Empire of the Ants (1977) in '70s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

0 Points

Forum Jump

Empire of the Ants (1977)

Author	Comment
WadeVC	Empire of the Ants (1977)	Lead	[-]
Apr 21 06 3:23 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Has anyone else seen Empire of the Ants? This is one of the cheesiest, worst acted "giant bug" movies I have ever seen....and I Love It! The effects are....how can I put it....really, really, REALLY bad; and the acting was much worse than the effects. This is a typical "Radiation grows Giant bugs" type of flick, which isn't a bad thing, but man alive, be prepared to laugh and roll your eyes while watching this campy flick. You almost feel embarassed for the actors in the film it is so bad. As a matter of fact, the best thing about this movie is the DVD cover-art. ...not only will I watch it again, I have the DVD!
	Remove this ad
Rakshasa	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#1	[-]
Apr 21 06 7:05 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I remember when this came out. In fact, I had a monster magazine that had photos from the film in it (Famous Monsters maybe?). It was the same summer that the Michael York version of "The Island Of Doctor Mureau" came out (I think). Maybe Food Of The Gods was also around this time? Anyway, it is a crummy movie, but fun to watch!
oldmanster	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#2	[-]
Apr 21 06 8:16 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Despite the rear-projected ants (a la Mr. B.I.G.'s usual style), the film featured some good location shooting, so it's very nice to look at. Robert Lansing has always been one of my personal favorites ever since I watched his portrayal of Steve Carella in the TV 87th Precinct series, but I gotta say that he appears to be drunk throughout most of this film. Joan Collins is... well, nice to look at even though her "bit*ch" role is stale and predictable. The finale is a bit rushed. I sorta wish they'd gone the route of Kingdom of the Spiders in terms of the ending. This is one of my wife's favorite films -- she's a Big Critter fan -- and I recently bought the DVD for her upcoming birthday. ... Reed
evilskippy	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#3	[-]
Apr 21 06 9:42 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This movie is so jaw droppingly bad that I can't tear myself away from it once it is on. Truly stinky cheese of the highest odor. That being said it is miles better than the flipside movie, Tentacles. "You suffer the consequences of speaking your mind if it isn't what people want to hear"-Adewale Ogunleye
carl2000	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#4	[-]
Apr 21 06 11:12 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I probably would have enjoyed this movie more if there was someone likeable to identify with. As it is now, I always find myself rooting more for the ants! I will say that one of the film's few saving graces is Albert Salmi's intentionally disoriented turn as the sheriff. TENTACLES was even worse when it played in the theaters! Sam Arkoff had about twelve minutes removed, which made the movie look even more slipshod. I actually enjoy it more than EMPIRE though. It's fun to watch such a surprisingly strong cast slumming their way through it, and Riz Ortolani's score is very well done during the monster attacks. Pretty novel ending, too.
ryanbrennan	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#5	[-]
Apr 21 06 11:13 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Robert Lansing has always been one of my personal favorites ever since I watched his portrayal of Steve Carella in the TV 87th Precinct series, One of my favorites, too, who was never given his due. Nor was he able to parlay his TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH TV series into a bigger career. The last time I got to enjoy him on a weekly basis was in THE EQUALIZER. He always reminded me of a cross between Charles McGraw and Richard Boone. Boy, would I have loved to see a movie with the three of them!
carl2000	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#6	[-]
Apr 21 06 11:18 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wasn't Lansing also a regular on the KUNG FU: NEXT GENERATION tv series?
Renfield	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#7	[-]
Apr 21 06 11:55 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Worth seeing just to enjoy Joan Collins having to slog through the swamp and get wasted in the end. Thank you, Mr. B.I.G.! Joe "Renfield" Meadows HORROR-WOOD Webzine http://www.horror-wood.com
WadeVC	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#8	[-]
