gvg@hpislx.HP.COM (Greg Goebel) (02/02/90)
TREMORS
A film review by Greg Goebel
Copyright 1990 Greg Goebel
To some people, the term "B-movie" translates as: low quality
film-making. If "quality" translates as high budgets, big-name actors, and
grand themes, then that equation would seem to be true; but as any progressive
quality-assurance person will tell you, that's a somewhat arbitrary definition
of "quality." A more useful definition is: "Conformance to specifications."
Or, more simply: "Does it accomplish what it is trying to do?"
Using such a definition, it would seem likely that there are more
"high-quality" B-movies than A-movies, since B-movies rarely (and almost never
successfully) have any higher ambition than to entertain -- which should be a
relatively simple goal.
And which leads directly the movie TREMORS.
TREMORS begins in the back-of-beyond in Nevada -- a gritty little
country-store town with the name of "Perfection" -- with two handymen, Earl and
Val, who do the dirty and dusty work for the region's few inhabitants. They're
a couple of tough fellas, but they've had enough; they pack up their belongings
in their beat-up 4x4 and are heading out of town when STRANGE AND DEADLY
OCCURRENCES block their way and lead them and the inhabitants of Perfection in
a struggle for survival against ... THINGS ...
I don't really need to say any more about the story than that; you
undoubtedly get the general idea. Which leads to the next question: Well, is
this movie any good? The answer to this question relates directly to the
discussion of "quality" above.
I cannot describe TREMORS in terms of any superlatives -- there is nothing
original about this film, there is nothing in it that stands out as
exceptional, and there is nothing particularly memorable about it. But I don't
dare say anything unkind about it either, for if one accepts the premise that
this is a B-movie and isn't intended to do anything but give the viewer a good
ride for an hour-and-a-half, it absolutely succeeds on those terms. In fact,
it is so competent and deft that it could be used as a textbook case of "HOW TO
MAKE A GOOD B-MOVIE." (One wonders if the credit "CAROL ANNE HURD -- EXECUTIVE
PRODUCER" has something to do with it.)
We have a plot that clicks along nicely with few false moves; the story is
developed intelligently and resolved equally intelligently. The dialogue makes
few false steps and the acting is competent throughout.
The characters drive the film; TREMORS avoids the twin traps of either
making them comic-book heroes or condescending to them as rustic clods; they're
ordinary people who are reacting sensibly to a survival situation. Val and
Earl may be uneducated and unwashed shit-kickers, but they're decent people and
not stupid or cowardly; and even the local survivalist couple, while the butt
of a few jabs, are doing the right things when the situation gets rough.
And TREMOR's biggest asset is that it hits EXACTLY the right tone: It
takes itself JUST SERIOUSLY ENOUGH to keep the viewer going, without collapsing
into outright comedy.
Okay, this isn't a great film, and I know those who want something a
little more innovative and artistic will probably hate it. But those who are
less particular will find their time and money well spent, and may even want to
give a little restrained applause while they sit there with a smile on their
faces in appreciation of this good-natured horror flic.
Oh, yes, the caveats: moderate foul language -- a little gore; whether
gratuitous or not is arguable.
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