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| BRENT MADDOCK EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREMORS MOVIES! - 03/07/04 Brent Maddock, the director of Tremors 3: Back To Perfection, recently spoke to us about his experiences whilst directing the movie! Here's the latest addition to the Tremors Movies interviews! THE INTERVIEW First of all, how's things in the wonderful world of Tremors at the moment? At the moment, Steve and I are finishing a draft of Tremors 5 for Universal. The studio, however, isn't sure they actually want to make the movie. There have been changes in the up-to-now pretty successful direct-to-video market which are giving the studio cold feet when it comes to investing in more films in that particular niche. Partly what has happened is that giant video outlets are filling their shelf space with a hundred copies of a certain title (always, of course, a theatrical release that's now coming out on video and DVD), and that leaves less space, if any, for the kinds of lower budget movies characterised by the Tremors sequels. Needless to say though, is that we have a fun idea for Tremors 5 and would love to make it! We'll see what happens. We hope you get to make it! After the huge success of the first two movies, how did you find the responsibility of having to deliver a third movie? After the success of the first two Tremors movies I felt, naturally, some responsibility not to blow it! Basically, we've always felt alot of responsibility to the fans. That's why, when we've made our sequels, we tend to get pretty ambitious considering our relatively small budgets. My experience directing Tremors 3 was great largely because I had Nancy Roberts as my producer. Nancy kept all the studio pressure and other production and budgetary problems away from me so that I could concentrate on actually directing the movie in a very tight 22-day schedule! Whilst shooting inside that tight schedule, you had to get lots of shots to show the new life-cycle stage... the Ass-Blasters. Did you find it hard to create this next life-cycle stage, knowing that the fans expectations were so high? Creating the Ass-Blasters took some time and alot of debate. We knew we needed new creatures. We also felt they should be a further manifestation of Graboids. But just exactly what they should be wasn't to obvious at first. There was, however, something about getting these little devils up in the air that appealed to us. The real leap of faith (or lapse of taste) that followed was the concept of the creature's flatulently rocket-powered propulsion system. Absurd and laughable? Yes, but also based on some fact; the Bombardier Beetle actually does something very similar to shoot itself forward and out of harm's way. And the comedy aspect of this system of locomotion actually appealed to us because we felt that by the time we were making a third Tremors we could loosen the reins a bit (not regarding logic but, rather, the film's tone). Talking of a move in tone, we all thought the Tremors franchise was over when Burt gets 'eaten' because it just wouldn't be Tremors without Michael Gross. When you were writting the script with SS Wilson and Nancy Roberts, who came up with the idea to scare is to death by making us believe we'd just seen the last of Burt? I don't recall whose idea it was having Burt get swallowed up by the Graboid. But I do remember the 'Jonah in the Whale' aspect of it appealed to me alot. Also, of course, the idea that the story's hero has just been eaten is a pretty good basis upon which to surprise the audience with Burt's clever survival skills. Structually these films, like most drama, are about solving a problem or getting around an obstacle and, then, because you've done that, you now find yourself up against a bigger problem. Burt's getting swallowed requires all of Burt's skills and smarts as well as all Jack's athletic derring-do! Well... the chainsaw idea was indeed pure genius! Whilst making any movie, there are always unforseen problems to overcome. What was the most daunting problem you came across whilst making Tremors 3? As I indicated earlier, the most daunting challenge on Tremors 3 was simply that the budget required us to film the movie in only 22 days. That required us to be highly organised. We shot most of the movie in just three outdoor locations so as to minimise time-consuming company moves. I didn't get all the angles and shots I wanted, but I learned to identify the minimum shots I needed in each scene. I'd shoot those and, if there was any time left over, I'd grab a few other angles. Luckily, I had a crew that knew how to work extremely quickly. I also had a cast of actors that were so professional that they almost never forgot their dialogue. Those are all big time-savers. Another challenge we faced was that we were filming an almost completely exterior movie. And since most of the scenes were day scenes, we needed as long a period of sunlight as possible. Unfortunately, we were shooting in November. The daylight was short. So, by the time sunset was near, we'd be racing at warp-speed to get all our shooting finished for the day. Also, since we were in the desert just north of Los Angeles, shooting the few night scenes we had was a real battle against the cold. One of the main differences in Tremors 3 is the soundtrack. Was it a hard choice