Tremors

Rating:
Summary: No ground-breaker, but it's fun.
Review: Tremors is often described by many to be a cult classic, which is odd. The fact is, cult films usually have a quirky quality to them that separate them from the usual Hollywood-churned machine. Take Re-Animator, for example, or even the recent Ravenous, both of which have oddities and bloody quirks that average viewers might find repellant. But Tremors isn't the slightest bit offbeat. It's made in full Hollywood-style with a predictably happy ending to boot. So what makes it a "cult classic"? Could it be that it's successful in mixing almost every genre into the proceedings or that it's great entertainment that simply didn't get the box office reception it deserved? Perhaps both, because this is one movie that always puts a smile on my face and simultaneously gets my pulse-pounding every time I watch it.

The plot is similar to that of the monster films of the old days. Valentine Mckee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) are two handymen "trapped" in the small town of Perfection, Nevada. They have dreams of making it big, but their ambitious goals always seem out of reach. Just when they do decide to finally leave, the discovery of dead bodies, both human and animal, keep them there for just a while longer. There's also the road, which has been blocked by a large boulder.

On hand to study some strange seismic activity is Rhonda (Finn Carter), a grad student who helps Mckee and Bassett come to the realization that both the deaths and the odd vibrations in the ground are connected. It turns out to be the work of giant 30-foot worms, four of them to be exact, and they trap the townspeople of Perfection in their homes, including gun-happy, WWIII-prepared couple Burt and Heather Gummer (Michael Gross and Reba Mcentire). The rest of the film becomes a desperate scramble to outsmart the worms and get out of the town alive.

The first thing that's noticable about Tremors is probably how it's obviously inspired by 50's monster flicks. The great thing, though, is that Tremors plays itself as a comedy, preferring laughs over scares, a wise decision since if the film took itself seriously, it would have been a major detriment. The laughs aren't cheap, either, as they result from witty dialogue and new twists on the "monster" subgenre. The great chemistry between Bacon and Ward brings the most humor to the film. Playing best friends with little education but plenty of smarts, these are two performances that are a hoot to watch. It'd be great to see them in another film together again (too bad it didn't happen in Tremors 2).

But in addition to the laughs, there's also the action, which is frenetic and exciting. Director Ron Underwood gives the film a lightning pace and the 95 minutes seems to just roll by. The fun action consists of a lot of running and "get off the ground" moments. For the last 45 minutes, Tremors is almost full of non-stop excitement, and it's surprising to see that the action never gets tiresome nor dull for a single moment. The movie isn't scary or frightening at all, but with suspense and thrills this sharp, who cares (Besides, being scary is hardly the film's intent.)?

It's nice to see that this movie is not particularly gory or full of gratuitous violence. While I do enjoy gory violence when it fits the style and tone, it wouldn't have been welcome here and the light-hearted feel that permeates Tremors is a crucial reason to its success; there's no unneccessary unpleasantness and it also proves that the movie creates genuine excitement without resorting to splashing blood all over the screen. Because of this, it easily reaches out to a larger amount of viewers, making it a movie that's just as easily accessible for fans of, say, screwball comeides as it is for action lovers. Since the movie is PG-13, there are still a couple of moments of semi-graphic violence, but nothing objectionable to someone 10 years or older.

The special effects are fun, with the worms as the film's showpiece. Thankfully, there's no overdone CGI and the worms are actually well-rendered and convincing. But I must say, I was a little misled, seeing how it is the worms don't actually look like the one on the video box cover (which actually looks cooler). But never mind that, I'm wondering how the director managed to pull off so many scenes of the creatures popping out from underground. I mean, given the fact that this is a goofy monster movie, it couldn't have been given a very big budget. I also love those worm POV shots, particularly the ones that actually feature the camera wading through the dirt.

S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock's script is clever without being particulary intelligent or distinguished. This isn't a brilliant film by a long shot but it goes to show that some writers who just want to write a fun script can actually get the job done. It's a little odd to note that all of Wilson and Maddock's other screenplays (with maybe the exception of Tremors' own sequels) have been pretty bad, culminating to the debacle known as Wild Wild West. Unlike that film and the others they've written, this one isn't soulless.

