THE EMPIRE OF THE ANTS

US, 1977, 89 minutes, Colour.
Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, John David Carson, Albert Salmi.
Directed by Bert I. Gordon.

Empire of the Ants is based on a story by H.G. Wells – though this film might have had the master writer turning in his grave.

The story is updated to the 1970s in the wake of the disaster films and, especially, the proliferation of animal menace films at this period. Bert I. Gordon, a commercials and special effects director, was also to make a version of H.G. Wells’s Food of the Gods at this time.

Ants are taking over part of the Florida wilds and ruining the work of a shady estate agent, played by Joan Collins – who, in her autobiography, says it was her worst acting experience. A group of B-budget supporting actors fill out the cast. The special effects are the most interesting thing as the giant ants take over. The tagline for the film was: For they shall inherit the earth … sooner than you think!

1. The appeal of science fiction? Science fiction and disaster with animals in the seventies? The appeal of H. G. Wells, and his being updated to the seventies? Successfully?

2.The point of view of Wells, the menace of the animal world, the reasons for animals menacing man and what man had done? The value of the science fiction, fears and warning?

3. The importance of the special photographic effects? Successful, frightening?

4. How entertaining is this kind of thriller? The menace, fights, gore? The unsubtle approach and its effect?

5. The ironic touches in the screenplay? Radioactivity and pollution and fines? The land deals and rip-offs and the punishment of these people?

6. The conventions of assembling the cast, the varying personalities, the family problems? A suitable cross section? Their motives for going on the trip? Did they see their fates? The parable and the nature of punishment for sin? Over-simplistic tone?

7. The character of Marilyn as central? for land deals, self assertion as a woman running a business? Her frauds? Persuading people, putting on the trip, putting on the dinner, the tour? Her reliance on Charlie and the bond with him? ( Brought out truly when he was killed?) Her dependence on Den and his independence of her? As a central focus of threat, survival? Her experience and fears? Her surviving? The fact that she was brainwashed by the ants? The inevitability of her death?

8. The portrayal of the old couple wanting to enjoy their last years, yet greedy and killed? Larry as the womaniser and his manner? His fears, abandoning his wife? His own death? The young girl and her being affronted by Larry? Dependence on Joe? Becoming the hero and heroine? The middle aged woman and her reliance on Dan? Sympathetic characters? Sufficient information, character sketch for this kind of film?

9. The film’s presentation of people's response to crisis, fear, resourcefulness, cowardice? Continued danger, using of wits, reaction to death? The transition in Joe from a wealthy young drinker and divorce to hero?

10. The initial information about the ants, their intelligence? The visual presentation of their looking at the humans, their menace, the wounds? Their sighs, the radioactivity? Their herding the human beings towards the town? Their hold over the town?

11. Audience relief when the people found the old couple, the sheriff, the ironies of the town with the phone calls, long distance for the sugar, car hire? The importance of the feeding of the ants and the supplying of the sugar? The focus of the refinery?

12. The indoctrination sequences and the way that this was handled ? plausible, ludicrous? The intelligent ants, the zombie human beings?

13. Marilyn and her being indoctrinated? Don and his resourcefulness? the ways that he had used it throughout the film (and his not being deceived by Marilyn’s deals), the confrontation? Joe and his resourcefulness in destroying the refinery? The relief at the happy ending and the escape?

14. Saturday matinee material? basic science fiction? The basic moralising of science fiction ?