Review of Tremors (1990) by Nathan R — 11 Mar 2013

For years now, this has been my all-time favorite B-movie Monster flick, for many reasons. Most movies that are like Tremors nowadays have more cliches than you can shake a stick at, and somehow, this one, maybe has a tiny percentage of them. It has aged so well with it's enhancing, intriguing cast of characters, mysterious storyline, and actually pretty scary moments!

One of the scariest kinds of monsters are the ones you can't see. Thinking of a giant beast lurking underground with an insatiable appetite for anything it can get its tentacles on is a pretty freaky concept. Think of taking a stroll through a field when suddenly you get sucked underground and getting eaten alive by something you never saw coming, and still will never see even as you die. The haunting thought that many lives were taken by these creatures without anyone knowing can send a lot of chills up your spine. Humans have always been on top of the food chain and would never anticipate something as large and dangerous as carnivorous snake-worms.

Not only is this movie great entertainment in action and horror, it has many funny, lighthearted moments as well. Jokes weren't stale or repetitive, but clever and witty. While you shudder in terror, you also have a good laugh.

Another thing I love about this film is it's lack of scientific explanation (no, I'm not counting its sequels, which are nowhere near as good as this). The characters give theories about what they individually believe, but they never clarify the truth. Movies like this aren't meant to be explained in vast detail, it takes away the mystery and majesty. Not knowing where these monsters came from, or why they're here, makes them far scarier, and far more unpredictable and weird to us.

There should be more films like this nowadays. Cliches are old and tired.