Plot Outline: Natives of a small isolated town, defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.
Trivia: The "graboids" are very reminiscent of the giant worms in Dune (1984). Both are giant worms, live underground, live in the desert, have large mouths on the end, and respond to vibrations on the surface. Also, both films have the characters escaping the worms by retreating to rocks where they can't get attacked.
The original ending of the film was much different. Val and Earl head out to Bixbie and Val doesn't hook up with Rhonda. But it is implied. The two are looking for their lighter and realize that Rhonda still has it, they turn around and head back. This ending was shot, and tested for one audience, and was not well received. It is available in the documentary on the DVD.
S.S. Wilson 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.
Quotes: Earl Bassett: Is this a job for an intelligent man? Valentine McKee: Well, show me one and I'll ask him.
Earl Bassett: No way those things can outrun these horses! Valentine McKee: Yeah, well, for all you know, they can fly.
Earl Bassett: Hey, Rhonda you ever seen anything like this before? Valentine McKee: Oh, sure Earl. Everyone knows about them we just didn't tell you.
trapped on top of a boulder by a Graboid, Val, Earl, and Rhonda are thinking of explanations for where the creatures came from] Valentine McKee: [joking] They're mutations caused by radiation. No, wait; the government made 'em. *Big* surprise for the Russians. Rhonda LeBeck: Well, there's nothing like them in the fossil record... Okay, so they predate the fossil record. [not buying it herself] Rhonda LeBeck: That'd make them a couple of billion years old... and we've just never seen one until now. Right. Earl Bassett: I vote for outer space. No way these are local boys.
IF you like the old 50's monster movies then this one is for you. Kevin Bacon makes his debut on my countdown proving that even in obscure blog land you can still play six degrees of Kevin Bacon. I think they had serious in mind when they started this film but somewhere it kind of went off into spoofiness. I love it though. It did make me a bit leery of the ground when I saw it. Then again I was in first grade when this came out.
We will never speak of this movie again.
ReplyDeleteI like your blog. It does help explain the movie a bit for me. i was looking for something about Tremors for my blog and yours fit the bill. I had googled for images and happened upon another site also that had a picture of the location of the filming. It was one of my sons earliest science fiction movies that he was able to own..
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