Tremors (1990)
Hick handymen Val McKee and Earl Bassett can barely eke out a living in the Nevada hamlet of Perfection, so they decide to leave town -- despite an admonition from a shapely seismology coed who's picking up odd readings on her equipment. Before long, Val and Earl discover what's responsible for those readings: 30-foot-long carnivorous worms with a proclivity for sucking their prey underground.
This unassuming little film is actually one of the most enjoyable movies i have ever seen. Ron Underwood has created a small town, in the dessert, humorously called Perfection which you quickly feel like you belong in. You are aware of the spatial environment of the whole valley and architectural character of the town, in a delightfully clear and easy-going way. Perhaps easy-going is the whole secret of Tremors enjoyment. The informal banter between Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon, from the start, eases you in to the laid back sarcasm of their wonderful chemistry, which is anything but prepared, for what is about to happen.
In this monster movie, we are treated to one surprise after another, and always flanked by a sense of humor, to keep things on an even keel. The characters of the town are all well played and surprisingly realistic, you can develop sympathy for each person, in this propitious bug hunt.
If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself and your friends a favor and watch it.
