Tremors 2: Aftershocks
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2022) |
Tremors 2: Aftershocks | |
---|---|
Nancy Roberts Christopher DeFaria | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Virgil L. Harper |
Edited by | MCA/Universal Home Video |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $4 million[1] |
Tremors 2: Aftershocks is a 1996 direct-to-video sequel to the comedy horror film Tremors. In this sequel, the character of Earl Bassett, returning from the first film, is hired to deal with a subterranean "graboid" infestation at a Mexican oilfield. It was directed by S. S. Wilson, and stars Fred Ward, Christopher Gartin, Michael Gross, and Helen Shaver.
After spending all the reward money from his first encounter with Graboids, Earl Bassett agrees to hunt more of the deadly creatures at a Mexican oil refinery for $50,000 each. Knowing that he cannot face the monsters alone, Earl recruits Burt Gummer, another veteran of the incident in Nevada, to supply the firepower. There is only one problem: the Graboids have now evolved into creatures able to attack above ground.
Reviews for the film were mostly positive, with some critics labeling it one of the best direct-to-video sequels ever made.[2]
The film is the second in the Tremors franchise. It was followed by a 2001 sequel, Tremors 3: Back to Perfection.
Plot
Years after the events of the first film, Val McKee has moved away and married Rhonda LeBeck, while Earl Basset has squandered his fortune on a failing ostrich ranch. He is approached by Carlos Ortega, who informs him that Graboids are killing his workers at his oil field in Chiapas, Mexico, and hires him to hunt them down. Earl initially declines, but Ortega's taxi driver, Grady Hoover, convinces Earl to change his mind after mentioning that Ortega will pay $50,000 for each Graboid killed; both join the hunt. Upon arrival, Earl learns that the company would pay him double if he caught one of the creatures alive. He also meets geologist Kate Reilly, her assistant Julio, and a mechanic named Pedro, all of whom are scientifically investigating the Graboids.
Earl and Grady begin systematically killing the Graboids by using remote-controlled cars rigged with explosives. Though their strategy seems to work, the vast number of Graboids overwhelms them and Earl enlists the help of Burt Gummer, who arrives with a
The following morning, the creatures have made their way to the oil refinery, where Julio is violently killed by one. Grady and Earl arrive before it can attack Kate, with Burt shortly arriving thereafter following a near-fatal firefight that has left him drained of ammunition. Through experimentation, the group discovers that these creatures (now dubbed 'Shriekers') are hermaphrodites that can replicate at an incredible rate after eating enough food. They also learn that the creatures cannot hear unlike their predecessors, but rather see heat through special infrared receptors on their heads. However, they are attacked by the Shriekers, who have discovered Burt's MRE food supply and have rapidly doubled their numbers in a matter of minutes. They run for Julio's car, but Burt accidentally disables it while killing a Shrieker.
Hiding from the Shriekers, Burt is trapped in a bulldozer bucket while Grady, Kate, and Earl are on top of an oil tower. The Shriekers work together in an attempt to climb the tower before Burt traps them in the storage shed with the truck. However, they discover
Cast
- Fred Ward as Earl Bassett
- Christopher Gartin as Grady Hoover
- Helen Shaver as Dr. Kate Reilly. Credited as Kate White.
- Michael Gross as Burt Gummer
- Marcelo Tubert as Sr. Carlos Ortega
- Marco Hernandez as Julio
- José Rosario as Pedro
- Thomas Rosales Jr. as Oil Worker
Production
Development
Tremors 2: Aftershocks began production in 1993 when MCA Universal (feature films division) liked the script. The film was originally planned to be filmed in
Although the first film was only a minor theatrical hit, it would go on to be far more successful on the home-video rental market. This caused Tremors 2 to be moved to the MCA/Universal home video division on a budget of $4 million. Despite the budget being severely slashed, the same script was ultimately used but with several special effects sequences scrapped, including a scene where Burt Gummer commandeers a tank and a scene where characters fight the monsters using American Civil War muskets. To assist with costs, the location was changed from Australia to southern Mexico.[1] Filming took place near Valencia, California in a total of 27 days in early 1994.[3] The film was also released straight-to-video with only a limited theater release.[1]
Props
In Tremors 2: Aftershocks, the creature design team, Amalgamated Dynamics, was faced with a challenge different from the first film. In Tremors, the graboids spend most of their time underground, and thus a prop was not needed for these scenes. However, in this film the shriekers spend all their time above ground and there are always more shriekers than graboids, thus the need for more props. The shrieker props used in the film include two fully articulated, full-scale puppet shrieker,[4] three hand-puppet versions of the shriekers,[5] and three un-jointed non-articulated rubber shrieker dummies.[6] The fully articulated, full-scale puppet shrieker required 16 puppeteers to operate,[7] while the rubber shrieker dummies, not requiring puppeteers, were used in scenes when a shrieker needed to be dropped, shot, or exploded.[6]
One of the full scale graboids used in the film was a refurbished model that was used in the first film.[8]
Effects
To achieve the infrared view of the shriekers as seen in several scenes, the actors wore red suits and yellow stockings, then were shot in
The scene where a baby shrieker is seen was created using a full size shrieker in a large cage, making the shrieker look small. As a consequence, no actors could be shown at the same time as the cage and shrieker.[10]
In addition to the shriekers designed by Amalgamated Dynamics, some scenes in the film utilized shriekers that were
Release and Reception
After the film had been finished, its release date was delayed numerous times when test screenings were met with glowing reviews, which lead to its creators and the studio to consider theatrical distribution. A release date was finally set for April 9, 1996, over two years after the film had been finished.
As of April 2024, Tremors 2: Aftershocks holds a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on reviews from ten critics.[15] TV Guide gave the film a positive review, saying "this movie is a rarity among direct-to-video sequels, one that's not only worthy of its theatrical predecessor but suggests that it too, belongs on the big screen...despite the significantly lower budget, the monsters remain entirely convincing."[16] Ty Burr of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a mixed C+, calling it "definitely not as bad as a lot of straight-to-tape sequels" and further praised the acting, cinematography, and effects, but gave negative criticisms to the film's second half, saying "the movie becomes a bald-faced imitation of Jurassic Park."[17]
While Tremors 2 lacks the vulgar humor, which made the first film feel so appealing, it retains its predecessors redneck charm and gleeful creature-killing violence and gore. Not merely a rehash, this is a moderately original film.
— David Bleiler, TLA Film and Video Guide: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide 2000-2001 (page 594) [ISBN missing]
References
- ^ a b c "Intro To Tremors II". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Direct-To-Video Sequels That're Actually Great | ScreenRant".
- ^ "Story Board". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Fully Articulated Shrieker". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Hand Puppet Shrieker". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b ""Stunt" Shriekers". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "The Shrieker Controls". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Refurbished Graboid From Tremors". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "How to get a Creature's Point Of View". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "The Ultimate Tremors FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions". stampede-entertainment.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013.
- ^ "The Tremors II production team". Stampede Entertainment.
- ^ "TREMORS 2 - Story Boards". stampede-entertainment.com.
- ^ "Tremors FAQ". Stampede Entertainment. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ "MCA/UNIVERSAL HOME VIDEO LAUNCHES RELEASE OF 'TREMORS 2: AFTERSHOCKS' WITH PREMIERE SCREENING, RECEPTION ON APRIL 9, 1996". thefreelibrary.com.
- ^ "Tremors II: Aftershocks". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Tremors 2: Aftershocks: Review". TV Guide. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ Ty Burr (April 12, 1996). "Tremors and Tremors 2: Aftershocks". Entertainment Weekly.