Tremors (1990)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ron Underwood

Writers (WGA):

S.S. Wilson (story) &
Brent Maddock (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 January 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The monster movie that breaks new ground.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Corpse | Seismologist | Desert | Nevada

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	Valentine McKee
Fred Ward	...	Earl Bassett
Finn Carter	...	Rhonda LeBeck
Michael Gross	...	Burt Gummer
Reba McEntire	...	Heather Gummer
Robert Jayne	...	Melvin Plug (as Bobby Jacoby)
Charlotte Stewart	...	Nancy Sterngood
Tony Genaro	...	Miguel
Ariana Richards	...	Mindy Sterngood
Richard Marcus	...	Nestor
Victor Wong	...	Walter Chang
Sunshine Parker	...	Edgar
Michael Dan Wagner	...	Old Fred
Conrad Bachmann	...	Dr. Jim
Bibi Besch	...	Megan
John Goodwin	...	Howard - Roadworker
John Pappas	...	Carmine - Roadworker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Woodruff Jr.	...	Grabboid (uncredited)

Directed by
Ron Underwood

Writing credits (WGA)
S.S. Wilson		(story) &
Brent Maddock		(story) &
Ron Underwood		(story)
S.S. Wilson		(screenplay) &
Brent Maddock		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ellen Collett	....	associate producer
Gale Anne Hurd	....	executive producer
Brent Maddock	....	producer
Ginny Nugent	....	line producer
S.S. Wilson	....	producer

Original Music by
Ernest Troost

Cinematography by
Alexander Gruszynski

Film Editing by
O. Nicholas Brown

Casting by
Pam Dixon

Production Design by
Ivo Cristante

Art Direction by
Don Maskovich

Set Decoration by
Debra Combs

Costume Design by
Abigail Murray

Makeup Department
Annette E. Fabrizi	....	hair stylist
Annette E. Fabrizi	....	makeup artist
Carla M. Fabrizi	....	hair stylist
Carla M. Fabrizi	....	makeup artist
David P. Barton	....	acrylic eyes: 'Dead Fred' dummy (uncredited)

Production Management
Lisa C. Cook	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Camp III	....	second assistant director
Allen Kupetsky	....	second assistant director: second unit
Michael McCue	....	third assistant director
Randall Newsome	....	second second assistant director
Kristine Peterson	....	first assistant director: second unit
Thomas Schellenberg	....	second assistant director: second unit
Mike Topoozian	....	first assistant director
Jim Vatis	....	second assistant director: second unit
S.S. Wilson	....	second unit director
John R. Woodward	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Russell R. Anderson	....	swing gang
Rick Bioni	....	assistant property master
John Bucklin	....	construction manager
Dave Chamberlain	....	model maker
Raymond F. Cooper	....	scenic painter (as Ray Cooper)
Michael Davis	....	storyboard artist
David Esparza	....	scenic painter
Peter Flynn	....	construction foreman
Peter Flynn	....	construction foreman
Paul Ford	....	lead man
Barry Franenberg	....	property master
Geoffrey Hagenbuckle	....	set dresser
Kathleen Laird	....	scenic painter
Ken Larson	....	construction coordinator
John Lieberman	....	swing gang
Gregory Lynch Jr.	....	on-set carpenter
Mike Malone	....	on-set dresser
Philip Mayor	....	storyboard artist
Vicky Molinarolo	....	set dresser
Marino Pascal	....	set dresser (as Marinos Paschaloudes)
Bill Sane	....	scenic painter
Beth Thompson	....	on-set dresser
Teena Welch	....	scenic painter
Lyndell Wolff	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
David W. Alstadter	....	foley recordist
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
David Bartlett	....	sound effects editor
Matthew C. Beville	....	sound transfer
W.M. Dembrowski	....	sound effects editor
Robert Deschaine	....	foley mixer
John Dunn	....	sound effects editor
Ezra Dweck	....	sound effects recordist
Donald Flick	....	sound effects editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor
Gregory G. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Aaron Glascock	....	assistant sound editor
Eric J. Goldstein	....	boom operator
Douglas Greenfield	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Dana Gustafson	....	assistant sound editor
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Walt Martin	....	production sound mixer
Oscar Mitt	....	sound
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr recordist
Andrew Patterson	....	adr editor
John Pospisil	....	special sound effects
Charleen Richards	....	adr mixer
Steve Richardson	....	adr editor
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Simpson	....	sound effects editor
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Alan Barlow	....	creature effects: art crew
Bill Basso	....	creature effects: art crew
Nick Benson	....	special effects
Howard Berger	....	creature effects: art crew
Paul Berg	....	creature effects: art crew
Martin Bresin	....	special effects coordinator (as Marty Bresin)
Rob Burman	....	creature effects: art crew
Noel Butcher	....	effects man: MB Special Effects
Jim Carson	....	creature effects: art crew
David Chamberlain	....	creature effects: art crew
Mitchell J. Coughlin	....	creature effects: art crew
Dale Ettema	....	effects man: MB Special Effects
Steve Frakes	....	creature effects: art crew
Linda Frobos	....	creature effects: art crew
Alec Gillis	....	creature effects designer and creator
Robert Kurtzman	....	creature effects: art crew
Andrew Miller	....	special effects foreman
David B. Miller	....	creature effects: art crew
Mark Rappaport	....	special creature effects
Kevin Reter	....	creature effects: art crew
Michael Schorr	....	special effects foreman: MB Special Effects (as Mike Schorr)
Stephen Schultze	....	creature effects: art crew
Shaun Smith	....	creature effects: art crew
Carl Sorensen	....	creature effects: art crew
Michael Spatola	....	creature effects: art crew
David Stinnett	....	creature effects: art crew
Ken Tarallo	....	special effects
John Teska	....	special creature effects: ADI
Mark Bryan Wilson	....	creature effects: art crew
Tom Woodruff Jr.	....	creature effects designer and creator

