You probably have no memory of seeing Tremor’s 2: Aftershocks at your local theater in the Spring of 1996. Don’t beat your memory too hard because the film was never on the marquee. When the original Tremors came out in 1990 with Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross and Reba McEntire fighting the Graboid worms, the film wasn’t a massive hit. Universal predicted at least a $50 million payday. The film made only $16 million against a $10 million budget. It was ruled a flop by the studio. There was zero talk of a sequel after opening weekend. So how do we have Tremors 2: Aftershocks out on 4K UHD. Because the movie became a rental sensation at the Video Bar and other stores across the country. It was Universal Video’s home video arm that wanted a straight to VHS sequel. This was an era when people looking for a videotape would eagerly rent more in the series. The sequels and the original sat next to each other on the shelf. Indie studios were doing great making low budget straight to video sequels so naturally the major studios wanted a piece of that rental market. These were the new B-movies. In order to make the new film fit the budget, we don’t get Kevin Bacon or Reba McEntire. But Tremors 2: Aftershocks gives us Fred Ward and Michael Gross fighting the Graboids and a new nasty creation. Isn’t that what a video renter wants?
Post-Graboid fame hasn’t been kind to Earl Bassett (Henry & June‘s Earl Bassett). He blown all his money on the dream of an ostrich farm. All he has left is in his trailer is the magazine covers from his fleeting moment in the spotlight with his buddy Val and a Graboid video game. Nothing else is looking good until he gets a visit from an executive at a Mexican oil company. Turns out the Graboids weren’t a local phenomenon. They’re some over the border that are eating his oil field workers. He makes Earl a generous offer to come down and hunt Graboids like he did in Perfection, Nevada. At first Earl is reluctant, but the offer is too good. He gets a new partner in local cabbie Grady Hoover (Black Swan‘s Christopher Gartin). The new guy is exicted for a South of the Border adventure with Earl. After the duo arrive, Earl meets up with Dr. Kate Reilly (The Color of Money‘s Helen Shaver) to get insight into what’s happening. He also takes a liking to her. But there’s Graboids to hunt. At first the destruction of the nasty worm like creatures goes easy like the good old days. But there’s more Graboids than he can handle so he calls up the ultra-military minded Burt Gummer (Family Ties‘ Michael Gross) who shows up with so much destructive power in his military truck. The hunting once more goes well until the Graboids change the game with their “next generation.” Are Earl and Burt able to handle this new twist?
While you can sense Tremors 2 doesn’t quite have the same budget as the original, it doesn’t lessen the fun in the movie. Fred Ward and Micheal Gross are more than up to handle the film. You aren’t sitting around waiting for Kevin Bacon to save the day at the end. The duo has a great comedic give and go between their characters. S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock created a script that kept the action tight and the sets minimal. Wilson directed the film so that it felt bigger than the budget. The Graboid effects and their next generation look real and disturbing as they eat away on unfortunate victims. For a low budget film, they didn’t go cheap on the talent or monsters. Things looks so much better here than the SyFy original monster films that would emerge a decade later on cable and DVD. You can watch Tremors 2: Aftershocks on 4K UHD without it looking hokey. This proved to be a worthy sequel to the original and helped turn Tremors into a franchise that so far consists of 7 films and a 13-episode TV series.
There is also a Blu-ray version of Tremors 2: Aftershocks with the movie and all the bonus features.
The Video is 1.85 anamorphic. Even though the project was pegged for VHS, they shot on 35mm. The both the physical and CGI special effects hold up on 4K UHD. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0 for the original mix that came out on tape. There’s also a DTS-HD MA 4.0 mix for working the back speakers in your home entertainment system. The movie is subtitled in English.
Audio Commentary with Director S.S. Wilson & Nancy Roberts gets into how he was able to come back to write and direct a sequel to Tremors. Nancy Roberts was part of the production company behind the film and a producer. Tremors wasn’t a big box office hit so Wilson never imagined coming back to the film. But Universal’s video arm saw that Tremors was a hit in the rental market. They wanted the sequel. After they wrote a script, the studio wanted to make it a feature film. Him and Nancy get into what eventually happened after Kevin Bacon passed on the script. There’s also a tale of Matthew Perry’s agent.
Audio Commentary with Jonathan Melville, the author of Seeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors. He’s a major fan of Tremors 2. He gets deep into what is happening on the screen with the actors and crew.
Graboid Go Boom with Peter Chesney (19:44) has the second unit director discuss what he shows. He was also the physical effects supervisor. This meant he was in charge of the explosions. He was supposed to do Tremors, but had to pass. He was happy to be able to take part in the sequel. He gets into what he did as director with his physical effects crew. This was an era when you couldn’t fix that much in post. There’s a lot of great behind the scenes photos of things going boom.
Critical Need-To-Know Infromation with Phil Tippett (7:24) has the Oscar winning effects wizard get into how Tremors 2 was one of his first digital projects. He can’t remember how he got into the project. They did around a dozen effect scenes involving the Shriekers in motion.
The Making of Tremors 2 (8:43) is the original electronic press kit from the video release. Cast and Crew talk about why they returned. They brought back nearly all of the creative team. Screenwriter S.S. Wilson steps up to be the director. They show off the Graboid effects.
Outtakes (7:45) has extra footage of the Graboids effects and plenty of bloopers from the location.
Trailers includes Tremors (1:55) and Tremors 2 (1:53) so you can get a sense of the original. Tremors 2 is in 1.33 like you would have seen on a VHS tape back in the Box TV era. We get to see the premiere where they played near a theater showing The Postman.
Image Gallery is nearly 100 behind the scenes photos, press photos, posters, DVD art, the storyboards and promotional art. There’s the artwork for the new creatures.
Arrow Video presents Tremors 2: Aftershocks. Directed S.S. Wilson. Screenplay Brent Maddock & S.S. Wilson. Starring Fred Ward, Christopher Garlin, Helen Shaver, Marcelo Tubert & Michael Gross. Running Time: 99 minutes. Rating: PG-13. Release Date: November 28, 2023.
