Horror movies have gone through numerous phases but one of the most amusing was the radiation scares of the 50s. Back then the fear of nuclear war propelled film makers to have all sorts of bugs and animals affected by radioactive isotopes wreaking havoc on the world. Giant ants in THEM, more insects like TARANTULA and THE DEADLY MANTIS and who can forget THE GIANT GILA MONSTER. Most of these films played at drive-ins for teens but they bring back fond memories now.
So who would think that 31 years ago a movie would be made twisting that concept a bit and offering a mutated deadly animal that plowed underground attacking a small town out west? And yet it happened. The movie was TREMORS and it’s coming out in blu-ray and HD format from the folks at Arrow Video.
If you haven’t seen the film the small town of Perfection,
Nevada (population 14) is home to Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward), two
friends who’ve made a life here performing all the odd jobs they can find. New
to the area is Rhonda (Finn Carter) a college student there to monitor
seismographs in the area set up by the university. She discovers a lot of
seismic activity in the area with no cause. She also catches the eye of Val
even though he has his dream girl in mind, something Earl chides him about
constantly.
Val and Earl finally decided to pick up and move when they find the body of an older resident dead atop a power tower. An autopsy reveals he died there of dehydration, something they all find strange. They head out once more and discover another local resident, or at least his head, and his flock of sheep half eaten. After this they’re determined to leave and but at the edge of town the road is blocked and they workers who were there are missing. Almost stuck here they get away and drive back to town.
It is in town that they discover the limb of whatever this creature is attached to their truck’s axle. That was what was holding them up. It isn’t long before they discover the rest of this creature, a massive underground dweller that tunnels through dirt faster than a human can run. And it’s hungry. As a matter of fact all of them are when they discover there is more than one.
The story takes a turn here as these worms that they dub “graboids” begin tracking down the residents with the hope of a tasty meal. Now it’s a matter of survival among those left. Fortunately among them are Burt and Heather (Michael Gross and Reba McEntire), a survivalist couple with plenty of firepower on hand. But will that be enough to save the day?
The movie was always fun to watch and made a distinct impression on fans who fell in love with it. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough fans to make this a hugely successful film when it was first released. The movie did make back its expenses but it wasn’t the smash you might remember it as. But fans were loyal and a second film was made with Ward and Gross returning to reprise their roles. As a matter of fact more TREMORS films ended up being made. Seven at last count with the last one, TREMORS: SHRIEKER ISLAND just coming out in 2020 and the possibility of an eighth lingering. There was also a season long series on the Sy Fy Channel.
But all of this began with the mid to low budget original film. And what a movie that was. It is the perfect combination of humor and horror with a touch of science fiction tossed into the mix. The movie rolls at a smooth pace without a wasted moment on film. No elaborate car chases or over the top effects, everything fits perfectly into place here like a jigsaw puzzle made of all white pieces. It wasn’t easy to make but the end result is satisfying on all levels.
The acting here is top of the line and the company making the film were in luck to get the great cast that they did. All of them bring their characters to life in the best way possible. Most surprising was Gross who many remember as the level headed father on the TV series FAMILY TIES who is completely different here. The cinematography is superb especially considering the issues they had to work with since it almost all takes place outside. The script is tight and the direction, a first film for director Ron Underwood, is dynamite.
Arrow has this one chock full of extras as well from archive
interviews to current ones. The package also features a booklet on the film and
the movie in a 4k restoration that makes it look spectacular. They’ve outdone
themselves on this release and make it worth every penny. So if you’re a fan of
the film or just looking for a fun night at the movies then by all means, this
one is worth picking up.
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