SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB: Week 226 - Tremors (1990)

europe1

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NOTE to NON-MEMBERS: Interested in joining the SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB? Shoot me a PM for more info!

Here's a quick list of all movies watched by the SMC. Or if you prefer, here's a more detailed examination.

c07a3a1d4b77147c93685b26fe9ba180_ab55757b-9c74-437b-9a17-a6d16dba9325_500x.jpg

Our Director
Ron Underwood
MV5BMjQxOTY4MTM4Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjYwOTU5ODE@._V1_UY317_CR131,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


A director who is equally adept at working in television as well as features, Southern California native Ron Underwood has been making films since 5th grade and was winning Eastman Kodak filmmaking awards by the time he was in his teens. After graduating from University of Southern California, he completed a fellowship at the American Film Institute and then began his professional career in educational films. He directed more than 100 educational films before turning his attention to children's television. Underwood's ABC Weekend Special, The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986), earned both a Peabody Award and an Emmy nomination.

The director made his feature film debut in 1990 with the science fiction comedy Tremors. The film, which starred Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, became a sleeper hit, spawning six sequels and a USA TV series. This success was followed with the blockbuster comedy City Slickers (1991), starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. One of the year's top grossing films, the film earned Palance an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Underwood also directed the bittersweet fantasy-comedy Heart and Souls (1993), which starred Robert Downey, Jr. and Charles Grodin. He then directed Michael Keaton and Geena Davis in the romantic comedy Speechless (1994).

In 1998, Underwood directed a remake of the classic 1949 adventure film Mighty Joe Young, starring Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton, alongside a bigger-than-life gorilla, which earned the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. He then directed The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), starring Eddie Murphy. The next feature film Underwood directed was the romantic comedy In the Mix, starring Usher Raymond and Chazz Palminteri (2005).

Underwood directed the Showtime feature Stealing Sinatra (2003), starring David Arquette and William H. Macy, who received an Emmy nomination. Underwood re-teamed with Jack Palance on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production Back When We Were Grownups (2004), based on the popular Anne Tyler book and starring Blythe Danner, who received both Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her performance. Underwood directed several other TV movies.

In addition to directing long form films, Underwood has directed critically-acclaimed television series, including "Scandal", "Once Upon A Time", "Grey's Anatomy", "The Good Fight" and many others.

Our Stars
Kevin Bacon and Fred War FREAKING BURT GUMMER!!!

340



Film Overview




Premise:
Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.

Budget: $10 million

Box Office: $16 million

Trivia
(courtesy of IMDB)

* S.S. Wilson said that he got the idea for the film while he was working for the U.S. Navy in the California desert. While resting on a rock, he imagined what it might be like if something underground kept him from getting off the rock.

* Kevin Bacon would later call the filming of Tremors to be "the single most fun time I've ever had making a movie in my entire career".

* One idea by the special effects crew was for the worms to have an outer shell. When above the dirt, the shell would retract to reveal a slimier 'inner worm'. However, many production members started to giggle at the 'phallic' resemblance it had with a foreskin, so this was changed to the big worm sprouting several smaller worms from its mouth.

* There are only two interior sets in the entire movie: Walter's store and Burt and Heather's basement. Every other shot is an exterior.

* Although "Tremors" was not a big hit during its theatrical run, the film became a runaway smash in the home video market, and ultimately tripled its original box-office gross with VHS sales and rentals.

* One early dropped concept for the graboids was that they had the ability to perfectly mimic sounds, which they used to lure in unsuspecting prey. This idea was dropped because the writers thought the graboids had too many special abilities.

* Valentine's belt buckle is in the shape of a heart.

Members: @europe1 @MusterX @Scott Parker 27 @JayPettryMMA @Jackie Daytona @Bullitt68 @Yotsuya @HARRISON_3 @Bubzeh @the ambush @SalvadorAllende @HenryFlower @Zer
 
Damn.. I couldn't finish tha last one (had to stop at half.. was feeling really sick the weekend).

I will try to make 2x1 with this one.
 
Such a fun movie. Still remember this hitting cable and wondering how I'd never heard of it at the time. Sequels were whatever. Tough to recapture the magic of the original.

I can't believe that you just dissed the Assblasters like that you peasant! Show those butt-rockets the respect they deserve!

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Hey aren't they releasing a Dune movie sometime soon?

Sheeanaandworm.JPG


Anyways, why does Tremors work so well?

Part of it is just giving the monster lots of cool features that get subsequently revealed through the film. Like those tongues that come slithering out (does this mean that the Graboids are essentially combinations of the Dune worms and the Xenomorphs from Alien?)

Tremors01.png


Secondly, Tremors never forgets that it's a monster movie first and a comedy second. These horror-comedy flicks can become so clownish in how they joke about their subject (like the later Nightmare on Elm Street films, for instance). Here, the threat that the Graboids posses are never undercut by the jokes being made. And it never descends into straight-out silliness either. Most characters are basically broadly-drawn caricatures (Burt the Prepper, Cheng the Asian store-owner) but they're never allowed to act ridiculous in such a way that could undermine the goings-on in the film.

Honestly, my favorite joke in Tremors though is more of a meta one. In monster movies, the scientists tend to always be the voice of authority whom explains that nature of the beast. But Rhonda has no idea what is going on! So when the townspeople all pester her about what the monster is she has to come up short with the replies and it irks them.

“You mean you don’t even have a name for them?!”

“I thought you were a scientist!”

They just seem so dissapointed and incredulous that Rhonda isn't like one of those TV scientists. :D
 
Solid entertainment! Tremors does not try too hard with suspence, but insteads delivers steady flow of ”fuck yeah!” -moments which are really enjoyable, because the characters are gold.
 
