{{Short description|Film by Ron Underwood}} {{good article}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox film | image = Tremors official theatrical poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Ron Underwood]] | screenplay = {{plainlist| * [[S. S. Wilson]] * [[Brent Maddock]] }} | story = {{plainlist| * S. S. Wilson * Brent Maddock * Ron Underwood }} | producer = {{plainlist| * Brent Maddock * S. S. Wilson }} | starring = {{plainlist| * [[Kevin Bacon]] * [[Fred Ward]] * [[Finn Carter]] * [[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]] * [[Reba McEntire]]}} | cinematography = [[Alexander Gruszynski]] | editing = O. Nicholas Brown | music = Ernest Troost{{efn|Additional music by [[Robert Folk]]}} | studio = {{plainlist| * No Frills Productions<ref name="AFI"/> * [[Pacific Western Productions]]<ref name="AFI"/> }} | distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]<ref name="AFI"/> | released = {{Film date|1990|01|19}} | runtime = 96 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 96:05--><ref>{{cite web|date=April 23, 1990|title=''Tremors'' (15)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/tremors-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0yodk2mza|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|access-date=July 18, 2014}}</ref> | country = United States | language = English | budget = $5–11 million<ref name="shapiro"/><ref name="thompson"/><!-- Sources vary on the estimated budget, so please don't cherry-pick --> | gross = $16.7 million (U.S.)<ref name="bomfig">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0100814/|title=Tremors (1990)|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref> }}
'''''Tremors''''' is a 1990 American [[Monster film|monster]] [[comedy horror]] film directed by [[Ron Underwood]] (in his feature directorial debut) and written by [[S. S. Wilson]] and [[Brent Maddock]], from a story by Wilson, Maddock, and Underwood. The film stars [[Kevin Bacon]], [[Fred Ward]], [[Finn Carter]], [[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]], and [[Reba McEntire]] (in her acting debut). Set in the fictional isolated desert town of Perfection, [[Nevada]], it follows handymen Valentine "Val" McKee and Earl Bassett as they and the town's residents confront giant subterranean worms dubbed Graboids.
Conceived as a modern variation on [[Monster movie#Early monster films (1915–1954)|1950s monster films]], ''Tremors'' was designed around ordinary protagonists rather than conventional genre heroes, while its monsters were deliberately left without a fixed origin. Filmed in [[Inyo County, California]], with an extensive desert set built to represent Perfection, the production relied heavily on practical creature effects and miniature work. It distinguished itself by staging much of its monster action in broad daylight. Its music also underwent major revision during post-production: Ernest Troost composed the initial [[Film score|score]], but [[Robert Folk]] later wrote much of the music used in the released film.
Released in the United States on January 19, 1990, ''Tremors'' debuted in fifth place at the box office and grossed $16.7 million against a $5{{en dash}}11 million budget. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who described it as an affectionate and entertaining update of '50s monster films. Although the film underperformed at the box office, it later found a larger audience through the [[video rental]] market, where repeat viewing helped it develop a [[cult following]]. In the decades since its release, ''Tremors'' has received largely favorable retrospective reviews and has appeared on several rankings of the best monster films of all time and the top horror films of the 1990s.
The film's later popularity led to a long-running [[Tremors (franchise)|franchise]] comprising six [[direct-to-video]] sequels{{em dash}}''[[Tremors 2: Aftershocks]]'' (1996), ''[[Tremors 3: Back to Perfection]]'' (2001), ''[[Tremors 4: The Legend Begins]]'' (2004), ''[[Tremors 5: Bloodlines]]'' (2015), ''[[Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell]]'' (2018), and ''[[Tremors: Shrieker Island]]'' (2020){{em dash}}and a [[Tremors (TV series)|television series]], with Gross serving as the franchise's mainstay. A TV series reboot of ''Tremors'' starring Bacon did not go beyond the [[Television pilot|pilot]] stage. In 2025, Underwood, Maddock, and Wilson regained the rights to the original ''Tremors'' script and began discussing a new sequel that would return to Perfection.
==Plot== <!--Per Wikipedia Guidelines, please do not expand this summary any further.-->
In the isolated desert town of Perfection, [[Nevada]], handymen Valentine "Val" McKee and Earl Bassett decide to leave for the nearby town of Bixby after growing dissatisfied with their work. Before they can depart, they discover resident Edgar Deems dead atop an electrical tower. The town doctor determines that he died of dehydration after refusing to come down. Soon afterwards, a shepherd and his flock are killed by an unseen creature. When Val and Earl find the shepherd's severed head, they suspect a serial killer is at large. Two road workers are then killed, and a rockslide blocks the only road out of town. The men return to warn the residents, only to find that the phone lines are dead as well. During another attempt to leave, a snake-like creature wraps around their truck's rear axle and is torn apart as they drive away.
Val and Earl then ride horseback toward Bixby for help. On the way, they find the doctor's [[station wagon]] buried near his [[Caravan (trailer)|camper]], with the doctor and his wife missing. A giant, burrowing, worm-like creature suddenly erupts from the ground, revealing that the earlier snake-like creature was one of its tentacled tongues. With the men thrown from their horses, it pursues them until it crashes into the concrete wall of a [[culvert]] and dies. They are soon joined by Rhonda LeBeck, a graduate student studying seismic activity, who concludes that three more creatures are in the area. Stranded overnight on boulders, the three realize that the creatures hunt by sensing vibrations in the ground. Using discarded poles, they [[Pole vault|jump between rocks]] and eventually escape in Rhonda's truck.
After returning to Perfection, they warn the remaining residents, and the creatures{{em dash}}which Walter Chang, the store owner, names "Graboids"{{em dash}}attack again and kill Walter, forcing the townspeople onto rooftops. Elsewhere, [[survivalist]] couple Burt and Heather Gummer kill one Graboid after it breaks into their basement armory. Back in town, the two remaining Graboids undermine buildings and kill Nestor when his trailer collapses. The survivors attempt to escape to the nearby mountains using a [[track loader]] towing a [[Trailer (vehicle)|trailer]], but the Graboids trap the vehicle in a [[sinkhole]]. Taking refuge on boulders, the survivors follow Earl's plan to lure the creatures into swallowing homemade [[pipe bomb]]s. One is killed, but the last spits a bomb back, destroying all but one of the explosives. Val then uses the last bomb to drive the last Graboid over a cliff, killing it. The survivors return to town and contact the authorities, and Earl encourages Val to pursue a relationship with Rhonda.
