Monster ink: Writer celebrates Tremors' 25th anniversary

A late-night viewing of cult 1990s horror led a Scottish movie fan to write a history of the film and arrange special screenings of it.

Writer Jonathan Melville's Seeking Perfection: The Unofficial Guide to Tremors marks 25 years since the feature's release.

He interviewed the film's writers, directors and star Kevin Bacon.

The last in a series of special screenings of Tremors will be held in Inverness next week.

It has already been shown at events in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Released in 1990, Tremors sees a group of people in a small town in America terrorised by worm-like monsters.

Melville said: "I first saw Tremors late at night on BBC One and was intrigued by the deft mix of humour, horror and action that you don't see very often in genre pictures.

"Usually they're either deadly serious or OTT on the comedy, but Tremors can scare you and make you laugh in the same scene.

"It also took place in broad daylight rather than the middle of the night, another element that made it stand out for me.

"I also loved the cast of characters brought together in this tiny Nevada town - they felt like a real community."

Tremors' writers SS Wilson and Brent Maddock, director Ron Underwood and producer Nancy Roberts were among the first Melville interviewed.

He said: "I decided I wanted to speak to as many people as possible involved in the franchise - four films and a TV series when I started the project - and was delighted when almost everyone responded positively."

The writer added: "I did have some trouble tracking down Kevin Bacon and it took almost two years to secure an interview.

"He was a pleasure to speak to and had a lot to say about working on the first film and his thoughts about it today."

A new TV series has been proposed, with Bacon expected to feature in its cast.

Melville said: "I think there's potential for this to be a huge success, but I feel it's vital for the original creators to be involved in some way, even just as advisers to the series.

"They know the worms better than anyone and to leave them out is risky."

Melville will discuss his book following a special screening of Tremors at Eden Court in Inverness on 5 December.