Visual Effects by
Tony Alderson	....	opticals: Fantasy II Film
James Belkin	....	effects camera operator: 4-ward Productions
James Belkin	....	miniature effects manager: 4-Ward Productions
Stephen Brien	....	miniature supervisor: 4-ward Productions
Betzy Bromberg	....	opticals: Fantasy II Film
Craig Caton	....	creature effects
Dave Chamberlain	....	creature effects art crew
Elaine Edford	....	miniature effects producer: 4-Ward Productions
Jeff Edwards	....	creature effects
Ray Greer	....	miniature crew: 4-Ward Productions
Mecki Heussen	....	creature effects
John Huneck	....	camera operator: Fantasy II Film
Leslie Huntley	....	visual effects production supervisor: Fantasy II Film
Richard J. Landon	....	creature effects
Stephen Lebed	....	model maker
Bret Mixon	....	rotoscoping
John Morris	....	creature effects
Mark Rappaport	....	creature effects
Gary Rhodaback	....	production assistant: Fantasy II Film
Lise Romanoff	....	special visual effects coordinator
Richard Ruskuski	....	miniature crew: 4-Ward Productions
William H. Schirmer	....	visual effects coordinator (as Bill Schirmer)
Mark A. Shelton	....	visual effects gaffer
Robert Skotak	....	visual effects supervisor: 4-ward productions
Robert Stromberg	....	digital matte artist
Roland Tantin	....	special effects coordinator
John Teska	....	creature effects
Gene Warren Jr.	....	visual effects supervisor: Fantasy II Film
David S. Williams Jr.	....	camera operator: Illusion
Rick Rische	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Pamela Bebermeyer	....	stunts
Hank Calia	....	stunts (as Henry A. Calia)
Sal Carrubba	....	stunts
John Casino	....	stunts
Cindy Cavallero	....	stunts
Fernando Celis	....	stunts
George B. Colucci	....	stunts (as George 'Moose' Colucci)
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts
Vladimir 'Furdo' Furdik	....	utility stunts
Lance Gilbert	....	stunts
Amy Gillespie	....	stunts
John Gillespie	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Jeff Habberstad	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunts
Ben Jensen	....	stunts
Ethan Jensen	....	stunts
Gary Jensen	....	stunt coordinator
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	....	stunts
Randall Newsome	....	stunts
Sherry Peterson	....	stunts
John Sherrod	....	stunts
Al Simon	....	stunts
Cris Thomas-Palomino	....	stunts (as Chris Palomino)
Karl A. Wickman	....	stunts (as Carl Wickman)

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bernstein	....	assistant camera
Shunil Borpujari	....	additional dolly grip (as Shaunil Borbujari)
Joe Celeste	....	key grip
Henry Cline	....	first assistant camera
Mark Combs	....	best boy electric
Jesper Find	....	additional first assistant camera
Alan Gitlin	....	camera operator: second unit
Virgil L. Harper	....	director of photography: second unit
Loren Hillebrand	....	grip
Chris Hood	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Peter Iovino	....	still photographer
Matthew Johnston	....	second assistant camera
Shane D. Kelly	....	gaffer
William K. Koski	....	electrician
Jeff Mart	....	Steadicam operator
Jesse Mather	....	additional best boy electric
Ralph Merzbach	....	video assist operator
James G. Moriarty	....	best boy grip (as Jim Moriarty)
Ned Nedrow	....	rigging grip
Debbie O'Brien	....	additional second assistant camera
Martin Schaer	....	camera operator
Gus Vasquez	....	key grip: second unit
Kelly Waldman	....	electrician
Gary A. Williams	....	grip
Jamie Young	....	dolly grip

Casting Department
Sarah Bartfield	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurie Hudson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Derek Berlatsky	....	first assistant editor
Dennis Brookins	....	negative cutter
Steve Johnson	....	colorist
Sue Kesler	....	second assistant editor
Karen Sharp Lancaster	....	first assistant editor
Kevin Lindstrom	....	second assistant editor
John Nicolard	....	color timer

