Tremors (1990)

By Jody. Score: 9/10

As a movie about giant earthworms, it's easy to dismiss Tremors as run-of-the-mill B-movie creature feature, given its misleading poster/DVD cover (the creatures do not have giant teeth and are not nearly as large as depicted) and seemingly endless sequels. It's frustrating when moviegoers forget how fantastic "first" films are and start blanket labeling an entire franchise as bad, but I digress.

Tremors has so much more to offer than most other entries of its genre. The characters are diverse, well-developed and very likable. The humor and chills are perfectly balanced. The script, blending themes of community, isolation, and post-Cold War paranoia, is solid for this type of movie (all very conveniently placed long poles in the middle of the desert aside).

While not overtly scary, I've had recurring nightmares because of this film for 21 years now. I've gotten fairly good at practicing either being completely still or booking it to cemented/high ground in case I ever find myself facing off with these creatures.

It's worth watching for anybody, but it's a great starter horror film for younger teenagers. Also, did I mention it has Kevin Bacon in it?

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Reba McIntyre
Directed by: Ron Underwood
Budget/Gross: $11 mil / $48.5 mil
IMDB Score: 7.1/10
Tomatometer: 88% critics and 63% audiences liked it