Customer Reviews

Squirm

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Yes, the overall premise is laughably ridiculous. By all accounts, an electric current is enough to cause any worms to turn into soup rather than enrage them into having a taste for human flesh. Yes, there are holes in the plot you could drive a Mack truck through. Yes, the acting exhibited is nothing short of laugh-out-loud funny. And as listed in previous reviews, it takes a good 40 minutes before anything notworthy actually HAPPENS. With all of this, it stands to reason why MST3K lampooned Squirm on one of their episodes.

So why the three star rating? Because regardless of all the above detriments, the sight of those millions of little wriggling worms filling up a bathtub, coming out of the waterpipes, and the extreme close up shots of their mandibles is enough to make you (pardon the pun) squirm in your seat.

It ain't The Exorcist, that's for sure; but it was a fun, campy little movie. Even without Crow and Tom Servo's wisecracks.

As a 22 year old fresh out of college, I jumped at the chance to go to Savvanah Georgia for the winter and work as production assistant on this film. I ended up being the worm wrangler for the millions of "blood worms" the production shipped in from New York for the live worm effects. We also had a couple of tons of fake plastic worms shipped in from Hong Kong (I still have some. E-Bay anyone?).

What a hoot to work on the film. All of the "authentic" southern actors were actually from Brooklyn (except the sheriff, who was the real sheriff of the town the movie was shot in). Notable actors were the guy who did the Hebrew National commercial (We answer to a higher authority) and Don Scardino who survived this blot on his career to become a well known Broadway actor and producer. The writer was a jewish kid from the Bronx, (went on to do the film "Orange Sunshine" about Yuppies who ate bad acid (and years later ate their kids and family members!)so so much for that "authentic" southern dialouge.

Best story: I lived in the house used in the production. It was way out in the georgia woods and one day two locals came by to see what was going on. Dressed in their best overalls and spitting tobacco, they had a whisky still a few hundred yards away and were concerned about all the people in the neighborhood giving away their location.

This is a pioneer of the modern scary movies. This 1976 flick has the eerie start explaining the storms and happenings in the town. The worms are not particularly scary, but the characters are all well done and memorable. The sherrif in the movie may have been one of the early uses of the unhelpful sherrif. Friday the 13th would later go on to use this very effectively. The writer/director commentary adds a pleasurable second viewing. I rented this and would consider buying it. The use of real town citizens in the roles of the people in this small Georgia town added a lot to making the movie great. The effects were decent for the time, but overall, it is not close to be scary. Worms are just not that scary, but if you just enjoy interesting characters and want to be entertained watching a cheesy b-movie that tries hard, I think you will be happy.

'SQUIRM' is a fun little Drive-In-style horror flick that plays it straight, while having a load of fun along the way. The wonderful commentary by the director mentions the fact that 'MST3K' didn't need to parody the film on their show, when the film was a 'goof' from the start. I couldn't agree more. This film does what movies like 'Scream' did several years later, quite successfully: It sends up the horror genre, without, dumbing down to its audience or having too many "wink-wink" moments. The film uses close-ups of real "monster" worms and has a memorable moment with early Rick Baker effects: "Worm Face." All in all a very fun movie written and directed by Jeff Lieberman, who this fan hopes will make more movies very soon!

I really enjoyed watching this movie when I first saw it in the 1980's when I was around 17 years old,I am glad to finally own the video.I guess that the scariest concept of the movie(that is never discussed anywhere)is that at the beginning it states that it is based on a true story.
I guess after checking a map of Georgia I found that Fly Creek does not exist in the state.I am wondering if the placement of the movie might of been changed to Fly Creek to avoid any curious Fans of the movie.
I have always been curious if anyone knew anything about the supposed true story that this movie is based on....
I rate this movie at the highest rating not only because the makeup effects were done by the Famous Makeup Artist Rick Baker but also because of the Haunting musical score(A little boy singing a song).
The Movie Squirm is a good movie to rent but a better movie to own and a great movie to watch when it gets dark outside and every bump or noise you hear gives you the Willies.

I've always liked this movie. Not because I'm particularly interested in the fascinating life of our little friends -the insects- or because I'm a curious fisherman; no, simply because SQUIRM is an above average B movie with great horror scenes and well written characters.

A scene will, if it's necessary, show you a bit of director Jeff Lieberman's know-how. Near the beginning of the movie, the main character being quietly speaking to his girl-friend, a terribly long worm (yeech !) quickly crawls down the wall behind him. Without his noticing. You spend the rest of the scene wondering whether the worm will attack the hero. Stressing.

The copy presented in this MGM DVD is perfect and deserves to stay in your library if you're interested in cult movies.

I lived about 5 miles from where this movie was made. In fact, my oldest brother lived in the "Squirm house"! I remember that there were rubber worms all over the place. Back then the movie poster alone scared the hell out of me; now I laugh at this movie. I saw it not too long ago on MST. Too funny!

