A jaw dropping 1990s anti-drug movie, Ticks is infested with genre and period typical cliches. With its ridiculous story and awkward script, the film is clumsy in its approach to serious issues like trauma, racism, and black market crime. However, it excels at gross out horror and intentional camp and improves (in entertainment value) as it blunders toward its over the top finale.
57 Reviews
Vampire bugs !
Coventry31 August 2003
Let's see...spiders, ants, piranha's, rabbits, bees...No, we didn't have giant murdering ticks yet. BRING 'EM ON !!! Maybe that's a bit rough, but in fact it's the basic idea behind this movie. The story is as old as horror itself but it still works and, more importantly, it's still fun !
Somewhere in a God-forsaken town, the local farmers found a new spray for their crops ( their crops are marijuana in this case. That's new! ) but of course the bugs start to grow to enormous size as well and begin to attack humans! A group of troubled teenagers who're there for some sort of consciousness-weekend become the main target. OK, Ticks is filled with the obvious "monster-clichés" but it's a well made and highly entertaining B-movie. I confess, director Tony Randall can't do much wrong in my eyes. This man made the very good Hellraiser sequel Hellbound, so I'm interested in all other films he made. Ticks also has a few familiar faces. Clint Howard to begin with. This guy is doomed again to play the weird loner who becomes the first victim of the killer bugs. Seth Green had one of his first major film roles in this film as well. He looks pretty dorky here, but it sure didn't stop him from building up a decent career in Hollywood. Alfonso Ribeiro is also a part of the cast but it's pretty laughable to picture him as a "bad-ass" from the ghetto, when you keep in mind he played Carlton in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for so many years. I didn't recognize the rest of the cast, but all the girls have sweet faces. Unfortunately, Ticks goes very much over the top near the end. But by then you already forgave Tony Randall and the rest of the crew for that stupid ending. Bad case of Writer's Block, I guess...
Somewhere in a God-forsaken town, the local farmers found a new spray for their crops ( their crops are marijuana in this case. That's new! ) but of course the bugs start to grow to enormous size as well and begin to attack humans! A group of troubled teenagers who're there for some sort of consciousness-weekend become the main target. OK, Ticks is filled with the obvious "monster-clichés" but it's a well made and highly entertaining B-movie. I confess, director Tony Randall can't do much wrong in my eyes. This man made the very good Hellraiser sequel Hellbound, so I'm interested in all other films he made. Ticks also has a few familiar faces. Clint Howard to begin with. This guy is doomed again to play the weird loner who becomes the first victim of the killer bugs. Seth Green had one of his first major film roles in this film as well. He looks pretty dorky here, but it sure didn't stop him from building up a decent career in Hollywood. Alfonso Ribeiro is also a part of the cast but it's pretty laughable to picture him as a "bad-ass" from the ghetto, when you keep in mind he played Carlton in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for so many years. I didn't recognize the rest of the cast, but all the girls have sweet faces. Unfortunately, Ticks goes very much over the top near the end. But by then you already forgave Tony Randall and the rest of the crew for that stupid ending. Bad case of Writer's Block, I guess...
Bloodthirsty ticks get the munchies real bad!
The_Void12 June 2007
Insects make good horror movie material due to the fact that a lot of people are scared of them. There have been movies about giant spiders (Kingdom of the Spiders), scorpions (The Black Scorpion) and ants (Them!), and while ticks aren't exactly the most exciting insects around; their bloodsucking nature does make them a good subject for a film such as this. As you might expect considering the fact that this film was a direct to video release, most things about it aren't exactly brilliant. However, it's obvious that the most important thing about a film like this is the gore and Ticks certainly isn't lacking in that department! The story is obviously just a means to an end and sees a class of delinquents going out into the forest for some sort of moral building exercise. However, their little trip is interrupted by a bunch of bloodthirsty ticks that have grown to massive sizes because of chemicals put on weed plants to accelerate their growth. Unfortunately for the kids, the ticks' appetites have grown with them; and now they are on the menu...
