Shhh! The worms can hear you!

Creature features are a lost art in the horror film category. What is a creature-feature you ask? It's a horror flick in which one or more monsters play a pivotal role throughout the movie. Some popular creature features that are more well-known throughout the generations are Godzilla, King Kong, and Nosferatu, also known as Dracula. However, the first documented film of its kind was called "The Golem", a lost silent film made in 1915.

While Godzilla and King Kong are still keeping the sub-category alive, it was "Tremors" that brought a breath of fresh air to the genre when it was released in 1990.

With two hilarious male leads, and one powerful female performance that crushed the stereotypical damsel-in-distress trope of the common 80's and early 90's slasher films with her background in Seismology and her quick thinking, this trio was enough to make this film my all time favorite horror movie. Not to mention the supporting cast of characters that offered the audience a colorful idea of what it might feel like to live in a low-populated town, in the middle of Nevada, with giant underground monsters waiting to hear your next step so they can swallow you whole for lunch!

What made this movie such a gem on the creature feature shelf for me was the fact that the special effects were unlike the CGI technology we have today. In this day and age, almost all the horror movies involving monsters creeping out of the shadows, there is CGI everywhere and it's so noticeable, it almost takes the fright out of the moment. In "Tremors", the special effects are perfectly realistic and it pulls you right into the moment, despite its release date. In fact, the movie was so well-loved, it gained quite the following and sequels to boot.

"Tremors 2: Aftershocks" followed its original predecessor with two male leads and a strong female lead, as well as keeping another beloved character from the original, Burt Gummer! We all need a Burt in our lives, don't we?

Personally speaking, I missed Kevin Bacon's performance throughout the rest of the franchise. His presence was clearly missed, but it paved the way for the rest of the cast to shine as well. Tremors 3, 4, 5 and 6 were carried by the great Michael Gross as the lead, a legend in the film industry, so I wasn't too disappointed. The character known as Valentine McKee played by Kevin Bacon, was mentioned throughout the series, including "Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell", film number 6, which was released in 2018, where they brought in Val's daughter into one of Burt's adventures. She definitely made her father proud!

While most horror movie fanatics might not consider this movie "scary" due to its humorous elements, scientists might disagree! According to National Geographic, there was a new species of Nematodes found in a South African gold mine called Halicephalobus Mephisto. The experts say the "Devil Worm" has been housed in rocks dating back between 3,000 to 12,000 years ago!

While this new discovery might not be as gargantuan as the one portrayed in the movies, there are still creatures lurking underground that scientists have yet to find. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, they're off hibernating somewhere and plan on breaking through loose desert soil for it's comeback this year!

It is 2020 after all. Anything is possible at this point.

Nevertheless, if you love all things monsters, if you appreciate original creature feature concepts, and most importantly if you enjoy watching the "Tremors" series every year during the spooky month of October, pull out your favorite film out of the franchise and enjoy it with a handful of gummy worms!

"Tremors: Shrieker Island" the 7th film the franchise, is now available on Blue Ray! Go check it out.