Tuesday, ITV4, 9:00pm
When “Tremors” hit screens in 1990, it didn’t roar into cinemas as a blockbuster; it slithered into cult status like the very Graboids it featured. Directed by Ron Underwood and starring Kevin Bacon alongside Fred Ward, the film is a B-movie with A-grade charm. Set in the desolate town of Perfection, Nevada, the plot marries Western ruggedness with creature-feature chaos as the townsfolk battle subterranean horrors that are part giant worms, part primal terror. While the setup screams “low-budget horror,” what you get is a surprisingly smart blend of suspense, comedy, and practical effects wizardry. The Graboids—massive, grotesque sandworms—are the real stars, brought to life with a mix of puppetry and animatronics that makes them delightfully tangible, even decades later. It’s the kind of movie that reminds you how much Jaws has to answer for—only now the threat is underground.
The real treat, though, is the chemistry between the cast. Bacon’s Val McKee and Ward’s Earl Bassett have the kind of scrappy camaraderie that feels plucked out of a buddy cop movie. Then there’s Michael Gross and Reba McEntire as the heavily armed Gummers, whose basement full of artillery would make any doomsday prepper weep with joy. Their iconic “rec room” standoff with a Graboid is practically a Western duel, only with elephant guns. The humor lands as well as the shocks, and the result is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously but never underestimates the audience’s intelligence—a rare feat in monster flicks of the era.
And oh, that soundtrack! Composed by Ernest Troost, with additional material by Robert Folk, the score perfectly balances suspense and cheeky adventure. It’s equal parts eerie strings, twangy guitars, and playful cues that almost wink at the audience, as if to say, “Yes, we know this is a bit ridiculous, and you’re loving it.” The music’s country-western flair also grounds the setting, making Perfection feel like a character in its own right. The sound design deserves a nod too—the low, rumbling tremors of the Graboids are just as nerve-wracking as the shark’s theme in Jaws. All told, Tremors is a masterclass in turning limitations into strengths, blending heart-pounding scares with a knowing smirk. It’s no wonder the film spawned a franchise and a legion of fans who still want to argue about whether Graboids could beat a Rancor in a fight. (They couldn’t—let’s not be daft.)
- Noel Chambers