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The Burrowers

 The Burrowers
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The Burrowers
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A 2009 independent Western horror film which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before being released on DVD. The plot concerns a family of Dakota Territory settlers who are viciously attacked and kidnapped from their home. When Irish immigrant Fergus Coffey returns to find his intended bride missing, he believes the family to have been taken by Indians and assembles a posse to rescue them. However, they soon discover that rapacious natives would be a kindness compared to the inhuman horror lurking beneath the ground.Probably the best movie about cowboys fighting worm-people featuring Clancy Brown that you'll see this year.Not to be confused with The Borrowers.
 The Burrowers
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2023-08-16T19:14:31Z
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2023-08-16T19:14:31Z
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Dropped link to IndianMaiden: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Burrowers
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DBTropes
 The Burrowers / int_121865ac
type
Noble Savage
 The Burrowers / int_121865ac
comment
Noble Savage: Averted. Even the Indians do some pretty terrible things to survive, or simply out of sheer pettiness. The Army Scout accompanying Victor's cavalry is only too happy to hurt their Indian captive after he is mocked. Likewise, one of the Cree antagonized by the posse makes a point of running up to a mortally-wounded Clay and gleefully caving in his skull. And as for the Utes' method of dealing with the creatures, they look for their victims, feed them poison, and set them out as bait for the creatures.
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Anyone Can Die
 The Burrowers / int_1237828f
comment
Anyone Can Die: In order of death, Mary-Anne Stewart, John Clay, Dobie Spacks, Will Parcher, Callaghan, Faith.
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 The Burrowers / int_1484dba1
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Foreshadowing
 The Burrowers / int_1484dba1
comment
Foreshadowing: The hymn sung near the beginning; Alas! and did my Savior bleed, And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head, For such a worm as I?
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The Dandy
 The Burrowers / int_1b73fada
comment
The Dandy: Henry Victor is a psychotic breed of dandy, with his ridiculous moustache, moustache comb, and tobacco pouch made from a Native American's scrotum.
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The Burrowers / int_1b73fada
 The Burrowers / int_1dfbbf31
type
Heterosexual Life-Partners
 The Burrowers / int_1dfbbf31
comment
Heterosexual Life-Partners: Parcher and Clay are long-time partners.
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 The Burrowers / int_1e584efa
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Cruel and Unusual Death
 The Burrowers / int_1e584efa
comment
Cruel and Unusual Death: Everything about the way the creatures kill, though we see this happen in full with Parcher. While it is unclear as to whether or not the poison directly affects the mind, it is evident that within hours of being wounded, his skin is covered in lesions and his muscles have weakened to the point where he cannot stand or shoot a gun with any accuracy. When Parcher is finally set upon by the creatures, they feast on his body while he is still alive.
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 The Burrowers / int_272abb98
type
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
 The Burrowers / int_272abb98
comment
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: By the end of the film, it is more or less stated that the missing Stewarts have been long dead. Every named character dies except for Fergus Coffey and the utterly psychotic Henry Victor, who lynches two innocent Indians, and kills Callaghan by botching an unnecessary amputation. Worse, with the two Indians dead, their knowledge of how to deal with the Burrowers may well be lost for good. It's deeply implied that the Burrowers' attacks will continue and nothing has really changed.
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 The Burrowers / int_2c77fae3
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Darkness Equals Death
 The Burrowers / int_2c77fae3
comment
Darkness Equals Death: The creatures only emerge at night to find prey and feed on their victims.
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 The Burrowers / int_34d7d9b
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Things That Go "Bump" in the Night
 The Burrowers / int_34d7d9b
comment
Things That Go "Bump" in the Night: The Burrowers only emerge and attack at night, abducting their victims and hiding them away for later consumption.
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 The Burrowers / int_498ddf27
type
Psycho Party Member
 The Burrowers / int_498ddf27
comment
Psycho Party Member: Most obviously with Parcher. Before he is attacked and wounded by the Burrowers, he was ruthlessly pragmatic at best, being fully willing to use his remaining team members as bait to draw out the Burrowers.
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 The Burrowers / int_4ac8b81f
type
Humans Are the Real Monsters
 The Burrowers / int_4ac8b81f
comment
Humans Are the Real Monsters: Manifest Destiny is not only the cause of the attacks, but is also ultimately responsible for letting them go unchecked, as westward expansion across the plains kills off Burrowers' food source as well as those who know how to deal with them.
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 The Burrowers / int_4e3d253b
type
Downer Ending
 The Burrowers / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: The entire posse dies save Coffey, Mary-Anne was dead from the beginning, and the two Plains Indians who know the creatures' weaknesses are ignorantly lynched by Henry Victor, who waltzes off with a smug smile on his face.
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 The Burrowers / int_619b771c
type
Army Scout
 The Burrowers / int_619b771c
comment
Army Scout: A Native American scout who cannot accurately translate another Indian's language. When the imprisoned Indian taunts him, he tortures the prisoner.