to move to this different style of music for Tremors 3? We wanted to try a different sound musically for Tremors 3. That was largely because of my musical tastes. I think Kevin Kiner did a great job. Very atmospheric, but fun when it needed to be. That doesn't mean I don't also like what Jay Ferguson did on Tremors 2 and 4. But sometimes it's fun to try something different. As we all know, music is extremely important to telling a story on film. And, in lower budget film that might easily need some extra help because of limited coverage of special effects that under-perform; music can save the day! What gave you the most satisfaction from directing the film? What gave me the most satisfaction in making Tremors 3 was the fact that I was still on my feet (and enthusiastic) after 22 tough days of shooting! Also, I felt good about our ability to give the sense that these creatures could actually fly. That's the reason I asked Nancy Roberts with our line-producer Anthony Sante Croce to please find a few extra dollors in the budget so that we could rent a tiny remote-controlled helicopter that carried a little movie camera. With that we were able to film the Ass-Blaster's point-of-view looking down on the world and it's prey. I think the few shots of this that are in the film helped to make the creatures seem a bit more real. Back in 1989, did you ever envisage that Tremors would become such a huge movie franchise with a massive fan following? When Steve and I wrote and produced Tremors in 1989, we never imagined that we'd even get to do one sequel! It's kind of amazing to us. The funny thing is, as soon as we build Chang's Market (regardless of where the location may actually be) we all feel like we're back home in Perfection, Nevada! Thanks so much for taking the time out to talk to us! |
| DALE GIBSON EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREMORS MOVIES! - 05/09/03 We recently caught up with Dale Gibson, the man who's hopefully going to be giving Tremors 4 a bit of a bounce! So here's another quick sneak peak behind the scenes of Tremors 4! THE INTERVIEW First of all, for those fans out there who may not be in the know, tell us a little bit about yourself and what exactly it is that you do. I grew up on a ranch in Kentucky. Then moved to California in 1986 to become a Stuntman. My speciallity is horsework, but I have done everything from being set on fire to rappelling out of helicopters. So at what age did you decide to get into the stunt industry? I wanted to come to California at 17, but began a career riding bulls instead. My family is all about rodeo, my mum was a trick rider and my dad rode bulls, bucking horses and roped calves. My sister still ropes professionally and trains horses. How did you hear about, and then become involved with the Tremors 4 project, landing a role as a stunt double for Michael Gross? My friend Noon Orsatti, who coordinates stunts on a lot of films and TV called me to do it. So what sort of stunts were you required to perform for the movie? Can you give us some details of the best bits? Mostly riding a horse and driving a wagon. Out at Calico Ghost Town, up the hills, we did somepretty cool stuff, on some hairy trails! Cody Smith, the wrangler, has excellent wagons and teams of horses that I have worked with many times before, on many different shows. So whilst working on the set of Tremors 4, what for you was the highlight of the whole experience? Working with a great crew and driving the wagon team in Calico in the cliffs! What other movies have you done stunts on? Could you tell us a little about the biggest production you've been involved with, and what you did in it? Actually, one of my favourites was 'Glory'. I had some fight scenes with Denzel Washington, and doubled Matthew Broderick (I did saber work on horseback, doubling Matthew). I met Morgan Freeman and Ed Zwick the director. I got to do what I do, and they loved it! It was a very powerful experience! Working in the stunt industry can be quite high risk. Have you ever sustained or come across any set backs whilst shooting your stunts? Usually things are very planned out! There have been a few injuries (blown right knee, concussions etc.), but mostly scrapes and bruises. And finally. For those people out there who want to get into the stunt industry, could you give them any advice on how to get started? Honestly, right now it's tough in Hollywood. So much 'run away production' has gone to Canada that I have alot of friends here that have only worked a few days this year. Hopefully, Arnold will become Gov and help bring back what Grey Davis was only to happy to watch leave the state; the movie business! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us Dale! You're welcome! |
