The town of Host really lives up to its name, with first its cattle and then its very own citizens serving as the warm hosts necessary for a bunch of mutated larvae to grow into the crawling, leaping, blood-sucking, body cavity-decimating mother of all parasites. It sounds like a 21st-century version of a classic B-movie, and in many ways I guess it is -- but it's definitely more impressive than I expected it to be. This thing even succeeded at maintaining the seriousness of the whole larva plague mess all the way to the end.

It helps, of course, to have a pretty decent cast and some bold and impressive special effects, and Larva is blessed with both. I'm not saying the giant parasites look all that impressive once they're all grown up, but they really put on a show each time they exit a host human body. I would highly advise you not to sit down to this film with a hamburger or any other meat-related product -- not unless you're man enough to handle the sight of nasty little larvae crawling in and out among stacks of uncooked beef destined for mass consumption by a whole town full of picnickers.

Fletcher Odermatt (David Selby) pretty much controls the town of Host, as almost everyone there is dependent upon him and his company, Host Tender Meats, for their livelihood. Sure, the cattle farmers have to sell him their meat to Fletcher at a discounted price, but the man is generous enough to give them free feed, and no one thinks about complaining when he starts talking about the profits sure to come from the heartier, healthier cows his new feed will produce. And if anyone should think about complaining, he'll just sic his lawyer (Rachel Hunter) on them. Fletcher's influence doesn't extend to an outsider like Dr. Eli Rudkus (Vincent Ventresca), who just so happens to be the area's brand new veterinarian. He can't just dismiss the fact that cows are dying in horrible ways (with their abdomens exploding from the inside out) or that the stream water is teeming with unknown parasites. Unfortunately, the good doctor's efforts to address the situation are all thwarted by Fletcher and his lawyer. You would think the first eyewitness account of a giant parasite eating its way out of someone's stomach before heading off in search of more blood might change things a little bit, but it doesn't -- not until the proverbial cow patty truly hits the fan all over town.

I really have to applaud the makers of this film for all of the gory goodness they deliver. Whether bovine or human, the victims of these blood-sucking parasites are not a pretty sight to behold. Having a giant parasite eat its way out of your abdomen is a pretty nasty experience, and the effects guys weren't afraid to throw plenty of blood and guts around every time it happened. It's just too bad they wimped out a little bit on the giant parasite attacks, though -- these can be borderline comical.

Obviously, the story isn't wholly original, nor is the outcome every really in doubt, but Larva has one thing going for it that similar films do not: William Forsythe. The surly character of Jacob Long pretty much makes the whole movie for me. He's the only man in town brave enough to dare stick it to the man, and he's not about to let a bunch of mutant freak parasites get away with killing some of his cattle -- not as long as his guns and ammo hold out, anyway. Heck, though, I'll bet he would tear 'em apart with his bare hands if he had to. He also cared about his cows, whereas all the other farmers only cared about the money their herds would bring in. Gun-Crazy Farmer Dude, as he has been dubbed by at least one other reviewer, is the real deal, and he made sure that I enjoyed the heck out of Larva.