If you’ve ever listened to one of my podcasts, you’ll know the following confession isn’t really a secret: I love the Tremors franchise.
In fact, as many of the other Hypable staffers like to point out, I have pretty terrible taste in movies. I love Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Bros., and Starship Troopers, just new name a tiny portion of the bad movies I’m addicted to.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t actually think these movies are terrible, but they do have a certain, let’s say, reputation. They’re cult classics, which generally means they have a very small, but very passionate fanbase.
Tremors is no exception. Nor should it be. The original movie, which is nearly as old as I am, having been released in 1990, starred now famous outlaw Kevin Freaking Bacon running away from giant worm monsters that burrowed deep into the ground and snatched you up from below. Even my 3 Ninjas childhood hero Victor Wong wasn’t safe from the likes of the Graboids.
In all seriousness, I really do love Tremors. Yes, it’s a bit ridiculous, but it’s genuinely funny and the action and suspense is solid. The fact that they used practical effects makes the Graboids that much more realistic and frightening. This has been a passion project for the creators since its inception, and it shows. Fans are loyal because S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock love these crazy movies as much as we do.
Besides, look how badass Reba McEntire is in her first ever movie role.
This is also one franchise that has solid sequels. Each subsequent movie has kept the tone of the original (even if it couldn’t keep the cast), while also adding something to the lore of the Graboids. Suddenly you have Shooters, Shriekers, and Ass-Blasters on your hands. You must handle each one in a different way if you hope to survive.
Or just stick really, really closely to Burt Gummer. Because let’s be real — he’s the MVP of this series. Kevin Bacon might have been the star, but Michael Gross is the one that has stuck around through each incarnation of the Graboids, even going back in time to play one of Burt’s ancestors.
If you’re a serious fan of Tremors, you might be feeling like four movies was quite enough. In truth, it has felt like we’ve completed the life cycle, much as the Graboids have over the course of four films. We saw them evolve from one stage to the next, ending in the protection of an ancient monster, which also helped keep Perfection from being sold and developed by Melvin Plugg. Then we found ourselves in the past and answered the question about their origins. What more is there to say?
Plenty, apparently. Today marks the day Tremors 5: Bloodlines hits DVD and Blu-ray. This time, the Graboids are attacking a South African wildlife reserve, and Burt Gummer is there to protect man and beast alike. And while this appears at first glance to be your typical Graboid, Africa don’t make ’em like we do in the States. It’s faster, leaner, and probably a helluva lot more dangerous, too.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why I love the Tremors films. There’s something about the reality of it — the practical effects, the passable science, the on-the-nose social commentary — that speaks to me. Nostalgia is certainly a factor, but it’s also a matter of that perfect blend of humor, horror, and action that ropes me in every time.
I grew up on these movies like others grew up on Star Wars. I’ve seen them a hundred times, I own the DVDs, and if there were a Tremors Tuesday like there’s a Force Friday, you’d better believe I’d be standing in line for my very own Ass-Blaster plush. Alas, no such thing exists (though one can hold out hope), but for the first time I think I understand how those Star Wars fans feel now that they’re getting another movie.
With Wilson and Maddock at the helm once again, and Michael Gross in tow as an older, crankier version of Burt, the only thing I can hope for is that Bloodlines will still feel like the same old Tremors. It’s 2015, and what we can do today with digital effects is incredible, but the practicality of the effects in Tremors is one of the reasons why I fell in love with the franchise to begin with. If Bloodlines can at least hold onto that, I’ll be happy to go along for the ride.
Plus, the trailer shows Bloodlines expertly parodying Jurassic Park. If that doesn’t make you want to watch this movie, there truly is no hope for you.
