Ticks 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Ticks 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 10, 2021

“Ticks” is a 1993 production looking to restore a little old-fashioned fun into the killer bug subgenre, taking the already dangerous ways of the miniature arachnids and boosting the fear factor by making them oversized and out for more than just blood. Director Tony Randel (“Hellbound: Hellraiser II”) has a simple job, tasked with creating a suitable screen nightmare with a potentially goofy premise, and he gets halfway there, overseeing some truly impressive special effects and stop-motion animation for a low-budget endeavor. Screenwriter Brent V. Friedman doesn’t share the same enthusiasm, conjuring a tepid story about wayward youth and the guardians trying to care for them, also adding some “Deliverance”-lite touches with cartoonish rural enemies, which doesn’t make much room for the central menace. “Ticks” is enjoyable, but it’s also frustrating to watch, with the material working hard on a dramatic approach when the film itself is begging for more straightforward killer tick action.

Holly (Rosalind Allen) is the director of a camp for troubled teens, welcoming a new batch of kids for a week-long adventure in the woods of Northern California. There’s Tyler (Seth Green), Panic (Alfonso Ribeiro), Dee Dee (Ami Dolenz), Rome (Ray Oriel), Kelly (Dina Dayrit), and Melissa (Virginya Keehne), who’s joined by her father, Charles (the late, great Peter Scolari), who’s in a relationship with Holly. The adolescents are struggling with behavior issues, learning to live with one another as Holly hopes the open world might help with their problems. However, a different kind of trouble is developing at a nearby marijuana farm owned by Jarvis (Clint Howard). Using steroids to illegally create a stronger crop of weed, chemicals from the experiment have polluted the land, mutating the local tick population into a huge threat.

It’s admirable that “Ticks” wants to be something more than a creature feature, but Friedman isn’t up to the task of blending human concerns with arachnid horror. The “Foodfight!” and “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” writer doesn’t bring much to characterization besides stereotyping and humdrum relationship issues, including Charles and Melissa’s battle to get along during the camping excursion. And there’s Tyler, who has a crippling fear of the outdoors after being abandoned as a child, forced to deal with his issues with help from Holly. Randel wants to play it all fairly straight, but there’s not much here to work with, finding dramatic ideas cliché and ultimately predictable. Performances are earnest, but miscasting is also distracting, especially Ribeiro, who’s trying to pull off an appearance as a hardened bully with a basketball fetish, and he’s not a convincing juvenile delinquent.

“Ticks” is much more interesting with the critters, who arrive in gloopy eggs before hatching, with the fist-sized creatures setting out to feast on human blood. Practical effects are the star of the show, easily generating film highlights as the ticks go on a rampage, scurrying across the forest, hunting for hosts. The production lingers on gore zone elements, which is appealing, displaying some impressive craftsmanship, and the feature finally gets to a point of mayhem in the final act, serving up some heavy action and terror with the ticks, presenting a different acting challenge for the cast.

For additional information and analysis, please read the 2013 review by Jeffrey Kauffman.

Ticks 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray release of "Ticks."

Originally released on Blu-ray in 2013, "Ticks" returns with an HDR10 4K presentation (1.85:1 aspect ratio) from Vinegar Syndrome, working from a 35mm interpositive. The slightly washed-out appearance of the Olive Films release is gone here, with the feature enjoying refreshed colors throughout. Hues are richer with greenery and period clothing, handling sharp primaries. Woodsy cabin interiors are appreciable, along with the weird science yellows and greens when dealing with the ticks. Whites are crisp. Skintones are natural. Detail is satisfactory, most enjoyable with monster movie particulars, offering sliminess and squishiness with tick events. Skin surfaces are textured, and costuming is fibrous. Forest distances are preserved, bringing dimension to chase and exploration sequences. Highlights are especially bright with sunlight, capturing the heat of the day, while other elements, such as flashlights, are more reserved in their intensity. Fire is vivid. Blacks are deep, offering satisfactory delineation with limited lighting and evening action. Grain is heavy but film-like. Source is in excellent condition.

Ticks 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a wider sense of engagement for "Ticks," and a slightly more aggressive sound, hitting some brief sibilance issues along the way. Dialogue exchanges are adequately defined, ranging from softer confessional moments to scenes of screaming panic. Scoring supports comfortably, providing clear instrumentation with a warmer orchestral sound at times. Sound effects are engaging, dealing with goopy innards and battle scenes with the ticks, including harder explosions.

Ticks 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

UHD

• Commentary #1 features director Tony Randel and actor Clint Howard.

• Commentary #2 features visual effects artist Doug Beswick, stop-motion animator Yancy Calzada, and filmmaker Joe Begos.

Blu-ray

• Commentary #1 features director Tony Randel and actor Clint Howard.

• Commentary #2 features visual effects artist Doug Beswick, stop-motion animator Yancy Calzada, and filmmaker Joe Begos.

• "Under the Skin: The Making of 'Ticks'" (HD) is a three-part documentary, beginning with "Origins" (10:12), which collects interviews with visual effects artist Doug Beswick, screenwriter Brent Friedman, executive producer Brian Yuzna, and director Tony Randel. Beswick originally concocted "Ticks" back in the 1970s, trying to get his monster movie produced during a time when bug pictures were being made. Rewrites occurred to freshen the material over the years, finally finding a taker in producer Jack F. Murphy. Friedman was brought in to sharpen the drama, taking inspiration from news headlines about wayward teens. The project was an easy pre-sell, eventually bringing in Randel to helm, and he tracks his years working for Roger Corman, getting to understand the film business.

• "Metamorphosis" (14:08) is the second part of the documentary, with new interviewees in editor Leslie Rosenthal and actors Ami Dolenz and Rosalind Allen. Casting is highlighted, with camaraderie high on set, generating a fun time during the 20-day-long shoot in Big Bear, California. Also of interest is a discussion of Peter Scolari, who wasn't the production's first choice for the part. The creation of the bugs is highlighted, with Doug Beswick overseeing the manufacturing of puppets that could create the kind of motion a low-budget production needed to help sell a screen nightmare.

• "New Blood" (14:47) is the third part of the documentary, focusing on issues with the money men, who required more of a punch to "Ticks," ordering four days of reshoots with a new crew and cast, including Clint Howard. Gore zone additions are highlighted, and editorial struggles are recalled. Musical achievements are analyzed by composer Christopher Stone, who took inspiration from "Alien." The release of "Ticks" closes the conversation, recalling the picture's brief life under the title "Infested," and cult longevity is assessed.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Ticks 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Overall, "Ticks" is a mixed bag, presenting sincerity the writing doesn't earn, and the introduction of two backwoods villains is a big mistake, finding performances genuinely awful and the idea unnecessary. "Ticks" is always a more engaging viewing experience when concentrating on the creatures, which are brought to life in a vivid way, making them more exciting and compelling than any human creation in the endeavor.