The film has a good basis for gore, as it's directed by Hellraiser 2 director Tony Randel (who also directed the less than impressive Children of the Night) and the executive producer is one Brian Yuzna, who every gore fan should recognise. The plot doesn't contain a lot of surprises, although it deserves some plaudits for staying interesting for most of the way through. The story progresses in the usual way for this sort of film - i.e. there are a few clues that something bad is going to happen, then bad things do happen and eventually everything gets out of control. The film doesn't pay a lot of respect to it's insect star as there aren't many references to real life ticks, but then again I didn't go into this movie expecting a natural history lesson. The cast is only notable for the fact that it stars a young Seth Green, although he really isn't that much of a highlight. Alfonso Ribeiro, who is more famous for playing Carlos in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, also makes an appearance (which is completely unlike his TV persona) though he is underused. The film ends well, though too many people survived for my liking, but all the same this is good fun and recommended.
The film has a good basis for gore, as it's directed by Hellraiser 2 director Tony Randel (who also directed the less than impressive Children of the Night) and the executive producer is one Brian Yuzna, who every gore fan should recognise. The plot doesn't contain a lot of surprises, although it deserves some plaudits for staying interesting for most of the way through. The story progresses in the usual way for this sort of film - i.e. there are a few clues that something bad is going to happen, then bad things do happen and eventually everything gets out of control. The film doesn't pay a lot of respect to it's insect star as there aren't many references to real life ticks, but then again I didn't go into this movie expecting a natural history lesson. The cast is only notable for the fact that it stars a young Seth Green, although he really isn't that much of a highlight. Alfonso Ribeiro, who is more famous for playing Carlos in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, also makes an appearance (which is completely unlike his TV persona) though he is underused. The film ends well, though too many people survived for my liking, but all the same this is good fun and recommended.
T&A (Good Ticks and Great Actors)
joehed5 March 2000
This movie was pretty good, but the cast is classic! Seth Green, Ami Dolenz, and Alfonso Ribeiro. I bet Panic looks familiar, yeah that's because he's Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And the icing on the cake is Clint Howard. What an actor. He makes another great appearance in this film as a marahuana farmers.
This movie is not too bad, but definitely entertaining. You'll love Ribeiro's character, especially since he is a hardcore inner city kid. This total contrast to Carlton make nearly everything he says a joke.
If you're looking for a movie with a funny cast, check this movie out. What a sidetracker for a lot of these people's careers. Classic!
This movie is not too bad, but definitely entertaining. You'll love Ribeiro's character, especially since he is a hardcore inner city kid. This total contrast to Carlton make nearly everything he says a joke.
If you're looking for a movie with a funny cast, check this movie out. What a sidetracker for a lot of these people's careers. Classic!
Typical giant insect movie.
Aaron137511 April 2003
This movie has some kids going on a retreat or something (been awhile since I have seen it). During their trip they run into these pot growers who don't want them there. In the place where they are growing pot somehow or another the ticks start to grow big and go on the rampage. Nothing to special in this one, but it is far from a boring and terrible movie. It moves pretty fast and there are some good kills in this one. There is also a rather cool scene where this one kid splits open. The ticks aren't to bad looking, and I don't think they were computer animated. The ending is the same old trick as in other horror movies and nothing to surprising. Though can anyone tell me why the one kid felt the need to take all those steroids when he was walking through the woods hurt? I don't believe they would have any positive impact that would help him.
I love bug movies!!....
stormruston26 March 2003
...and this is a average one with a few real great scenes.The typical "at camp" when things go buggy story line that we are all comfortable with.
Above average humour and effects makes this one worth watching,only the first fifteen miniutes were slow.
Above average humour and effects makes this one worth watching,only the first fifteen miniutes were slow.
Mother nature bites back at Movie Executives who commission this kind of rubbish.
Wilbur-107 September 2000
The English video cover makes this look like some 'Alien' clone, but instead it turns out to one of those irritating man-tampers-with-nature half-baked horror films.
A group of inner-city delinquents are taken out to the woods on a survival holiday. They find themselves attacked by blood-thirsty ticks which have grown to the size of large spiders as a result of steroids used on the local marijuana crop. Needless to say the film is derivative garbage, with no attempt to haul itself onto the lowest rung of the ladder.
The cast seem to have a degree of ability but the script and storyline give them absolutely nothing to work with, and things stumble along to the inevitable conclusion as most of them escape BUT what is clinging to the underside of their van ??