==Cast== {{cast list| * [[Kevin Bacon]] as Valentine "Val" McKee, a local [[handyman]] who does odd jobs around town with his partner Earl<ref name="newman"/> * [[Fred Ward]] as Earl Bassett, Val's partner in the handyman business<ref name="newman"/> * [[Finn Carter]] as Rhonda LeBeck, a student [[seismologist]] and Val's eventual love interest<ref name="presskit">{{harvnb|Universal Pictures|2020|pages=15–21}}</ref><ref name="gamespot"/> * [[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]] as Burt Gummer, a gun-toting [[Survivalism|survivalist]] and [[right-wing]] conspiracy theorist<ref name="newman"/> * [[Reba McEntire]] as Heather Gummer, Burt's wife and a fellow survivalist<ref name="newman"/> }}
Other cast members includes [[Bobby Jacoby]] as Melvin, [[Charlotte Stewart]] as Nancy, [[Ariana Richards]] as Mindy, [[Tony Genaro]] as Miguel, [[Richard Marcus]] as Nestor, [[Victor Wong (actor born 1927)|Víctor Wong]] as Walter Chang, [[Sunshine Parker]] as Edgar, Michael Dan Wagner as Old Fred, Conrad Bachmann as Jim (The Doctor), [[Bibi Besch]] as Megan (The Doctor's Wife), John Goodwin as Howard (Roadworker), and John Pappas as Carmine (Roadworker).{{Sfn|Flower|2020|page=4}}
==Production== ===Development=== [[File:Them! (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|''Tremors'' was conceived by the filmmakers as an homage to 1950s monster films, including ''[[Them!]]'' (1954), which was shot in black-and-white, by contrast.<ref name="shapiro"/><ref name="presskit"/>]] ''Tremors'' originated from a story credited to [[S. S. Wilson]], [[Brent Maddock]], and [[Ron Underwood]], with Wilson and Maddock receiving screenplay credit. [[Gale Anne Hurd]] served as executive producer, while Pacific Western Productions handled the film as a non-[[Trade union|union]] acquisition for [[Paramount Pictures]] before [[Universal Pictures]] released it.<ref name="AFI">{{cite web |title=Tremors (1990) - History & Credits |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/58719 |work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> Wilson and Maddock wrote ''Tremors'' as an [[spec script|uncommissioned script]],<ref name="thompson">{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Anne |date=1989-11-18 |title=Nearly Defunct Tri-Star Has Three Hits on its Hands |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-thomasville-times-nearly-defunct-tri/192904235/ |access-date=2026-03-08 |work=[[Thomasville Times]] |pages=20 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> which carried the original title ''Beneath Perfection''.<ref name="thrscript"/> Because Underwood was responsible for giving them careers in educational films, they lobbied to get him onboard the project in return, seeing ''Tremors'' as an opportunity to finally work with him after failing to do so for ''[[Short Circuit (1986 film)|Short Circuit]]'' (1986).<ref name="thompson"/> Hurd backed the film after responding strongly to the script and supported Underwood as director on his feature directorial debut.<ref name="shapiro">{{harvnb|Shapiro|2020|pages=39{{en dash}}43}}</ref>
Underwood, Wilson, and Maddock approached the project as a contemporary variation on [[Monster movie#Early monster films (1915–1954)|1950s monster films]], combining a traditional monster premise with more contemporary character comedy.<ref name="shapiro"/><ref name="gamespot">{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Kevin |title=Tremors Streaming On Netflix: 15 Things You Need To Know About The Cult Classic |url=https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/tremors-streaming-on-netflix-15-things-you-need-to/2900-3385/ |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=April 24, 2020 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> Wilson said that the premise originated while he was working as a [[film editor]] at a naval base in the [[Mojave Desert]]. During weekend hikes near the gunnery ranges, he imagined being stranded on a rock while a creature moved beneath the ground, and that image became the basis for the film's central idea.<ref name="gamespot"/> Maddock distinguished the script by making the protagonists two [[Everyman|ordinary men]] rather than the lawman, soldier, or scientist more commonly used in the genre.<ref name="gamespot"/> The writers also chose not to give the Graboids a stated origin, since Wilson considered the usual science fiction explanations too familiar.{{Sfn|Bouzereau|1998}}
===Pre-production=== The film entered pre-production under the [[working title]] ''Land Sharks'', which was eventually dropped after the filmmakers found that ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' had already popularized the [[Land Shark (Saturday Night Live)|Land Shark]] character intended to parody ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (1975).{{Sfn|Bouzereau|1998}} The project briefly carried the alternate title ''Dead Silence''.<ref name="AFI"/> Dr. [[Kate Hutton]] served as the film's [[seismology]] consultant.<ref name="AFI" /> [[File:Reba McEntire (51936713933) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|The country singer [[Reba McEntire]] (pictured here in 2022) made her acting debut with ''Tremors''.]] Pam Dixon served as the casting director, and the production assembled a principal cast that included [[Kevin Bacon]], [[Fred Ward]], [[Finn Carter]], [[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]], and [[Reba McEntire]].<ref name="AFI" /> Gross began work on the film one day after the TV series ''[[Family Ties]]'' ended.<ref name="people">{{cite web |last1=Heigl |first1=Alex |title='Tremors' Turns 25: 9 Points of Appreciation |url=https://people.com/celebrity/tremors-anniversary-kevin-bacon-michael-gross/ |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=January 19, 2015 |access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref> McEntire, a country singer, made her acting debut in the production, postponing her honeymoon until the end of the shoot as a result.<ref name="people"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=McEntire |first1=Reba |last2=Carter |first2=Tom |author-link1=Reba McEntire |title=Reba: My Story |date=1994 |publisher=[[Bantam Books]] |location=United States |isbn=978-0-553--57238-4 |page=211 |url=https://www.google.com.ph/books/edition/Reba/Lb7TBwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=reba+mcentire+tremors+honeymoon&pg=PA211&printsec=frontcover |access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref> The role of Walter Chang was originally written as a Vietnamese character named Phan Vam, but the filmmakers changed the role to Chinese before [[Victor Wong (actor, born 1927)|Victor Wong]] auditioned.<ref name="gamespot"/>
Production designer Ivo Cristante spent two months constructing the fictional town of Perfection, Nevada, in the desert near [[Olancha, California]]. The finished set included a market, a paved street, telephone poles, a garbage dump, a horse corral, and several houses and mobile homes. Other sites were considered before the production settled on the [[Lone Pine, California|Lone Pine]] area, which offered the [[Sierra Nevada]] in the background and the [[Alabama Hills]] in the foreground. Several building frames were first constructed in [[Los Angeles]] and then moved to the location, and Cristante also created the large rock formation used in the climax.<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="presskit"/>
[[Alec Gillis]] and Tom Woodruff Jr. are credited with designing and creating the creature effects, which they achieved as [[Practical effect|practically]] as possible. In contrast, [[Robert Skotak|Robert]] and [[Dennis Skotak]] provided the visual and miniature effects, and Art Brewer Special Effects, Inc. created the special mechanical effects.<ref name="AFI" /> The effects team built large puppet heads, mechanical tentacles, miniatures, and matte effects so that the creatures could be shown convincingly in broad daylight.<ref name="presskit"/>