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 The Burrowers / int_62434fe2
type
Sanity Slippage
 The Burrowers / int_62434fe2
comment
Sanity Slippage: As Parcher descends further into paralysis, he becomes more and more unhinged.
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 The Burrowers / int_7831b670
type
Gaia's Vengeance
 The Burrowers / int_7831b670
comment
Gaia's Vengeance: A very mild example. The creatures wouldn't normally interact with humans much, but their usual diet of buffalo has been all but wiped out by humanity. As a result, they've started snacking on other food sources.
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 The Burrowers / int_7e74d66f
type
Politically Correct History
 The Burrowers / int_7e74d66f
comment
Politically Correct History: Averted. The characters aren't overt with their racism, but they use casually racist language. Most characters refer to Indians as 'skins' and a prominent black character is saddled with the nickname 'walnut'. Only Irish Fergus Coffey refers to him by his real name, and this is due to the kinship he feels with him since they've both faced prejudice in America.
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 The Burrowers / int_7fbb2a3
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Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
 The Burrowers / int_7fbb2a3
comment
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Coffey is not an action hero gunslinger, and this point is hammered home when his reckless (and badly aimed) shot at a Cree Indian draws the wrath of the entire tribe and leads to Clay's death.
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 The Burrowers / int_8cb844c6
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Mr. Exposition
 The Burrowers / int_8cb844c6
comment
Mrs. Exposition: Faith, who does more than anyone else to explain what the creatures are, what they do, and why they are attacking humans.
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The Burrowers / int_8cb844c6
 The Burrowers / int_8ed5c6e4
type
Asshole Victim
 The Burrowers / int_8ed5c6e4
comment
Asshole Victim: Parcher. After being poisoned by the creatures, he tries to conceal his condition from Coffey and Callaghan. Furthermore, as the only member of the posse conversant in Plains Indians dialects, he deliberately omits warnings that he is already as good as dead and that he will only draw the creatures to him. Instead, he insists that the other two members stay and protect him as he grows weaker, even as he proves to be more of a hindrance than helpful.
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 The Burrowers / int_90d44f44
type
Karmic Death
 The Burrowers / int_90d44f44
comment
Karmic Death: The method devised by the Ute to kill the Burrowers. This involves feeding the Burrowers' victims with poison, then stabbing the creatures with spears as they lie incapacitated after consuming their victims' flesh.
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 The Burrowers / int_924d0f71
type
Cavalry Officer
 The Burrowers / int_924d0f71
comment
Cavalry Officer: Perhaps the most brutally sadistic and completely oblivious cavalry officer.
 The Burrowers / int_924d0f71
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The Burrowers / int_924d0f71
 The Burrowers / int_991d9e86
type
Cowboy
 The Burrowers / int_991d9e86
comment
Cowboy: Most of the main characters are this by profession.
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The Burrowers / int_991d9e86
 The Burrowers / int_99c36bb5
type
Ironic Nursery Tune
 The Burrowers / int_99c36bb5
comment
Ironic Nursery Tune: The song over the ending credits. Particularly unsettling is the lyric, 'go to sleep, you little baby...' considering what the creatures do to people.
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 The Burrowers / int_9f63d4f1
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Our Vampires Are Different
 The Burrowers / int_9f63d4f1
comment
Our Vampires Are Different: The creatures are not vampires. However, they do share some vampiric traits such as an aversion to sunlight, neck marks on victims, and leaving said victims in a semi-alive state.
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 The Burrowers / int_a8a04f6f
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And I Must Scream
 The Burrowers / int_a8a04f6f
comment
And I Must Scream: A variation. The victims are not trapped forever, but they are almost completely paralyzed by poison which gradually softens their organs and flesh. They are apparently conscious the entire time, but cannot sleep, move, or speak. They just lay there in the soil, eyes wide open, feeling their own bodies rot, until the Burrowers return for them.
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The Burrowers / int_a8a04f6f
 The Burrowers / int_aabe2fb
type
Deliberate Values Dissonance
 The Burrowers / int_aabe2fb
comment
Deliberate Values Dissonance: In spades. Racism runs rampant among whites and Plains Indians alike. Dobie's mother is also rather eager to allow her only son to go off with a posse going into possibly-hostile Indian territory so that he comes back a man.
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 The Burrowers / int_ad982e04
type
Super-Persistent Predator
 The Burrowers / int_ad982e04
comment
Super-Persistent Predator: The Burrowers are relentless in hounding humans, chasing them a great distance, long after it's clear their prey is fighting back. Probably justified that with the buffalo gone, they have no other source of food.
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The Burrowers / int_ad982e04
 The Burrowers / int_bb18a227
type
It's All About Me
 The Burrowers / int_bb18a227
comment
It's All About Me: Henry Victor loves being in charge, and won't hesitate to remind others that he's the one with the authority. Similarly with Parcher, who won't hesitate to put others in danger for his own ends.