This may have worked better with some 'Tremors'-like humour - the horror elements are too weak because of the one-dimensional characters; this is a film where you really do not care about anyone and the whole experience is like watching a cartoon. As such it is watchable to a degree, but leaves not the slightest lasting impression.
If the horror genre continues churning out this kind of formulaic drivel for the empty-headed teenager heaven help us. I was rooting for the Ticks all the way.
A group of inner-city delinquents are taken out to the woods on a survival holiday. They find themselves attacked by blood-thirsty ticks which have grown to the size of large spiders as a result of steroids used on the local marijuana crop. Needless to say the film is derivative garbage, with no attempt to haul itself onto the lowest rung of the ladder.
The cast seem to have a degree of ability but the script and storyline give them absolutely nothing to work with, and things stumble along to the inevitable conclusion as most of them escape BUT what is clinging to the underside of their van ??
This may have worked better with some 'Tremors'-like humour - the horror elements are too weak because of the one-dimensional characters; this is a film where you really do not care about anyone and the whole experience is like watching a cartoon. As such it is watchable to a degree, but leaves not the slightest lasting impression.
If the horror genre continues churning out this kind of formulaic drivel for the empty-headed teenager heaven help us. I was rooting for the Ticks all the way.
Fans of low budget horror and Seth Green: this one's for you!
sethfan12 January 2000
While I was watchng this movie I couldn't help but think that while Peter Scolari was filming this "Friday the 13th meets Arachnaphobia" low budget horror, his "Bosom Buddies" co-star, Tom Hanks, was off earning an oscar for Forrest Gump. Don't get me wrong...I like Peter Scolari; he just seems so out of place in this movie. That aside, if you're a fan of this genre, especially of the straight-to-video variety, you won't want to miss this one. It has everything for you: two-dimensional characters, gore, bad dialogue, gore, cheesy special effects, no plot or storyline what-so-ever, and, oh yeah, I almost forgot...gore. My only real complaint is that there is little to no camp. It's those moments of overdone camera work and melodramatic line delivery that make these "B-movie" romps real gems to have in one's video collection. The closest we get to any kind of decent camp is in the characters of Sir and his sidekick henchman, Jerry. Only these two offer us that overly theatrical style of acting that has the viewer thinking, "they've got to be geniuses!"
You will also want to check this one out if you're a fan of Seth Green. Much of the action centers around him as he has quite a bit of screen time. A very talented actor, Seth is the only cast member that actually attempts to flesh out his character and add some dimension to the role. Unforunately, this venue won't allow him to do that. It is also fun to watch Seth not take the whole thing too seriously. Watch him carefully in the vet's office during the autopsy scenehe's actually trying to hold back some laughter! All of this put together does make Ticks a worth while 85 minutes to spend watching it.
You will also want to check this one out if you're a fan of Seth Green. Much of the action centers around him as he has quite a bit of screen time. A very talented actor, Seth is the only cast member that actually attempts to flesh out his character and add some dimension to the role. Unforunately, this venue won't allow him to do that. It is also fun to watch Seth not take the whole thing too seriously. Watch him carefully in the vet's office during the autopsy scenehe's actually trying to hold back some laughter! All of this put together does make Ticks a worth while 85 minutes to spend watching it.
The Attack of the Giant Mutant Ticks
claudio_carvalho12 July 2022
In Los Angeles, six problematic teenagers are sent to the Wilderness Project, led by the couple Holly Lambert (Rosalind Allen) and her boyfriend Charles Danson (Peter Scolari). They take the van of the project and Charles drives them to spend a few days in the woods. They stumble upon the drug dealers Sir (Barry Lynch) and his hick minion Jerry (Michael Medeiros) that advise that they are in a dangerous area. When the dog Brutus of Darrel 'Panic' Lumley (Alfonso Ribeiro) mysteriously dies, Charles, his daughter Melissa Danson (Virginya Keehne) that is also participating in the project and Tyler Burns (Seth Green) take Brutus to the veterinary Dr. Kates (Judy Jean Berns). Soon they learn that the dog has been attacked by a giant mutant tick transformed by the pesticide used by illegal planters of marijuana, and they return to rescue the rest of the group. But something unexpected happens to all of them.
