Kaiju Movie Viewing Thread #77

[Henry88]

back from the dead again

[MekaGojira3k]

I voted Empire of the Ants, because I watched the trailer and was like "HOLY CRAP I REMEMBER THIS", so...yeah..I'd like to revisit childhood a bit.

[Henry88]

now just waiting klen7 and his love of knoga.

[klen7]

Voted for Konga and Rodan

[DannyBeane]

Don't blame me I didn't vote for Konga. I will vote for Rodan though because <3

[klen7]

When does voting end?

[Henry88]

and a three way tie,can konga really win?

[DannyBeane]

[Henry88]

and now all kneel to the Empire of the Ants.

DannyBeane get's the next poll.

[klen7]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO KONGA! You were sooo close. Dammit Konga.

[Henry88]

another movie about giant ants taking over the world










dan kester's badass brother bob kester.



who would have though ants where the romantic type.


brainwashing via gaspassing.

[DannyBeane]

[DannyBeane]

So I just finished watching Empire of the Ants and I remember where I've seen it. I watched this film on Monstervision a long time ago during the Joe Bob Briggs years. This film seems to be a part of the 70s fad of low budget giganimal genre that was prevalent during the time. It draws comparisons to other films like Night of the Lepus and the film The Food of the Gods who was directed by Bert I. Gordon who also directed Empire of the ants.

This film at first seems like a THEM! rip off but it has a few things that separate it from that 50s Sci-fi classic. The main difference is the pot twist towards the end of the film where the ants are enslaving the people with pheromones so they will farm sugar for them much like aphids which is pretty predictable when you think about the opening narration which covers that.

The movie is still fun though even though its loaded with cheese. The spfx are all over the place. The actual ant props are pretty well realized. The stop motion footage is serviceable. The enlarged footage of actual ants composited onto the scene is laughably bad though leading up to my favorite scene. The scene on the river where the boat was blocked by the trees had hilariously bad compositing. The Jeff Bridges looking character frantically swings his oar at the live ant footage and the oar disappears into thin air as it approaches the ants. The ant footage doesn't match the scene even slightly.

The acting is serviceable for the genre but I kept forgetting the characters names so I referred to them as their celebrity doppelgängers, particular Jeff Bridges, Topher Grace, Bruce Campbell and Sally Fields.

Here is the film for anyone that wants to give it a watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VER2j2R ... 14&list=WL

While this movie isn't a good film by any means, it is a fun film to watch for fans of the B movie genre.

[klen7]

i was just coming on here to post that i was disappointed it was no longer on Netflix/Amazon or wherever i thought i saw it for streaming before. Thanks

[Alpha OTS]

[klen7]

SPOILERS

So the quick version...
Very unimpressed with the first 2/3 of the film, though i did laugh when the old couple walked out of the house. Once a few survivors get picked up and brought in to town, i enjoyed the twist a lot. would liked to have seen that segment extended for a full film.. a "THEM!" meets "They Live" (Them Live?)

pros:
an attractive cast with decent acting ability overall
the twist
the toddler on the bike
"FLAMMABLE" zoom shot

cons:
shakey cam
a lot of the special effects were very weak for the time.
ant screaming

So i think the last act really saved this movie for me and made it a lot more enjoyable

[DannyBeane]

We some new blood participating in these threads. They are a great way to discover new movies and have some fun talking about films other than the standard Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera films

[MekaGojira3k]

I'm only like 15 minutes in, and my godddd am I bored.

[DannyBeane]

[klen7]

He he... Yeah. First 1/2 - 2/3 I found borderline unbearable.

[Alpha OTS]

[klen7]

I'm in the same boat, where i would have never heard of, yet alone watched "Caltiki" or "The Bermuda Depths" but yehhhh "Zaat"... never forgive, never forget.

[DannyBeane]

Yeah its crazy how many fun movies are out there that no one has heard about.

[Alpha OTS]

"Whatever you do, don't let them take you to the sugar refinery."

Just finished watching Empire of the Ants. Actually, I started last night, and then my tv's wireless network adapter decided to go on the fritz and I spent time instead troubleshooting that to no avail. Anyway...

My god, the skakey cam! Can someone please make it stop! Seriously, any scene with the ant props, and there are many of them, are shot entirely with shakey cam. And its *SHAKEY* shakey cam too. It bugged me. I thought you guys were exaggerating it, but if anything, you weren't emphasizing how bad it is. Its readily apparent why they're doing it, the ant props aren't exactly moving otherwise.


Behold! Ant Vision!

As to the story, I was a little surprised how quickly the ants showed up. I'm no entomologist, but I'm pretty sure the ant species varies back and forth throughout the movie depending on the footage needed for each scene. Now as to the twist, I liked it. I kind of wish I hadn't spoiled myself by reading the posts above before watching though. I think I enjoyed the time displacement twist aspect of it more, as you're expecting the freshly radioactive-waste exposed ants on the beach to be the ant-agonists. klen7 nailed the "Them!' meets "They Live!" analogy, and it had me thinking if this movie could be a candidate for a remake. I'm having thoughts of how the movie could be easily improved with much better effects and editing.


And what was up with the Joan Collins' death scene? It almost seemed like there should have been something more, like the final command pheromone where Joan would go save or bee the new queen or something.

To summarize, I, for one, welcome our new viewing poll winner. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted forum personality, I could be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their above-ground sugar refineries.

[klen7]

^ Yes to all this! I can't believe I didn't mention "ant-vision" or the death sequence that seemed like it cut in at the wrong point or something. I wonder if the new Edgar Wright movie will bring more attention to this film (the one with the giant grasshoppers not the one with the ant man...though now that I mention it....)