Synopsis
A violent storm drops power lines into the swamp area of Fly Creek, Georgia. Driven madby the electricity, hundreds of thousands of giant, biting worms rise to the surface, and are heldback only by daylight. Three young people realize that something is up, but the adults won’tlisten, just as in The Blob, one of Squirm’s models. Come nightfall, the wormsattack. Squirm takes its time getting to the main event, and most of the build-up has aHardy Bo…s/Nancy Drew feel to it. The payoff is worth the wait, however, as the worm attacksare impressively and revoltingly realized: SEE! giant night crawlers burrow into a man’s face;SEE! a huge flood of worms overwhelm the townspeople. Unassuming, tongue-in-cheek, grislyfun.
Audio
Mono sound, which, while generally clean, is showing both its age and its budget. There isn’tany background noise or hiss, but there is some buzz, with the dialogue distorting on occasion.Blame source material more than the DVD, however. You can’t expect miracles from such aninexpensive movie.
Video
A 1.85:1 transfer according to the case, but a widescreen-filling 1.78:1 in reality. The printis in good shape, with no damage or dirt. The colours, flesh tones, and contrasts are good, withinthe limitations of the original movie. Some of the shots are a bit soft, particularly in some of thenight scenes. Grain is kept to a minimum, and all things considered, the picture is surprisinglysharp.
Special Features
I was prepared to accept a complete lack of features. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore,to find a director’s commentary on the disc. Jeff Lieberman’s recollections are both entertainingand surprising. Sample bit of trivia: both Sylvester Stallone and Kim Basinger lost out on rolesin the film. The theatrical trailer and the TV spot bring back fond memories of 70’s exploitationadvertising. The main menu is scored.
Closing Thoughts
Cheerful and gross, Squirm is a welcome release from MGM, who is really spoilinghorror fans these days.
Special Features List
- Director’s Commentary
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
