Power is a State of Mind: For the Love of Horror April '26 Part 2

Friday, 24 April 2026

For the Love of Horror April '26 Part 2

First please see For the Love of Horror April ‘26 part 1, the beginning part of the writeup for the Manchester horror movie convention.

Next to stage: Finn Carter (Rhonda) and Michael Gross (Burt) from Tremors.

FC: Tremors bombed on release, then 35 years later it’s remembered. Michael carried the mantel for 6 more movies.

MG: (Lead actor Val) Kevin Bacon felt he was a failure. He walked away.

FC: He said he’d come back now if there’s another.

MG: There’s a script for ‘Tremors 8’ but it’s in legal limbo. I said to a producer, ‘we’d better do it quick, because we’re getting old.’ I didn’t intend for Burt to be a main character. But the writers fell in love with the character, and when that happens it’s great.

The mic goes out to the audience.

Audience Question: How heavy was the elephant gun?

MG: Quite heavy! It was a terrifying scene for me because I knew if I got it wrong, they’d have to take an entire day to reset the wall.

AQ: What was it like seeing the creature for the first time?

FC: I was in a few scenes. It was massive. I got dragged. The director (Ron Underwood) was 5’ (1.5m) tall, and the sweetest man, saying, “it’s getting closer! It’s getting closer! IT’S REALLY SCARY NOW!”

AQ: Did you speak to seizmologists to prepare for the role?

MG: Americans are crazy as you know. We have a president to prove it. We had a survivalist store, and they gave us the basics on booby traps, making a retreat, which I’m a little paranoid about. I took a lot of firearms training. You have to convince the audience that I was an expert. I worked quite a long time with firearms instructors, loading, unloading, to make it look like expertise.

COMPARE: What was your journey into that character, from the audition?

FC: I was doing a play in LA, and my classmates were laughing at this potential movie. Then I got it. But I got time, got just proficient enough (in seismology) to fool you. If experts come in, they’d disagree.

MG: I never wanted anyone down the barrel of my gun. If I put it down, I had to assume someone had touched it. I’d check it. If I hear about mistakes with guns on set, I say, ‘someone screwed up.’ I’m not a gun fan. I love model trains. Burt never points his gun at other people: only the monsters. We don’t fight each other; we come together as a team to fight a common enemy.

FC: When I was running away from the monster in my underwear, there were men under the set moving the ground. Everything you see is being moved by a huge team. On set there were no egos, or conflict. It was the perfect storm. I don’t remember there being any problems.

MG: There were no bad apples on set. No A-holes. Everyone was nice. It was, ‘Let’s try this.’

FC: The only time was when the Director of Photography said, ‘you cannot make that shot! There is no sun!’ In the evenings we partied in the hot tub. When they’re blowing away, that was a great scene. You think, oh my god, these people are prepared. They have a chance. My favourite scene, though, was Kevin Bacon saying ‘let her have blonde hair, big green eyes,’ then I turn around. All my insecurities and lack of confidence gave me the power to carry through Tremors. I’d think, ‘another day of work.’

Another excellent event from Monopoly, too.