How many times will the horror genre bring us another "nature strikes back" film?! To answer that question I say plenty! This is the sub-genre that I like most next to creature features. Over the years I have seen many of these films, but oddly I kept overlooking Squirm for whatever reason. It could be the lack of recommendations from my fellow horror fans. Nonetheless I finally got to dig into this slime coated film and what I got was something that wasn't horrible, but nor was it amazing. Let's jump into this film and see what I thought!
When a powerful storm knocks Fly Creek, Georgia's power lines down onto wet soil, the resulting surge of electricity drives large, bloodthirsty worms to the surface and out of their soil-tilling minds. The townspeople soon discover that their sleepy fishing village is overrun with worms that burrow right into their skin. Inundated by hundreds of thousands of carnivorous creatures, the terrorized locals race to find the cause of the rampage before becoming tilled under themselves.
After I read the synopsis for this film all I could do is smile with joy due to how absurd of a plot this film has. With that being said I really did enjoy what Squirm had to offer. The only real thing I would of changed is how some of the pacing goes. I will say that the somewhat stereotypical and somewhat over-the-top characters and the great special effects makeup for any of this films flaws. Especially the character Roger and when he is viciously attacked by the slimy killers. Which the special effects were done by special effects legend Rick Baker.
Like I mentioned above the characters are very much like a stereotype of a southern person, the only exception to that was the character Mick, which was your typical curious protagonist not from the area. He does shine amongst the not so smart characters that surrounds him. Really I liked all the characters in this film and oddly enough I found Roger the most interesting, maybe because you can't help but feel bad for what he goes through and how he is treated by his father. If you are looking for any character development then you may wanna look elsewhere. There is nothing like that in this film and honestly I never expected any. This is just a good old creature feature made to creepy you out and have fun with.
Overall this was a very fun film that really deserves a watch from anyone who loves creature features or nature fights back films. Is it the best film you will ever see? Hell no it isn't, but it is some damn good fun! Since I have not seen it on any other format then I cannot compare the video quality, but I can say it is like what I have grown to expect from these Scream Factory releases and is top notch and great looking. The audio is a great as well. To top this release off you actually get some special features unlike the previous DVD release which had none. You get interviews with cast members, audio commentary with writer/director Jeff Lieberman, Theatrical Trailer, Still Gallery, TV Spot, and a location tour with Jeff Lieberman!
-Daniel Lee
Director: Jeff Lieberman
Lead Actor/Actress:
Genre: Horror
Blu-ray Release Year: 2014
Theatrical Release Year: 1976
Time Length: 93 mins.
Rating: PG
Region Code: A
Release Company: Scream Factory (Shout! Factory)
Website: www.shoutfactory.com
