My overall thoughts on the series...
For those gracious enough to spare some time to listen to my podcast at anchor.fm/1000DaysOfHorror, then perhaps you followed me as I meandered my way through all seven movies in the Tremors series during October. I appreciate that immensely, even if my listenership is about 10 people at the moment. I like the idea of dedicating time to an entire franchise.
Unlike many monster flicks, Tremors offers something both original and unique.
The graboids, as they're called throughout the films, are a natural species that have somehow remained undiscovered since who knows when. And they sense their prey by sound vibrations.
As far as we know, these monsters aren't space creatures. Nor are they from another realm or dimension. They're not some unholy, unnatural fluke of nature like something cooked up thanks to a military experiment gone badly. I think they've always been out in the desert surviving on... what? I don't know!
Tremors is a science fiction horror comedy film with a western taste. There's not too many mainstream horror films like Tremors. Yet it easily manages to be a horror comedy on par with movies such as Gremlins and Ghostbusters. It leans a little into the realm of cheesy comedy but maintains a serious enough tone and plot that's certainly does not induce eye-rolls.
All the characters residing in the fictional town of Perfection, Nevada (population 14) fit in so well among each other. They're likeable, and easy to grow invested in. This fades sequel by sequel. By Tremors 6: A Cold Day in Hell, I could absolutely care less if any of the characters die. In fact, all I remember about the characters in part six is that there were two girls and this one guy who just spouts some science-y terms. I'm probably wrong on the numbers.
In the first movie, married couple and survivalists Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) and Heather Gummer (Reba McEntire) are two such likeable characters.
They live in a bunker type house away from peering government eyes, with a stock pile of weaponry that isn't far from the truth yet still makes me laugh.
Rather than just tackle the worms with bullets, Burt conjures up a variety of militaristic ways to kill these things such as bombs attached to remote controlled cars.
Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward in the lead roles as Val McKee and Earl Bass is a good casting decision. If only they stuck around through the sequels to be the graboid's arch-nemeses like Dracula's Van Helsing, or Michael Myer's Lori Strode. These two play so well off of each other, they may have had potential to be a popular duo in the horror genre. Though Fred Ward returns for Tremors 2: Aftershocks, part one was all we saw of them together which is probably why the first in the series is the best.
There are great character actors in part one as well such as Charlotte Stewart (Eraserhead) and Victor Wong (Big Trouble in Little China). Many of them return in Tremors 3: Back to Perfection which makes the third film one of the better sequels.
But the first movie could use just a bit more solid foundation in the story. For instance, what did these worms eat before intruding upon Perfection? Why do we have shots from the worm's point of view as they travel underground when these worms are blind and locate their prey by vibrations? And why have these worms been an unknown species until now, especially when considering their incredibly large size? Backstory would come in handy for the sake of audience interest.
The build up is memorable in the first film. There are two scenes that have stayed in my mind since I first saw part one back in 1990.
In one scene, Val and Earl discover a friend of theirs, Edgar, high up on a power line. After a rock, paper, scissors competition to determine who's going to go up there and get him, Val climbs up and find that Edgar is dead.
When the doctor examines the late Edgar, he determines that Edgar died from dehydration.
The second scene occurs when Val and Earl drive past farmer Fred's heard of sheep. All they find left of the sheep are carcasses and sheep parts.
When they start calling out for Fred, Val finds the farmer's dirty brown hat on the ground. He picks it up, and underneath is Fred's face poking out of the soil, the shock of pain and fear still frozen on this face.
That particular scene is what gave me nightmares as a kid - I was nine years old at the time of its release.
I think, overall, the premise of man-eating worms sensing prey through vibrations is a fun idea, but is stretched thinner and thinner, sequel by sequel.
There are good things to be found in each movie.
But how do you continue the storyline of man-eating monsters chasing people and make it interesting and fun rather than repetitive and boring?
The Tremors sequels (especially parts two and five) clearly took some inspiration from Jurassic Park, but only changed settings and species in the general story line, especially in a scene in part five with the bipedal shrieker is chasing two victims through a kitchen. I talked about this in my podcast.
Some things in the sequels are fun and entertaining. Still by the time I got to part seven, I was anxious to be done with Tremors. There just wasn't enough new, original material to keep me invested.
Where the sequels fail is in imagination (more or less), and exploring more about the graboids save for their unusual life cycle from worm, to bipedal heat-sensing creatures, to ass blasters, to baby worms that molt into graboids.
There's more room for exploration in Tremors than in a franchise like Jurassic Park. Dinosaurs are certainly more implemented in facts than graboids.
By part six, I was 100 percent convinced the franchise was reduced to just one big cash grab, leaving nothing for audiences to care about. All the main characters are gone, except for Michael Gross's recurring character. By the last movie, Burt Gummer was starting to become repetitive.
Nevertheless, the first movie is an enjoyable movie that works very well with so much going for it.
I intend to dedicate more months next year to other horror franchises - The Omen, The Amityville Horror, Puppet Master, Phantasm, Hellraiser, Children of the Corn to throw out some titles.
December will be "SequelCember" as I'll be looking at various horror sequels throughout the month!
Other reviews coming soon...
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