Tremors (1990) review

Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are handymen from the teensy-weensy town of Perfection in dusty Nevada and planning on leaving for more work and money, except there appear to be massive worm-like creatures (eventually dubbed "graboids") burrowing under the dirt and killing people so they, along with graduate student Rhonda (Finn Carter), doomsday loon Burt (Michael Gross) and his spouse Heather (singer Reba McEntire), take it upon themselves to blow the gosh darned things up.  This doesn't try to hide the fact that it's essentially a Spielberg clone - Jaws in the Desert! - and even the 'whimsical' score (by Ernest Troost) sounds imitative as well, and although it's a fairly pedestrian popcorn movie, it does have some gooey practical effects and doesn't dawdle around.  At the time, Bacon supposedly loathed starring in this and considered it a major misstep in his film career (he's changed his mind since then) ... but I'd like to point out that Ms. Reba, in her big screen debut, is mighty convincing with all that weaponry: don't mess with them Sooner ladies (and bless their hearts).