| JAY FERGUSON EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREMORS MOVIES! - 07/12/03 We recently talked with Jay Ferguson, the creative composer behind the soundtrack to Tremors 2, and now, Tremors 4! Here's what he had to say about the latest installment to the Tremors franchise! THE INTERVIEW First of all, how are you and what are you up to at the moment? Recently, I've been wearing my other hat, which is music producer. I've been recording an art-rock ensemble called Jade Redd, and a songwriter known as Shand. It's a nice balance to composing. One of your most known tracks from a movie has got to be 'Picture Of You' which was featured in the original Terminator movie, when Ginger is listening to her walkman. How did you become envolved with the Terminator movie? I got a phone call from from my manager, Budd Carr, who was just starting to branch out into music supervision. He said, "I'm working on this movie. It's probably going to be a weekend-at-the-drive-in thing, and they need a couple of songs quick. Got any lying around?" Out of the blue, I was in the film business. Excellent! Prior to Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, you wrote the music for Tremors 2, in which you created a whole new type of music when compared to the original movie. What inspired you to make these changes? The Tremors team wanted a score with character and quirkiness as well as the horror elements. And they are never afraid to make changes. The film had already taken the Southwest motif a step further by placing alot of the action in Mexico, so I had a chance to create in a new genre: Tex/Mex/Horror! We had the funky slide guitar energy meeting the mariachi thing head on - sometimes in the same cues! Bullfight music for Graboid chases; country rhythms morphing into more gothic horror moments. It was really fun! When you first found out that Tremors 4 was going to be set in 1889, how did you go about creating the overall feel of the music? Steve Wilson and Nancy Roberts get much of the credit for the score. Steve was a big fan of Big-Sky Westerns of the 60's and 70's. He was ready to go for the Elmer Bernstein/Dmitri Tyompkin energy and orchestral palette. Many of the big moments musically pay homeage to that style. Nancy was more into the High Plains Drifter kind of ambience. Many of the ensemble are played more sparingly with period-sounding acoustic textures. They spent many hours at my studio and together we developed the direction for the score. Which instruments did you decide to use most for the soundtrack to Tremors 4 and why? I assembled a small grab-bag of acoustic sounds: Spanish guitar, accordian, fiddle, and especially dobro guitar. Hopefully these would feel like sounds you could hear on the street at that time. To that I would sometimes add contemporary rhythm loops (to give it that Tremors quirkiness). When the action got big I brought in orchestral horns, strings, and percussion. the fun was throwing all this together. The idea was to have period character driven by contemporary energy. Which is your favourite musical point in the movie and why? And could you tell us a little bit about what happens at this point? Without giving too much away of course! Well, there's a cosy little campfire scene early on where some Graboid induced hell breaks out. It's a very fast moving piece of score that has some fun textures. There are other cues relating to the arrival, departure and return of a particular character in the film. They bookend the story and offer a chance to build themes in a classic western manner. We look forward to it! Who has influenced you musically, and has that influence been reflected in your creation of the Tremors 4 sountrack? This will sound strange. Phillip Glass, Danny Elfman, Bill Monroe, Elliot Goldenthal and Aaron Copeland. That's the short list! Most people don't know that the first 'group' I was in played old-timey Appalachian music (I played 5 string banjo). I drew on that as well. There is a strong traditional American music element to the Tremors scores. Which soundtrack are you most proud of, Tremors 2 or 4? Unfair! If I had to pick, it's probably the score that's freshest in mind; Tremors 4. And finally, if you could have composed the soundtrack to any movie that has ever been made, which would it be? Metropolis. An amazing movie that would support as modern a score as you could conceive! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! |
| S.S. WILSON EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREMORS MOVIES! - 15/09/03 We recently interviewed the big man himself, Mr S.S. Wilson, about the highly anticipated fourth installment to the Tremors franchise! So if you can't wait for it (just like us) then make sure you read on to hear what S.S. Wilson had to say about everything related to Tremors 4! Enjoy! THE INTERVIEW Well, first of all, how are you at the moment? Not too stressed out we hope?! Tremors movies are so much fun to do, we dont get too stressed out anymore. There were some bad days, mostly due to weather, but my fantastic producer and crew kept things going no matter what. I'm now on a road trip, currently in Arizona. So when you got the green light for Tremors 4, we're guessing that there were a few celebrations! But why did you choose to set the fourth installment in the 1800's? This decision was a function of having been told by Universal that Tremors 3 would be the last in the series. That's why we revealed the last metamorphic phase of the Graboids' life cycle (the AB's), so the trilogy would be complete. When Tremors 3 was wildly more successful than anyone anticipated, and Universal ordered Tremors 4, we were really taken by surprise. I said, half-joking, to one of our executives there, Patti Jackson: "Where are we going to go for something new? We'd have to do something really unexpected, like set in the old west." She said that was a great idea and she'd support it. So, Nancy Roberts, Brent Maddock and myself