7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Just as Val McKee and Earl Basset decide to leave Perfection, Nevada, strange rumblings prevent their departure. With the help of a shapely seismology student, they discover their desolate town is infested with gigantic man-eating creatures that live below the ground. The race is on to overcome these slimy subterraneans and find a way to higher ground.
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Reba McEntireHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 9% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Maybe it’s a good thing that time passes and memories of intense arguments fade, but for those wanting a “refresher” of sorts, the original Blu-ray release of Tremors might provide a decent example. Though some may be too young to even recall it, there was a so-called “format war” at the beginning of the high definition disc era, with HD-DVD and Blu-ray duking it out in the marketplace, and with (not to state the obvious, but to state the obvious) Blu-rays prevailing. However, in the early days of Blu-rays it wasn’t unheard of for studios to port over pre-existing masters from a previously released HD-DVD disc, and that’s evidently what Universal did for their original Blu-ray version of Tremors, which according to our database came out well over a decade ago in November 2010, though the “original original” HD-DVD evidently appeared in 2007, just as the “format wars” were heating up. As might be expected, both the HD- DVD and Blu-ray presentations left something (and maybe quite a few things) to be desired, but it’s kind of amazing in a way that it’s taken until now for an enterprising “boutique” label like Arrow to revisit the film and give fans a presentation they can be happy to add to their collections. Arrow is upping the ante by offering both “standard” 1080 and 4K UHD releases, though in yet another kind of odd decision by the label, one which is somewhat similar to how they dealt with the releases of Flash Gordon 4K and Flash Gordon, the 4K UHD release does not include a 1080 presentation of the film. (At least in this particular instance, there aren’t duelling “standard” and “limited” editions of each version, as there were with regard to Flash Gordon.)
Tremors is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Unsurprisingly, this version easily tops the old Universal release and should be a "no brainer" for anyone considering whether to double dip on this particular title. The look may be a tad brighter at times than on the Universal release, but there's absolutely none of the harsh digital appearance that the older Blu-ray had, and in fact there's a nicely gritty grain field a lot of the time that supports an organically filmic look. Grain does spike pretty precipitously on several occasions for reasons that are not necessarily related to lighting conditions or old style composited effects, but there are no real resolution problems of any kind. The palette looks natural and nicely suffused, though the film's setting means that neutral tones are often exploited. Detail levels are excellent across the board. There are a few noticeable downgrades in overall image quality with regard to some of the "underground" POV shots, as was also the case in the Universal presentation.
Tremors features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 4.0 and 5.1 tracks, and they each offer nice representations of the film's often fun and maybe even goofy sound design. Interestingly, Ken faulted the Universal's volume on its 5.1 track for being too loud (the Universal only featured a 5.1 track), and my one minor qualm with the 5.1 track on this release is that I ironically wished LFE had a bit more punch. That said, both the 4.0 and 5.1 tracks offer really well done immersion, with some enjoyable panning effects and well placed discrete channelization for other effects, notably some of the outdoor ambient environmental background noises that waft through the soundfield. The score also achieves a new spaciousness in both the 4.0 and 5.1 versions, but that said I think it sounded fine in the 2.0 iteration as well. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Disc One - Feature & Extras
- Featurette (720p; 3:49)
- Kevin Bacon Profile (720p; 2:52)
- Michael Gross Profile (720p; 2:19)
- Reba McEntire (720p; 1:52)
- Theatrical Trailer 1 (1080p; 1:58)
- Theatrical Trailer 2 (1080p; 1:55)
- Radio Spots (1080p; 4:21) play to key art from the film.
- TV Spots (1080p; 1:23)
- VHS Promo (1080p; 1:19) is for those who don't care for no stinkin' format wars between HD-DVD and Blu-ray.
- Production Stills (1080p; 1:53)
- Behind the Scenes (1080p; 00:55)
- Laserdisc Image Gallery (1080p; 1:52)
- Screenplay (Draft 6, 1988) (1080p; 1:51)
- Screenplay (Draft 8b, 1989) (1080p; 1:46)
- Storyboards (1080p; 1:01)
- Posters & Video Artwork (1080p; 00:22)
- Ron Underwood (1080p; 47:44)
- S.S. Wilson (1080p; 1:21:44)
- Brent Maddock (1080p; 1:03:06)
- Nancy Roberts (1080p; 50:37)
,br>- Alec Gillis (1080p; 59:31)
- Recorded Live (1080p; 8:12)
- Dictionary: The Adventure of Words (1080p; 16:26)
- Library Report (1080p; 24:32)
Tremors is exactly the kind of release Arrow tends to do so well, and my hunch is they're going to make a lot of fans of this film very happy. Technical merits are first rate and once again Arrow has put together a really impressive array of supplements, along with a copious supply of non-disc swag. Highly recommended.
1990
Limited Edition
1990
Limited Edition
1990
Special Edition
1990
Special Edition
1990
Limited Edition
1990
Tremors: Attack Pack Version / Remastered
1990
2001
2004
Limited Edition
1996
1988
1954
1958
1953
1955
Director's Cut
1986
1957
1958
2011
1988
Collector's Edition
2006
1980
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Roger Corman's Cult Classics
1978
2013
2011