"Ticks" is an entertaining horror-adventure movie with the story of the attack of the giant mutant ticks. Although the nasty title, the film is not bad. This film was released on VHS in Brazil by Alpha Distributor and it is funny to see that they have not translated the word "ticks", may because this bug is repulsive. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Ticks: O Ataque" ("Ticks: The Attack")
"Ticks" is an entertaining horror-adventure movie with the story of the attack of the giant mutant ticks. Although the nasty title, the film is not bad. This film was released on VHS in Brazil by Alpha Distributor and it is funny to see that they have not translated the word "ticks", may because this bug is repulsive. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Ticks: O Ataque" ("Ticks: The Attack")
Stay Away......
huggy_bear17 May 2003
Not going to waste a lot of time on this one. Stay away. There is not one good thing I can say about this bad piece of work. The acting sucked, the effects sucked, and the ticks sucked (no pun intended). I keep asking myself, why they keep making movies this horrible. Why? What a tremendous waste of money and people's time. For God's sake, they could use their time more wisely by putting on orange vests and picking up trash along the I-10. PLEASE!!!!!
A surprisingly fun and gooey b-movie flick!
ericdetrick200215 June 2005
If you are in the mood for a fun horror movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and has all the right gross out gimmicks- check it out. If it wasn't for a friend mentioning this movie title I would have passed it up. But I trusted his judgment since he is a horror aficionado- and I read some decent reviews in some of my old issues of Fangoria/Gore Zone.
The acting is silly, but it is obvious that this is the way it was written. The key difference between a movie like Ticks (Infested) and some really bad Sci-Fi Channel movie is that everything is done in the Evil Dead 2/ Bad Taste slap stick kind of way. And they go for the gross out money shots in every other scene (lots of pulsating blistering skin waiting to explode, etc). And thank God this didn't have any of the cheesy computer animated gore and FX. I love the latex, goo, and prosthetic body parts of the old school- even if it does look fake. At least you know the actors are actually interacting with it rather then a "green screen".
So, gather a few friends, kick back a few beers or Mountain Dews, and be prepared to rewind a few scenes so you can watch them again!
The acting is silly, but it is obvious that this is the way it was written. The key difference between a movie like Ticks (Infested) and some really bad Sci-Fi Channel movie is that everything is done in the Evil Dead 2/ Bad Taste slap stick kind of way. And they go for the gross out money shots in every other scene (lots of pulsating blistering skin waiting to explode, etc). And thank God this didn't have any of the cheesy computer animated gore and FX. I love the latex, goo, and prosthetic body parts of the old school- even if it does look fake. At least you know the actors are actually interacting with it rather then a "green screen".
So, gather a few friends, kick back a few beers or Mountain Dews, and be prepared to rewind a few scenes so you can watch them again!
Entertaining
tampaaries9 November 2021
I wasn't expecting much from this movie but it was surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be, kept me entertained for sure but seeing the guy from Fresh Prince of Bel Air play a tough guy character was too much for me to handle lol.
Don't Tick me off
obe-one16 May 2000
I know this is a low budget horror film, but I liked it anyway. Not a lot of gore by today's standards, but the make-up and special effects were good. It was also enjoyable to look at Ami Dolenz, and to watch the bad guys get "ticked". Two thumbs up!
Yuk
frankfob26 May 2002
Not yuk for the ticks--yuk for the movie. It's just about as lousy as you would expect a movie about killer ticks to be. Pretty much everything in this picture is 12th-rate, except for two things: the photography (which looks very good) and Rosalind Allen (who looks even better). Allen is just so stunningly beautiful, and is a good enough actress, that you wonder why she keeps getting herself trapped in low-budget junk like this when she can do, and has done, much better. She has the class, attitude and bearing of a Grace Kelly, which makes this cheap movie look even cheaper. If you're a Rosalind Allen fan, check it out. If you're not, then there is no reason on earth why you should come anywhere near this movie.
This was like watching a 1950s horror/sci-fi film.
philwages16 November 2000
This was like watching a 1950s horror/sci-fi film. Not that I'm dogging the 1950s sci-fi classics, but this came out in 1993. So, it should have been a much better acted film (or should have been released by Troma). Don't watch unless you've seen every other horror/sci-fi film in existence!
Fun early 90s creature feature.
b_kite13 December 2019
Seriously Flawed Horror Film
gavin694219 February 2012
Teens camping in a northern California retreat are terrorized by mutant insects created by evil, polluting pot farmers, what will throw them into a terrifying fight for their lives.