Apr 21 06 1:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* As it is now, I always find myself rooting more for the ants! You say that like it is a bad thing??
wizcp	empire of the ants	#9	[-]
Apr 21 06 2:30 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wasn't there some of the props from THEM used in this ?
Jameson281	Re: empire of the ants	#10	[-]
Apr 21 06 3:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"Wasn't there some of the props from THEM used in this ?" Not likely. Most of the ant shots employ real ants, and the shots that use full-size props do not look like the THEM ants.
	Remove this ad
WadeVC	Re: empire of the ants	#11	[-]
Apr 21 06 3:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Wasn't there some of the props from THEM used in this ? Not as far as I could tell or find reference to. In regards to the ants themselves, those that appeared in THEM! were much larger than those depicted in "Empire of the Ants". However, the ant props used in Empire of the Ants looked a little more realistic. To which props are you referring...it would be worth trying to find out for the sake of interest. THEM! Empire of the Ants
TomWeaver999	Re: empire of the ants	#12	[-]
Apr 21 06 3:24 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I interviewed Robert Pine and Jacqueline Scott, and both made the swamp shooting sound ... BEYOND awful.
zogstar67	double feature	#13	[-]
Apr 21 06 3:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm very happy to say I saw EOTA at the drive-in on a double bill with FOOD OF THE GODS when they were first released. What a double feature!
Rakshasa	Re: double feature	#14	[-]
Apr 21 06 7:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Man, I remember being a kid and seeing the ads for all these 1977 flicks in the newspaper. I think my dad took me to see all of them!
carl2000	Re: double feature	#15	[-]
Apr 21 06 8:18 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I believe the ant props were built by the Burmans.
Renfield	Re: double feature	#16	[-]
Apr 21 06 8:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* interviewed Robert Pine and Jacqueline Scott, and both made the swamp shooting sound ... BEYOND awful. Couldn't get a comment from Joan Collins, eh? ;) Joe "Renfield" Meadows HORROR-WOOD Webzine http://www.horror-wood.com
Rapfred	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#17	[-]
Apr 21 06 8:48 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	>>Robert Lansing has always been one of my personal favorites ever since I watched his portrayal of Steve Carella in the TV 87th Precinct series, but I gotta say that he appears to be drunk throughout most of this film.>> While Lansing looked plenty decrepit, I thought he gave a good, sturdy performance as the bizarro Captain Quint cum reluctant hero. Jacqueline Scott also does solid work here, managing to keep her dignity in spite of the hokey script and polyester threads; I've been a fan of Scott's work ever since her brief but memorable turn as Walter Matthau's ill-fated moll in CHARLEY VARRICK.
rvoyttbots	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#18	[-]
Apr 21 06 10:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I saw this when first released in a sit down theater. Man, typical 70`s trash. Boy, they made bad films in the 70`s. I think Salmi is the best thing about this mess of a film.
BijouBob8mm	Re: Empire of the Ants (1977)	#19	[-]
Apr 22 06 3:32 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bert I. Gordon, Joan Collins and giANTS...what's not to love? Yes, AIP was turning to the classics at that point, with films based on books by both Edgar Rice Burroughs and H.G. Wells. For some reason, though, we've yet to be given FOOD OF THE GODS...even though the crappy sequel (in name only) is out on DVD. I remember reading about these in FM at the time, getting pumped up about seeing them, going to the drive-in with "the gang," only to inevitably be disappointed with the initial viewing. (After all, these were hardly Harryhausen.) But, over the years, these have come to grow on me, and I've grabbed up the DVDs that were available. (Although the "letterboxed" DVD of ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU does clip off bits of Barbara Carrera that were visible on the full screen VHS from GoodTimes.)
TomWeaver999		#20	[-]
Jun 4 09 6:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	For EMPIRE OF THE ANTS completists: http://www.starlog.com/franchises/classic-films/237-ant-exclusive-acting-with-ants
	Remove this ad

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Yuku free message boards

Empire of the Ants (1977)

Empire of the Ants (1977)