"There are countless horrible things happening all over the world and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible." -Auberon Waugh
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday Movie
I have always considered the first ten minutes or so of the 1954 Sci-Fi classic Them! to be one of the best >opening sequences in the genre.
Oh yes, I can still remember staying up late on a Friday night nearly 50 years ago to watch 'Them!' on TV with the lights out - Deadly Ernest's Creature Feature...
The great thing about the opening is the sheer, ominous suspense; unless you already know the movie's about giant ants, you really have no idea what the threat is.
A few ants, pfft! You want scary bunches of ants? The Naked Jungle with Charton Heston, Eleanor Parker and William Conrad. Wave after wave of the little critters!
Still not as scary as I Married a Teenage Monster From Outer Space! ;)
I liked the way the trooper played by Chris Drake turned out the lights in the little store before investigating the sound. That works on a couple of levels. Cinematically, it really adds to the creepy atmosphere and menace of the scene. But it is also what a savvy police officer would do to avoid being backlit when he exited through door. I followed the link to the Chris Drake fan site and learned that he had served with Carlson's Raiders in the Solomon Islands campaign in WWII. That makes me wonder if turning off the lights was his idea and not the director or screenwriter.
Oh yes, I can still remember staying up late on a Friday night nearly 50 years ago to watch 'Them!' on TV with the lights out - Deadly Ernest's Creature Feature...
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff.
The great thing about the opening is the sheer, ominous suspense; unless you already know the movie's about giant ants, you really have no idea what the threat is.
ReplyDeleteAh, "Them"! I watched on the boob tube as a kid, and was terribly scared. A classic!
ReplyDeleteEven the rerun these days are great. I ordered it from Amazon not to long ago.
A few ants, pfft! You want scary bunches of ants? The Naked Jungle with Charton Heston, Eleanor Parker and William Conrad. Wave after wave of the little critters!
ReplyDeleteStill not as scary as I Married a Teenage Monster From Outer Space!
;)
I liked the way the trooper played by Chris Drake turned out the lights in the little store before investigating the sound. That works on a couple of levels. Cinematically, it really adds to the creepy atmosphere and menace of the scene. But it is also what a savvy police officer would do to avoid being backlit when he exited through door. I followed the link to the Chris Drake fan site and learned that he had served with Carlson's Raiders in the Solomon Islands campaign in WWII. That makes me wonder if turning off the lights was his idea and not the director or screenwriter.
ReplyDeleteNash: Great minds, etc. I was thinking the same thing!
ReplyDeleteYojimbo, I saw The Naked Jungle when I was a kid. Scared the bejeebus out of me.
ReplyDeleteThe Naked Jungle is a good 'un (and I've always had a thing for Eleanor Parker).
ReplyDeleteI always liked the rambunctious old wino in the hospital (as well as Fess Parker in a cameo).
ReplyDeleteThe bumbling professor with the hot daughter was good too.