EMPIRE OF THE ANTS. One of the cheapest, tackiest ants-on-the-rampage movies ever. Bonus points for pre-Dynasty Joan Collins looking positively frumpy in a drab brown outfit that she wears for the entire movie.
/Classic line: "Whatever you do, don't let them take you to the sugar refinery." Oh noes!
There were a couple of MST3K treatments of spider movies: THE HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND (badly dubbed German movie starring no one you ever heard of) and THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION with such luminaries as Barbara Hale and Alan Hale, Jr. (were they related?). The latter MST3K is one where, upon viewing a drunk, downscale couple, Mike comments, "These people really are the backbone of the casino-based economy."
It's not a bug movie, but one of my favorite bad "nature gone wild" movies is DAY OF THE ANIMALS with Leslie ("Don't call me Shirley") Nielsen as the bad guy who goes nuts and threatens Christopher and Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, and Ruth Roman - it might have to do with the ozone layer thinning out and the animals attacking humans - until (WARNING, if you care) getting killed by a grizzly (END WARNING).
He takes his shirt off, tells Lynda DG "I own you" and generally chews the scenery in a wonderfully loony way.
This gets a high recommendation for bad movie lovers.
I can't honestly claim that it is as good a movie as Them, but Phase IV is a much more ambitious film, very sophisticated and well worth watching. Kingdom of the Spiders is a more traditional science fiction "insect" film but it is clever and atmospheric with a terrific ending that has been borrowed more than once. Unfortunately, people often have a problem looking past the movie's low budget and the fact that it stars William Shatner, but it really is a good film.
Try Alligator (1980), screenplay by John Sayles (director...Eight Men Out, Matewan, Brother From Another Planet,...)--the things people will do to finance a movie of their own...in this case, his first movie, Return of the Seacaucus Seven.
14 comments:
Them!
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS. One of the cheapest, tackiest ants-on-the-rampage movies ever. Bonus points for pre-Dynasty Joan Collins looking positively frumpy in a drab brown outfit that she wears for the entire movie.
/Classic line: "Whatever you do, don't let them take you to the sugar refinery." Oh noes!
Yes, that was a classic all right. And there was a spider movie with Bill Shatner. Kingdom of the Spiders? Or was that a different one?
Hope you aren't underwater, Deb.
Yes, Shatner, Tiffany Bolling and Woody Strode.
There were a couple of MST3K treatments of spider movies: THE HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND (badly dubbed German movie starring no one you ever heard of) and THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION with such luminaries as Barbara Hale and Alan Hale, Jr. (were they related?). The latter MST3K is one where, upon viewing a drunk, downscale couple, Mike comments, "These people really are the backbone of the casino-based economy."
/Lots of rain, but we're safe right now.
I'm with the article. I love "Phase IV". Definitely a visual artist's movie.
It's not a bug movie, but one of my favorite bad "nature gone wild" movies is DAY OF THE ANIMALS with Leslie ("Don't call me Shirley") Nielsen as the bad guy who goes nuts and threatens Christopher and Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, and Ruth Roman - it might have to do with the ozone layer thinning out and the animals attacking humans - until (WARNING, if you care) getting killed by a grizzly (END WARNING).
He takes his shirt off, tells Lynda DG "I own you" and generally chews the scenery in a wonderfully loony way.
This gets a high recommendation for bad movie lovers.
I haven't seen that one, but it sounds like a classic.
It shows you just how good a bad movie can be, unlike SHARKNADO, which is just bad.
You need to see it.
I can't honestly claim that it is as good a movie as Them, but Phase IV is a much more ambitious film, very sophisticated and well worth watching. Kingdom of the Spiders is a more traditional science fiction "insect" film but it is clever and atmospheric with a terrific ending that has been borrowed more than once. Unfortunately, people often have a problem looking past the movie's low budget and the fact that it stars William Shatner, but it really is a good film.
I can't remember who did the novelization of KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, but I'm sure there was one. Barry Malzberg did the one of PHASE IV, I believe.
Try Alligator (1980), screenplay by John Sayles (director...Eight Men Out, Matewan, Brother From Another Planet,...)--the things people will do to finance a movie of their own...in this case, his first movie, Return of the Seacaucus Seven.
I, of course, love ALLIGATOR and even have the one-sheet for it.
I saw Alligator in a drive-in theater as part of a double feature with the aforementioned Giant Spider Invasion. Those were the days.
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