Squirm - Kino Cult

There was something special about the 1970s high-concept horror sci-fi films that flooded theaters in the wake of Jaws. So many of these features play to the simplest themes of man versus nature, the same simple characters, with a slightly different edge to make their creature unique. In 1976 it was writer/director Jeff Lieberman’s (Blue Sunshine) turn to take a crack at this new run of creature features. With some of the best beasts already taken, Lieberman dug up your average piece of fish bait, electrified it, and then set it loose on a rural unsuspecting Georgia community. 

The dirty dealings of this flick take place in the little village of Fly Creek. Known for their flies (and their creeks), the town is without power after an ungodly storm collapsed the live powerlines sending hundreds of thousands of volts charging into the mud. New Yorker Mick (Don Scardino) is in town to help his new local love interest Geri (Patricia Pearcy) check out some antiques. But when people start disappearing, and the worms start attacking - Mick and Geri must face a deadly nightmare of slimy subterranean squirming monsters! 

Often lumped into the parage of post-Jaws nature knockoffs, Squirm is actually a rather clever piece of work. It’s not out to rinse, wash, and repeat the same old template and it isn’t out to make our particular critters a special unique species or part of some kind of science experiment gone wrong. Simply, they’re regular worms pissed off about the electricity running through the ground and they’re taking their anger out on anything or anyone they can wriggle their way into. 

Squirm is a fun movie, but it’s far from a perfect flick. My first outing with Squirm was thanks to MST3k (as was the case with about 175 other films), and it’d be several years before I got to sit down and watch it for real. Part of why that MST3k episode is such a classic is because there’s so much room for jokes. At 93 minutes this film runs at about the same pace as a worm crawling across the floor. There are some exciting bits here and there, but for long stretches, nothing really happens. There’s the creepy handyman neighbor Roger (R. A. Dow) and a long tangent subplot about a skeleton that repeatedly turns up and goes missing, but it’s all weightless and frankly a bit boring. I appreciate time getting to know our characters, and deciding who we like and who should get eaten, but the film could have used a little of that electricity and moved along at a more urgent clip.

Where I’ll absolutely give credit to Lieberman and the cast is for the last act. That’s a pretty terrific piece of work. Once poor Roger falls face-first into some worms with rage issues, the film is off to the races and doesn’t look back. When those first Rick Baker effects come on screen, it’s pure creature feature bliss in action. You’re quite literally left squirming!

For another take on the film, check out Mr. E’s 2015 Squirm Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Squirm wriggles and worms its way back onto Blu-ray thanks to Kino Cult. Pressed on a Region A BD-50 disc, the disc is housed in a standard case with identical slipcover and reversible insert artwork. As has been the case with some recent Kino Cult discs, the disc first loads to a tribute to the late great Lee Gambin before moving along to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.

I missed out on Scream Factory’s initial Blu-ray of Squirm, the thing went OOP before I could snag a copy. I love this film but not enough to pay those aftermarket prices! I thankfully did briefly work at a shop that I was able to rent and enjoy it, but I’m thrilled to see that Kino Cult picked this one up and gave it another spin on disc. With that, it’s been a few years and I can’t accurately judge the two releases side-by-side. On its own, I’m pretty pleased with the results for this round of Squirm. Like some of the other ‘70s creature features Kino Cult is unleashing upon our collections, I’d have loved to see a 4K disc, but the 1080p holds. Details are on point for this film letting facial features and textures shine and the scenic Georgia locations come to life nicely. Primaries are strong with lovely reds, blues, and yellows with healthy human skin tones. The closeup worm footage has always looked a bit wonky and remains so - thankfully those shots of worms with giant mouths with creepy pig screams are brief. Black levels are well managed, especially for the final act lending some more depth to the image. There's some slight speckling here and there, but nothing serious or distracting. All around a solid release.

On the audio front we enjoy a robust DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio mix. The film’s sound design is rather subdued, not a lot of heavy action or big active scenes that’d require a big 5.1 surround presence. It’s a rather quiet film, lots of talking, and plenty of great mood music to set the stage and build tension. When the action does kick in, the mix rocks right to the beat. If you have a sensitive tummy, the squishy effects of the worms invading might put you off your eggs so be mindful when you eat. It’s a popcorn movie where you might wish you weren’t eating after a bit and that’s largely due to the audio design. “Squishy” really is the best word to describe the mix - but in a good way!

Keeping with the brand, Kino Cult resurrects the old extras from the Scream Factory Collector’s Edition while adding their own new touch. And that principal new extra is a wonderful audio commentary with the late great Lee Gambin with John Harrison. It’s a very spirited conversation, very obvious the two are fans of the film! After that, the great commentary with director Jeff Lieberman returns along with the older featurettes. The only missing piece from the Scream Factory disc is the still gallery - but you pick up a bunch of extra trailers so that’s a win. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Lee Gambin and John Harrison
• Audio Commentary featuring director Jeff Lieberman
• Digging In - The Making of Squirm (HD 33:12)
• Eureka! Location Tour with Jeff Lieberman (HD 7:05)
• Radio Spot
• TV Spot
• Theatrical Trailer
• KLSC Trailer Gallery:
• Frogs
• Empire of the Ants
• The Food of the Gods
• Kingdom of the Spiders
• Zoltan…Hound of Dracula!

Squirm isn’t likely the only film whose genesis was the result of an acid flashback, but according to director Jeff Lieberman, that’s how it all went down. One terrifying childhood memory and almost fifty years later, this creepy crawly wormy creature feature is a true blue cult classic! The film is a hoot on its own, so if your only memories of it are from Mystery Science Theater - you haven’t truly experienced Squirm. Kino Cult gives this film a second life on Blu-ray with a solid A/V presentation and a healthy assortment of extras to devour after the show’s over. Recommended!