Horror Movie Spelunker Double Bill: Tremors + The Descent at Peak Cavern, Castleton

This September, Abandon Normal Devices invite you to swap the popcorn for a hard hat and wellies, as they present an utterly terrifying evening of horror cinema inside of Castleton’s Peak Cavern. Perhaps not one for the claustrophobes out there, the festival will screen a double bill of Tremors and The Descent: two underground chillers that’ll have even the hardiest viewers glancing nervously into the cavern’s shadows.

First up, Ron Underwood’s cult 1990 film Tremors sees repairmen Val McKee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) get caught up with a concerned seismologist (Finn Carter) in a mystery plot which escalates from a series of unexplained deaths to a battle for survival against giant, worm-like monsters with a taste for human flesh. The film pays tribute to the monster-movie science-fiction of the 1950s, but adds convincing special effects to the mix for a noteworthy slice of subterranean terror that has spawned five sequels, a television series and a video game.

While Tremors buoys its horror with laughs – “One thing’s for sure…them ain’t local boys!” one character offers of the giant worms – Neil Marshall’s The Descent offers viewers no such release. One of the most intense horror experiences of recent years, Marshall’s 2005 film features an all-female led cast as a group of friends embark on an underground adventure only to find themselves hunted through the bat-infested caves of Appalachia. Scary enough when viewed from the warm comfort of home, The Descent should pair perfectly with Underwood’s cult favourite for a truly memorable evening of sub-terrestrial spookiness.