Shea Wigham as Dennis
One of the most pleasant surprises I've had this year is Toby Wilkins' Splinter, a low-budget, indie horror film that takes a different approach to the "zombie" idea without employing traditional zombies at all. I completely missed it last year and have just now finished devouring the Blu-ray from Magnolia like an old-school zombie devours brains. Two couples on the road for different reasons in rural Oklahoma are brought together by chance. A creature of unknown origin terrorizes them and traps them in a gas station.
Instead of having some sort of disease-type approach to revive human flesh as some sort of flesh-hungry monster construct, there's something more fungal or scavenger-like to it here. The movie is left open-ended for a sequel, and I would like to see at least one followup, but only if the original creative team returns as well.
Paulo Constanzo breaks free of whatever comedy trappings he may have had previously. Make no mistake, no actor magically springs forth into exceptional talent or range, it just takes time for them to be properly given an opportunity to show themselves off. I've sought out his work for some time, seeing potential rarely shouted from the roofs.
The real discovery for me was a guy I didn't realize until afterward that I'd seen in Joel Schumacher's underseen Tigerland: Shea Wigham. I was doubly surprised to find that he was born in and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, where I lived for a good six years. His portrayal of Dennis is sharp, tough, and affecting, the last of which you don't really expect in a horror movie.
The practical effects work is really the third lead here. A couple friends who are more vocal and active proponents of practical creature effects could get into the details better than I could. What got me the most was that they used CG in only the places where they pragmatically could not build practical effects around it. You'd think that a low-budget horror movie would cheap out where they could, but instead they somehow managed to snag the people who did Watchmen's practical effects just before they jumped into a different cost bracket altogether. There are a couple CG shots that make me groan, but they aren't deal-breakers in any respect, just as the CG cats in Let the Right One In don't sink it either.
Video & Audio
The movie was shot digitally, and it never has that cheap "camcorder" look, and the Blu-ray transfer is pristine. Included audio is a 5.1 HD Master track with no noticeable artifacting or hiss.
Extras
Feature Commentary
(1) Director Toby Wilkins & Actors Shea Wigham, Paulo Costanzo, and Jill Wagner
More interesting and revealing than most cast-involved commentary tracks, much of the conversation deals with things that individuals knew about but are making others aware of for the first time, from improv on the day to how certain things were done.
(2) Director Toby Wilkins, DP Nelson Cragg
The Splinter Creature (4:05)
Some test footage of the gymnast who plays the creature is the centerpiece of this piece on the practical effect that he was.
Creature Concept Art Gallery (1:26)
A brief look at renders done of the various practical creature effects.
The Wizard (1:04)
A quick look at the lead pyro effects man, who's a real-life embodiment of the Danny McBride character from Tropic Thunder plus prior military experience.
Building the Gas Station (1:53)
They built the gas station set where most of the film takes place from scratch. A bare cinder block building became a believable
Shooting Digitally (2:23)
How using HDcams made the low-budget, claustrophobic shoot easier.
Oklahoma Weather (1:57)
Shooting around Tornado Alley weather had to have been a nightmare, and this proves it.
How to Make a Splinter Pumpkin (2:19)
It seems to me this was created for run on HDnet prior to release. Lead actress Jill Wagner shows you how to make your very own Splinter pumpkin for Halloween.
HDnet: a look at Splinter (4:33)
HDnet's prerelease featurette on the movie.
Final Thoughts
This movie is an exceptional example of how true artists come together with limited resources and produce a fun, smart, engaging, and enduring movie that people will buy and not rent. It's a movie that's top notch among its genre, and certainly better than the swath of multi-million dollar franchises and remakes that are released each year. Fans will clamor for a solid followup, and general audiences will go for a sequel to a movie they haven't seen as long as it's well-marketed. This is how you do creature horror. Splinter is available on Blu-ray and DVD with identical supplemental features.