imediately started on the story, trying to figure out how to make it all consistent with the present day Tremors films and still deliver some surprises. Nancy solved one of the biggest problems: If Graboids appeared in 1889, why did no one know about them in 1989? See Tremors 4 to learn her solution Because of the different time period in which this movie is set, there'll be many fans out there just waiting to find something wrong with it that doesn't add up with the other movies. So did Tremors 4 involve more thorough planning and research (e.g. looking at old history books etc.) than the previous movies? Yes, we tried to make the film period accurate. And we actually had fun setting up many little bits of background information for our hardcore fans. I think you'll all find Tremors 4 is very consistent with the other three films. That having been said, I'm also confident some of you will catch us on a few mistakes. You always do! We understand that Bob and Dennis Skotek are back for Tremors 4 after their amazing minature photography. I must personally admit that I do prefer minatures to most CGI. But why did you decide to use only miniature Graboid effects for Tremors 4? Two reasons: cost and look. Miniatures, properly planned and shot, can be more cost effective than CG work. We are able to do more shots for less money. But more importantly, we agree that, at least for Graboids, miniatures just look better, more realistic, than computer generated Graboids. One of the problems is getting CG creatures to interact believably with dirt and dust. In the computer world it is very difficult and time-consuming to to get dust and flying dirt to look right. In miniatures you get it for 'free' (if you know all the tricks the Skotaks know). The Graboids in Tremors 4 are the fastest, smartest, meanest, most energetic Graboids we've had yet. The work of Bob and Dennis' miniature team is fantastic. I can't wait for the fans' reaction. In Tremors 4, one of your main ideas was to focus mainly on Graboids, rather than all three stages of the life-cycle. Why is this? This decision was partly aesthetic and partly financial. Tremors 3 was hard to construct, since we had to go from Graboids to Shriekers to AssBlasters in one movie. We actually had to cut a whole lot of shrieker action from the middle of the script for length and budget reasons. Secondarily, production costs had gone up when we started Tremors 4, so we couldn't do as much for the same amount of money. But we felt that our 1800's setting would help. It's something like a vampire movie, where the characters don't know about vampires, but the audience does. The fun is seeing the characters discover what they're up against. We hope you agree that it works. And by the way, there are some surprises with the Graboids of the Old West, not seen more in the present day critters. We all love the legend that is Mr Michael Gross himself, and it just wouldn't be Tremors without him! So was it a hard decision for you to have to place him in a new role, giving up the famous survival character of Burt Gummer? Yes. That's the thing that worried us most. We know how loved Burt is. That said, we worked hard to provide the energy of Burt in a new way. And creating a new character with Michael Gross was really fun. Whilst filming any movie, there are bound to be problems of some kind, technical or otherwise. Did you ever run into trouble whilst shooting Tremors 4? If so, what went wrong? Weather was the worst ever (and wheather is always bad when we shoot Tremors). We had record rains on the first two days of the shoot and on the last. On both occasions the rains were so bad they washed out roads on our sets. One actor's car was totaled in a rain related crash. Sets were damaged. Sound recording was impossible. We actually had to shut down (a Tremors first) after a half day of shooting on the second day because the road was dissapearing and the transportation team wanted to get the crew out before it washed out completely. Another problem was unexpected. We discovered late in the process of building the western version of our town that we could not dig pits for our Graboids. The location was littered with huge underground boulders which would have required extensive blasting. So the problem: how do you make a movie about underground monsters when you can't put them underground? Luckily, this did not affect the miniature shots already planned, but it did make it tough to work with our full-scale Graboid from KNB Effects. Hopefully you won't notice the tricks we used to solve it. Now that the shoot has finished, you'll be well into the ongoing editing process. How's the movie looking at the moment; excellent as usual? As of this interview, it's done! We love it. Universal loves it. That's why they moved its debut to Christmas. It's going to be their 'big' DVD release. We'll have more special features on the DVD this time, too. Excellent! We all love special features! And finally, there are many devoted fans out there just dying to know the answer to this question. Are there any signs that could suggest Universal maybe willing to give the green-light for a Tremors 5? Well... I'll say this: after Universal executives saw the finished film, it was the first time they did not say "Thank you very much. This is the last Tremors we're going to make." I'm making no promises, but I think that's a good sign! Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us! My pleasure. Tremors 4-ever! S.S. Wilson |
