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Whoa. This is one of the gnarliest, nastiest, most gratuitous displays of violence I have ever seen! And I loved every minute of it! Going into this I was expecting very little due to the piss poor ratings, but the original is one of my favorite slashers of all time so I had to watch it. They absolutely nailed the Christmas vibe with the glowing lights, the booze, and the constant downpour of fake snow. As messed up as it is, I've always found the houses in both movies to be very cozy/comforting. The mid 2000's are on full display here as the blood and guts are amped up to highest degree. This movie has some of the most brutal, bloodiest, gruesome deaths put to screen. Unfortunately the ambiguity element is absent from this version and everyone involved knows who's on the other end of the killings. Did the backstory of billy need to be explained? Did he need to be yellow? Can we chill on the eye gouging? No, but I thought they did a decent job for what they were working with. From a film standpoint there are obvious gripes, but from a slasher perspective what's not to love?!

Tremors II doesn't quite reach the heights or the pure fun of the first movie, but it is still a competent sequel and arguably second best in the series. The graboids are back, and this time in Mexico! The plot is fairly similar to the first except for some .. minor changes. Fred Ward (RIP) returns along with Michael Gross who both give stellar performances and really help make this film what it is. Giving us more than a few great scenes/quotes. Chris Gartin and Helen Shaver also giving fun supporting performances. The chemistry between all 4 really blossoms by the time the credits roll. Another tremors movie where the cast is very likable and worth our time. Fun opening scene, reasonable pace, and an amazing sequence when they're out hunting in the fields at night. The late 90's cgi monsters are kind of dated by today's standards but it's passable. I can still respect the vision but sometimes it looks like Walking With Dinosaurs or something. Another syfy channel classic, Tremors II is a solid 6 and a pretty fun watch.

The ultimate creature feature, one of those movies that dropped and simply ascended into sci fi/horror superstardom. It wasn't much at the box office but it hit video stores and people kept renting it, and renting it, and renting it, etc. I can't count how many times I watched this on the syfy channel growing up with my dad and brothers, and most recently on tubi here about a month ago. The craziest part is, it never gets old! The plot/general idea is basic but effective. The pacing is perfect and the set up leaves you eager for more. The practical effects are golden and will always hold up better than the (mostly) cgi creatures from 2+3. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward (RIP) giving awesome, almost brotherly like, performances. And a huge shoutout to the goat himself, Michael Gross. Movie wouldn't be the same without him and his mustache and Atlanta Hawks hat. Maybe some minor flaws but this is a nearly perfect movie to me and anything under an 8 is blasphemy!