===Filming=== [[File:Alabama Hills Recreation Area in California (30577798826).jpg|thumb|The [[Alabama Hills]] Recreation Area (pictured here in 2016), where ''Tremors'' was filmed almost entirely on location]] With a budget of $5{{en dash}}11 million,<ref name="thompson"/><ref name="shapiro"/> filming began in April 1989 and took place in [[Inyo County, California]], around Lone Pine, Olancha, and the Alabama Hills. The film was a non-[[Trade union|union]] production.<ref name="AFI" /> Much of the 54-day shoot was split between location work in the Lone Pine desert and studio work in [[Valencia, California]].<ref name="shapiro"/> Two interior sets, Burt and Heather Gummer's basement and Walter Chang's market, were built at Valencia Studios, where the final scenes were shot and the production [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrapped]] filming.<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="presskit"/>
A major visual choice was to stage much of the film in broad daylight rather than conceal the creatures in darkness, a deliberate departure from many earlier low-light monster films.<ref name="presskit"/> As such, the filmmakers identify the bright exterior photography as one of the production's main technical challenges.<ref name="presskit"/> Weather posed a problem during location shooting, with rain, snow, and strong winds complicating action scenes in the desert.<ref name="shapiro"/>
McEntire's participation required logistical adjustments during filming. She toured on weekends, then took two flights and a drive to reach the set for early morning call times. For a running scene near the end of the film, her firearm was replaced with a wooden prop to make it easier to carry.<ref name="gamespot"/>
The ending was changed after preview audiences wanted the romantic subplot between Val and Rhonda resolved with a kiss, prompting Underwood to reshoot the final moments.<ref name="gamespot"/>
===Post-production=== O. Nicholas Brown was the film's editor. Other credits include Ernest Troost as composer and conductor, [[Ralph Sall]] as music supervisor, and Steve Flick and Richard Anderson as supervising sound editors.<ref name="AFI" /> The creature work was completed with additional miniature and visual effects, which complemented the large-scale practical puppets used during principal photography.<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="presskit"/>
The film's original opening sequence, which incorporated real earthquake footage, was removed after test audiences responded negatively.<ref name="AFI"/> The film's rating was also adjusted after the first cut. The initial version received an [[Motion Picture Association film rating system#R-rated|R rating]] for language, after which the filmmakers made edits to secure a [[PG-13]] rating while retaining a single use of the word "fuck".<ref name="gamespot"/>{{efn|The [[Motion Picture Association]] (MPA) allows a single use of the word "fuck" in PG-13 films, provided that it is done so in non-sexual contexts. The film utilizes this rule for the scene where Val curses at a dead Graboid.<ref name="gamespot"/>}}
Post-production included a substantial change to the [[film score|score]]. Troost composed the initial score, but [[Robert Folk]] later wrote much of the music used in the released film.<ref name="folk">{{cite web |last1=Blumenthal |first1=Philippe |title=Robert Folk |url=http://www.runmovies.eu/?p=610 |website=Soundtrack.com |year=1994 |access-date=March 11, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141123152450/http://www.runmovies.eu/?p=610 |archive-date=November 23, 2014}}</ref>
==Music== Troost was the first composer hired for ''Tremors'' after producer Ginny Nugent recommended him to the filmmakers.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}} He joined while the film was still in production, then worked with Ron Underwood and Brent Maddock during post-production to assemble the [[Temp track|temporary score]] for a preview cut, which also used some of his earlier cues. Troost said there was no distinct spotting session because the music placement was largely set as the temp track was built.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}} His original plan used two recurring ideas: a [[blues]]-influenced rock theme for Val and Earl, and a separate action-driven science fiction theme for the Graboids. After discussions that the monster material was too forceful, he rewrote it in a more restrained style, a choice he later came to regret. He also said that much of his score was ultimately replaced as the filmmakers continued adjusting the film's tone.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}}
Folk was brought in later through producer Gale Anne Hurd, who knew his manager Larry Marks.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}} He said he was told that the earlier score would remain only in selected scenes, after which he spotted the film with the production team and wrote about 30 to 40 minutes of new music that could also be tracked into other parts of the picture. Working on a three-and-a-half-week schedule, he was asked for a broader, more action-oriented sound with a tongue-in-cheek horror tone, and he said he had not heard the earlier score.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}} Folk treated Val and Earl's friendship as the score's emotional center, writing a theme for their optimism that appeared in rock, tender, and full orchestral versions. He also singled out [[Tommy Morgan]]'s harmonica in "Mad Sheeps", a retro-styled [[synthesizer]] blended with orchestra in "Burt's Big Gun", and a revised pole-vault cue written after Underwood wanted that sequence to feel more uplifting.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}}
Troost said that Folk, through his agent, refused to share credit for contributing a substantial amount of music to the film.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}} He declined an "additional music" credit in favor of shared billing, believing that his and Folk's work shaped the film's final musical identity.{{Sfn|Troost|Folk|2020}} Even so, he was ultimately awarded sole credit for his contribution, as per a clause in his contract, to which Folk is quoted as saying, "He must have had a very good lawyer".<ref name="folk"/>
==Creature effects design== [[File:Tremors x ray matt frank for web.jpg|thumb|An illustration of a Graboid's anatomy by the artist Matt Frank]] The creature effects for ''Tremors'' were created by [[Alec Gillis]] and Tom Woodruff Jr. of [[Amalgamated Dynamics]], with miniature work by [[Robert Skotak|Robert]] and [[Dennis Skotak]] of 4-Ward Productions.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=25, 33}} The screenplay described the monster only in broad terms, including a mouth that opened like a grotesque flower, tentacles inside the mouth, and spines across the body, so the final look was shaped during pre-production rather than derived from a fixed design.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|page=25}} Gillis said the design team worked from reference textures and shapes that interested them. They deliberately avoided making the creatures resemble the [[Sandworm (Dune)|sandworms]] in ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' (1984) or a conventional giant worm.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|page=25}} The main Graboid head was built in Los Angeles and its form drew on studies of prehistoric animals, rhinoceroses, and elephants.<ref name="presskit"/> The orange innards used in splatter scenes included canned pumpkin, which contributed to their color on screen.<ref name="gamespot"/>
