1984)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Douglas Cheek

Writers:

Shepard Abbott (story)
Parnell Hall (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Ugly. Slobbering. Ferocious. Carnivorous.

Plot:

A rash of bizarre murders in New York City seems to point to a group of grotesquely deformed vagrants living in the sewers...

Plot Keywords:

Sewer | City | Police | Toxic Waste | Hobo

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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

Runtime:

88 min | USA:96 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Italy:T (VHS rating) | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | France:-12 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

C.H.U.D. Productions

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.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

A.J. 'The Reverend' Shepherd: What are you trying to hide?... You saw it. You saw the monster!
Wilson: Is that what you're going to tell the papers? That you're afraid of monsters?
A.J. 'The Reverend' Shepherd: That's exactly what I'm gonna tell them if you don't fill me in.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Clerks II (2006)

Enjoyable b-grade trash.

I can't make a case for 'C.H.U.D.' being one of THE great lost horror movies of the 1980s, but it's surprising just how watchable it is almost twenty years later! The acronym in the title stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers (as well as something else, revealed in the movie), and that just about tells you everything you need to know. John Heard, a talented actor who never became the star he was tipped to be (just rent 'Cutter's Way' for proof of his potential), plays a photographer who had taken some photos of homeless people who now seem to have disappeared off the face of the Earth. Kin Griest ('Brazil') plays Heard's supportive girlfriend, Daniel Stern ('Diner') an oddball who runs a soup kitchen who has noticed the absence of many of his regulars, and Christopher Curry ('Starship Troopers') a cop investigating a series of mysterious murders. Their investigations all lead in the same direction.... the sewer. The supporting cast also includes small roles from John Goodman ('The Big Lebowski') and quite a few other comic actors, though 'C.H.U.D.' unlike its sequel is not SUPPOSED to be a comedy. No doubt you will get a few unintentional laughs out of it, as it is pretty cheesy, but it's still entertaining enough in a b-grade way. I haven't seen the DVD of this one yet, which I believe has some amusing commentaries by the cast, but as a stand alone movie it's enjoyable trash and worth a rental.