I suspect it was The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock ,rather than the giant bug movies of the previous decade,that really triggered the wave of creature features in the 1970's in which virtually every species on the planet took it in turns to threaten humankind.We had Frogs in the movie of the same name,bees in the absurd The Swarm ,giant rabbits in the pathetically unscary Night of the Lepus etc .In Squirm it is the turn of the humble worm to give the human species a tough time and the result is a splendid minor classic of the eco-horror genre .
The setting is Fly Creek,Georgia in the year 1975 .Power lines are dislodged in a storm which also sees many back roads flooded .The fallen wires are sending vast amounts of electricity into the earth and this transforms the worms into ravenous ,carnivorous little monsters who herd together to take on the humans.
The hero is a New Yorker ,Mick (Don Scardino)who is visiting an old friend ,Geri (Patricia Pearcy)and he is among the first to notice that all is not as it should be -there are worms in his chocolate soda;when he goes fishing he is bitten by a worm . Roger (R A Dow )the mentally challenged son of the local worm farmer Willie Grimes (Carl Dagenhart)is then atacked by a number of worms who burrow under his skin and Grimes is shortly thereafter killed by worms .When Mick tells the local Sheriff Boston (Peter MacLean)of his suspicions he is disbelieved .
In a very short while Mick and Geri are being besieged at home by millions of the devouring and slimy creatures .
The worm effects are by Rick Baker and they are excellent with the close up shots of people being engulfed by the brutes especially realistic looking (I do not recommend seeing this movie within an hour or so of eating spaghetti!)Performances are good all round and Jeff Lieberman directs admirably ,pacing the movie especially well .
What helps the impact of this movie is the ordinary nature of what triggers proceedings.In an eco-horror the usual cause of the bestial rampage is something like pollution or radioactivity .Here it is a simple accident involving something we use daily-electricity .You can be a victim of nature's imbalance without living anywhere near a power plant or large factory -so says the picture -and it is a sobering notion.The idea is planted in our minds that what we are watching could take place at any place at any time

This is thoroughly recommendable and should be enjoyed by all lovers of good sci-fi/horror movies

After the incredible success of Jaws in 1975 "nature runs amok" flicks became real popular for the next decade or so; in fact, they're still being made. "Squirm" was released one year after "Jaws" in 1976.

THE PLOT: A storm downs power lines in a small Georgia town, electrifying the wet mud and unleashing millions of 10-18 inch sand worms of the area. City slicker John Scardino (Mick) comes into town to visit redhead Patricia Pearcy (Geri), eldest daughter of widow Jean Sullivan. A slow-witted local hick (Roger) is attacked by the worms and goes mad as he aids the slimey creatures in their "attack" on the citizens. Supposedly based on an actual event that occurred September 29, 1975.

The first time I saw "Squirm" I was about 13 or 14 years old and high as a kite (something I don't do anymore) and, man, it scared the you-know-what out of me! I was completely taken in by the story, the eerie mood and deep-South atmosphere. I was ENTRANCED. Seeing it again as an adult (and sober), it's understandably not as scarey or captivating as when I first saw it, but that first viewing won my utmost and eternal respect.

"Squirm" was actually filmed in the deep South, in Port Wentworth, Georgia (just North of Savannah), and all the actors go overkill with the whole "Southern" bit, so the film definitely has a real authentic Southern feel.

It's generally slow-paced but that's okay because it's only 92 minutes long. It has loads of atmosphere and a few really good frightning scenes, like when the worms attack Roger's face while fishing in a rowboat with Geri. The story is not campy at all; it's pretty much presented in all seriousness; and the acting by the main characters is believable and good (not so much with the peripheral characters). Roger will strike you as a highly likable genuine country boy before he goes looney.

Because of all these factors I was able to get swept up in the story and take it seriously (at least as serious as such a story can be taken). It may not be an "A" class film like "Jaws" or "Orca" but it's certainly a worthwhile "B" film, that is, if you have an occasional taste for "nature runs amok" flicks. Don't listen to those that say this is a Grade "Z" film. It's not. This is a well-made "B" picture.

How you will take a film like "Squirm" depends on your personality. Some will think it's unintentionally funny or cheesy, etc., while others will take it seriously (like me) and enjoy the eerie atmosphere, Southern locations and a few good frights.

Make no mistake, for the type of film it is, "Squirm" is certainly worthy of 4-Stars (or at least 3-Stars). In fact, I'd give it 5-Stars but I'd feel too guilty about it.

Check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea.

I live in the small Georgia town of Port Wentworth and remember when they were filming this movie. It brings back alot of memories, they gave away alot of the worms to us. I am fixing to purchase my second copy of this movie since I loaned my first one out and never got it back so they must have loved it also. If anyone is into older scary movies try this one.