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Tremors (1990)
The recent passing of Fred Ward motivated my first viewing of Tremors since its original theatrical release. This rollicking re-thinking of the monster movies of the 1950's still provides the edge-of-your-seat thrills that it did over 30 years ago.
Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Ward) are handymen on their way out of a tiny southwestern desert town called Perfection when they realize the town is being literally swallowed up by a trio of large, worm-like creatures who burrow from underground and are taking out the densely populated town of Perfection one by one. With the aid of a pretty seismologist (Finn Carter), Val and Earl find themselves very reluctant heroes.
Director Ron Underwood (City Slickers, Hearts and Souls, White Men Can't Jump) has to take primary credit for the success of this contemporary thriller for the way he allows the story to build from an unassuming beginning to a fever pitch that finds a group of nine or ten people on top of a rock in the middle of the desert trying to figure out how they're going to survive.
The screenplay by Underwood, SS Wilson, and Brent Maddock combines a tongue in cheek sensibility with a sometimes logic-defying blueprint for our heroes to get themselves out of this mess. We're about halfway through the film when our heroes have figured out that the creatures cannot penetrate rock, cannot get to the top of buildings, and something I didn't notice during my first watch, that they can't see. A clever comic touch is also added with the reveal that these monsters also really stink.
Underwood's camerawork is nothing short of superb throughout, with a strong assist from film editor O Nicholas Brown. Love the shots from the creatures' point of view burrowing from underground, used sparingly to incredible effect, just like the tracking shots above ground from the monsters' point of view. The doctor's wife getting buried in her station wagon and the battle with the gun nuts Burt and Heather were among the most memorable of several heart-stopping scenes.
I think this is the film that officially made Fred Ward a movie star and deservedly so...the very first shot of him in the film is fantastic...what a face. And even though it has nothing to do with the movie per se, Kevin Bacon has rarely been sexier onscreen, and I have to give a shout out to Michel Gross as Burt, a role light years away from Steven Keaton. This film also features an impressive film debut of future country music superstore Reba McIntire as Heather. The film is 32 years old, but I sure couldn't tell. Followed by three sequels, a 2003 remake, and a television series.
The recent passing of Fred Ward motivated my first viewing of Tremors since its original theatrical release. This rollicking re-thinking of the monster movies of the 1950's still provides the edge-of-your-seat thrills that it did over 30 years ago.
Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Ward) are handymen on their way out of a tiny southwestern desert town called Perfection when they realize the town is being literally swallowed up by a trio of large, worm-like creatures who burrow from underground and are taking out the densely populated town of Perfection one by one. With the aid of a pretty seismologist (Finn Carter), Val and Earl find themselves very reluctant heroes.
Director Ron Underwood (City Slickers, Hearts and Souls, White Men Can't Jump) has to take primary credit for the success of this contemporary thriller for the way he allows the story to build from an unassuming beginning to a fever pitch that finds a group of nine or ten people on top of a rock in the middle of the desert trying to figure out how they're going to survive.
The screenplay by Underwood, SS Wilson, and Brent Maddock combines a tongue in cheek sensibility with a sometimes logic-defying blueprint for our heroes to get themselves out of this mess. We're about halfway through the film when our heroes have figured out that the creatures cannot penetrate rock, cannot get to the top of buildings, and something I didn't notice during my first watch, that they can't see. A clever comic touch is also added with the reveal that these monsters also really stink.
Underwood's camerawork is nothing short of superb throughout, with a strong assist from film editor O Nicholas Brown. Love the shots from the creatures' point of view burrowing from underground, used sparingly to incredible effect, just like the tracking shots above ground from the monsters' point of view. The doctor's wife getting buried in her station wagon and the battle with the gun nuts Burt and Heather were among the most memorable of several heart-stopping scenes.
I think this is the film that officially made Fred Ward a movie star and deservedly so...the very first shot of him in the film is fantastic...what a face. And even though it has nothing to do with the movie per se, Kevin Bacon has rarely been sexier onscreen, and I have to give a shout out to Michel Gross as Burt, a role light years away from Steven Keaton. This film also features an impressive film debut of future country music superstore Reba McIntire as Heather. The film is 32 years old, but I sure couldn't tell. Followed by three sequels, a 2003 remake, and a television series.