For the full-scale effects, the crew built four articulated head sections and a separate non-articulated body for the dead Graboid found in the concrete [[culvert]].{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=27, 32}} The head sections used foam latex skins over an internal structure, with fiberglass jaw and mandible components and mechanical linkages that allowed the mouth to snap, lunge, and turn.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|page=27}} One major rig placed the head over a deep pit, where operators below and above the set controlled its gross movement and facial articulation through rods and cables.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|page=27}} Another buried rig used a pneumatic elevator to drive the creature upward through a false ground surface dressed with foam, sand, and [[vermiculite]] for the eruption shots.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=27{{en dash}}28}} After the creature emerged, it could be attached to a rolling dolly rig suspended from a crane for shots in which it moved across the set, including the general store and basement sequences.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=28, 31}}
The tentacles became the defining part of the final design. During development, the filmmakers moved away from the idea that the monsters were simply giant underground snakes and instead treated the tentacles as grasping oral appendages belonging to a much larger animal.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|page=31}} Gillis and Woodruff built several cable operated tentacles of different lengths, including ten-foot versions for wide shots, a smaller articulated head variant for close-ups, and hand puppet versions that gave the crew finer control during snapping and grabbing shots.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=31{{en dash}}32}} The mouth mechanism was redesigned with compound hinges so it could open wider, and some tentacle shots were staged for reverse photography so the appendages could appear to dart outward more sharply on screen.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=31{{en dash}}32}}
As production continued, the film relied more heavily on miniatures because the full-scale creatures were difficult to control.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|page=33}} The Skotaks built five-quarter scale puppets, including one principal articulated version and several simpler hand puppets, along with smaller tentacle units for miniature work.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=33, 35{{en dash}}36}} These were used in forced-perspective desert table tops, miniature interior sets, and cliff effects that extended the creatures' screen presence beyond what the full-scale rigs could do reliably.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=35{{en dash}}36, 39{{en dash}}41}} The production later added more miniature creature shots after a positive rough cut screening, and the final effects package was completed with optical composites, underground point-of-view shots, and matte paintings that extended the desert and cliff environments.{{Sfn|Shannon|1990|pages=40, 43{{en dash}}44}}
==Release== ===Box office=== ''Tremors'' opened on January 19, 1990, in 1,457 theaters against no new releases and debuted at number five at the U.S. box office, behind ''[[Born on the Fourth of July (film)|Born on the Fourth of July]]'', ''[[Tango & Cash]]'', ''[[The War Of The Roses (film)|The War of the Roses]]'', and ''[[Internal Affairs (film)|Internal Affairs]]'', grossing $3.7 million in its opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web |title=Domestic 1990 Weekend 3: January 19–21, 1990 |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1990&wknd=03&p=.htm |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It dropped to sixth in its second week but stayed in the top 10 for four weeks before finally dropping to eleventh in its fifth week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=&yr=1990&wknd=06&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office Results for February 9–11, 1990 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> Grossing $16.7 million in the U.S.,<ref name="bomfig"/> the film was a box-office failure.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="thrscript"/><ref name="kiang"/><ref name="ewbest"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Ryan |title=35 Years Ago, A Box Office Bomb Spawned A Beloved Monster Movie Franchise |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1771254/tremors-modest-box-office-hit-spawned-monster-movie-franchise/ |website=[[Slashfilm]] |date=January 25, 2025 |access-date=March 8, 2026}}</ref>}} English film critic and journalist [[Kim Newman]] considered it "modestly profitable".{{Sfn|Newman|2020|pages=7{{en dash}}12}} Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] reported that moviegoers gave the film an average [[letter grade]] of B−.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |title=Tremors (1990) |website=[[CinemaScore]] |access-date=March 14, 2019}}</ref>
===Critical response=== Critical reception to ''Tremors'' was generally positive upon its release.<ref name="AFI" />{{Sfn|Newman|2020|pages=7{{en dash}}12}} Much of the early response judged the film by how persuasively it revived the 1950s creature feature, and several reviewers treated the film as an affectionate update rather than a spoof.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="TandG1990">{{cite news |last1=Kimmel |first1=Daniel M. |title='Tremors' - No great shakes, but fun |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/tremors-no-great-shakes-fun/docview/268361522/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] |date=January 19, 1990 |id={{ProQuest|268361522}}}}</ref><ref name="Boston1990">{{cite news |last1=Carr |first1=Jay |title='Tremors' May Worm its Way into Your Heart |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/tremors-may-worm-way-into-your-heart/docview/294504361/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=January 19, 1990 |page=23 |id={{ProQuest|294504361}}}}</ref><ref name="Chicago1990">{{cite news |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave |authorlink=Dave Kehr |title='Tremors' an entertaining horror film in old western style |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/tremors-entertaining-horror-film-old-western/docview/282758390/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=January 19, 1990 |id={{ProQuest|282758390}}}}</ref><ref name="USA1990">{{cite news |last1=Wloszczyna |first1=Susan |title='Tremors' brings great shakes alive |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/tremors-brings-great-shakes-alive/docview/306280705/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 19, 1990 |id={{ProQuest|306280705}}}}</ref><ref name="LAT1990">{{cite news |last1=Wilmington |first1=Michael |authorlink=Michael Wilmington |title=MOVIE REVIEW: Wormy Thrills, Fear and Humor Burrow Up in 'Tremors' |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/movie-review-wormy-thrills-fear-humor-burrow-up/docview/280958074/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 19, 1990 |page=10 |id={{ProQuest|280958074}}}}</ref>}} The ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'' called it a throwback to the era of giant monster films,<ref name="TandG1990" /> ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' described it as a fun return to 1950s science fiction,<ref name="Boston1990" /> and ''[[USA Today]]'' wrote that it honored the genre while adding fresh twists.<ref name="USA1990" /> The ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' and the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' also placed the film within a familiar desert siege tradition, with each review stressing that its monster-movie framework drew strength from western imagery as well as postwar science fiction.<ref name="Chicago1990" /><ref name="LAT1990" />
