Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (Video 2004)

A prequel to Tremors, this movie tells us about the founders of Rejection Valley and how they defended it against the dirt dragons AKA graboids.

Director:

S.S. Wilson

Writers:

S.S. Wilson (characters), Brent Maddock (characters),

Stars:

Michael Gross, Sara Botsford, Billy Drago

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Gross	...	Hiram Gummer
Sara Botsford	...	Christine Lord
Billy Drago	...	Black Hand Kelly
Brent Roam	...	Juan Pedilla
August Schellenberg	...	Tecopa
J.E. Freeman	...	Old Fred
Ming Lo	...	Pyong Lien Chang
Lydia Look	...	Lu Wan Chang
Sam Ly	...	Fu Yien Chang
Neil Kopit	...	Victor (as Neal Kopit)
Sean Moran	...	Western Union Clerk
Matthew Seth Wilson	...	Brick Walters
John Dixon	...	Big Horse Johnson
Dan Lemieux	...	Stony Walters
Don Ruffin	...	Soggy

Storyline

In 1889, the town of Rejection, Nevada, depends on a nearby silver mine for its income. Rejection has a few residents. Christine Lord runs the local inn, which doesn't get a lot of business because Carson City is the busiest settlement in the area. Pyong Lien Chang, his wife Lu Wan Chang, and his son Fu Yien Chang are immigrants from China, and they own Chang's Market. Other residents include Old Fred, Brick Walters, Stony Walters, Big Horse Johnson, Soggy, miner Juan Pedilla, and Christine's friend Tecopa. When a hot spring causes four eggs to hatch, several men who work in the silver mine are killed by whatever hatched from the eggs. Everyone is too terrified to enter the mine. No one wants to risk their lives, even if shutting down the mine would mean the death of the town. With the mine shut down, the mine's owner, Hiram Gummer, arrives in the area from Philadelphia to investigate. Juan acts as Hiram's guide. As it turns out, each egg hatched a Graboid, but 1889 was about 100 ...

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Plot Keywords:

graboids | monster | prequel | gatling gun | giant worm | 

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Taglines:

A Revolution Has Begun...

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for creature violence and gore

Details

Official Sites:

Stampede Entertainment The Legend Begins

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tremors 4

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stampede Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The main theme uses the same first four notes as the theme from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, only three notes higher.

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Goofs

When Hirum is leaving Rejection, there are clear truck or car tracks on the road. The Steam Tractor's wheels are too wide to have made them.

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Quotes

Hiram Gummer: We will make Rejection our last bastion, our last line of defense.
Juan Padilla: Our Alamo.
Hiram Gummer: Juan, we were the losers at the Alamo.
Juan Padilla: Speak for yourself, Gringo.

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Connections

Featured in Obscurus Lupa Presents: Tremors 3 (2012)

User Reviews

Fun and not half bad

The original Tremors was a classic and a well put together big budget Sci Fi movie. The follow ups have all been more low budget and released only on video, but have actually been OK. I mean, you can't possibly take them seriously, but they're a lot of fun and the characters wind up being pretty memorable. Tremors 4 manages to continue the follow ups while maintaining originality. This alone is an accomplishment, since many sequels end up being repetitive and boorish. Tremors 4 doesn't have this problem.

Instead, Tremors 4 is a prequel set in 1889. Perfection is a new town called Rejection and is populated by miners....until they start getting eaten. Most of the remaining townsfolk leave. The only ones that stay behind are an Indian, the Chang family, a Mexican guy, and an unmarried red headed woman. Sound familiar? The townsfolk send for a man to asses the mine, which turns out to be Burt Gummer's great-great granddad: Hiram Gummer. Hiram is a proper eastern dude who has never touched a gun and is completely unprepared. He doesn't want any business with the "dirt dragons". However, he gets swept up with the situation and decides to stay and fight the worms. He enlists the help of a famous gunslinger and together the motley crew of 8 battle the monsters. A big subplot in the movie involves the revelation of how the Gummer family became obsessed with guns, bombs, and preperation. Although, like all Tremors movies, its inherently a little bit silly and hard to take seriously, the movie is laced with nostalgic humor and for a #4 continuation, it's pretty well done and should satisfy most any fan.