Squirm (1976)

Director:

Jeff Lieberman

Writer:

Jeff Lieberman (written by)

Release Date:

30 July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

An avalanche of killer worms...writhing across the land in a tidal wave of terror!

Plot:

At the beginning of the film, we learn from one of the characters that earthworms can be called to the surface with electricity...

Plot Keywords:

Worm | Storm | Fishing | Diner | Worm In Food

Cast

Don Scardino	...	Mick
Patricia Pearcy	...	Geri Sanders
R.A. Dow	...	Roger Grimes
Jean Sullivan	...	Naomi Sanders
Peter MacLean	...	Sheriff Jim Reston (as Peter Mac Lean)
Fran Higgins	...	Alma Sanders
William Newman	...	Quigley
Barbara Quinn	...	Sheriff's Girl
Carl Dagenhart	...	Willie Grimes
Angel Sande	...	Millie
Carol Jean Owens	...	Lizzie
Kim Iocouvozzi	...	Hank
Walter Dimmick	...	Danny
Leslie Thorsen	...	Bonnie
Julia Klopp	...	Mrs. Klopp
Ralph Flanders	...	1st Man at Lunch Counter
Albert Smith	...	2nd Man at Lunch Counter
Jim Shirah	...	3rd Man at Lunch Counter
Harold Mumm	...	Bus Driver
W.A. Lindblad	...	Power Line Repairman (as W.A. Lindblatt)

Directed by
Jeff Lieberman

Writing credits
Jeff Lieberman		(written by)

Produced by
Joseph Beruh	....	executive producer
Edgar Lansbury	....	executive producer
George Manasse	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Prince

Cinematography by
Joseph Mangine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Brian Smedley-Aston

Casting by
Geri Windsor

Art Direction by
Henry Shrady

Costume Design by
Dianne Finn-Chapman		(as Dianne Finn Chapman)

Makeup Department
Rick Baker	....	makeup designer
Norman Page	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Don Blackburn	....	unit manager
Peter Kean	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Hindenburg	....	assistant director

Art Department
Neal DeLuca	....	assistant art director (as Neal De Luca)
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	prop master (as Bruce Steinheimer)

Sound Department
Harriet Fidlow	....	sound editor (as Harriet Glickstein)
George Burton Goen II	....	location sound (as George Goen)
Al Gramaglia	....	recording mixer: Magno Sound
Dan Sable	....	sound editor: Magnofex
Bernard Stevens	....	assistant sound editor
Luis Vidal	....	boom man

Special Effects by
Don Farnsworth	....	special effects
Lee Howard	....	special effects
Bill Milling	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Balton	....	assistant camera
Mik Cribben	....	stillman
Robert Ippolito	....	key grip (as Bob Ippolito)
Kevin Janicelli	....	best boy
Bill Lister	....	gaffer
Jon Neuburger	....	second assistant camera (as John Neuberger)
Jerry Whittington	....	electrician (uncredited)

Editorial Department
David Fatt	....	assistant editor
Lois Freeman	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Hal Hackady	....	lyricist

Other crew
Bill Chant	....	location coordinator
Ed Geil	....	assistant to production manager
Rick Hutto	....	production assistant
Darrell Jonas	....	production coordinator
Deborah Kiser	....	production assistant (as Debbie Kiser)
Lee Minter	....	production assistant
Nan Pearlman	....	production associate
Connie Poindexter	....	production assistant
Judy Rosenthal	....	script supervisor
David Sheldon	....	production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Squirm Company

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1976) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Vestron Video (1983) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Trojan Productions (2004) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (worldwide) (TV)

Other Companies

• Big Six Music  music coordinator
• Firelock Films  production services furnished by
• Geri Windsor & Associates  casting (as Geri Windsor and Associates)
• Jay Rich Films  production services furnished by
• Magno Sound  recording mixer
• Magnofex  sound editor
• Movielab  color

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min | USA:93 min (uncut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 (cut) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | France:-16 | Norway:16 | UK:18 | USA:PG | USA:R (original rating) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Port Wentworth, Georgia, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Aside from the main cast the rest of the people featured in the film were locals of Port Wentworth, Georgia - the small town where the film was shot on location.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Roger throws a board at Mick it knocks Mick out and the board is clearly on top of him. When he wakes up, the board is off to his side.

Quotes:

Roger Grimes:You gonna be da' worm face!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Slugs: The Movie (1988)

Nature strikes back in a big way!

The 1970's saw a number of nature-strikes-back horror films, like Frogs (1972), Grizzly (1976), Empire of the Ants (1977), Day of the Animals (1977), and Prophecy (1979), but none that were quite as well-made and effectively frightening as this low-budget horror masterpiece!

Freak storm blows down power lines in a small Georgia town, and the resulting surge of voltage through the soil drives hordes of sand worms into a flesh-eating frenzy!

The debut film of director Jeff Lieberman, who would go on to make other great B thrillers like Blue Sunshine (1977) and Just Before Dawn (1981), Squirm is still one of his best. Lieberman wrote the story, which is clever and suspenseful, as it seems to enjoy its campy elements. The plot builds from a mysterious nature to a dark, claustrophobic climax. There's a number of memorably tense moments, such as the shower sequence and the infamous row boat sequence. Lieberman well uses the backwoods and swamps of coastal Georgia to convey a realistic setting and feverish summer atmosphere. Robert Prince's musical score is excellent, with some truly eerie and haunting themes that are perfect in conjunction with some of the dark sequences. The film also contains some of the early creations of a young Rick Baker, who does some awesome makeup effects that provide for more than one memorably creepy moment.

The cast of unknowns is quite good. Scardino is perfect as the out-of-towner hero who comes to visit his lady friend. Pearcy is attractive and genuine in her role as Scardino's southern girlfriend. R.A. Dow, Jean Sullivian, and Fran Higgins all make for perfect small-town characters.

Squirm is an undervalued film indeed. It's simply an unforgettable skin-crawler that never fails to entertain and thrill. It's above-average on all levels for a B horror film and is truly one of the best low-budget flicks of its time!

**** out of ****