Them!

Rating:
Summary: Pre-Digital Dynamite!
Review: "Them!", the suspense sci-fi thriller released in 1954, is proof that pre-digital filmmaking could equal or exceed the best special-effects movies made today. Its eerie opening quickly builds to tight, taut exposition and convincing quasi-scientific dialogue about nothing less than the extinction of civilization because of giant mutant ants let loose in New Mexico after desert experiments with atomic explosives. Directed with a great feel for both sudden, convulsive thrills and realistic interaction between civilians and the military, this is great moviemaking. Rent it, view it on cable, or rush to a revival house whenever it's scheduled. You'll be glad you did.

Rating:
Summary: Best of the Red Scare Movies
Review: Fans of classic science fiction movies should rejoice with the release of "Them!" on DVD. Now if only they would release "The Day the Eartn Stood Still," "The Thing," or "Beast Fron 20,000 Fathoms." Oh well, it's a start, at least.

And if the other movies are released in as fine a shape on DVD as "Them!" we fans will be even more fortunate. The DVD transfer is sharp, even allowing us to read the State Police patch on James Whitmore's shoulder, and remains that way all through the film. Don't expect too much from the added 'extras', however. Since I've never heard of any existing behind-the-scenes documentary, my disappointment is muted. Having the film is the important thing.

And what a film. Made during that golden age of science fiction movies when the Bomb hung over our heads like the sword of Damocles, "Them!" boasts an intelligent script and superb acting. Even the ants, easily the weakest part of the film, still hold up after all these years. Every once in a while, talk of a remake surfaces, figuring that with today's special effects, the movie could become even more effective. However, I hope that never comes to pass, for today's science fiction pictures often sacrifice script and acting in favor of dazzling special effects, and what makes "Them!" so effective as a science fiction picture is the script and the acting.

The strength of the movie is its initial treatment as a sort of murder mystery, into which New Mexico State Trooper James Whitmore is drawn after he and his partner discover a young girl wandering across the desert in a state of shock. Her trailer home looks caved out rather than caved in, and her parents are inexplicably missing. Her father being an FBI agent on vacation causes fellow agent James Arness to investigate. He, in turn, brings in Onslow Stevens ("House of Dracula") as an Air Force Intelligence Officer, and Edmund Gwenn and Joan Weldon as a father-daughter team of scientists who suspect the worst and are not diappointed.

The film keeps this sort of noirish mood until the end with the battle in the sewers of Los Angeles. Look for Leonard Nimoy as an Army sergeant, Fess Parker as a shaken pilot and Olin Howard as a rsident in the alcoholic ward who keeps seeing giant ants in the rail yard below. (Howard later played the first victim in "The Blob.")

I mentioned in the title of this review that "Them!" i the best of the red scare movies. At heart, that's what the film really is and we can take a special delight in the knowledge of it. The setting is at White Sands, nine years after the atomic bomb tests. It is determined that the ants only developed recently (Coming of the Cold War), live in underground nests (cells), totally subservient to the needs of the society and its queen, or leader. (Communists were often compared to social insects in critiques of their society.) The fact that the first victim is an FBI agent (and a good family man from what we are led to believe) brings in the FBI and Air Force Intelligence. The appearance of the scientists is frosting on the cake: they understand the nature of the enemy and develop the plans to stop them. It is also interesting that throughout the film the ants are simply referred to as "Them," almost as in "Us versus them."

Even if you don't agree with the above analysis, the film is still a treat to watch and holds up well to repeated viewings. Bu the way, the film is restored to its original setting: black and white, with only the opening title in color. Of course, that color is red.

Rating:
Summary: Best of the Big Bugs
Review: I was very pleased at the quality of the DVD transfer. This is in my humble opinion one of the greatest sci-fi movies of the 50's or any other era. Without a doubt the best of the Big Bug movies. Hopefully more of these Bug movies will be released soon.

Rating:
Summary: Killer Ants
Review: Considering this movie was made back in the 50's and was about a bunch of giant killer ants, it was surprisingly not all that cheesy. The story line wasn't that strong, but the acting was decent, and the special effects weren't all that bad.

