Tremors (1990)

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:

Graboids | Monster | Underground | Seismologist | 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		(director of photography)

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
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)
Thomas Rude	....	construction foreman
Bill Sane	....	scenic painter
Beth Thompson	....	on-set dresser
Teena Welch	....	scenic painter
Lyndell Wolff	....	construction coordinator
Eugene Yelchin	....	storyboard artist

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
Rick Mitchell	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Anthony Allen Barlow	....	creature effects: art crew (as Alan Barlow)
Bill Basso	....	creature effects: art crew
Nick Benson	....	special effects
Paul Berg	....	creature effects: art crew
Howard Berger	....	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
Dave Chamberlain	....	creature effects: art crew (as David Chamberlain)
David Chameides	....	special effects 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
Donald Myers	....	special effects technician
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
David Chameides	....	visual effects
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	....	stunt player
Hank Calia	....	stunt player (as Henry A. Calia)
Sal Carrubba	....	stunt player
John Casino	....	stunt player
Cindy Cavallero	....	stunt player
Fernando Celis	....	stunt player
George B. Colucci Jr.	....	stunt player (as George 'Moose' Colucci)
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunt player
Lance Gilbert	....	stunt player
Amy Gillespie	....	stunt player
John Gillespie	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Jeff Habberstad	....	stunt double: Kevin Bacon
Jeff Imada	....	stunt player
Ben Jensen	....	stunt player
Ethan Jensen	....	stunt player
Gary Jensen	....	stunt coordinator
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	....	stunt player (as Tracy Lyn Keehn)
Randall Newsome	....	stunt player
Sherry Peterson	....	stunt player (as Sherry Petersen)
John Sherrod	....	stunt player
Al Simon	....	stunt player
Cris Thomas-Palomino	....	stunt player (as Cris Palamino)
Karl A. Wickman	....	stunt player (as Carl Wickman)
Vladimir 'Furdo' Furdik	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

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
Peter Drinco	....	grip
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
Deborah O'Brien	....	additional second assistant camera (as Debbie O'Brien)
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	....	driver
Aaron Aronson	....	driver
Billy G. Arter	....	transportation coordinator: second unit (as Billy Arter)
Ed Arter	....	transportation coordinator (as Edward D. Arter)
Tina M. Arter-Duquette	....	transportation dispatcher (as Tina Arter)
John A. Brubaker	....	driver: second unit (as John Brubaker)
Sal Carrubba	....	driver
Chuck Clarke	....	transportation coordinator: second unit
Don Crow	....	driver (as Donald Crow)
Ronald B. Dinson Sr.	....	driver (as Ronald Dinson)
Louis Dinson	....	driver: second unit
Dan Loveless	....	driver
Helen Mercier	....	driver (as H. Weezee Mercier)
Rick Mercier	....	transportation captain
Tony Mercier	....	driver
John Ornstein	....	driver captain: second unit
Mike Shannon	....	transportation co-captain
Mark Twogood	....	special effects driver: second unit
Bob White	....	driver captain: second unit (as Robert White)
Chuck Williams	....	driver
Troy Flynn	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Carmen Bailey	....	production assistant: second unit
Bob Bellamak	....	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
Tom Prince	....	production executive
Mark Rappaport	....	mechanical crew
Robert Rhine	....	unit publicist
Tony Salome	....	location manager
Sara Spring	....	production coordinator
John Teska	....	mechanical crew
Neal Thompson	....	title designer
Daniel Wheatcroft	....	studio executive
James Young	....	production assistant: second unit
Anthony Zahn Jr.	....	production assistant: second unit
Joe Camp	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Tammy Maples	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Thanks
Nancy Roberts	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• No Frills Film Production

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (Finland) (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) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS) (Pan and scan for MCA Home Video)
• Esselte Video (1991) (Finland) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1992) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CIC Video (199?) (Italy) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

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:

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Val and Earl's pickup truck is a 1963 Jeep Gladiator thriftside.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Reflection of a man wearing a red hat and white shorts visible as the camera moves up past a window in the Gummer's fortress.

Quotes:

[Earl Bassett and Valentine McKee have just been chased by a 30 foot long monster]
Rhonda LeBeck:Did you notice anything weird a minute ago?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Welshy Reviews: Red Dwarf (#1.12)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

It's a Cowboy Lovin' Night

Worms! Worms! Underground drag racing worms!

Loved the movie. How could you not? It has two lovably bumbling buddies, Val and Earl, played to perfection by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward. It has a remarkably funny gun crazed survivalist couple played completely straight-faced by Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. It has a wonderfully batty bunch of "townsfolk," a winsome heroine and bad lot of underground drag racing worms looking to eat the characters mentioned above. The movie stands out from the "trapped and pursued" genre because it contains tongue-in-cheek humor, comedic escapes, inspired foreshadowing of doom and nutty monster mayhem. This is a delightful B monster movie that would best be watched with fellow funny movie buffs, popcorn and beer.