The Burrowers (2008)

September 9, 2008 (US) • Horror, Western • 96m

Overview

It is 1879 in the Dakota Territories, a band of men who set out to find and recover a family of settlers that has mysteriously vanished from their home. Expecting the offenders to be a band of fierce natives, but they soon discover that the real enemy stalks them from below.

Director

J.T. Petty

Writer

J.T. Petty

Top Billed

Doug Hutchison

Keywords

monster funeral underground dakota native american buried alive paralysis crucifix cavalry

Where to watch

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Top Billed Cast

Doug Hutchison

Henry Victor

Clancy Brown

John Clay

William Mapother

Will Parcher

Karl Geary

Coffey

Jocelin Donahue

Maryanne

Laura Leighton

Gertrude

David Busse

Young Bluecoat

Alexandra Edmo

Faith

Brighid Fleming

Little Sister

Christopher Hagen

Father

Galen Hutchison

Dobie Spacks

Harley Coriz

Short Ute

Suzi McLaughlin

Mother

Tatanka Means

Tall Ute

Seri DeYoung

Audrey

David Midthunder

Dull Knife

Sean Patrick Thomas

Walnut Callaghan

Crew

J.T. Petty

Director

William Sherak

Producer

Alton Walpole

Executive Producer

Phil Parmet

Director of Photography

Toni Cobb Brock

Casting

John Sacchi

Executive Producer

Jason Shuman

Producer

Peter Block

Executive Producer

Nancy Nayor

Casting

Robb Sullivan

Editor

Kelly Wagner

Casting

James F. Oberlander

Art Direction

J.T. Petty

Author

Deborah Everton

Costume Design

Joseph LoDuca

Original Music Composer

Shari Rhodes

Casting

Andy Grieve

Editor

Mark Alan Duran

Production Design

Gabrielle Petrissans

Set Decoration

Marisa Frantz

Set Designer

Bren Cook

Costume Supervisor

Matthew Jacobs

Electrician

William 'Barcode' Rosa

Makeup Effects

David A. Brooke

Makeup Effects

Mark Gingras

Supervising Sound Editor

Lyn Gawron

Art Department Coordinator

Joel Goodell

Leadman

Allan B. Holt

Makeup Effects

Tom Bjelic

Sound Designer

Jennifer Booth

Production Supervisor

Lewis Jacobs

Still Photographer

Steven Litecky

Gaffer

Scott Hastings

Special Effects Coordinator

Keith Elliott

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Noel Hooper

Visual Effects Supervisor

Mark Zsifkovits

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Sam Tischler

Location Manager

Tyler Fletcher

Video Assist Operator

Julie Dole

First Assistant Editor

Andrew Tay

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Steven G. Fracol

Steadicam Operator

Jesse Trevino

Set Costumer

Gregory Doucette

Script Supervisor

Christa Tazzeo

Visual Effects Producer

Russell Solberg

Stunt Coordinator

Ed Duran

Stunt Double

Jimmy Robb

Assistant Sound Editor

Alastair Gray

Dialogue Editor

David Brownlow

Production Sound Mixer

Bobbi Jo Gonzales

Property Master

Judah Getz

ADR Mixer

Virginia Storey

Foley Artist

Andrew Morgado

ADR Mixer

Randy Wilson

Foley Mixer

Dale Lennon

ADR Editor

Nathaniel Sandoval

Prop Maker

Paula Jane Hamilton

Key Makeup Artist

Lou Boggs

Prop Maker

Lisanne Scafine

Set Dressing Buyer

Andy Linderkamp

Prop Maker

Ginger Dunhill

Set Painter

Liza Norris

Contact Lens Technician

Phyllis Detrich

Property Master

Meliton Duran

Prop Maker

Ester Kim

Assistant Property Master

Jerad Marantz

Concept Artist

Travis Stroope

Prop Maker

Linda R. Gore

Set Dresser

Steve Kahn

Prop Maker

Zacheriah T. Rheam

Prop Maker

Paul Judges

Greensman

Robbie Mueller

Set Dresser

William Maloney

Set Painter

Danelle Vierkant

Creature Design

Jess Levy

Storyboard Artist

Gina Lovato

Contact Lens Technician

Kenneth Cook

Prop Maker

Dennis Crow

First Assistant Director

Yvette Meely

Assistant Hairstylist

Abbie D. McCreary

Prop Maker

Robin Blagg

Construction Coordinator

RA Arancio-Parrain

Set Painter

Thom Buckley

Second Assistant Director

Kimberly Murak

Set Painter

Chip Byrd

First Assistant "A" Camera

Dominika Posserén

Casting Assistant

Joshua Mathews

Music Programmer

Beau Chaput

First Assistant "B" Camera

Aleah Ames

Key Set Costumer

Tsuya Chinn

Costumer

Ben W. Estrada

Electrician

Christopher Norris

First Assistant "B" Camera

Peter Weidenfeller

Dolly Grip

John Marshall McLeod

