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Ticks (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Ticks', also known as 'Infested', is a 1993 horror film directed by Tony Randel and starring Peter Scolari, Seth Green, Rosalind Allen, Ami Dolenz, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Clint Howard.
Plot
Drug dealer Jarvis Tanner uses steroids to enhance marijuana plants. Run-off from his operation has mutated the local ticks. Tyler Burns is sent to join an inner-city wilderness project for troubled teens in an attempt to conquer his fear of the woods, led by Holly Lambert and Charles Danson. Tyler meets his fellow campers: Darrel Panic Lumley a young African man who lives on the violent streets of Los Angeles, Charles daughter Melissa a young rebel, Dee Dee Davenport a capricious rich girl, Romeo "Rome" Hernandez a young Mexican who is considered a punk by his father-in-law, and Kelly Mishimoto a quiet Asian girl who was raped.
They stop at a store to get supplies. While there, Melissa is confronted by Sir and Jerry, two locals. Jerry harasses Melissa, but is told to leave her alone by Sir. Jarvis hamster is killed by a tick. When Jarvis investigates, he is attacked by a tick before stepping into a bear trap and has several tick eggs drop on him.
The group arrives at camp. While in their cabin, Tyler, Panic, and Rome discover a tick egg, which Tyler destroys. While taking a hike, Melissa is attacked by a tick which Tyler fends off. When Tyler and Melissa inform Charles, he dismisses them. Panics dog Brutus is attacked and killed by another tick. Upset, Panic leaves camp. Tyler takes Brutuss body to a veterinarian, who discovers a tick inside Brutus. The tick, still alive, runs around the room until the veterinarian kills it.
Panic, while walking in the woods, is attacked by a tick. He pulls most of it off, but its head burrows inside him. While fishing, Kelly and Mellissa discover Sheriff Parkers corpse. Didi finds Jarvis, who has amputated his legs and had ticks burrow inside him. Jarvis is caught in another bear trap and his face explodes, causing a tick to latch on to Didi, but Tyler kills it. Panic stumbles onto Sir and Jerrys marijuana farm, and Sir shoots Panic, but accidentally causes a propane tank to explode, causing a forest fire.
The group takes shelter from the raging fire in the cabin. Charles lets Sir and Jerry in, but a wounded Panic arrives and tells the group that Sir shot him before dying. Sir shoots Charles while Jerry attempts to take the van. A tick kills Jerry, who crashes the car into the cabin, injuring Sir. A large tick emerges from Panics corpse and mauls Sir. Tyler drives the van outside the window, but the large tick attacks Rome. Tyler lights it on fire, killing it, and the survivors drive back into civilization. At a junkyard, a pulsating tick egg falls from underneath the van.
Cast
Production
Doug Beswick came up with the idea for the film and supervised the special effects as well as being the associate producer of the film.Stephen Jones. 'The Essential Monster Movie Guide'. Billboard Books. 2000. Pg. 374. The film was shot in Big Bear Lake, California.
Release
'Ticks' was first released in 1993 and it went direct-to-video in 1994 by Republic Pictures and later Olive Films on DVD and Blu-ray in 2013. It ran for 85 minutes. Vinegar Syndrome licensed and released the film on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray in October 2021, featuring an all new 4K scan of the interpositive film element. It was discovered the film's original runtime was 94 minutes, containing 9 minutes of footage unseen on television and all previous home video releases. The release also includes a series of extras such as commentaries, making-of documentary, and more. Ticks was released on June 4, 1993 in Italy as part of the Dylan Dog Horror Fest program, later on June 17 of that same year it was released in theaters in the Netherlands. In the United States it had a limited release in theaters in Baltimore on October 8, before being released on video on May 24, 1994. The film was also released on video in Germany, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil.
References
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