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Title:
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins
Stars: Michael
Gross, Sara Botsford, Brent Roam, Ming Lo, Lydia Look, Sam Ly, J.E. Freeman,
August Schellenberg, and Billy Drago
Writer: Scott Buck
Based On A Story
By: S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, and Nancy Roberts
Director: S.S.
Wilson
Feature length:
101 minutes
Extras: Deleted
Scenes, Outtakes, Featurettes, and Director’s Commentary
Languages:
English, French, and Spanish Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles: English
Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging: Keep
Case
Chapter Stops: 20
Sound: Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year of DVD
Release: 2004
Home Video
Distributor: Universal Studios Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
“Tremors 4: The
Legend Begins” takes the viewer back approximately 100 years before the events
in the first film. The mining town of Rejection, Nevada has gone belly up after
miners uncover a nest of those worm creatures viewers will eventually come to
know as “Graboids” in the other films. The wealthy industrialist Hiram
Gummar (Michael Gross), great grandfather of the Burt Gummer character Gross
played from the three previous films, arrives in town to find out why his silver
mine has shut down and what exactly are “Dirt Dragons?” In the process
viewers will learn how the whole town and phenomenon as detailed in the previous
films and TV series came to be.
“Tremors 4: The
Legend Begins” is more tongue in cheek than it is scary, but by this point
with a TV series and three other installments in the film series already
produced before this prequel, the “Tremors” fan who picks this up should
have a good idea of what to expect. Most of the effects for KNB Effects produced
the creatures and this includes a full size giant worm that can literally
swallow a character whole on camera. The CGI is kept to a bare minimum and I
think the film benefits more from it since the Actors can react to the action
better and it simply looks more real. There are plenty of splatter effects for
fans of the series to enjoy too.
This direct to DVD-Video
prequel in the “Tremors” franchise is presented in an anamorphic widescreen
(1.85:1) aspect ratio and the picture quality is clear though there is a bit of
shimmering on the top border of the screen. The English Dolby Digital 5.1
Surround Soundtrack is quite effective and is especially full when the creatures
begin to attack. The scenes with the big beasts rumbling beneath the ground are
filtered through the powered subwoofer strong enough to make the floor tremble
as if one of these things were just under my feet. French and Spanish Language
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks and English Captions for the hearing
impaired as well as French and Spanish Language Subtitles are encoded onto the
DVD as options. Director S.S. Wilson provides a feature length audio commentary
that is quite screen specific with Wilson pointing out authenticity in the props
as well as anecdotes, nods, and in-jokes related to the other films in the
series.
KNB Effects Guru
Greg Nicotero hosts a featurette detailing the building of various monsters for
this installment entitled “Dirt Dragons” (5:31) and there is a montage of
the effects crew creating the miniature creatures at KNB too (2:38). The Making
Of” featurette entitled “You’re On The Set” (12:05) is actually quite a
neat little promotional short with Michael Gross adding some humor and even some
well-meaning insight to what has become a character he is now more associated
with perhaps than his role in the hit 1980s sitcom “Family Ties.” A reel of
15 deleted scenes presented in a letterboxed (1.85:1) aspect ratio (12:32) and
outtakes (5:57) are also included on the disc.
Though frayed from
age, my favorite extra feature was S.S. Wilson’s award winning film he made
while at USC in 1975. “Recorded Live” (8:30) frequently aired on HBO between
films in the early days of the premium cable channel. Lucasfilm Sound Designer
Ben Burtt worked on the film and is credited as “Ben Burtt, Jr.” Letterboxed
DVD preview trailers for “The Skulls III” and “Johnny English” (2:30)
wrap up the extra features on this DVD. The menus are standard interactive still
frames that are easy to navigate.
“Tremors 4: The
Legend Begins” will be packaged in a pack featuring the original “Tremors:
Collector’s Edition” DVD as a free bonus. “Tremors 4: The Legend Begins”
will debut on DVD-Video on Friday, January 2, 2004 at retailers on and offline
from Universal Studios Home Video.
© Copyright 2003
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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