Tremors (1990)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Just perfect...

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Believe it or not, there have been six "Tremors" movies to date, with the latest one being released just this year. There was also a short-lived TV series and a recent reboot (starring Kevin Bacon) that unfortunately seems to have stalled at the pilot stage. Not too bad for what was essentially the modern equivalent of a B movie. While the ongoing series may be a case of diminishing returns, the original movie is still entertaining after almost thirty years.The story takes place in the sleepy town of Perfection, Nevada. A couple of handymen, Val (Kevin Bacon) & Earl (Fred Ward), decide that they've finally had enough of their dead-end jobs and decide to skip town. However, their attempts to leave are sidetracked by strange occurrences that appear to be linked to some sort of underground creatures. Before long, they figure out exactly what they're up against and the tiny population of Perfection is forced to fight for their survival.The premise may be a fairly simple one but the core idea is pretty neat. Having creatures lurking underground provides a great foundation for suspense. In fact, the movie plays almost like "Jaws" on land. There's a bit of scientific background given for the creatures but their origin is wisely left up to the viewer. More than anything, I'd say that the movie is nicely reminiscent of 1950's monster movies like "Them!"From a visual standpoint, the movie is surprisingly well done. In a movie like this, the special effects can make or break the entire movie. I'm glad to say that the practical effects are expertly handled and still look good even today. While not everything is completely convincing, there's some very impressive work here for a modestly budgeted horror movie.The cast is also one of the movie's strengths. Kevin Bacon & Fred Ward made a good team and "Family Ties" star Michael Gross nearly stole the show as survivalist Burt Gummer. The movie also marked the film debut of Reba McEntire and she fit in well alongside Michael Gross. Lead actress Finn Carter may not be known for much else but she didn't seem out of place here by any means.Ultimately, "Tremors" proves itself to be an affectionate homage to monster movies of a bygone era. It's got lots of suspense but also a healthy dose of humour. Add in nifty special effects and an engaging cast and you've got an entertaining popcorn movie that's likely to appeal to more than just horror fans.

"Tremors" its a classic monster movie, its like a well made version of one of those low budget creature features, its very reminiscent of movies like "Them!" or any other giant insect B movie for that matter, but this one actually has some likable characters, amusing effects, nice acting, good pacing and its well directed.Its absurd and many things don't really make sense, not to mention that there are many ways of killing these things as they are inconsistent with how they attack, sometimes they are just underground but other times their head comes out of the ground, exposing themselves to people shooting them, whether these creatures get you or not depends solely on what the script says.Overall, its really a fun time, I cant really complain about this one, also, I love when movies like this have better characters than they should, I could watch a movie about these people without the monsters and still be entertained.

This film isn't perfect but it does have some amazing aspects. It has the atmosphere of an old B movie classic with an 80s feel. The characters are unique and funny, while the story stays true to the horror genre. The special effects are cool and fun, they look good, and don't come across as try hard, overused CGI. Overall the movie has a similar feel to Jaws, despite the characters being stuck on land. It's worth watching for anyone into sci-fi, horror, comedies, or just having a laugh at a classic film.

Tremors was the kind of monster movie that seemed to find its way into my childhood video library - was it meant for kids, I have no idea (it's not not meant for them, if that makes sense) - and it was something that got repeat viewing. I think it was because the tone was sharp for this kind of material. The filmmakers had more of a budget than something like a Japanese Godzilla movie, and the actors, including people like Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, are not taking a s*** so to speak, they're not there just to collect a paycheck (or if they are, they hide ir so well that you don't notice).The pacing is what keeps things tense and breakneck. The premise is simple: underground worms chase and hunt down townspeople in the tiny Perfection, Nevada. There's enough character in the set-ups with these people first though, with Bacon and Ward as laborers, and with the townspeople (Michael Gross and Victor Wong get some ample screen-time), and it helps that the filmmakers spend just enough time in the first ten-fifteen minutes so that we can care enough about them while also making them fairly comic characters.This is a fun movie. It doesn't have much pretension or things in the way to make it draw too much attention to it being "art". It's a killer-worms movie that gets some build-up early on for the what these worms are - first it's snakes and then it's the GIANT worm that's attached to everything and then when it gets going. And the special effects mostly hold up well with everything being practical effects. If you are inundated with CGI and don't remember a time when effects got to be MADE, not simply on a computer, with things moving quickly underground at people and shooting out of the ground with guns blazing at it and with gore flying everywhere. It's glorious work by talented craftsmen.So watch it knowing that it's funny, wild and made with energy and some clever characters (a couple being gun nuts, plus Reba McEntire!)