THEM!1954 the atomic age unleashes natures hordes!! in '50s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

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THEM!1954 the atomic age unleashes natures hordes!!

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count wimpula	THEM!1954 the atomic age unleashes natures hordes!!	Lead	[-]
Jan 7 10 7:36 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	this film really scared me as a child. the frighful noises the giant ants send out were very scary!great special effects for its day! the opening scene with the dazed little girl in shock from her encouter with Them,is quite haunting-begins in the new mexico desert..features james whitmore as the daunting policeman,james arness (of gunsmoke & the thing)- as the FBI Agent,and edmund gwenn,as the entomologist & his beautiful daughter Joan Weldon, trying to solve the mystery of the giant ants..great cast/plot and the whole story ends up in the storm drains of 1954 los angeles,probably the best of the atomic insect films-its my favorite...highly.recommed to all sci-fi-fiends..too right!!,til next time catch it and enjoy! dont know if its available on DVD,I have an old VHS copy . Last Edited By: count wimpula Jan 9 10 11:43 AM. Edited 2 times.
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Grimm Jimm	THEM!	#1	[-]
Nov 2 03 9:02 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Had the opportunity to see THEM! on the big screen this Halloween at a local revival theater! It was a lot of fun and the audience really got into it - they cheered whenever they killed the Ants. The theater staff went out of it's way to decorate, lining the lobby with large burlap bags marked sugar, and creating large paper machie ant eggs in the orchestra pit. If this wasn't enough it was a double feature with Forbidden Planet. On the subject of Forbidden Planet, does anone else find this movie boring? Don't get me wrong, the film has everyting going for it, awesome sets, costumes, special effects, ROBBY, the ID, and lovely Ann Francis. But the plot moves along at a snails pace. I've seen it twice on the big screen, and have yet to stay awake past the Krell Labs! I even took a nap before we went to the show! Man, I must be getting old!
nelsonbraendle	Shadows of monsters old in modern sci-fi	#2	[-]
Nov 3 03 9:25 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Speaking of THEM!, has anyone ever noticed the striking resemblance between that film and James Cameron's ALIENS? This may be common knowledge, but watching them carry blow torches around those caverns and torching the ants eggs was obviously a great influence on Cameron's film. Of course, it is widely held that It! The Terror from Beyond was the inspiration for the original ALIEN. It's funny that each of the first two Alien films bear the remarkable imprint of the classics that inspired their creators. This trend needs to continue further into the 21st century!
JimPV	Re: THEM!	#3	[-]
Nov 3 03 6:58 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* On the subject of Forbidden Planet, does anone else find this movie boring? ...the plot moves along at a snails pace. Well, it is somewhat (ahem) deliberately paced, but I would say it's far from "boring". Keep in mind, Forbidden Planet as it exists now, is really a rough-cut. The editor submitted it in it's current version basically just hoping to get some feedback as to how the edit was looking (I think it had a fairly successful sneak preview), and the studio said, "that's good enough; release it as is!" Still, I find it so well done and the concepts it addresses so interesting that it's a total classic to me. "If I had a hidden microphone inside of my heart, I would turn the power on..."
Grimm Jimm	Forbidden Planet..	#4	[-]
Nov 3 03 11:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Jim, thanks for that info on the "rough cut" nature of the film. I wasn't aware of that info. I do find the story elements interesting, but perhaps it was the pacing that throws me off. The "rough cut" info does explain a few things, maybe they needed to tighten it up a bit for my taste. No doubt it is a "classic" and was well ahead of it's time. Perhaps in the end, I should have taken a longer nap!:)
Laughing Gravy	Re: Forbidden Planet..	#5	[-]
Nov 4 03 2:11 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I say, thank god for Anne Francis' legs and her costume, 'cause that's the only thing that keeps me awake through FORBIDDEN PLANET. Awhile ago, I posted my review of the DVD on a different site, and admitted I found the film to be terribly over-rated, with mostly boring actors and a bad idea for a musical score. I expected to get pummeled, but instead I found that folks agreed with me. I just don't like it.
SFfilmfan	Re: Forbidden Planet..	#6	[-]
Nov 4 03 7:25 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm sorry to hear that, as FORBIDDEN PLANET remains one of my all-time favorites. I do find its detailed depiction of an alien planet memorable, I enjoyed the "cerebral" monster it depicted, loved watching Anne Francis do her coy act in those marvelous Helen Rose costumes, and also enjoyed the camraderie among the space corps led by Leslie Nielsen in his more restrained days. If this is boring, I have to wonder what science fiction films you find exciting?
Laughing Gravy	Re: Forbidden Planet..	#7	[-]
