Why Squirm isn't in constant rotation at repertory theatres, being discussed and dissected ala Citizen Kane in film schools or simply being heralded as the mightiest drive-in film of all time is beyond my comprehension. Squirm is the culmination of everything that is good and right in the world of drive-in horror. If you close your eyes and imagine David Lynch directing a long-lost horror story scripted by Tennessee Williams, then you can begin to imagine Squirm.
I'd like to start off by saying, "If you have not seen this film at a drive-in or in a theatre, you have not truly seen this film." The Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode definitely does not count and reviews from that show should be stricken from record. If you have seen one of the two home video versions available, you still have not seen the whole film. While the boxes have the "R" rating the videos are missing some serious gore and nudity that originally appeared in the theatrical print. Three scenes come directly to mind. 1: The scene where the worms burrow into Roger's face has been cut to half of its original length. Missing is the continuation of the worms' passage under the skin of Roger's (Richard A. Dow) face and a close-up that has been completely cut. 2: A side-view of Geri's (Patricia Pearcy) breasts when she's turning on the shower is missing on the video. 3: Severely shortened is the scene where Mick (Don Scardino) takes a shovel and smashes it repeatedly against Willie Grimes' (Carl Dagenhart) worm-infested chest. This scene was much longer and more savage in the original. The director, Jeff Lieberman has commented a few times during interviews, "it looks like there has been a mistake in the editing."
Squirm, seen in its entirety, is a seamless masterpiece that features great acting by the entire cast, a wonderfully demented musical score by Robert Prince and some of the creepiest cinematography ever committed to celluloid. The night scenes in the darkened house are extra disturbing - using only a spotlight aimed from the floor, all of the actors look like tortured souls wandering aimlessly.
One performance in particular I would like to point out is that of Jean Sullivan who plays Naomi, Geri's mentally unbalanced mother who becomes more and more disturbed as the movie plays out. Oh, boy! You just don't see that great old-school type of acting anymore, "I never saw such a storm. Something.....evil about it." Creepy!
A few interesting bits of trivia: 1: Kim Basinger auditioned for the role of Geri but Lieberman said, "Nah, the audiences will never believe that she lives in this hick town." 2: Martin Sheen auditioned for the role of Mick but Lieberman had trouble with the fact that Sheen wanted to do some rewrites. 3: Squirm was originally going to be filmed in New England, but the weather forced the filmmakers to set up location in Wentworth, Georgia. The sandworms, not indigenous to Georgia, had to be flown in daily by the thousands from Wiscasset, Maine. This ruined the fishing season in Wiscasset but aided Georgia's ecology. The University of Georgia's Oceanographic Institute discovered that the worms had the ability and the appetite to destroy sludge and pollution in the Savannah River. The worms are still in the Savannah to this day.
On a final note, the movie poster is one of the most detailed images of Hell ever printed on 24" x 36" 80# stock. Lightning smashes down to earth as six tormented worm-eaten/worm-covered human bodies agonizingly writhe in soil under an ancient leafless old tree. This is one of Drew Struzan's earlier works and I think it's his best. He has since gone on to become Hollywood's most prolific movie poster artist. Unfortunately, movie poster art is going the way of the drive-in and is being replaced by glossy airbrushed photos of the "stars".
It is my belief that Criterion or Anchor Bay should re-release a director's cut of Squirm to DVD so film fanatics from around the world can see what a perfect film this is. If they can do it for Sam Fuller, heck, they can do it for Lieberman!
I'd like to start off by saying, "If you have not seen this film at a drive-in or in a theatre, you have not truly seen this film." The Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode definitely does not count and reviews from that show should be stricken from record. If you have seen one of the two home video versions available, you still have not seen the whole film. While the boxes have the "R" rating the videos are missing some serious gore and nudity that originally appeared in the theatrical print. Three scenes come directly to mind. 1: The scene where the worms burrow into Roger's face has been cut to half of its original length. Missing is the continuation of the worms' passage under the skin of Roger's (Richard A. Dow) face and a close-up that has been completely cut. 2: A side-view of Geri's (Patricia Pearcy) breasts when she's turning on the shower is missing on the video. 3: Severely shortened is the scene where Mick (Don Scardino) takes a shovel and smashes it repeatedly against Willie Grimes' (Carl Dagenhart) worm-infested chest. This scene was much longer and more savage in the original. The director, Jeff Lieberman has commented a few times during interviews, "it looks like there has been a mistake in the editing."
Squirm, seen in its entirety, is a seamless masterpiece that features great acting by the entire cast, a wonderfully demented musical score by Robert Prince and some of the creepiest cinematography ever committed to celluloid. The night scenes in the darkened house are extra disturbing - using only a spotlight aimed from the floor, all of the actors look like tortured souls wandering aimlessly.
One performance in particular I would like to point out is that of Jean Sullivan who plays Naomi, Geri's mentally unbalanced mother who becomes more and more disturbed as the movie plays out. Oh, boy! You just don't see that great old-school type of acting anymore, "I never saw such a storm. Something.....evil about it." Creepy!
A few interesting bits of trivia: 1: Kim Basinger auditioned for the role of Geri but Lieberman said, "Nah, the audiences will never believe that she lives in this hick town." 2: Martin Sheen auditioned for the role of Mick but Lieberman had trouble with the fact that Sheen wanted to do some rewrites. 3: Squirm was originally going to be filmed in New England, but the weather forced the filmmakers to set up location in Wentworth, Georgia. The sandworms, not indigenous to Georgia, had to be flown in daily by the thousands from Wiscasset, Maine. This ruined the fishing season in Wiscasset but aided Georgia's ecology. The University of Georgia's Oceanographic Institute discovered that the worms had the ability and the appetite to destroy sludge and pollution in the Savannah River. The worms are still in the Savannah to this day.
On a final note, the movie poster is one of the most detailed images of Hell ever printed on 24" x 36" 80# stock. Lightning smashes down to earth as six tormented worm-eaten/worm-covered human bodies agonizingly writhe in soil under an ancient leafless old tree. This is one of Drew Struzan's earlier works and I think it's his best. He has since gone on to become Hollywood's most prolific movie poster artist. Unfortunately, movie poster art is going the way of the drive-in and is being replaced by glossy airbrushed photos of the "stars".
It is my belief that Criterion or Anchor Bay should re-release a director's cut of Squirm to DVD so film fanatics from around the world can see what a perfect film this is. If they can do it for Sam Fuller, heck, they can do it for Lieberman!