‘They’re not staying down there, anymore!’
C.H.U.D. is a 1984 American science fiction horror film produced by Andrew Bonime and directed by Douglas Cheek with Peter Stein as the director of photography and William Bilowit as production designer.
On publicity, C.H.U.D. is stated as an acronym for “Cannibalistic. Humanoid. Underground. Dwellers”. However, the alternate acronym “Contamination. Hazard. Urban. Disposal.” is mentioned in the film.
The cast includes Daniel Stern (Leviathan) and John Heard (Cat People; Would You Rather; Sharknado) and features an early appearance by John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane; Matinee; Arachnophobia).
It was followed in 1989 by the dire comedy horror movie C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud.
A bizarre series of murders in New York City seems to point toward the existence of a race of mutant cannibals living under the streets…
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- Brand new restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary by director Douglas Cheek, writer Shepard Abbott, and actors John Heard, Daniel Stern and Christopher Curry
- Brand new crew interviews
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dan Mumford
Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film
According to the commentary on the Anchor Bay DVD, stars Daniel Stern and Christopher Curry were displeased with Parnell Hall’s rewritten script, and rewrote it extensively, adding the character of The Reverend and the alternate C.H.U.D. acronym. They claim that about 50% of the finished film is their rewrite and chose to remain uncredited. The claim of authorship of the alternate C.H.U.D. acronym is disputed by the film’s producer, Andrew Bonime, who credits screenwriter Parnell Hall.
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Reviews:
“C.H.U.D. is F.U.N. It’s not a landmark film, nor will it make you think about any deep environmental or government issues. It will, however, provide you with an hour and a half of ugly deformed monsters eating innocent people. What more can you ask out of life?” Patrick Naugle, DVD Verdict
“Two of Hollywood’s favorite political causes – homelessness and toxic waste – combine to create a so-so variation on a standard monster story […] The makeup effects are good and director Douglas Cheek wisely keeps his monsters out of full sight most of the time.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide
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“The 80s saw better films of this type, but C.H.U.D. still has quite a cult following, perhaps because its title actually became a part of our lexicon. Unfortunately, it misses a few opportunities to be truly sick and smart, preferring instead to coast on these familiar beats that probably felt rotten even in ‘84.” Brett Gallman, Oh, The Horror!
“C.H.U.D. is a legendary low-budget movie with a cult reputation, but disappointingly, it still isn’t a very good film. It’s not nearly as much raunchy fun as the politically-incorrect monster movie Humanoids from the Deep (1980), for example, to which it bears some borderline resemblance.” John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1980s
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Film Facts:
At the beginning of Us (2019), a VHS box for C.H.U.D. can be seen near a TV in a family home.
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