Nov 5 03 1:03 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Just a few of my favorite sci-fi films, all of which I find MUCH more exciting than FORBIDDEN PLANET: The Day the Earth Stood Still Flash Gordon (1936) The Incredible Shrinking Man Invasion of the Body Snatchers Metropolis The Thing (from Another World) The Time Machine When Worlds Collide
SFfilmfan	SF Film Favorites	#8	[-]
Nov 17 03 6:35 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	An excellent list, Laughing, though it does tend to really favor the '50s. So no SECONDS? No 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY? No QUATERMASS AND THE PIT? No BLADE RUNNER? No ALIEN? No TIME AFTER TIME? No AKIRA? No BRAZIL? No 12 MONKEYS? No WAR OF THE WORLDS? And so many more....
Unregistered(d)	Re: SF Film Favorites	#9	[-]
Nov 17 03 10:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* An excellent list, Laughing, though it does tend to really favor the '50s. The catagory is '50s Sci-Fi and Horror, after all.
SFfilmfan	SF Film Favorites (nee THEM!)	#10	[-]
Nov 18 03 7:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	If so, then why mention the FLASH GORDON serial or 1960's THE TIME MACHINE?
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Unregistered(d)	Re: SF Film Favorites (nee THEM!)	#11	[-]
Nov 18 03 7:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* If so, then why mention the FLASH GORDON serial or 1960's THE TIME MACHINE? I always include THE TIME MACHINE. To me, '50s sci-fi kinda slops over into the early '60s. (I think Bill Warren's book goes to '62, but there are, probably, a few films after that that seem more '50s than '60s.)
Laughing Gravy	Re: SF Film Favorites (nee THEM!)	#12	[-]
Nov 18 03 8:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	shrugs I wasn't really trying to name 1950s sci-fi pictures, only listing my favorites. If the list is heavy on the '50s titles, it's only because those are the ones I grew up on. (Don't forget, though, METROPOLIS is hardly a '50s film). Of the other titles mentioned, 2001 and WAR OF THE WORLDS are certainly close to my "favorites" list. I liked the first STAR WARS picture a lot, too. But then, INVASION OF THE SAUCERMEN is a favorite of mine, too, which should tell you a lot about me.....
SFfilmfan	Invasion of the Saucermen	#13	[-]
Nov 19 03 9:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	To be honest, I'm quite a fan of that flick myself. I enjoyed the Paul Fairman original story, I loved Paul Blaisdal's recreation of litte green men (LGMs), I enjoyed seeing Frank Gorshin in something other than BATMAN (or 12 MONKEYS). I even got a kick out of the fuzzy hand that pops up at the end titles. Definitely a fun '50s flick, if a bit pedestrian. Not up to EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS, but still quite an enjoyable B film.
Laughing Gravy	Re: THEM!	#14	[-]
Nov 28 03 11:46 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Getting back to the original topic, if I may, did ya'll know that Gordon Douglas, director of THEM!, had previously directed an Academy Award-winning film? Well, he had. He directed BORED OF EDUCATION, the Oscar-winning Best Live-Action Short Subject of 1936. It was an Our Gang film (or Little Rascals, if you prefer). Just sharing.
madwitch1	Re: THEM!	#15	[-]
Apr 13 05 12:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I love THEM!!! It was the first DVD I got. I love the way that the lead woman in the film is not a whimp like so many of the women in films of that time perod. Mad Witch 1 Leader Psychos "R" Us
Rakshasa	Re: THEM!	#16	[-]
Apr 13 05 3:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Them is my favorite 50's horror/Sci Fi movie. Hands down the best IMHO. How AWESOME is Edmund Gwynne?!! I would now like to do my impression of James Whitmore's death scene: "Jerry! Mike! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
ecafisac	Re: THEM!	#17	[-]
Apr 28 05 6:16 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yep! I like Them! too.. I think its a fab film.
oldmanster	THEM! durned ants!	#18	[-]
Apr 28 05 12:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The cricket-like screeches used for ant sound effects was a very powerful scare tactic for this (much younger) Monster Kid, and it still works on me today. THEM! used what I consider to be the most natural sound effects in any genre flick, 50s or otherwise. No screaming/wailing/roaring non-insect noise as used in other films, but a louder, higher-pitched (so humans could hear it) chittering. You could almost imagine the giant ants communicating with each other: "Sugar... good! Meat... good! Let's go get some!" ... Reed
Rakshasa	Re: THEM! durned ants!	#19	[-]
Apr 28 05 1:29 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Right you are Old Manster! I've always been haunted by that THEM sound effect. I used to run around the house (as a monster kid) doing "my version" of it by whistling rapidly. Then, I would unload my toy Tommy Gun on the imaginary ants! I always thought it was cool that that one ant actually does ROAR when Whitmore blasts it with his machine gun in the desert!
jimi d2	Re: THEM! durned ants!	#20	[-]
Apr 28 05 1:34 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The sound effects were one of the many things they got absolutely right with this movie... I remember the first time I saw it, I was on the edge of my seat the entire film. The people behind me had to tell me to sit down when James Whitmore got it, because the tension had pulled me out of my seat - I couldn't believe he didn't make it!
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THEM!1954 the atomic age unleashes natures hordes!!

THEM!1954 the atomic age unleashes natures hordes!!