I feel like this movie should have been so much better than it was. First of all, the cast is pretty decent: Carlton Banks, Seth Green and Clint Howard? Not a bad mix to start with. Then you have Brian Yuzna (Re-Animator) as the executive producer. And add on KNB for the effects? That is a solid combination.
And to be fair, the acting was decent, the direction was pretty good and the effects were definitely excellent (the pods looked cool and the big transformation sequence was well-executed). I see the flaws coming in to the film from two directions:
One, it does not balance the humor and horror properly. It has a few moments that are almost funny, but not outright so. You either need to be straight horror, or the right balance of horror and humor -- and the balance was way off here. They took themselves too seriously for what they were working with.
Second, it seems that two stories were conflated in to one, and that made the plot convoluted. Mutant ticks are bad and homicidal farmers are bad... but did they both belong here? I think not. I understand the hormone on the plants made the ticks big... but we never needed to actually see the farmers. It turned what could have been a fun, simple film into a messy triangle.
From what I understand, this film is pretty hard to find on DVD outside of bootlegs. And I am okay with that. I have little interest in ever seeing it again.
I feel like this movie should have been so much better than it was. First of all, the cast is pretty decent: Carlton Banks, Seth Green and Clint Howard? Not a bad mix to start with. Then you have Brian Yuzna (Re-Animator) as the executive producer. And add on KNB for the effects? That is a solid combination.
And to be fair, the acting was decent, the direction was pretty good and the effects were definitely excellent (the pods looked cool and the big transformation sequence was well-executed). I see the flaws coming in to the film from two directions:
One, it does not balance the humor and horror properly. It has a few moments that are almost funny, but not outright so. You either need to be straight horror, or the right balance of horror and humor -- and the balance was way off here. They took themselves too seriously for what they were working with.
Second, it seems that two stories were conflated in to one, and that made the plot convoluted. Mutant ticks are bad and homicidal farmers are bad... but did they both belong here? I think not. I understand the hormone on the plants made the ticks big... but we never needed to actually see the farmers. It turned what could have been a fun, simple film into a messy triangle.
From what I understand, this film is pretty hard to find on DVD outside of bootlegs. And I am okay with that. I have little interest in ever seeing it again.
Another passable Horror Film
Bayjohn11 February 1999
One thing is for sure: Ron Howard must be ashamed of his brother after watching this film. Clint has a memorable role as a forrest bum that meets his demise from the Ticks.
Peter Scolari must have needed the money to make a car note or something. And yes, the kid from "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" is in this one as a supposed tough kid from the Bronx or something, but comes across as a throwback from the mid-eighties breakdancing films.
If you decide to watch this film, do it in the form of the "MST3K" guys and enjoy yourself!
Peter Scolari must have needed the money to make a car note or something. And yes, the kid from "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" is in this one as a supposed tough kid from the Bronx or something, but comes across as a throwback from the mid-eighties breakdancing films.
If you decide to watch this film, do it in the form of the "MST3K" guys and enjoy yourself!
Lean and mean
Phroggy14 May 1999
I don't really understand the criticism about this film ; maybe if it had a 50 millions $ budget, everybody would find it "cool"? Tony Randel did his best and the movie still boasts good production value despite the numerous troubles they had on the set. This one's mean, politically incorrect (no "back-to-the-nature" crap) and without the shoddy humour and cute one-liners everybody seems obliged to include in his horror just because Freddy said so (c.f. "Nightwatchers"). I saw it three times with friends who enjoyed it as much as I did. And I don't care if some of the actors ended up in some moronic TV fodder for brainwashed teenagers. Not a great movie (unlike Brian Yuzna's "Return of the living dead 3"), but strong, however.
Poor Seth Green
CaptRon-211 April 1999
If it wasn't for Seth Green this movie wouldn't have been worth the space it took to advertise it in the paper. It was one of those USA Network Bad Days at the Movies and I can see why, only Critter's was worse than this movie. I will be willing to bet that Seth will not list this film on his resume.
playing for laughs
mckenna0530 July 2003
I can't help but love this film! Yeah its cheesy and totally unscary but it's FUN. Seth Green once said that when they were making this movie everyone pretty much gave up trying to make this movie something it wasn't and played it for laughs and I think it worked! Its also worth checking out just to see Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air playing a tough guy lol. I'd totally recommend that people check this movie out if they just wanna have some quality fun.