But it's not the action and the laughs that put this film above so many countless movies of the genre. It is, after all, the characters that make this film as highly entertaining as it is. As said before, Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward's chemistry is natural and they deliver some of their best acting in their careers. It's actually a shame that Ward never reached the same heights of stardom as Bacon; he sure as hell had the charisma and acting skill for it. Also very good is Finn Carter as Rhonda, and it's also a little unfortunate her career hasn't gone far since this. She and Bacon also have some nice chemistry, which further establishes this movie as one that also works partially as a romance (a good feat, considering it's not even striving to be one). The other standouts are Michael Gross and Reba Mcentire as the gun-toting couple. Their performances are a lot of fun and there's a hilarious scene involving the two of them trying to kill one of the giant worms in their basement.

Tremors wasn't much of a box office success but has since gone on to have a strong life on video, to the point where it even inspired other knowingly goofy creature features such as Anaconda, Lake Placid, Deep Blue Sea, and Deep Rising (of these three, only Rising comes to mind as a must see). The film's also got its own sequels, the first of which I remember as being pretty fun but certainly inferior.
*** 1/2 out of *****

Rating:
Summary: Worst Movie Ever Made
Review: This movie is extremely pathetic and contains some of the worst acting I have ever witnessed in a movie. I can't believe all these fools love this thing...it's about gigantic mutant worms coming out of the ground! Check out Tremors 3: Back to Perfection for the best movie ever!

Rating:
Summary: for fans of the series
Review: Tremors is just-for-fun, but extremely well done. The cast, writing and effects are top-notch. This is a film I rewatch every now and then, so it's worth having on DVD. Before buying, though, check out Tremors 4, which is about the same price and includes a free copy of Tremors as of January 2004.

Rating:
Summary: Tremors Review!
Review: I thought the movie was great!Kevin Bacon,Fred Ward, Michael Gross,And Reba McEntire!The other actors not as well known,made it seem really like a small town in nevada.The story was a little un-beliveble,but it turned out to be great.The whole town trying to get to higher gound,brought suspense throughout the movie.Also comedy made the movie even better,especially between Bacon and Ward.I liked it so much I now have a site you can visit for more information, www.geocities.com/burt_trem

Rating:
Summary: how many does it take to make a pede??
Review: This move is the text book example of how to do camp. So many movies go for camp and they forget to do camp right you have to be dead serious - yet with that twinkle in the eye and the tongue through cheek. Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward and crew - right down to Michael Gross and Reba McIntyre as the gun toting survivalists - are totally brilliant. The movie is fast paced, with a lot of memorable lines like "here are some Swiss Cheese and bullets" that will keep you watching this movie again and again.

Val and Earl (Bacon and Ward) are jack of all trades in a small rocky mountain wide spot in the road. They soon discovered giant worms from outer-space, that have super sensitive hearing and plan to munch their way through their remote valley unless our trust band of misfits can figure out how to make worm mush out of four of the huge things.

It's a great time to be had by all Hey...you gotta have a plan, then maybe you could get on People Magazine!

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies!!!!
Review: This has to be one of my all time favorites! I grew up with this movie and could not wait to get the DVD. Tremors combines frightening underground monsters with amazing one-liners and a great cast...you must see this movie.

Rating:
Summary: the snake things in the ground movie
Review: a classic nodoubt. with its chilling premise of what the hell is going on underground and what are these snake things that eat us. suspenseful from beginning to end with Bacon and Ward being dynomite in the leads. Michael Gross and Reba MacIntyre really put the gun in guns as one of the snakes enter there house and they unload on it. followed by 2 sequels which the 2nd on is better than the 3rd one

Rating:
Summary: Perfection?
Review: What's not to like? This is a perfect 1950s/early 60s monster movie set in the 90s. Reba McIntyre and Martin Gross are awseome as the survivalist couple fighting off the graboids in their rec room. Bacon and Ward are perfectly cast as two ne-er do well cowboy types confronted by lethal creatures who learn and improve as they go along. The balance between humor, tension and action is perfect.

I'd rate it even superior to giants ants and triffids!

