’90s horror fans are set to have a blast this spooky season with the latest addition to the streaming universe. Tremors, the monster feature starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, has been added to Prime Video‘s extensive library as part of the October update. The film currently boasts 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with a Certified Fresh label.
In Tremors, the remote town of Perfection, Nevada, falls prey to a very bizarre threat. Prehistoric worms the size of wagons have arrived in the grimy city in the middle of nowhere, and they are set on exterminating all living beings walking the Earth. It’s up to Val and Earl, two local handymen, to stand up to the fight and find a way to battle against the merciless creatures. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis:
Repairmen Val McKee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) are tired of their dull lives in the small desert town of Perfection, Nev. But just as the two try to skip town, they happen upon a series of mysterious deaths and a concerned seismologist (Finn Carter) studying unnatural readings below the ground. With the help of an eccentric couple (Reba McEntire, Michael Gross), the group fights for survival against giant, worm-like monsters hungry for human flesh.
Directed by Ron Underwood (City Slickers, Mighty Joe Young), the film stars Bacon and Ward alongside Michael Gross, Reba McEntire, Finn Carter, Bobby Jacoby, Charlotte Stewart, Victor Wong, and Ariana Richards. The film was made in 1990, meaning most special effects were done practically. Considering how effective the creatures are, the animatronics and creature design department truly deserve a shout-out.
‘Tremors’: From Cult Movie to Full-Blown Franchise
Tremors was released in January 1990, a month that’s classically associated with less prominent movie releases. These slots are mostly taken by films that executives usually don’t have an incredible amount of faith in. Universal Pictures also didn’t bother marketing it, and the film’s trailer wasn’t very good. Nevertheless, upon release, it drew the attention of horror fans.
Grossing over $16 million from a $10 million budget, Tremors quickly turned into a sensation for the studio. Not only that, but when it came time to release it on home video, the sales were strong. It became one of the most rented VHS tapes of the year, and Universal eventually saw the potential of the monster feature. Tremors was on the path of evolving into a franchise.
The problem was that it took a long time, and not everyone came back to make the movie. Kevin Bacon and Reba McEntire were essential characters in the original, and they decided to pass on Tremors 2: Aftershocks. Though the reception of the sequel was far from that of the original, the franchise owners kept it alive for decades.
To this day, there are seven films in the Tremors franchise (most of them direct-to-video releases), one TV show, and another TV reboot whose only episode remains hidden in some vault. The only character to appear in all Tremors films is Burt Gummer, the survivalist played by Michael Gross.
- Release Date
-
January 19, 1990
- Runtime
-
96 minutes
- Director
-
Ron Underwood
- Writers
-
Brent Maddock
- Producers
-
Gale Anne Hurd