Rating:
Summary: BEST OF THE BIG BAD B-MOVIE BUGS
Review: It was almost inevitable that following the detonation of the atomic bomb, a new sub-genre of B movies was created: the giant, nuclear-radiated-mutant-insect-antagonist. Typical plots had the once lowly, insignificant creatures suddenly growing to enormous size where they not only loom over humans but prey on and symbolically punish them for what they have unleashed. In other scenarios, the tiny creatures amass in a humongous swarm, and -- behaving as if with a single mind -- do battle with all life in its monstrous path.

Perhaps the best of the big bug lot is THEM (Warner Bros). Originally released in 1954 during the Eisenhower era, recent, not so subtle political and anti nuclear subtexts have been read into the giant ant attack plot that may not have been intended. What starts in New Mexico with a child wandering in shock ends in a desperate man versus mad giant ant battle to the death in the 700 miles of storm drains under Los Angeles. A great cast includes James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn and a truly heroic James Arness. No tongue in cheek wink-wink at the audience here. Everything is played for real.

The screenplay by Ted Sherman is a model of energy, urgency and wit. And breathtaking is the only way to describe the surprising visual quality of the DVD transfer that does justice to the atmospheric artistry of the B/W cinematography that does not shy away from wonderful, moody almost noirish night shots. The mono sound is OK and the limited extras include a short behind the scenes montage on the mechanics of the awesome ant puppets.

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD
Review: A must have.Looks great on dvd.Excellant 50"s SciFi

Rating:
Summary: Them!
Review: Excellent sci-fi movie from the black and white days! The movie was clear in dvd and it hasn't lost a thing over the years. The dvd was like going to the indoor movies. Some of the characters are funny concidering when the movie was made. I highly recommend it to those who really like sci-fi.

Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic
Review: I am a fool for old B&W horror and sci-fi movies and this is one of the best. A tense, fastly paced drama staring Matt Dillion's James Arness ( he also played The Thing in The Thing )as an FBI investigator checking into the very mysterious death of an agent and his wife. Helping in the investigation is the super James Whitmore. Slowly the riddle begins to unfold with startling results, it is ants killing people in the middle of the desert. But not the typical household pests, but monstrous ones capable of rippling apart buildings or sail vessels.

The acting is a dream, with taughtly written and directed pace. Look for Fess Parker in a very small role as a man who sees the large ants and ends up in a mental ward because of it.

A must for any true fan of this genre!!

Rating:
Summary: Good Early Monster Flic
Review: Watching "Them" was a trip down memory lane, because I saw this when it was released, and along with "The Thing" ( the original, not the Curt Russell re-make) were the only movies that ever scared me as a child. It has stood the test of time fairly well, although the special effects pale in comparison with today's capabilities, obviously. But still, the plot works, the script is still decent and the suspense is effective. Some things which I sensed didn't work when I first saw it still jar me. One example is that the uniforms of the troops in the last action sequence look like they just came from the cleaners, and James Arness' helmet liner (why did't they use the real thing?) looks a few sizes too small. But these are minor reservations. I still like this movie and the DVD production is all that could be asked of a 1950's black and white film. If you're hung up on DTS and computer animated graphics, you should probably pass on. But if you like a good action story that is well presented, I think that you'll ejoy "Them"

Rating:
Summary: Keep It Coming Warner Bros.
Review: Wow! I can really appreciate the extra creativity that was put into this DVD offering of THEM! The movie has been one of my faves since I was about 10. Although I wasn't around when the original drive-in release happened, I saw it repeatedly on "Shock Theater" and "Scream-In," two of southwestern Ohio's late night movie shows in the early 70's. The menu itself is cool using the comic strip type blurps often used in the original theatrical release promotional artwork of this type of late 50's creepy classic. It even has a behind the scenes section that must have been buried deeeeep in the vault at Warner. I really do hope that the studio puts out the other "buggy" classics that followed this one, such as Tarantula, The Deadly Mantis, and Black Scorpion so I can continue to occasionally drown myself in the nostalgia of the benign past. Keep it Coming Warner Bros.!!! GREAT JOB!!