Tremors

This movie was on TV when I was a kid and we taped it on one occasion. I liked watching it many times because of its humor. I don’t view this film as a horror film because it makes you laugh more than scream. Most of the film takes place during the day anyways. The best element of the film is the chemistry between Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward. I like movies where the characters have to come up with plan after plan to achieve a goal. The ethnic variety of the cast is another good element of the film. The monsters themselves, which I like to call Tremors, are very unique and this is an example of a film that became popular after its release. I am not pleased though with the level of language used in the film.

This movie takes place in the town of Perfection, Nevada. The town is so small and so run down that any ironic name for the town would have been funny. The residents there are diverse and that adds to the entertainment of the film. Among others we have the survivalists & conspiracy theorists, Burt & Heather, the Asian storeowner, Walter, a mother & daughter, Nancy & Mindy, the bratty boy, Melvin, the Mexican, Miguel and of course the handymen, Val & Earl. As is the case in “The Road to El Dorado”, the film stars the losers of the group: Val and Earl. This is one of my favorite Kevin Bacon films and I don’t know whether this movie introduced me to Fred Ward or if it was “Escape from Alcatraz”. The teamwork between these two actors though is perfect because they are appealing and at the same time quite pathetic. The design and idea behind the monsters are very creative but I do not like the name Graboid. I have always called them Tremors for some reason. The film is a horror film but you laugh so much that it seems more like a science fiction comedy like “Ghostbusters”. The film is successful because the comedy is supported by the terror.

The film has one ironic theme: get out of Perfection. Val and Earl try to do this throughout the film and the line “We decided to leave town just one *%@# day too late” portrays this theme perfectly. At first, they try to leave for a better life but by the end of the film, it is a quest for survival shared by all in the town. Val & Earl try to leave by vehicle only to be turned around by weird and terrible occurrences on the way. The road is blocked off and they try by horse. When that fails, they look to the old Jeep trail but then realize that everyone must go together. This development in the story makes the movie fun. The film has the idea of a stampede bookend the film and I like that too. I like the use of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” and the romantic side of the film with Val and Rhonda; the seismology student. The romantic angle is funny because at first, Val is not attracted to Rhonda. At every opportunity he can, Earl nudges Val so that he can see the potential. I love when our heroes realize that the Tremor killed itself at the dry irrigation canal. Val’s celebration is very funny. Then later in that scene, Earl asks if Rhonda has seen anything like this before. Val's responds: "Oh, sure Earl. Everyone knows about 'em. We just didn't tell you." He then immediately cuts the sarcasm, which makes the moment very funny. I also love the subsequent line from Earl: "I'll tell you one thing. Old Chang don't get his hands on this for no measly fifteen bucks." Where do the Tremors come from? "I like Val’s idea: “Big surprise for the Russians.” The thought of that just makes me laugh so hard mostly because of Bacon’s delivery of the line. That could actually be a fun subtitle to the next sequel: “Tremors: Big Surprise for the Russians”. I like the moment when Val uses the map to get everyone to realize the danger that they are in. It is a good plot point as he explains: “this valley is one long smorgasbord.” I also like the scene when the Tremor breaks into the wrong rec. room. The reveal of all those guns is so funny. The preparedness of Burt and Heather is another source of humor in the film. I like how in that scene just after the Tremor breaks into the basement we cut back to Val, Earl and Miguel. All we hear is Burt’s verbal response on the radio and he cuts himself off mid-word. Other great lines include: “Hey, Melvin. You wanna make a buck?” and “Can you fly, you sucker? Can you fly?” The latter is such a great, climatic taunt by Val. He is triumphant as the Tremor falls head first to its death.

Sure “Tremors” has some bad writing and it is far less than perfect but it is fun and that is what counts. You have the great team of Kevin Bacon & Fred Ward as well as an entertaining story. I wish people could understand that you can make a great movie without swearing every three minutes. The fun and humorous lines over the course of the story add very much to the appeal of this film. It is an example of a fun B-movie but you don’t like it for the cheesiness. You like it because of the comedy. The movie has cast with variety and the idea behind the monsters is quite good. The whole film is like that kids game where the floor is made of lava.

3.5 Stars