In the book Monster Rally, Pat O'Donnell takes a chapter to examine classic horror films featuring swarms of killer insects. From blood-thirsty worms to highly intelligent ants, there seems to be no end to the number of insectoid creatures willing and ready to combat the human race, both in print and film. It's enough to make Professor Hellstrom proud.
"Adapt or die." Scientists in a desert laboratory designed to study local ant colonies soon find themselves under attack by highly intelligent ants. Who is studying who?
"They'll Love The Very Life Out Of Your Body!" Cosmic interference with a small town in California is turning the women into Queen Bees, who then kill their male counterparts by having sex with them until they die.
"The Picture You See With Your Eyes Closed." Highly intelligent insects that look like rocks, eat ash, start fires, and can spell. And you thought the Bee Girls were dangerous.
"This is more than a movie. It's a prediction!" Starring Bradford Dillman, who played the mad scientist in BUG, the Swarm features a huge swarm of African bees that terrorize America.
"Shocking. Beautiful. Brilliant. Sensual. Deadly... and in the end only they will survive." Cinematographer Ken Middleham, who handled the insect sequences for both BUG and PHASE IV, was behind the camera work of this classic pseudo-documentary about man's impending battle for world domination with their only true adversary, the insect world.
"An avalanche of killer worms...writhing across the land in a tidal wave of terror!" A small southern town is ravaged by giant earthworms turned blood-thirsty and dangerous by downed power lines. Although filmed in color, director Jeff Lieberman feels that the film works better in black and white, and has recommended that viewers turn the color down on their televisions.
I am the editor and coauthor of Monster Rallyand the author of Performed by Lugosi. I am also a co-host of the wildly popular film review podcast MovieSucktastic. As a writer, … more