| FOREST TEMPLE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREMORS MOVIES! - 15/06/03 We quickly spoke to Forest Temple, a man who's got a little bit of inside information on how things are going behind the scenes of Tremors 4! Read on to learn more! THE INTERVIEW First of all, tell us a little about yourself and what it is that you do. Well I became intersted in working in the film industry when I was cast as a U.S. Marine extra in the movie Windtalkers, filmed in Oahu, Hawaii during the summer of 2000. Moving to L.A. after that, I continued to work, more of course in California. So how did you become involved with the Tremors 4 project then? I heard about a film that was underway that I was suited for, taking place at the Bronson Caves that day. It was only a mile from my house in Hollywood. It's a very beautiful natural place, horse country, truly. It's only a five-minute drive up the hill from Hollywood, bordering on Griffith Park. Have you ever seen any of the present three Tremors movies before, or was this a completely new venture for you? I've never seen any of the Tremors movies or series come to that, so knew nothing about it. Tell us a little bit about your character within the movie, and what happens to them. I play an old minor, who gets killed along with a few others in a cave collapse caused by Graboids! But we don't want to give too much away now, do we! Because Tremors 4 is set in the 1800's, we're guessing that they must have some pretty funky costumes. So what was your costume like and how comfortable was it to wear? My wardrobe was my own, and being a live and kicking historian, I didn't have to change; they only provided some good boots, better than my own. So I was pretty confortable! How did you get along with the cast and crew on set? The crew were very nice, and I know it will be a good film for those Tremors fans out there, and I'm looking forward to its eventual release! Glad to hear it! We can't wait either! And finally, if you could have been an extra in any movie that has ever been made, which one would it be and why? I think I would have been an extra on 'Return To Mayberry'; I would have been a good one! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Cheers! |
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| THE EXCLUSIVE TREMORS MOVIES INTERVIEWS! |
| On this page, you can find all of the interviews that are featured on this site! All the interviews are exclusive to Tremors Movies! If you enjoy them, let me know! And also tell me who you would like to see interviewed about their experiences with the Tremors franchise! Here's a list of the interviews that I have at present (listed in date order). Brent Maddock - 03/07/04 Ron Underwood - 11/06/04 Jay Ferguson - 07/12/03 SS Wilson - 15/09/03 Dale Gibson - 05/09/03 Forest Temple - 15/06/03 |
| RON UNDERWOOD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREMORS MOVIES! - 11/06/04 We very recently talked to Ron Underwood, the director behind the original Tremors movie! We talked about the original movie, and here's what he had to say! THE INTERVIEW First of all, how are you at the moment and what are you up to? Thank you, I am well. I have an original movie made for Showtime premiering on April 25th at 8:00pm called Stealing Sinatra. It is based on the true story of the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra, Jr. in 1963. It stars David Arquette and William H. Macy as kidnappers in a black comedy retelling of events. It's the first time I've made a film about a real life story and I enjoyed that! Currenty, I am finishing production on Back When We Were Grownups based upon the book by Anne Tyler. It is a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation to air on CBS just before Thanksgiving. The cast includes Blythe Danner, Peter Fonda, Faye Dunaway, Jack Palance and Peter Reigert. Let's talk about the original Tremors movie. This was the first movie that you'd ever directed, before which you'd been making educational movies with SS Wilson and Brent Maddock, so it must have been extremely important for you to get everything perfect. What was you biggest worry before starting production? It's true that Tremors was my first feature and I wanted everything to be perfect. I felt very protected in my first movie with the way Nancy Roberts set up the production in the first place and having my good friends and great filmmakers, SS Wilson and Brent Maddock, as the producers. Also, SS Wilson was in place to direct the second unit which would prove to be invaluable in creating the action for the film. We were particularly concerned with a number of aspects of the production; the casting, the look of the film, the creatures and the effects to create the illusions of the creatures. We wanted to cast actors who would become the characters and be totally real and give honest performances. Having such a wacky premise with the Graboids, it was essential that the actors would totally commit to the reality of the situation, to help make the audience believe the fantasy. We felt very lucky to get the cast that we did - they were exceptional actors, but also great people. In terms of the look of the film, we really wanted a vast open western setting. The