Ticks in all the cliché boxes.
Skutter-23 March 2007
Ticks is another entry in what seems to be an ongoing competition between B-grade film-makers to produce movies featuring the most harmless and innocuous of creatures turned into monsters- frequently made gigantic or at least larger than they normally are. Killer Ticks aren't the most ridiculous menace ever created in one of these movies as anyone has seen Night of the Lepus (killer bunny rabbits) or various 50's B-movies will attest but they certainly aren't convincingly threatening enough to be the monster in any movie. That is the main problems with Ticks, which is basically a serviceable B-movie. The Ticks are certainly icky little creatures which have gross-out value which is used to good effect here and the prospect of having one of them attached to you and sucking your blood is not a pleasant thought. The SFX used to portray the Ticks are actually pretty good and they are suitably gross little critters, a case of practical special effect doing a better job than CGI ever could and the gory scenes of them burrowing into the flesh of their victims are quite well rendered. My favourite scene was that of a Tick with a syringe stuck into it skittering across the floor, complete with the silly movie skittering sound. However, the Ticks could only be seen as a real threat in the most contrived of circumstances, which the movie does it's best to provide, via an area selective forest fire toward the end of the movie and are certainly not enough of a threat to pad out a 90 minute movie.
It is clear the makers realised this and added in other elements such as the some human bad guys, in this case some gun wielding dope growers to generate some more conflict and danger (Not to mention running time) into the proceedings. None of this is particularly interesting nor is the clichéd character interaction between our group of main characters, some troubled teens from LA out in the woods with their counsellors on some kind of bonding. get back to nature program (The details are never made clear). The characters are barely sketched in and their interactions and conflicts are painfully hackneyed e.g. the teenage daughter of the lead counsellor who resents her father for dragging her along on these excursions and hates her step-mother. We don't even get a lot of detail about what the problems of these trouble teens are, in some cases none at all. The acting is pretty average and you get the impression that nobody is trying too hard.
Despite this there is some fun to be had. The Ticks are actually pretty cool little creatures even if they aren't a believable threat and there is enough blood and goo around to liven things up between the bad character stuff. There are some really bizarre plot twists which succeed in making the movie more entertaining, such as the contrived circumstances in which the forest fire is started and the uber-ridiculous way in which an even bigger monster tick is created in the movies climax. I didn't know steroids could do that. I also liked the fact that the ticks became the way they were not because of government experiments or evil big companies dumping waste but because of weird growth agents being used by the Marihuana growers. It doesn't make much more sense but it is at least one lame cliché avoided. Then again it still has time for the lame clichéd kicker ending. I also got some entrainment from seeing a young Seth Green on screen, before he developed much personality and Alfonso Ribiero AKA Carlton Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Anyone familiar with the character he is on the show will find his performance as the tough guy from the streets here most amusing.
It is clear the makers realised this and added in other elements such as the some human bad guys, in this case some gun wielding dope growers to generate some more conflict and danger (Not to mention running time) into the proceedings. None of this is particularly interesting nor is the clichéd character interaction between our group of main characters, some troubled teens from LA out in the woods with their counsellors on some kind of bonding. get back to nature program (The details are never made clear). The characters are barely sketched in and their interactions and conflicts are painfully hackneyed e.g. the teenage daughter of the lead counsellor who resents her father for dragging her along on these excursions and hates her step-mother. We don't even get a lot of detail about what the problems of these trouble teens are, in some cases none at all. The acting is pretty average and you get the impression that nobody is trying too hard.
Despite this there is some fun to be had. The Ticks are actually pretty cool little creatures even if they aren't a believable threat and there is enough blood and goo around to liven things up between the bad character stuff. There are some really bizarre plot twists which succeed in making the movie more entertaining, such as the contrived circumstances in which the forest fire is started and the uber-ridiculous way in which an even bigger monster tick is created in the movies climax. I didn't know steroids could do that. I also liked the fact that the ticks became the way they were not because of government experiments or evil big companies dumping waste but because of weird growth agents being used by the Marihuana growers. It doesn't make much more sense but it is at least one lame cliché avoided. Then again it still has time for the lame clichéd kicker ending. I also got some entrainment from seeing a young Seth Green on screen, before he developed much personality and Alfonso Ribiero AKA Carlton Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Anyone familiar with the character he is on the show will find his performance as the tough guy from the streets here most amusing.