The warmer responses often turned on the film's control of tone, since its humor was seen as part of the entertainment rather than a release from it.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="TandG1990" /><ref name="StLouis1990">{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Harper |title=HORROR TALE WITH TWIST: GORE PLUS WIT AND STYLE "TREMORS": PG-13. RUNNING TIME: 1:35 |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/horror-tale-with-twist-gore-plus-wit-style/docview/1519657449/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |date=January 26, 1990 |page=F.3 |id={{ProQuest|1519657449}}}}</ref><ref name="Sun1990">{{cite news |last1=Hurlbut |first1=Roger |title=SHAKE, RATTLE, ROLL WITH LAUGHTER |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/shake-rattle-roll-with-laughter/docview/389240506/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |date=January 20, 1990 |page=7D |id={{ProQuest|389240506}}}}</ref><ref name="Edmonton1990">{{cite news |last1=Horton |first1=Marc |title=Nothing subtle about a bunch of two-ton worms |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/nothing-subtle-about-bunch-two-ton-worms/docview/251538611/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Edmonton Journal]] |location=[[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]], Canada |date=January 20, 1990 |page=B1 |id={{ProQuest|251538611}}}}</ref><ref name="Globe1990">{{cite news |last1=Groen |first1=Rick |title=FILM REVIEW TREMORS This little beast went to town |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/film-review-tremors-this-little-beast-went-town/docview/385663786/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |location=[[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada |date=January 20, 1990 |page=C.4 |id={{ProQuest|385663786}}}}</ref>}} The ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' called the film a horror played with wit and style,<ref name="StLouis1990" /> the ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]'' argued that humor elevated it beyond "pure schlock",<ref name="Sun1990" /> and the ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'' praised it for remaining tense without losing sight of the absurdity of its premise.<ref name="Edmonton1990" /> ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' likewise described it as a 50s-style monster film with a campy comic sense that landed more often than it missed,<ref name="Globe1990" /> while the ''Telegram & Gazette'' noted that the balance of laughs and scares kept it from tipping into either parody or splatter.<ref name="TandG1990" />
Positive reviews also linked that response to execution, especially the way the film established clear rules for its creatures and kept a modest premise moving.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="Chicago1990" /><ref name="USA1990" /><ref name="Boston1990" /><ref name="LAT1990" /><ref name="Edmonton1990" />}} The ''Chicago Tribune'' credited director Ron Underwood's focus on character and his carefully accelerating pace,<ref name="Chicago1990" /> ''USA Today'' pointed to the screenplay's clever isolation of Perfection and its restrained gore,<ref name="USA1990" /> and ''The Boston Globe'' found that much of the film's appeal came from the inventive ways the trapped townspeople fought back.<ref name="Boston1990" /> The ''Los Angeles Times'' noted the Graboids' speed, cunning, and specific weakness, which gave the action the shape of a battle of wits,<ref name="LAT1990" /> while the ''Edmonton Journal'' highlighted the choice to stage much of the action in broad daylight and show the creatures clearly rather than hide them in darkness.<ref name="Edmonton1990" />
The negative reviews, by contrast, treated that same retro design as a limitation, arguing that the film was either too predictable or too pleased with its own jokiness.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="NWFL1990">{{cite news |last1=Rolfsen |first1=Bruce |title='Tremors' makers pay homage to '50s monster movies |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/tremors-makers-pay-homage-50s-monster-movies/docview/379361793/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Northwest Florida Daily News]] |date=January 26, 1990 |page=C.12 |id={{ProQuest|379361793}}}}</ref><ref name="NYT1990">{{cite news |last1=Canby |first1=Vincent |authorlink=Vincent Canby |title=Underground Creatures and Dread Events |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/tremors-makers-pay-homage-50s-monster-movies/docview/379361793/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 19, 1990 |page=C.10 |id={{ProQuest|379361793}}}}</ref><ref name="Calgary1990">{{cite news |last1=Dudley |first1=Wendy |title=Snake monsters stars of horror flick |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/snake-monsters-stars-horror-flick/docview/244071072/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |location=[[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada |date=January 19, 1990 |page=F1 |id={{ProQuest|244071072}}}}</ref>}} The ''[[Northwest Florida Daily News]]'' found the story predictable and argued that the jokes were too slight for a film whose horror never fully carried the material.<ref name="NWFL1990" /> ''[[The New York Times]]'' made a related complaint, writing that the film "wants to be funny but spent too much time winking at the audience".<ref name="NYT1990" /> Even several favorable notices built in reservations: the ''[[Calgary Herald]]'' called the script corny despite praising the film's western look,<ref name="Calgary1990" /> the ''Telegram & Gazette'' suggested that its appeal would likely remain strongest among horror and science-fiction fans,<ref name="TandG1990" /> and ''The Globe and Mail'' treated it as lively but lightweight genre entertainment.<ref name="Globe1990" />
==Post-release== ===Aftermath=== According to author Jonathan Melville, in a 2020 essay on the [[Tremors (franchise)|''Tremors'' franchise]], Universal was "unsure whether to sell the film as horror-with-laughs or comedy-with-scares", hence its poor box-office returns.<ref name="melville">{{harvnb|Melville|2020|pages=47{{en dash}}54}}</ref> Both S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock also blamed the commercial performance on its marketing campaign. Maddock, in particular, thought the theatrical trailer was "cringeworthy" and likely deterred audiences.<ref name="jennifer"/> Conversely, English film critic and journalist [[Kim Newman]] wrote, "Some blame the marketing, but the posters and trailers look fine to me."<ref name="newman">{{harvnb|Newman|2020|pages=7{{en dash}}12}}</ref> Although ''Tremors'' fared poorly at the box office, it became popular in the 1990s [[video rental]] market, where repeat viewing helped it develop a [[cult following]].<ref name="newman"/><ref name="melville"/>
Bacon initially viewed ''Tremors'' as a low point in his career and took the role while under financial and family pressure. In 2022, however, he described his work on the film as a positive experience, citing his time working with co-star Fred Ward and the film's practical effects.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lenker |first1=Maureen Lee |title=City on a Hill star Kevin Bacon reflects on Apollo 13 vomit comet, dancing in Footloose, Tremors, and more |url=https://ew.com/tv/kevin-bacon-role-call-city-on-a-hill-apollo-13-footloose/ |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=July 31, 2022 |access-date=March 2, 2026}}</ref> In 2021, Bacon said that ''Tremors'' was the only film from his own filmography that he was interested in revisiting, and the only one he had watched again since its original release.<ref name="thrbacon">{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Ryan |title=Kevin Bacon Wants to Revisit His Only Film He Ever Re-Watched |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kevin-bacon-tremors-1234956657/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=May 20, 2021 |access-date=March 2, 2026}}</ref> He had declined an earlier direct-to-video sequel, but later tried to revive the property around the film's 25th anniversary with [[Blumhouse Productions]]. Although his concept did not move forward, Bacon said that he remained open to reprising his role.<ref name="thrbacon"/> In addition, when Ward died in 2022, Bacon honored his memory by [[tweeting]], "When it came to battling underground worms, I couldn't have asked for a better partner."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Ryan |title=Kevin Bacon Honors 'Tremors' Co-Star Fred Ward |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/fred-ward-kevin-bacon-honors-tremors-star-1235146496/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=May 13, 2022 |access-date=March 2, 2026}}</ref>
