Arrow’s 4K release of Tremors was truly one that gave the film a new look with its earthy tones. So it’s fitting that their release of the first sequel compares favorably with the theatrical original.
Tremors sequels became quite lucrative for Universal Home Video. The first one was a pleasant surprise in an era where we did not expect DTV movies to be actually good.
Now it looks like a full theatrical feature with bright vivid sunlight and lush colors. When the sun does set it’s pure night sky with a full moon. You can see the film grain, surely more than you ever could on VHS. This clarity reveals some of the rocks they’re standing on look like foam.
The Graboid goo is plentiful and you get to see the full on animatronics on display. Even early CGI looks good considering it was rendered for video. There’s not a 5.1 mix since this was originally for VHD.
Bonus features are precise and thorough. Second unit director and special effects designer Peter Chesney walks us through specific sequences, accompanied by behind the scenes pictures and some outtakes. He’s very technical if you’re into that. Phil Tippet reflects on the early CGI work too.
The archival behind the scenes was a home video promo so they got the cast on the set. Outtakes include some puppeteers showing in the graboid shots.
S.S. Wilson and Nancy Roberts remember all the details in their new commentary track. This includes developing the script and then whittling down the larger budget version that included Kevin Bacon and Reba Entire when they declined. So then it’s on to casting the new characters and bringing specific scenes to life. Wilson identifies a lot of nuance about movie explosions, and those were not fake fire extinguishers spraying Fred Ward.
Author Jonathan Melville wrote a book about the whole Tremors series, so he’s speaking my language where you need to give the sequel as much attention as the landmark original. He’s read some of those early drafts so gets more specific about the revisions. However, there are more gaps in Melville’s commentary and it sort of peters out halfway through the film, so you can skip ahead to the climax.