EMPIRE OF THE ANTS

**

Directed by Bert I. Gordon.

Starring Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, John David Carson.

Science-Fiction, US, 89 Minutes, Certificate 15.

Released on Limited Edition Blu-Ray by Eureka Entertainment on June 22nd

Nominative determinism is the term used to describe when your name unconsciously decides your career. In filmmaking there is no greater example of this than Bert I. Gordon, aka Mr BIG, the director, producer, screenwriter and visual effects expert of such classics as THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, its sequel WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, EARTH VS. THE SPIDER and VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS among many, many others. Even if you are unfamiliar with this prolific Hollywood auteur you can probably guess his preferred theme of giant sized versions of animals, insects and people attacking various groups of people. Taking advantage of the fear of the bomb in the Cold War era, Mr. BIG, or Bert, if you prefer, specialised in this particular sub-genre like no-one else. Giant creatures would go on to serve Gordon well into the 1970’s by turning away from the fears of the atom age and to the works of H.G. Wells, who he would loosely adapt with his loose adaptations of THE FOOD OF THE GODS and EMPIRE OF THE ANTS.

This being the age of the drive-in, Gordon decides to ignore the colonial aspects of Wells short story and relocates the action to the much closer, and more affordable location of a slice of real estate developed by a tetchy Joan Collins. Hoping to convince a bunch of potential buyers/rubes into parting with their money before they realise their potential getaway home is more swamp than getaway beach, Collins character of Marilyn is met with the disapproval of the gruff boat captain Dan, played by Robert Lansing. Their differences are soon put aside however, when they run into a bunch of radioactively enlarged and annoyed ants who have developed a taste for human flesh. As Marilyn, Dan and the rest of the disaster-movie-like cast, all with their own soap opera-like back stories, attempt to escape the island, they soon discover that the ants have more on their minds than simply devouring them with their own plans for world domination.

Compared to the ant based terrors of Saul Bass’s hallucinogenic, infinitely superior, PHASE IV from 1974, Gordon’s film suffers with its lethargic pacing and a repetitive nature when it comes to its spectacle. There are only so many times you can watch the various cast members scream/shout in surprise before cutting to a wide shot where the ants have been superimposed on the other side of the screen to alter their appearance or the low rent . The last third of the film is far more interesting when the action relocates to a small town setting where a much more eerie atmosphere takes over, injected with a dose of 70’s paranoia as our heroes discover the full scope of the plan of the ants.

A fondly remembered film by fans of Gordon’s and creature feature enthusiasts, this release from Eureka provides ample excuse for them to revisit the film with its slim yet substantial extra features. Kim Newman provides an illuminating and knowledgeable interview on Gordon’s career which took in so much more than giant insects and continued until well into old age. Filmmaker and Mayhem Film Festival co-director Chris Cooke also offers an enthusiastic interview/appreciation while vintage radio spots and a trailer are also included alongside two audio commentaries. Of the two, the track with film historians David Del Valle and Michael Varrati is far more enthusiastic and informative than the one with Gordon himself. Saddled with an interviewer who seems more interested in what Joan Collins was like than any other aspect of the film, Gordon seems and sounds uninterested with his terse answers.

NIcely presented overall with a clean remaster that gives the film a clean sheen that nicely highlights Gordon’s trademark imagery and effects, this is just the ticket for fans of the film. Newcomers may find little of interest here other than a passable example of 70’s B-movie fare, especially at the tail end of the sub-genres popularity, but there really is little else here that will pique the interest of anyone other than longtime enthusiasts and completists.

Iain MacLeod