Rating:
Summary: B-Movie Cinema at its best!
Review: I would be hard pressed to make the case that "Tremors" is a "good" movie in the traditional sense; the plot is hokey, the acting is OK, but not great, and the special effects are, again, just OK. Yet somehow, this is a film that is greater than the sum of its parts. I can't help but watch it whenever it comes on TV (which is frequently) and in spite of having seen it at least two dozen times, I picked up the DVD the other day. Ultimately, "Tremors" is able to succeed because it acknowledges its B-Movie status and revels in it; it doesn't try to be great cinema, it just tries to be fun, and succeeds admirably.

The storyline follows the lives of the few inhabitants of a small desert town as they struggle to survive the onslaught of underground monsters (think slugs with teeth on steroids). As one might guess, the cast is eccentric to the point of hilarity: there's a cantankerous shop keeper, a hippy artist and her daughter, a 13 year old boy who apparently lives in the middle of the desert with no family or job, and two men who apparently do nothing but sit around all day, one a loser, the other staunchly loyal with an earthy intelligence. Then there are the main characters Val and Earl, (played admirably by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward), two locals whose ambition is outweighed only by inertia. In addition, there is the local college student to provide expertise and a love interest, and my personal favorites, a survivalist couple played by Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. Gross' change from the grown-up flower child on "Family Ties" to a right wing gun nut is a source of constant amusement, whether it was deliberate or not.

There's no point in rehashing the plot here as it contains the basic elements of any classic horror movie: a small isolated town, overwhelming odds and a struggle to survive. What sets "Tremors" apart though is that it doesn't take itself at all seriously; it isn't scary by any stretch, and while there is some tension as to who will survive and how, the outcome is never in doubt. Instead, every performance is over the top, every B-Movie stereotype is embraced and turned on its head. The end result is a move that's more funny than entertaining, but that is completely enjoyable.

Finally, the "Tremors" DVD, unlike many low budget releases, actually has some pretty good extras, including a few deleted scenes, a making of video and the original trailers. In addition the sound is excellent, much better than I would have expected in fact, and the picture is crisp and clear.

If you're looking for a film with great acting or top notch special effects or serious dramatic issues, or all of the above, "Tremors" definitely isn't you're choice. However, if you're looking for a movie that offers some laughs and a few cheap thrills as it entertains you from start to finish, this is a DVD that you'll want to take a look it.

Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Earthshaking.
Review: Tremors is a bizarre but lovable little gem of a movie. Who would guess a horror-comedy about large subterranean worms could be so thrilling?
Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon do good jobs in the lead roles, bringing life to almost one-sided redneck characters. Tremors contains some good humour and interesting acting, but what makes this what it is is certainly the action sequences.
Because this film was made in 1990, just before CGI really got a good grip on the film world, you may expect the effects to be quite pitiful. But they are, in fact, surprisingly good. The worms must have taken up alot of time where this was made, for the creature effects are superb. The SFX are quite good, and the sequences involving gun-toting madman Burt are pretty thrilling. The part when a 30ft worm smashes through his heavily armed bunker, and Burt deals out his own brand of rough justice, is brilliant. You'll never look at earthworms the same way again. The action sequences are invariably good, lively and packed full of exciting effects. Tremors is a lively little movie, bouncing along at a jaunty pace, and although it is always done tongue-in-cheek and never takes itself too seriously, this doesn't mean the action is undermined or compromised. This is a film that you can almost watch anytime, anywhere, and does not tire with successive viewings. Tremors gets full marks for effort and exictement and remains a personal favourite of mine. It has the rare talent of being a horror-comedy and pulling off both roles pretty successfully. One never compromises the other.
Tremors keeps us entertained throughout, through to a lively enough beginning and it has a good ending. It is a well-constructed movie. I would say that tremors is slightly (only slightly!) superior to tremors 2:aftershocks, in that it does not complicate itself and is simple to follow. I cannot comment on tremors 3, as i have never have seen it, but if it as good as tremors 1, it should be great. I would recommend this DVD to almost anyone, with the exception of strict haters of horror or sci-fi. I would rate tremors at 80%, and is by anyone's standards, a fun movie.