Music Department
Michael Aarvold	....	music scoring mixer
Patricia Carlin	....	music editor
Kathy Durning	....	supervising music editor
Louise Hatem	....	music co-producer
Barb Luby	....	orchestrator
Phil Magnotti	....	music recordist
Randy Miller	....	orchestrator
Johnny Montagnese	....	music recordist
Robb Navrides	....	music editor: TV version
Ralph Sall	....	music supervisor
Ernest Troost	....	conductor
Robert Folk	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
John Moses	....	musician: clarinetist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Armstrong	....	fuel truck driver
Billy G. Arter	....	unit transportation coordinator
Tina M. Arter-Duquette	....	transportation dispatcher
Ed Arter	....	transportation coordinator
Sal Carrubba	....	driver
Louis Dinson	....	driver: second unit
Troy Flynn	....	transportation
Rick Mercier	....	transportation captain
Mike Shannon	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Carmen Bailey	....	production assistant: second unit
Bob Bellamark	....	stand-in
Susan Bierbaum	....	script supervisor
Craig Caton	....	key mechanical designer
Craig Caton	....	puppeteer
Steven P. Duchscherer	....	gun specialist
Colleen Dunn	....	post-production office assistant
Terry Dunn	....	production accountant
Jeff Edwards	....	mechanical crew
David Falicki	....	set medic
Mecki Heussen	....	mechanical crew
Kate Hudson	....	seismology consultant
Pat Jackson	....	studio teacher
Dave Johnson	....	production assistant: second unit
Greg Kidd	....	production assistant: second unit (as Gregory Kidd)
Dave Krinsky	....	production assistant
Richard J. Landon	....	mechanical crew
Toni Maier	....	location scout
Kris Fullan Martinez	....	assistant production coordinator
John Morris	....	mechanical crew
Dale Newell	....	dirt wrangler
Jesus 'Chewy' Perez	....	sage wrangler
Michael Pitt	....	production assistant
Mark Rappaport	....	mechanical crew
Robert Rhine	....	unit publicist
Tony Salome	....	location manager
Sara Spring	....	production coordinator
John Teska	....	mechanical crew
Neal Thompson	....	title designer
James Young	....	production assistant: second unit
Anthony Zahn Jr.	....	production assistant: second unit

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• No Frills Film Production

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CIC Video (199?) (Italy) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (1991) (Finland) (VHS)
• Filmfrikki (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Makuuni Pilttarsaari (199?) (Finland) (VHS)
• Makuuni Vaasa (199?) (Finland) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1992) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• 4-Ward Productions (miniature effects)
• Amalgamated Dynamics (creature effects)
• Art Brewer Special Effects
• Fantasy II Film Effects (visual effects)
• Illusion Arts (matte paintings)
• International Special Effects
• M.B. Special Effects Inc. (special effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  crane
• Cinema Research  titles
• Filmtrucks  location services
• Meridian Studios  foley recording studio
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Otto Nemenz International  camera equipment provided by
• Sci-Fi Channel, The  legal services
• Triad Music  music editing
• Vox  legal services
• Warner Hollywood Studios  re-recording studio

Also Known As:

Beneath Perfection (USA) (working title)
Dead Silence (USA) (working title)
Land Sharks (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Italy:T | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | France:Unrated | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

'S.S. Wilson (I)' said that he got the idea for the film while he was working for the US 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.

Goofs:

Continuity: When old Fred is tending his garden, there is a blue car parked between the garden and his shack. Later, when Val and Earl arrive and look for Fred, the car is gone.

Quotes:

Valentine McKee: I can't believe we said no to free beer!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Where Are They Now?: A Delta Alumni Update (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

DROP KICK ME JESUS

"It doesn't matter where they come from..."

Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are two likable handymen who work in a very small Nevada community and who are itching to leave for the big city - or, at least, the nearest town. Their departure is halted by the sudden, unexplainable arrival of some voracious underground monsters that have begun devouring the locals. In short order, they're taking charge as they lead their fellow denizens in a battle against the creatures.

Both a tribute to and spoof of 1950's monster movies, this movie can be summed up in three words: silly, undemanding fun. (I would advise viewers not to take it seriously.) It's ultimately upbeat and lively entertainment and it's hard not to like. The movie has some interesting and offbeat characters ('Family Ties' dad Michael Gross and country-western sweetheart Reba McEntire play a gun-happy survivalist couple). By the way, McEntire made her feature film debut here, one of the unlikeliest that I can think of.

Good location work, good acting, good banter between Bacon and Ward, decent music, and impressive creature effects highlight this modest movie that to date has spawned three direct-to-video-and-DVD sequels (the third is coming out next year) and an unnecessary TV series.

Interesting how this movie offers no explanation for the creatures' existence.

8/10