Product: Tremors (1990)
Rating: 5.0
B-Movie Cinema at its best!
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.Jake Mohlman