Come for the premise, stay for the early turns from noted actors John Heard, Daniel Stern, and even John Goodman. Unfortunately this doesn’t say much about the movie itself. C.H.U.D. is a New World Pictures production about a photographer, soup kitchen manager, and police captain who join forces to reveal a government coverup involving mutated humanoids dwelling in the NYC sewers. Mayhem and carnage ensue.
Director: Douglas Cheek
Screenplay: Shepard Abbott, Parnell Hall
Producers: Andrew Bonime, Alfonso Tafoya
Cinematography: Peter Stein
Editing: Claire Simpson
Music: David A. Hughes
Select Cast: John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry, Kim Greist
Runtime: 97 minutes
Country of Origin: USA
US Release: August 31, 1984; New World Pictures
The film does excel in the practical effects department, with plenty of dismembered limbs to hold your attention. The monsters themselves are passable, but the more you see the rubber prosthetics, the more you question their fright factor. Additionally, the would-be mystery that our characters are out to solve proves lackluster; it misses the kind of beat-for-beat suspense that a great detective tale ought to have. Further compounding the problem is the script and characters; all too often they are found asking each other expository questions that make scenes feel endless. As Monty Python would say, “get on with it!” The editing is also shoddy, along with the performance of Christopher Curry. His utter inability to convey grief surrounding the disappearance of his wife is laughable.
Unfortunately this movie may prove over-hyped to those seeking a gripping horror-thriller from the 1980s, perhaps the greatest decade for such pictures. C.H.U.D., sadly, doesn’t fit the bill. You would be better served with something like the tonally-similar Chopping Mall.
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