film went against the convention of monster movies in that it takes place mostly in daytime. This would give us extra challenges in pulling off the scares and effects, but it made the film unique. Part of the tension in the film came from the fact that you could see in all directions around you, but the danger was beneath you. Therefore we wanted a big sky, wide open western look. I've done a few films outdoors during the daytime and it is some of the most challenging filmmaking because it is more difficult to control the situation than if you are lighting the scenes entirely yourself. Brent, Steve and I spent months before we hired one person talking about shots for the film. We didn't always shoot things the way we originally planned, but we intimately knew the material because we spent so much time planning and thinking and discussing. We had ambitious effects planned for the film and it was a struggle to afford to do everything we wanted to do. I was helped alot in this area because SS Wilson was very knowledgeable about effects and the different ways to accomplish what we needed. He interfaced alot with the creature effects and physical effects crews to help keep the communication flowing. In pre-production it became obvious that we would have to make some cuts in the script to afford what we needed to do. This is a very normal part of the preparation for a movie. The budget usually necessitates some re-thinking of the scenes to be shot. This was all in the pursuit of perfection, as you said. However once shooting began, it was a shock for me to see that perfection would never be possible. In fact, some days I felt like we were back making educational films on miniscule budgets. Perfect exists only in your mind. When making the movie, you produced a short opening scene where Edgar's mule falls prey to a Graboid. Why did you take the decision to cut this out of the final film? The film opened with a very sweet scene of our two old guys, Fred and Edgar, having a conversation before Edgar's mule was devoured by a Graboid. The scenes turned out well, but when we previewed the film for an audience, the first act of the film seemed a bit slow, and the studio was concerned that our youthful audience would not be interested in these two old codgers. For the most part, the studio was very supportive and enthusiastic about the film so we thought they might have a point about the opening. Ivo Christante, the production designer, built the town of Perfection in 2 months. One of the most amazing things was the way in which Chang's market collapsed and assembled again for the next take. Could you tell us a little bit about this? Ivo is an incredible talent as a production designer. Most designers are interested in architecture but not in effects. However, Ivo had this idea of putting the roof of Chang's together as a practicle effect where it would seperate and 'collapse' on cue by just removing some of the support from below. The roof was cut in a zig-zag pattern and then covered with tar paper. When we wanted the roof to collapse, Ivo just had his crew remove some support pieces and it would 'collapse'. The actors were safe because the tar paper was made to act like a net. When we wanted to set up for take 2, Ivo's crew would jack up the roof onto the supports. A touch of set dressing with the tar paper and we were ready to roll cameras again. Anything that is fast in the movie business helps make the movie better; this was a lifesaver! Ivo built the entire town of Perfection capable of being shaken to an extreme level as the Graboids attacked the structures. The physical effects department head, Art Brewer, had worked at Universal Studios when they had made the film 'Earthquake' and he remembered some shaker units that were available there. These machines were like paint can shakers that we attached to the buildings of Perfection and just dialled up the shake to the desired level. In the scene where Old Fred meets his doom, we see the scarecrow behind him shift to one side as the Graboid moves underneath. How was this effect achieved? I'm not positive, but as I recall it was just a wire being pulled off screen. The best rule of thumb is to make everything as simple as possible. In filmmaking you are always trying to create illusions that are 'impossible' in real life. Things get complicated enough by themselves for a variety of reasons. Therefore, keep it simple. We liked to say that we made most of Tremors physical effects with bulldozer technology. That was because it was the simplest and most effective way to achieve those effects. Even doing a very expensive effects film as I did with Mighty Joe Young, we tried to keep things as simple as possible... and to change up the techniques as much as possible so the audience has a more difficult time catching on to your tricks. What was your favourite part of the Perfection set and why? I loved the opportunity to do a film set in a small desert community - the eccentrics who inhabit these kinds of towns makes a colourful collection of characters and unique set of opportunities. I liked the feeling of the entire town. We scouted many tiny desert communities while preparing to shoot Tremors to collect ideas for how the town should look and be dressed. Chang's market certainly serves as a central focal point of the town. The water tower next door