Squirm
Blu-ray
Director: Jeff Lieberman
Screenwriter: Jeff Lieberman
Cast: Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow, Jean Sullivan, Peter MacLean, Fran Higgins, William Newman, Barbara Quinn
Scream Factory
Rated R | 93 Minutes
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Written and directed by Jeff Lieberman (Blue Sunshine, Just Before Dawn), 1976’s Squirm is one of those “nature strikes back” movies – you know, like Frogs, Slugs, or Food of the Gods, where otherwise harmless animals become cold-blooded killers because of man’s propensity for playing God.
In the case of Squirm, it’s an avalanche of bloodthirsty killer worms, writhing across the American South in a tidal wave of terror! Set in the rural town of Fly Creek, Georgia, Squirm gets to squirmin’ when a powerful storm knocks utility poles over and the resulting surge of electricity drives the worms to the surface.
Millions of carnivorous worms overrun the sleepy fishing village, burrowing into the flesh of Fly Creek’s locals – human beings so impossibly dull that they make rubber fishing bait seem not only interesting, but absolutely enthralling. OK, so “enthralling” is probably a stretch, but obviously the stars of a movie called Squirm are the worms, not the wormfood.
The ’70s were a big time for these kinds of “Mother Nature is pissed” flicks. Movies like Tentacles, Empire of the Ants, The Swarm, and Kingdom of the Spiders were popular at drive-ins across the country because they were the perfect movie to watch when actually watching the movie wasn’t the top priority. The young people of 1976 weren’t flocking to theaters to see All the President’s Men or Bound For Glory – those were serious films that demanded thought. Instead, they were roundin’ the bases in a Chevy Laguna while the worms ate Mrs. Sanders in Squirm.
Squirm was in heavy rotation on TBS (The SuperStation!) in the ’80s, but the first time I saw Lieberman’s worm-infested bit of celluloid was on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Squirm was one of the final films to be featured on the cult TV series, and because it was heavily edited for maximum riffing, I hadn’t seen the entire film until this Scream Factory Blu-ray release.
Unfortunately, Squirm isn’t nearly as interesting without Michael J. Nelson, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot making fun of it. Still, Scream Factory has delivered yet another excellent high-definition transfer of a film that would come to characterize the mid-1970s American horror scene. While it isn’t the most intriguing (or terrifying) horror film ever, Squirm still boasts some impressive special effects, including the worms’ gruesome burrowing into Roger’s (R.A. Dow) face. Now there’s a scene that would break up any make-out session!
Like the UK’s Arrow Video, Scream Factory has the uncanny ability to take obscure, forgotten flops and make them worthy of owning. What cult movie collection could be complete without Squirm? Luckily, you won’t have to with this collector’s edition.
Bonus Features:
* Audio Commentary By writer/director Jeff Lieberman
* EUREKA! – a behind-the-scenes look at where the idea for SQUIRM came from with writer/director Jeff Lieberman
* DIGGING IN – interviews with writer/director Jeff Lieberman and actor Don Scardino about the production of the film
* Theatrical Trailer
* TV Spot
* Still Gallery
Brutal Worm Attack!
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