Trailer
Plot summary
Val McKee and Earl Bassett work as handymen in Perfection, Nevada, a desert town small enough that a move to Bixby looks like the only future. Before they can go, resident Edgar Deems turns up dead on an electrical tower, and the doctor blames dehydration. A shepherd and his flock die next, then two road workers. A rockslide closes the only way out, the phones stop working, and Val and Earl come across the shepherd's severed head, which points them toward a killer on the loose. Riding toward Bixby for help, Val and Earl find the doctor's wagon sunk in the dirt, the doctor and his wife gone, and a huge worm-like animal erupting from the ground at them. Rhonda LeBeck, a graduate student who studies seismic activity, says three more of the animals are around.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Tremors (1990)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The designers deliberately avoided making the creatures resemble the sandworms in Dune (1984). The main Graboid head was built in Los Angeles and its form drew on studies of rhinoceroses, elephants and prehistoric animals, while the orange innards used in splatter scenes included canned pumpkin.
- The film entered pre-production under the working title Land Sharks, which was dropped once the filmmakers found that Saturday Night Live had already popularized the Land Shark character intended to parody Jaws (1975).
- Reba McEntire's participation required logistical adjustments: 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, her firearm was replaced with a wooden prop to make it easier to carry.
- The initial version received an R rating for language, after which the filmmakers made edits to secure a PG-13 rating while still retaining a single use of the word "fuck".
SPOILER
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.
