C.H.U.D.
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The plot summary in this article is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the content. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. (July 2009) |
| C.H.U.D. | |
 C.H.U.D. movie poster |
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| Directed by | Douglas Cheek |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Andrew Bonime |
| Written by | Story: Shepard Abbott Screenplay: Parnell Hall |
| Starring | John Heard Daniel Stern Christopher Curry Kim Greist John Goodman J.C. Quinn Michael O'Hare Hallie Foote |
| Music by | Martin Cooper David A. Hughes |
| Cinematography | Peter Stein |
| Editing by | Claire Simpson |
| Distributed by | New World Pictures |
| Release date(s) |  August 31, 1984 |
| Running time | Theatrical Cut: 88 min. Director's Cut: 96 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,250,000 (est.) |
| Gross revenue | $4,654,000 (USA) |
| Followed by | C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. |
C.H.U.D. is an American B-horror film (with elements of a slasher film and nods to golden age Creature Features) produced by Andrew Bonime, and directed by Douglas Cheek with Peter Stein as the director of photography and William Bilowit as production designer. It was released in 1984. Among the notable actors with roles in the movie are John Goodman, Daniel Stern and John Heard. It was followed in 1989 by C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D., photographed by Arnie Sirlin.
Although the film is of a "pulp" genre, it did receive some good reviews including a rave from the New York Times. It won Best Fantasy Film at Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film in 1985, but advances in special effects have rendered it kitsch. It is now considered a cult classic.
C.H.U.D. is an acronym for "Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller." In the movie, an alternate acronym is given as "Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal."
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[edit] Plot
The New York City Police Department receives reports of people disappearing from the streets of the city. Witnesses say the victims are being pulled into manholes by deformed creatures. A police officer teams up with a journalist and a hippie to investigate the phenomenon.
The film opens with a woman walking her dog down a lonely, darkened city street. As she passes by a manhole cover, she is attacked by the creature, the dog is pulled in after her.
George Cooper (Heard) and his live-in girlfriend Lauren (Greist). George, a once-prominent fashion photographer, has since forgone the fame and fortune he amassed taking pictures of scantily clad models in pursuit of artistic credibility. His most current project is photographing New York's homeless population, specifically those known as "undergrounders", or people who reside within the bowels of the city
We also meet a police captain named Bosch (Curry) who has a personal interest in the recent flood of missing persons (most of whom are homeless) being reported to his precinct. Bosch interviews A.J. "The Reverend" Shepherd (Stern), who runs the local homeless shelter. Shepherd believes recent events to be a part of a massive government cover-up and has the evidence to prove it. Bosch's superiors know more than they're letting on and seem to be taking their cues from an overly glib, weasely type named Wilson (Martin), who works for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
It turns out there are monsters lurking beneath the streets; beings that were once human, but radioactive, chemical toxic waste has mutated them into hideous, flesh-eating creatures that prey on the homeless who live in the underground. Given the recent drop in the underground transient population, the creatures have resorted to coming to the surface through sewer manholes in order to feed. Through a series of events, both George and A.J. find themselves trapped in the sewers, a reporter gets involved (and eaten), and Lauren has a problem with both a clogged shower drain and an unexpected visitor that comes up through the sewer access point that she unfortunately decides to open in the basement of her apartment building. Then, through the dangerous investigative efforts of both A.J. and George, the absolute horror is revealed: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is directly involved in this holocaust of slaughter that has been going on.
Political bureaucracy has forbid the N.R.C to transport the toxic wastes through New York because of large-scale knowledge of the danger to the public. The N.R.C has secretly been hiding the waste by-products beneath Manhattan in abandoned subway tunnels. Unfortunately, the underground homeless population has been coming into contact with these by-products which is the cause of the mutated creatures. It is this secret that Wilson guards to the extent of having a mysterious and threatening lackey disrupt A.J. from making phone calls to the press. This thug then locks A.J. in an underground access tunnel either to suffocate from the gas to be used to asphyxiate the CHUD's, or to leave him to become their prey. Wilson is clearly willing to kill to protect his employer's secrets - even a cop.
Captain Bosch argues with Wilson over how to best deal with the threat: Wilson wants to seal the sewers, open up some gas lines, and asphyxiate the C.H.U.D., despite the inherent danger to the city.