was an important iconic image. In the original script, the water tower collapses as Rhonda jumps from it to the safety of the bulldozer. This was one of those sequences that had to be altered for budgetary limitations. I liked the way that we used trailers for some of the homes (Nestor's and Melvin's and Val & Earl's) which saved money, added character and was consistent with these desert communities. The trailer would be plopped down on a piece of land and then Ivo and his set dressing crew would transform the lot into a typical suburban household with fences and lawn ornaments. The old mining ruins added a history to the town. I guess I just liked the whole thing. When you heard that Michael Gross was reading for the role of Burt Gummer, it seemed a little unusual that the Family Ties father would read for such a part. So what was it that finally swung it for you, and convinced you that he would be perfect for the part? Michael is a very talented actor, and although at the time he was best known as the Family Ties father, he had just completed a TV movie called The FBI Murders in which he played a vicious killer. So we knew he had range. When he came in for the reading, Michael just blew us away with his total commitment to the role and the reading. We were sitting in my office and he jumped up from the couch he was sitting on and lept up onto a coffee table and then onto my desk; he made me believe that there were Graboids under our office right then and there. This level of commitment and honesty takes extreme courage and talent. We're so glad you picked him, he's perfect for the part! For a brief moment, you acted as a double for Rhonda in the movie during the final cliff scene. Why did you cut yourself out? I was filling in for a stunt woman who did not show up for work that day. The makeup people said they could transform me into Rhonda and they did it! I must say I made a beautiful Rhonda. However, while it would have been fun to be in the movie, one thing the director needs to do is seperate himself (or herself) from the particulars of the shot. You should not be swayed by how hard it was to shoot the shot, how beautiful it turned out, that your parents are extras in it, or whatever the case maybe. You must be the toughest critic and make sure that each shot gives new and necessary information for telling the story. As it turned out with my guest shot, we really did not need the shot to tell the story effectively; so it would have been an additional shot that was not necessary. Unfortunately, before you put the film together, you cannot be certain of how much will be needed. Therefore, there are always shots made that don't find their way into the final film. What's your favourite scene from the original Tremors movie? My favourite sequence in the film starts with Val and Earl thrown by their horses, and they have the opportunity to see a Graboid for the first time. After killing their horses, the Graboid chases them along the fence line to the drainage ditch where the creature knocks himself out dead. I always loved the way Kevin Bacon played his cocky reaction to the dead creature in the drainage ditch but then is immediately frightened by thr appearance of Rhonda. This leads to the characters digging up the dead creature and being chased up onto the boulders to spend the night and finally to pole vault to the 'safety' of their truck. It is a sequence in which the characters learn what they're up against and deal with their circumstances in surprising and inventive ways. Brent and Steve's script was filled with truely great surprises and twists and turns, always going for the unexpected. This sequence has many of my favourites. I also enjoy the characters progression during this sequence of events, both in their fight against the monsters and in the continuing relationship of Val and Rhonda. In the original movie, you decided not to reveal where the creatures came from because there are only so many options, and you didn't want to commit to one of these. So why was the decision made to say that they had always been there in Tremors 2? Why not outer space or radiation? That's probably a better question for Steve and Brent. I can't speak for Steve and Brent in terms of script choices they made. However, it seems more interesting that these were pre-historic creatures unleashed from the deep inside the earth. While we were making the original Tremors, the studio was nervous about our choice that we would not give an official explanation for the creatures. At their request, we did discuss and try out adding a sequence that would show an earthquakes movement ubleashing these creatures from deep within the earth. Fortunately, we never did add that sequence. I think it's more fun that the characters just came up with the usual list of theories. However, in doing sequels, it becomes a different story; we have to learn new things and it has to develop to a new level. Finally, would you ever like to return to the director's chair for another Tremors movie? If there is one thing I know about this business, it's that you can never say never. I love the characters of Tremors and the situations that the creatures put them in; so it would be great fun. But your guess about that question is as good as mine! Thanks for taking time out to talk to us! Beast regards! And watch where you step... |