Not to be taken seriously
bowmanblue19 November 2020
There are some films when you can't claim not to like them, simply because everything you need to know about them is in the title. If you think you'd like a film called 'Ticks' then you're probably the sort of person who appreciates daft, cheesy (and gory!) B-movies, therefore you're quite willing to put your brain 'on hold' for an hour and a half and have fun.
'Ticks.' So... what's it about? Well, believe it or not, giant, mutated insects! And , of course, a small bus-load of s3xually-charged teenagers who are bound to fall victim to said bugs (or 'arachnids' to be technically correct, but then the movie doesn't address this, so why dwell on it?). A bunch of kids are taken to a remote cabin in the woods where they soon realise that they're on the menu for this creepy-crawlies.
The characters - who cares? They're possibly one of the most stereotypical bunch of cast-members you've ever seen. You won't remember anyone's name, but you're probably okay with that if you're still reading this. You may notice a young Seth Green among them, but he's about as famous as this cast gets.
But it's not just stereotypical protagonists here! As if being hunted by a swarm of flesh-eating bugs gets, the kids are being stalked by two of the most inept (human!) villains since that pair of burglars in the 'Home Alone' movies. You have a clichéd Englishman (I think he's English, judging by his accent which sort of comes and goes) and a clichéd Redneck henchman of his who looks like a cheaper version of Randy Quaid.
But, you didn't come here for the humans. What about the ticks themselves? Well, they're not that bad. This was made long before computer effects were so common, so the bugs are all 'practical' effects and they're animated pretty well. There's a decent amount of gore as far as the budget will allow.
Overall, don't scrutinise this one too closely. It's not meant for that. It knows that it's daft and plays to its strengths. Just sit back after a long day and enjoy the scuttling little creeps.
'Ticks.' So... what's it about? Well, believe it or not, giant, mutated insects! And , of course, a small bus-load of s3xually-charged teenagers who are bound to fall victim to said bugs (or 'arachnids' to be technically correct, but then the movie doesn't address this, so why dwell on it?). A bunch of kids are taken to a remote cabin in the woods where they soon realise that they're on the menu for this creepy-crawlies.
The characters - who cares? They're possibly one of the most stereotypical bunch of cast-members you've ever seen. You won't remember anyone's name, but you're probably okay with that if you're still reading this. You may notice a young Seth Green among them, but he's about as famous as this cast gets.
But it's not just stereotypical protagonists here! As if being hunted by a swarm of flesh-eating bugs gets, the kids are being stalked by two of the most inept (human!) villains since that pair of burglars in the 'Home Alone' movies. You have a clichéd Englishman (I think he's English, judging by his accent which sort of comes and goes) and a clichéd Redneck henchman of his who looks like a cheaper version of Randy Quaid.
But, you didn't come here for the humans. What about the ticks themselves? Well, they're not that bad. This was made long before computer effects were so common, so the bugs are all 'practical' effects and they're animated pretty well. There's a decent amount of gore as far as the budget will allow.
Overall, don't scrutinise this one too closely. It's not meant for that. It knows that it's daft and plays to its strengths. Just sit back after a long day and enjoy the scuttling little creeps.
Ticks
dukeakasmudge2 March 2016
I imagine if I watched Ticks when it 1st came out, I probably would've liked it but watching it now, it's a true time waster.I had a hard time trying to imagine Seth Green & Alfonso Ribeiro as 2 juvenile delinquents especially Ribeiro.Seeing Carlton from The Fresh Prince trying to play a street punk was just weird & kinda funny but hey, I knew a couple kids from way back when who looked like ordinary everyday people until you got to know them.Anyways, if you weren't scared of ticks before, this movie will make you scared of them or at least more aware they're out there when you're walking through a wooded area.Ticks does have a lot of gross out moments that will make you squirm but not too much else going for it.The best thing I can say about Ticks is that I didn't have to pay to watch it.If I had to pay to watch it then I would've been
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