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The Burrowers / int_bb18a227
 The Burrowers / int_c39710e1
type
Posse
 The Burrowers / int_c39710e1
comment
Posse: Subverted at first. Clay, Parcher, Coffey, and Dobie wait for the cavalry to arrive and accompany them to the suspected abductors. However, when it is clear that the cavalry have no interest in actually saving people, they strike out on their own.
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The Burrowers / int_c39710e1
 The Burrowers / int_c3c18143
type
Hope Spot
 The Burrowers / int_c3c18143
comment
Hope Spot: When the Ute seem to have a method of killing the Burrowers and when Coffey goes for help. Both times, the hope is quickly and brutally destroyed.
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 The Burrowers / int_cdfe12c3
type
Nothing Is Scarier
 The Burrowers / int_cdfe12c3
comment
Nothing Is Scarier: The Burrowers aren't clearly seen until the climax.
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 The Burrowers / int_d028e0da
type
An Arm and a Leg
 The Burrowers / int_d028e0da
comment
An Arm and a Leg: Happens to the unnamed female victim of the Burrowers and Parcher after Coffey tries to move his corpse, highlighting how the poison works. It also happens to Callaghan, who is given an entirely unnecessary amputation.
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The Burrowers / int_d028e0da
 The Burrowers / int_d339924e
type
Camp Cook
 The Burrowers / int_d339924e
comment
Camp Cook: Callaghan. In keeping with the stereotype, he is a colored servant (though he insists that he is employed by choice) whose cooking is detested.
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The Burrowers / int_d339924e
 The Burrowers / int_d9cf40fa
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Screw This, I'm Outta Here
 The Burrowers / int_d9cf40fa
comment
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Fed up with his treatment as a Camp Cook, Callaghan abandons the Army and follows the posse on their mission to find the Stewarts.
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The Burrowers / int_d9cf40fa
 The Burrowers / int_d9e9ad7e
type
The Cavalry
 The Burrowers / int_d9e9ad7e
comment
The Cavalry: Subverted. While the cavalry respond to Coffey's call for help, they end up murdering two innocent people and "accidentally" killing a third, all the while failing to address the Burrower problem.
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The Burrowers / int_d9e9ad7e
 The Burrowers / int_dddc0035
type
Wormsign
 The Burrowers / int_dddc0035
comment
Wormsign: Shifting clumps of grass are the only things that really give away nearby Burrowers.
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The Burrowers / int_dddc0035
 The Burrowers / int_e68b72
type
The Load
 The Burrowers / int_e68b72
comment
The Load: Coffey and Dobie are regarded as this by the rest of the posse, being the least experienced members. Dobey is eventually sent back to carry a victim of the Burrowers' attacks to safety and ends up becoming another victim himself. By the end of the film however, Coffey Took a Level in Badass as he single-handedly manages to fight off two of the creatures with little more than Improvised Weapons and finishes off those debilitated from consuming Parcher's corpse. In an inversion, Parcher becomes this later on in the film as he suffers from the Burrowers' venom.
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 The Burrowers / int_eb4086e3
type
Big Creepy-Crawlies
 The Burrowers / int_eb4086e3
comment
Big Creepy-Crawlies: The Burrowers act similarly to trapdoor spiders, albeit with qualities similar to rats and moles.
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 The Burrowers / int_ed68bcc9
type
Dwindling Party
 The Burrowers / int_ed68bcc9
comment
Dwindling Party: By the end of the film, only Coffey remains of the original posse.
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 The Burrowers / int_f3626b09
type
Mercy Kill
 The Burrowers / int_f3626b09
comment
Mercy Kill: Encouraged for those attacked by the creatures, as the poison will make them suffer a Fate Worse than Death before they are consumed.
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The Burrowers / int_f3626b09
 The Burrowers / int_f85354eb
type
Attempted Rape
 The Burrowers / int_f85354eb
comment
Attempted Rape: Downplayed. Dobie Spacks is about to put the moves on a paralyzed and helpless girl when he realizes that she's still fully conscious and aware of what's going on.
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The Burrowers / int_f85354eb
 The Burrowers / int_f8f71b5f
type
Buried Alive
 The Burrowers / int_f8f71b5f
comment
Buried Alive: Part of the modus operandi of the creatures, likely to allow the poison time to work through their victims' bodies while keeping them from being taken by other predators.
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 The Burrowers / int_fd1b902c
type
Non-Malicious Monster
 The Burrowers / int_fd1b902c
comment
Non-Malicious Monster: Despite some of the taglines, the creatures aren't evil so much as they are predators.
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The Burrowers

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

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Army Scout / int_dcbb6f94
 The Burrowers
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Buried Alive / int_dcbb6f94
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Cavalry Officer / int_dcbb6f94
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Chupacabra / int_dcbb6f94
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Monster Media / int_dcbb6f94
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The Burrowers
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Weird West / int_dcbb6f94
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Wormsign / int_dcbb6f94