The 1970s just might be the greatest decade for horror movies. There were so many types of horror back then: sci-fi, slasher, zombie, possession, paranoia, rape/revenge, and more. And then there’s the eco-horror category, meaning that a lot of movies had the attempt (blatant or not) to depict how the dubious nature of man (or nature itself) can cause so much shit. Yes, some of them were campy; others, actually not so much.
Buy Squirm (Special Edition) Blu-rayCult director Jeff Lieberman’s 1976 B-movie gem Squirm stands out from the pack and makes a good midnight movie to boot. The rather gross but simple story concerns the small, southern town of Fly Creek, Georgia where a highly violent storm topples power lines into the mud-soaked earth, which creates an aggressive breed of worms that wreak havoc on the residents. Out-of-towner Mick (Don Scardino) and his new girlfriend Geri Sanders (Patricia Pearcy) are the only ones who can save the day…. if they don’t become worm food themselves.
If you don’t pay attention to the plot too much, you’re bound to get something out of the film. It is equal parts camp (the acting is kind of uneven, and the accents are a little much), and genuine shock (the many closeups of screeching worms; the character of Roger, played by R.A. Dow, getting worms in his face, swallowed by them, and then turning into humanoid worm himself; and Alma, Geri’s sister opening a bathroom door only to get greeted by a wave of the bloodsuckers). It also helps that the gnarly special effects were done by the great Rick Baker. And credit should go to Lieberman for managing to still pull it off with a low budget.
Despite its flaws, I think Squirm does just that. It makes you squirm while also providing some sly humor. It’s basically the best Southern Gothic, killer-worm flick ever made.
Special features include: two commentaries- one with Lieberman, the other with film critics/authors Lee Gambin and John Harrison; Digging In – The Making of Squirm; Eureka: A Tour of Locations with Jeff Lieberman; TV/radio spots; and a theatrical trailer, plus others for Frogs, Empire of the Ants, Kingdom of the Spiders, and Zoltan: Hound of Dracula.
