Ticks (film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Ticks

| image = Ticks (1993).jpg

| caption =

| producer = Jack F. Murphy
Gary Schmoeller
Brian Yuzna

| writer = Brent V. Friedman

| starring = Rosalind Allen
Ami Dolenz
Seth Green
Virginya Keehne
Ray Oriel
Alfonso Ribeiro
Peter Scolari
Dina Dayrit
Michael Medeiros
Barry Lynch
Clint Howard

| music = Daniel Licht
Christopher L. Stone

| cinematography = Steve Grass

| editing = Leslie Rosenthal

| studio = First Look Pictures
Republic Pictures

| distributor = Republic Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1993|06|04|Italy|1993|06|17|Netherlands|1993|08|10|Baltimore|1993|12|10|Philippines}}

| runtime = 85 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $1.5 million{{cite magazine |last1=Jones|first1=Alan|last2=Salter |first2=David Ian |date=Winter 1993|title= Ticks|url= https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Imagi-Movies%20Vol%201%20No%202%20%28Winter%201993%29/page/n26/mode/1up?view=theater|url-status= |magazine=Imagi-Movies |location= |publisher= Fourth Castle Micromedia|access-date=February 26, 2023}}

| gross =

}}

Ticks, also known as Infested, is a 1993 direct-to-video horror film directed by Tony Randel and starring Peter Scolari, Seth Green, Rosalind Allen, Ami Dolenz, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Clint Howard.

Plot

Dealer Jarvis Tanner uses steroids to enhance plants. Run-off from his operation has mutated the ticks. Tyler Burns is sent to join a project in an attempt to conquer his fear of the woods. Tyler meets his campers Darrel “Panic” Lumley and Kelly Mishimoto.

They stop at a store to get supplies. Melissa is confronted by Sir and Jerry. Jerry harasses Melissa, but is told to leave her alone by Sir. Jarvis’ hamster is killed by a tick. He is attacked by a tick before stepping into a trap and has several eggs drop on him.

The group arrives at camp. Tyler and Rome discover an egg, which Tyler destroys. Melissa is attacked by a tick which Tyler fends off. He dismisses them. Panic's dog Brutus is attacked and killed by another tick. Panic leaves camp. Tyler takes Brutus's body to a veterinarian, who discovers a tick inside Brutus. The tick runs around the room until the veterinarian kills it.

Panic is attacked by a tick. He pulls most of it off, but its head burrows inside him. Kelly and Melissa discover Sheriff Parker's corpse. Didi finds Jarvis, who has amputated his legs and had ticks burrow inside him. Jarvis is caught in another trap and his face explodes. Panic stumbles onto Sir and Jerry's farm, and Sir shoots Panic, but causes a tank to explode.

The group takes shelter from the fire in the cabin. Charles lets Sir and Jerry in, but Panic arrives and tells the group that Sir shot him before dying. Sir shoots Charles in the leg while Jerry attempts to take the van. A tick kills Jerry, who crashes the car into the cabin. A tick emerges from Panic's corpse and mauls Sir. Tyler drives the van outside the window, but the tick attacks Rome. Tyler lights it on fire and the survivors drive back into civilization. An egg falls from underneath the van.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Peter Scolari as Charles Danson
Rosalind Allen as Holly Lambert
Ami Dolenz as Dee Dee Davenport
Seth Green as Tyler Burns
Clint Howard as Jarvis Tanner
Rance Howard as Sheriff Parker
Alfonso Ribeiro as Darrel "Panic" Lumley
Barry Lynch as Sir
Michael Medeiros as Jerry
Judy Jean Berns as Dr. Kate
Dina Dayrit as Kelly Mishimoto
Virginya Keehne as Melissa Danson
Timothy Landfield as Mr. Burns
Ray Oriel as Rome Hernandez
J.D. Stone as Young Tyler Burns

}}

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.{{cite book|title=More Magnificent Mountain Movies|last=Cozad|first=W. Lee|year=2006|page=308|isbn=9780972337229|publisher=SunStroke Media}}

Home Media

Ticks was released direct-to-video on May 24, 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.