===Home media=== On July 12, 1990, ''Tremors'' was released on [[VHS]] by [[MCA/Universal Home Video]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mooney |first=Josh |date=1990-07-29 |title=An underground spoof |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-houston-post-an-underground-spoof/192903433/ |access-date=2026-03-08 |work=[[The Houston Post]] |pages=96 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> MCA/Universal released the film alongside its direct-to-video sequel ''[[Tremors 2: Aftershocks]]'' in a Signature Collection special-edition [[LaserDisc]] on April 16, 1996,<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGowan |first1=Chris |title=Pair of 'Tremors' Makes Rumble on Laserdisc |url=https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=iQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69&dq=tremors+laserdisc+1995+mca&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwio6enP1I2TAxVBka8BHVThGmQQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q=tremors%20laserdisc%201995%20mca&f=false |access-date=March 7, 2026 |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |page=69 |date=March 23, 1996}}</ref> followed by a [[DVD-Video|DVD]] version on April 29, 1998.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tremors |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/tremors |website=[[Common Sense Media]] |date=April 5, 2023 |access-date=March 8, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515054740/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/tremors |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref>
On November 9, 2010, ''Tremors'' was released on [[Blu-ray]] by [[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]], with bonus material carried over from the film's [[HD DVD]] version, including a [[behind-the-scenes]] [[featurette]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCutcheon |first1=David |title=Tremors Rumble |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/08/05/tremors-rumble |access-date=March 8, 2026 |work=[[IGN]] |date=May 8, 2012}}</ref> In 2020, a [[4K resolution]] restoration was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] by [[Arrow Video]]. The restoration was created using the [[original camera negative]], and was overseen by director Ron Underwood and cinematographer [[Alexander Gruszynski]].{{Sfn|Flower|2020|page=58}} The [[Audio commentary|commentary track]] for this Blu-ray marked Underwood, Wilson, and Maddock's first for a ''Tremors'' home video release.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunter |first1=Rob |title=24 Things We Learned from the 'Tremors' Commentary |url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/tremors-commentary/ |website=[[Film School Rejects]] |date= September 1, 2022 |access-date=March 8, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817034425/https://filmschoolrejects.com/tremors-commentary/ |archive-date=August 17, 2023 |url-status=dead}}</ref> On August 29, 2024, Universal released all seven films in the ''Tremors'' series in a Blu-ray collection.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bonthuys |first1=Darryn |title=A Tremors 7-Film Blu-Ray Collection Releases Soon |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tremors-7-film-collection-blu-ray/1100-6524800/ |date=July 24, 2024 |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=April 26, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724142055/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tremors-7-film-collection-blu-ray/1100-6524800/ |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1999, a soundtrack album of Ernest Troost's score was released on [[CD]] by [[Intrada Records]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tremors / Bloodrush |url=http://www.intrada.com/tremors.htm |publisher=[[Intrada Records]] |access-date=March 12, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000129054852/http://www.intrada.com/tremors.htm |archive-date=January 29, 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, La-La Land Records gave Troost's and Robert Folk's score its first commercial release as a limited edition two-disc set.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lalalandrecords.com/tremors-limited-edition/|title = Tremors: Limited Edition |publisher=La-La Land Records |accessdate=March 7, 2026}}</ref>
===Other media=== A [[novelization]] entitled ''Beneath Perfection'', based on Wilson and Maddock's original script, was published by Christian Francis in 2025. Its [[audiobook]] version is narrated by Zoran Gvojic, who co-hosts the YouTube channel [[Dead Meat (YouTube channel)|Dead Meat]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=DiVicenzo |first1=Alex |title='Tremors' Novelization Published Under Original Title 'Beneath Perfection' |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/books/3916735/tremors-novelization-published-under-original-title-beneath-perfection/ |access-date=March 6, 2026 |work=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |date=November 18, 2025}}</ref>
==Legacy== ===Retrospective assessment=== {{Quote box |quote = It has its scares, but it's a little more human. Part of the reason I think it didn't do as well when it came out was the horror films at that time were very dark, very scary, and this film was lighter because it had people that you cared about who had a lightness to them and a sense of humor despite the awful situation they were in. |source = — Director Ron Underwood in 2020 on the contemporary and retrospective receptions of ''Tremors''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Jeff |title=Director Ron Underwood Thinks He Knows Why Tremors Has Had Such Staying Power |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1106407/director-ron-underwood-thinks-he-knows-why-tremors-has-had-such-staying-power/ |website=[[Slashfilm]] |date=November 17, 2022 |access-date=March 2, 2026}}</ref> |width = 35% |bgcolor = }} Reviews for ''Tremors'' have remained generally favorable in the decades since its release.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shore |first1=Martin |title=Kevin Bacon's horror-comedy 'Tremors' just crashed the Prime Video top 10 — don't overlook this cult classic monster movie |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/prime-video/kevin-bacons-horror-comedy-tremors-just-crashed-the-prime-video-top-10-dont-overlook-this-cult-classic-monster-movie |website=[[Tom's Guide]] |date=October 10, 2025 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref> {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|89|3=53|consensus=An affectionate throwback to 1950s creature features, ''Tremors'' reinvigorates its genre tropes with a finely balanced combination of horror and humor.|ref=yes}} {{Metacritic film prose|65|13|ref=yes|access-date=March 1, 2026}}
