‘Something hungry is about to hatch.’
Ticks is a 1993 sci-fi horror film about teens and social workers being attacked by mutated, blood-sucking insects.
The movie was directed by Tony Randel (Amityville: It’s About Time; Hellbound: Hellraiser II) from a screenplay written by Brent L. Whiteman. Also known as Infested and C2
The American First Look Pictures-Republic Pictures co-production stars Peter Scolari, Seth Green, Rosalind Allen and Ami Dolenz.
Plot:
Teens from Los Angeles join an inner-city wilderness project in an attempt to get back in touch with life’s priorities. They are led by do-gooders Holly (Rosalind Allen) and Charles (Peter Scolari).
When they get to the campsite, the teens begin having problems adjusting to the wildlife, particularly local marijuana growers using herbal steroids to accelerate plant growth, and the mutated ticks that the leaky steroid system has created…
Reviews:
“There are moments when the effects fail, like when the ticks are obviously being pulled along the ground by fishing line, but whenever they dig into and burrow through the flesh of a new victim, the result is realistic and disgusting. There are no computerized effects here and the gore throughout is fantastic.” Examiner.com
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“I was skeptical of how well visually the ticks would come across, but they are the true charm behind this movie. They are quite clearly puppets and models, but as the ticks scurry across the floor we are treated to some genuine quality sound effects. When the ticks attach themselves to an actor’s face you can almost suspend your disbelief for a moment…” Horror News
“It is a silly film – the ticks are gooey and cartoonish, not at all designed for believability. If Tony Randel had played the critters seriously like say Squirm (1976) or Kingdom of the Spiders (1977), he could maybe have made something out of the film. Furthermore, the plot seems misshapen, as though it is missing a middle act.” Moria
“It teeters on the brink of being routine, but punches it up with volumes of latex effects, a fast pace and the short, but totally inspired performance of Clint Howard, who utters his famous line “I’m in-feeeeeested!” Video Junkie
“It’s a stonking little film, marred only slightly by overambition. Even if you’re not scared of insects (and I’m not), it manages to be sufficiently scary for long periods, and completely entertaining in others.” Werewolves on the Moon
Release:
Ticks was released on VHS by Republic Pictures in the US but inexplicably never received a DVD release there, unlike the rest of the world.
Filming locations:
Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California
N Myers Street under E 1st Street Bridge, Los Angeles, California, USA
Filming dates:
June 18, 1992 – July 16, 1992
Budget:
$2,000,000 (estimated)
Technical specs:
1 hour 25 minutes
Audio: Ultra Stereo
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