I enjoyed Tremors and Tremors 2. Never bothered with the others.
 
i actually went and visited the old town/set remants a few years back as it's right off the 395 near Lone Pine or whatnot
 
I've seen this a few times now and have always enjoyed it. It's a completely solid film with very endearing characters, badass monsters that look the business and never a dull moment. Fred Ward is the big standout for me I love that guy

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He has the same instant, rugged charm as Jon Bernthal except obviously in a very pre-Jon Bernthal world. Watching this again reminded me I need to check out Remo Williams and also the other Tremors films. I was under the impression the sequels didn't have any of the original cast except for the Gummers (Who are fun characters as well tbf) so I kind of avoided them, but I see Tremors 2 still kept hold of Ward at least

Bacon is very fun to watch here too and he has great chemistry with Ward. Finn Carter is also a total dime and is the perfect foil for the central duo. I always chalked this movie up in the top tier of 80's action/adventure along with things like Big Trouble it's a classic
 
very good film that ages well. My favorite part might be the gun nut couple getting attacked and everyone assumes they are toast and then all the sudden the shots start ringing like a storm from hell lol.
 
NOTE to NON-MEMBERS: Interested in joining the SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB? Shoot me a PM for more info!

Here's a quick list of all movies watched by the SMC. Or if you prefer, here's a more detailed examination.

c07a3a1d4b77147c93685b26fe9ba180_ab55757b-9c74-437b-9a17-a6d16dba9325_500x.jpg


Our Director
Ron Underwood

MV5BMjQxOTY4MTM4Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjYwOTU5ODE@._V1_UY317_CR131,0,214,317_AL_.jpg


A director who is equally adept at working in television as well as features, Southern California native Ron Underwood has been making films since 5th grade and was winning Eastman Kodak filmmaking awards by the time he was in his teens. After graduating from University of Southern California, he completed a fellowship at the American Film Institute and then began his professional career in educational films. He directed more than 100 educational films before turning his attention to children's television. Underwood's ABC Weekend Special, The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986), earned both a Peabody Award and an Emmy nomination.

The director made his feature film debut in 1990 with the science fiction comedy Tremors. The film, which starred Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, became a sleeper hit, spawning six sequels and a USA TV series. This success was followed with the blockbuster comedy City Slickers (1991), starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance. One of the year's top grossing films, the film earned Palance an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Underwood also directed the bittersweet fantasy-comedy Heart and Souls (1993), which starred Robert Downey, Jr. and Charles Grodin. He then directed Michael Keaton and Geena Davis in the romantic comedy Speechless (1994).

In 1998, Underwood directed a remake of the classic 1949 adventure film Mighty Joe Young, starring Charlize Theron and Bill Paxton, alongside a bigger-than-life gorilla, which earned the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. He then directed The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), starring Eddie Murphy. The next feature film Underwood directed was the romantic comedy In the Mix, starring Usher Raymond and Chazz Palminteri (2005).

Underwood directed the Showtime feature Stealing Sinatra (2003), starring David Arquette and William H. Macy, who received an Emmy nomination. Underwood re-teamed with Jack Palance on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production Back When We Were Grownups (2004), based on the popular Anne Tyler book and starring Blythe Danner, who received both Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her performance. Underwood directed several other TV movies.

In addition to directing long form films, Underwood has directed critically-acclaimed television series, including "Scandal", "Once Upon A Time", "Grey's Anatomy", "The Good Fight" and many others.

Our Stars
Kevin Bacon and Fred War FREAKING BURT GUMMER!!!

340



Film Overview




Premise:
Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.

Budget: $10 million

Box Office: $16 million

Trivia
(courtesy of IMDB)

* S.S. Wilson said that he got the idea for the film while he was working for the U.S. Navy in the California desert. While resting on a rock, he imagined what it might be like if something underground kept him from getting off the rock.

* Kevin Bacon would later call the filming of Tremors to be "the single most fun time I've ever had making a movie in my entire career".

* One idea by the special effects crew was for the worms to have an outer shell. When above the dirt, the shell would retract to reveal a slimier 'inner worm'. However, many production members started to giggle at the 'phallic' resemblance it had with a foreskin, so this was changed to the big worm sprouting several smaller worms from its mouth.

* There are only two interior sets in the entire movie: Walter's store and Burt and Heather's basement. Every other shot is an exterior.

* Although "Tremors" was not a big hit during its theatrical run, the film became a runaway smash in the home video market, and ultimately tripled its original box-office gross with VHS sales and rentals.

* One early dropped concept for the graboids was that they had the ability to perfectly mimic sounds, which they used to lure in unsuspecting prey. This idea was dropped because the writers thought the graboids had too many special abilities.

* Valentine's belt buckle is in the shape of a heart.

Members: @europe1 @MusterX @Scott Parker 27 @JayPettryMMA @Jackie Daytona @Bullitt68 @Yotsuya @HARRISON_3 @Bubzeh @the ambush @SalvadorAllende @HenryFlower @Zer

Love this movie, I think I saw it back as a young man on tnt or some shit at 3 am after drinking a ton. Totally something I would have watched as a kid If I had cable TV. My parents didn't get satelite TV until I moved out at 18, and I watched many a late night TV horror movies on the regular TV. Kevin Bacon is the man, for all who don't know.
 
i actually went and visited the old town/set remants a few years back as it's right off the 395 near Lone Pine or whatnot
No shit, are some of them still there? I hiked Whitney about 10 years ago now and fell in love with lone pine. Love 395 and mono lake etc, keep trying my wife to go there with me.
 
No shit, are some of them still there? I hiked Whitney about 10 years ago now and fell in love with lone pine. Love 395 and mono lake etc, keep trying my wife to go there with me.
The town set is gone, but you can tell where it was

Off this road between Olanch and Lone Pine
 
I live tremors. Michael and Reba were great in that flick.
 
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