Retrospective coverage has generally treated ''Tremors'' as an unusually durable creature feature whose reputation strengthened after its theatrical release.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="kiang">{{cite web |last1=Kiang |first1=Jessica |title=30 Years Later, Tremors Is Still A Perfect Monster Movie, and It Keeps Getting Better |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/30-years-later-tremors-is-still-a-perfect-monster-movie-and-it-keeps-getting-better/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=January 19, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref><ref name="jennifer">{{cite web |last1=Ouellette |first1=Jennifer |author-link=Jennifer Ouellette |title=Tremors turns 30, the most perfect B movie creature feature ever made |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/tremors-turns-30-the-most-perfect-b-movie-creature-feature-ever-made/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=January 20, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref><ref name="kyle">{{cite web |last1=Phaneuf |first1=Kyle |title=Tremors (1990), Lookback, Review |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/tremors-1990-lookback-review/ |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=November 23, 2012 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref><ref name="newman2">{{cite web |last1=Newman |first1=Kim |author-link=Kim Newman |title=Tremors Review |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tremors-review/ |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date=January 1, 2015 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref>}} A Rotten Tomatoes essay by Jessica Kiang argued that the film was built to last and became more beloved over time,<ref name="kiang"/> while [[Jennifer Ouellette]], writing for ''[[Ars Technica]]'', elevated it within the B-movie creature-feature tradition and noted that its modest box office showing gave way to a large cult following.<ref name="jennifer"/> Film critic and journalist [[Kim Newman]] also judged it entertaining enough to endure,<ref name="newman2"/> and ''[[Den of Geek]]''{{'s}} Kyle Phaneuf linked its longevity to its later success on [[VHS]] and late-night television.<ref name="kyle"/> ''[[Slashfilm]]'' likewise treated the Graboids as memorable because the film makes giant subterranean worms feel genuinely dangerous through their strength, patience, and vibration-sensing attacks.<ref name="slashfilm1">{{cite web |title=The 50 Scariest Horror Movie Monsters Ranked |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/877868/the-30-scariest-horror-movie-monsters-ranked/ |website=[[Slashfilm]] |date=October 11, 2024 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref>
''Tremors'' has made several lists of the best monster films of all time, including ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' (no. 7),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Percival |first1=Tom |title=The 10 best monster movies of all time, ranked |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-monster-movies/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=October 16, 2025 |access-date=March 9, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' (no. 14),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Alexis |last2=Ring |first2=Julian |title=Best Monster Movies of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/best-monster-movies-of-all-time-91534/ |website=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=July 15, 2013 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Screen Rant]]'' (no. 18),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dubiel |first1=Bill |title=20 Best Monster Movies Of All Time |url=https://screenrant.com/best-monster-movies-all-time/ |website=[[Screen Rant]] |date=October 19, 2024 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' (no. 23),<ref name="ewbest">{{cite web |last1=Rife |first1=Katie |title=Ranking the 25 best monster movies of all time, from ''King Kong'' to ''Godzilla'' |url=https://ew.com/best-monster-movies-all-time-ranked-8730312 |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 18, 2024 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> and ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' (no. 32).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vorel |first1=Jim |last2=Staff |first2=Paste |title=The 50 Best Monster Movies of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/best-monster-movies-of-all-time |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |date=October 16, 2025 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> Similarly, the film's Graboids have been ranked as one of the best movie monsters by ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' (no. 32),<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Hara |first1=Ellen |last2=Crook |first2=Simon |last3=Singer |first3=Matthew |last4=Bogutskaya |first4=Anna |last5=McGeady |first5=Sean |title=The 69 scariest movie monsters of all-time (updated 2025) |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/greatest-movie-monsters |website=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |date=October 29, 2025 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weaver |first1=Hilary |last2=Langmann |first2=Brady |last3=Carey |first3=Emma |title=The Best Monster Movies of All Time Unleash The Beast Inside |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g29368668/best-monster-movies/ |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |date=October 30, 2022 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> and ''Slashfilm''.<ref name="slashfilm1"/> The film has made rankings of the top horror films of the 1990s, including Rotten Tomatoes (no. 6),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Best 90s Horror Movies |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-90s-horror-movies/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''SlashFilm'' (no. 10),<ref name="slashfilm2">{{cite web |last1=Halfhill |first1=Layla |title=The 35 Best '90s Horror Movies Ranked |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/617090/the-best-90s-horror-movies-ranked/ |website=[[Slashfilm]] |date=January 20, 2026 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''[[GameSpot]]'' (no. 12),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bonthuys |first1=Darryb |last2=Seward Jr |first2=Kenneth |title=The 20 Best Horror Movies Of The 1990s |url=https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-20-best-horror-movies-of-the-1990s/2900-4120/ |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=October 12, 2023 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Den of Geek]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Crow |first1=David |last2=Fletcher |first2=Rosie |last3=George |first3=Joe |last4=Kaye |first4=Don |last5=Sokol |first5=Tony |title=The Best Horror Movies of the 1990s |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/best-horror-movies-1990s/ |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=October 19, 2024 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Fangoria]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ervin |first1=Lizzy |title=These 10 90s Scary Movies Will Keep Afraid of the Dark |url=https://www.fangoria.com/10-90s-horror-movies-that-will-remind-you-why-youre-afraid-of-the-dark/ |website=[[Fangoria]] |date=May 24, 2023 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> and ''[[IGN]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fowler |first1=Matt |title=Best 90s Horror Movies You Can Stream Right Now |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/best-90s-horror-movies |website=[[IGN]] |date= June 28, 2022 |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> Rotten Tomatoes also ranked ''Tremors'' no. 106 on its list of the 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vo |first1=Alex |title=The 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 6, 2026}}</ref> while ''Entertainment Weekly'' placed it among the 25 films with the best special effects.<ref>{{cite web |title=25 movies with the best special effects |url=https://ew.com/gallery/movie-special-effects/ |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=July 29, 2022 |access-date=March 7, 2026}}</ref>