Grip

Eric Steinig

Dolly Grip

Hank Herrera

Key Grip

Ryan Eustis

Second Assistant "A" Camera

Lee Hughes

Digital Intermediate

Scott Davidson

Music Editor

Chris Wallace

Digital Intermediate Colorist

Tone Freshwater

Electrician

Leonard E. Hoffman

Electrician

Richard Pink

Lighting Technician

Dustin DellaVecchia

Editorial Production Assistant

Matthew P. Debevec

Grip

James R. Powell

Second Assistant "B" Camera

Vali Valus

"B" Camera Operator

Ryan Minelli

Electrician

Lee Nakagawa

Electrician

Paula Trujillo

Seamstress

Sean Mallon

Best Boy Electric

Ian Hanna

Grip

Charlie Newberry

Second Assistant "B" Camera

Sally Allen

Casting Associate

Gwyn Savage

Extras Casting

Julio Ferrario

Creative Director

Kiira Arai

Casting Assistant

Peter Armstrong

Digital Intermediate Producer

Debra Chapman

Seamstress

Jarik Van Sluijs

Creative Director

Tavia Charlton

Digital Intermediate

John Barba

Casting Associate

Pamela B. Green

Title Designer

Kyle Boylen

Digital Compositor

Sean Cardinalli

Second Assistant Accountant

Allan Fung

Sound

Cynthia Gates Fujikawa

Production Accountant

Andrew P. Aguilar

Set Production Assistant

Robert Vertrees

Production Assistant

Niki Hossack

Set Production Assistant

Julian Duran

Production Assistant

Dawn Todd Curfman

Production Coordinator

Marcia Woske

Second Second Assistant Director

Wendy R. Kennedy

Production Assistant

Josh Machado

Assistant Sound Editor

Allison K. LeQuin

Production Assistant

Janie Elliott

Travel Coordinator

Charles Chesser

Prop Maker

Reviews

John Chard

⭐ 7/10

July 20, 2014

The Burrower Tribe in BurrowerVision.

The Burrowers is written and directed by J.T. Petty. It stars William Mapother, Sean Patrick Thomas, Clancy Brown, Laura Leighton, Doug Hutchison, Karl Geary and Robert Richard. Music is by Joseph LoDuca and cinematography by Phil Parmet.

August the 11th 1879, the Dakota territories, and after a family of pioneers are abducted a posse is formed and go off in search of the culprits. It is believed they have fallen prey to hostile Native Americans, but once out in the wilds the truth hits home and the posse find themselves in a brutal and bloody fight for survival.

It's not like Tremors! That wonderful homage to the B movie creature features of the 1950s is played for laughs and action thrills. The Burrowers admittedly on plot synopsis' does lend one to think that a fun packed creature feature is in the offering, but as many unaware film fans have found out, this is far from being the case.

I would rather walk in the right direction than ride with my head up my ass.

The Burrowers takes itself seriously, and not insultingly so. J.T. Petty wanted to make a Horror/Western but not in the schlocky sense. He even infuses the narrative with some human concerns and statements, ecologically and racially so.

The pace is very, very deliberate, so potential first time viewers need to take that into consideration. Once the plot is kick started in the opening salvo, the posse go out into the wilds and interact, for better and worse, dialogue is sharp and pointed, intelligent even.

A number of great character based scenes are setting the tone for what is a downbeat picture, while when the action comes in tantalising spurts, it's well marshalled by Petty, and it's not just all about the creatures either.

The look is of a classical Western, which considering the modest budget is quite some achievement. From costuming and props, to the colour palette, the film convinces as the Old West of 1879. In this regard it would have been very interesting to have seen Petty make a standalone Oater.

Practical effects are very decent and CGI is wisely used sparingly, though the big showdown at pic's end is something of a let down. Elsewhere Sir Clancy of Brown and Doug The Thug Hutchison are sadly under written, though the face fuzz department scores high marks!

A tricky one to recommend to either Horror or Western fans, but for atmosphere and a great sense of period - and no little amount of originality as well, it's worth checking out as long as you don't expect Tremors. 7/10

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