===Cultural influence=== Some filmmakers have spoken of their appreciation for ''Tremors'' or cited its influence on their own work, including [[Jerrold Tarog]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dacanay |first1=Aimee |title=WATCH: Director Jerrold Tarog on his favorite Filipino films and the best TV show ever |url=https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/movies-music-tv/69893/director-jerrold-tarog-favorite-filipino-films-interview-a00001-20170413 |website=[[Spot.PH]] |date=April 13, 2017 |access-date=March 7, 2026 |time=0:34}}</ref> [[Gigi Saul Guerrero]],<ref name="indiewire">{{cite web |last1=Ehrlich |first1=David |title=The Best Films of the '90s: Edgar Wright, Lulu Wang, Bill Hader, John Boyega, and More Share Their Picks |url=https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-movies-90s-stars-lists/2021-scad-savannah-film-festival/ |website=[[IndieWire]] |date=August 19, 2022 |access-date=March 7, 2026}}</ref> [[Edgar Wright]],<ref name="indiewire"/> and [[James Gunn]]. Gunn has included a visual reference to ''Tremors'' in his comedy horror film ''[[Slither (2006 film)|Slither]]'' (2006), where a high school is named after Fred Ward's character.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Otto |first1=Jeff |title=IGN Interviews James Gunn |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/03/29/ign-interviews-james-gunn |date=May 18, 2012 |access-date=March 7, 2026 |work=[[IGN]]}}</ref>
The Museum of Western Film History in [[Lone Pine, California]] has an exhibit dedicated to ''Tremors'' that "includes Graboids, Shriekers and a replica of the town, Perfection, Nevada".<ref>{{cite web |title=Tremors |url=https://museumofwesternfilmhistory.org/tremors/ |publisher=Museum of Western Film History |access-date=March 7, 2026}}</ref>
===Sequels and television series=== {{main|Tremors (franchise)}} [[File:Michael Gross 2015.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]] (pictured here in 2015) has consistently appeared in later instalments in the ''Tremors'' series.<ref name="melville"/>]] The film's popularity on home video led Universal to revisit the property for the [[direct-to-video]] market.<ref name="melville">{{harvnb|Melville|2020|pages=47{{en dash}}54}}</ref> Sequel plans were under discussion by the early 1990s, and ''[[Tremors 2: Aftershocks]]'' was released in 1996, for which Fred Ward reprised his role as Earl Bassett. That was followed by ''[[Tremors 3: Back to Perfection]]'' in 2001, which further reconnected the franchise to the original film through returning characters, including [[Michael Gross (actor)|Michael Gross]] as Burt Gummer, and renewed attention to the town of Perfection.<ref name="melville"/>
Frequent cable screenings of ''Tremors 3'' helped lead to the TV series ''[[Tremors (TV series)|Tremors]]'', which debuted in 2003.<ref name="melville"/> The 13-part series continued the story after the third film and centered on Burt in Perfection, with an [[Albinism|albino]] Graboid carried over from ''Tremors 3'', "El Blanco", as the ongoing presence in the town. The program was affected by episodes airing out of order and by limited creator involvement in final editing, and it ended after one season.<ref name="melville"/>
A fourth film, ''[[Tremors 4: The Legend Begins]]'', followed in 2004.<ref name="melville"/> It was conceived as a prequel set in 1889 so that a new film could be produced without conflicting with the continuity of the TV series then in production. By shifting to an earlier period, the franchise continued while preserving the events already established on television.<ref name="melville"/>
After a long gap, the series returned with ''[[Tremors 5: Bloodlines]]'' in 2015 and ''[[Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell]]'' in 2018, before continuing with ''[[Tremors: Shrieker Island]]'' in 2020.<ref name="melville"/> Since headlining ''Tremors 3'', Gross has been a mainstay on the series, with later sequels continuing to use Burt as the clearest link back to the original film.<ref name="newman"/><ref name="melville"/>
The sequels expanded the creature mythology introduced in the original film. ''Tremors 2'' and ''Tremors 3'' added new stages to the Graboid life cycle{{em dash}}the Shriekers and the Ass Blasters{{em dash}}while ''Tremors 3'' also introduced "El Blanco", which later became central to the television series.<ref name="melville"/>
==Future== After Bacon's concept for a theatrical reboot of ''Tremors'' did not move forward with Universal in 2015, it was redeveloped as a television series and later taken to networks including [[Syfy]], but it did not go beyond the [[Television pilot|pilot]] stage.<ref name="melville"/><ref name="thrbacon"/> This unbroadcast project proposed a version of Val living in Perfection twenty-five years after the original and ignored the continuity established by the earlier sequels.<ref name="melville"/> The pilot, directed by [[Vincenzo Natali]] from a [[teleplay]] by his ''[[Cube (1997 film)|Cube]]'' (1997) actor [[Andrew Miller (actor)|Andrew Miller]], reportedly generated positive reactions from some viewers who saw the trailer, though it was neither aired nor picked up.<ref name="newman"/>
In April 2025, Ron Underwood, Brent Maddock, and S. S. Wilson at [[Stampede Entertainment]] regained the rights to the original ''Tremors'' script under [[Copyright Act of 1976|a provision of U.S. copyright law]] that allows creators to recover rights after 35 years. With this, they intended to continue developing the property and were discussing a sequel that would return to Perfection. Additional concepts under consideration included a more unconventional story idea centered on Graboids, and another featuring Bacon's return to the series.<ref name="thrscript">{{cite web |last1=Cho |first1=Winston |title='Tremors' Creators Say They've Reclaimed Rights to Script and Plan to Expand Franchise |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/tremors-creators-rights-franchise-1236196876/ |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=April 21, 2025 |access-date=March 1, 2026}}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
===Media cited=== *{{cite AV media |last1=Bouzereau |first1=Laurent |author-link=Laurent Bouzereau |title=The Making of Tremors |others=[[Ron Underwood]] (Director), [[S. S. Wilson]] & [[Brent Maddock]] (Screenwriters) |ref={{SfnRef|Bouzereau|1998}} | year=1998 | type=Documentary | location=United States | publisher=[[MCA/Universal Home Video]]}} * {{Cite AV media notes |editor=Flower, James |title=Tremors{{spaced en dash}}4K Ultra HD Blu-ray |url=https://s1.thcdn.com/design-assets/documents/arrowfilms/AV319-AV320-Tremors_60_Page_Booklet-Watermarked_.pdf |ref={{SfnRef|Flower|2020}} |year=2020 |type=Booklet |publisher=[[Arrow Video]] |id=FCD2061 |location=[[London]], United Kingdom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260306085939/https://s1.thcdn.com/design-assets/documents/arrowfilms/AV319-AV320-Tremors_60_Page_Booklet-Watermarked_.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=March 6, 2026 }} ** {{harvc |last=Newman |first=Kim |author-link=Kim Newman |c=Good Vibrations |in=Flower |year=2020 |ignore-err=yes}} ** {{harvc |last=Shapiro |first=Marc |c=Tremors Rocks the House |in=Flower |year=2020 |ignore-err=yes}} ** {{harvc |last=Melville |first=Jonathan |c=Graboids, Gummer, and Guns: The Evolution of a Franchise |in=Flower |year=2020 |ignore-err=yes}} ** {{harvc |author=Universal Pictures |author-link=Universal Pictures |c=Original Press Kit |in=Flower |year=2020 |ignore-err=yes}} *{{cite AV media | people=[[Robert Folk|Folk, Robert]]; Troost, Ernest |ref={{SfnRef|Troost|Folk|2020}} | year=2020 | title=Music for Graboids | type=Documentary | location=United States | publisher=[[Arrow Video]]}} *{{cite magazine |last1=Shannon |first1=Jody Duncan |title=Beneath Perfection |magazine=[[Cinefex]] |ref={{SfnRef|Shannon|1990}} |date=May 1990 |issue=42 |issn=0198-1056 |location=United States}}
==Further reading== *{{cite book |last1=Melville |first1=Jonathan |title=Seeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors |date=July 20, 2015 |publisher=Fountainbridge Press |location=United States |isbn=9780993321504}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} * {{Official website|https://www.uphe.com/movies/tremors}} * {{IMDb title|0100814}}
{{Tremors (franchise)}} {{Ron Underwood}}
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