NP "I've seen things..."

[Dave Monroe]

You are correct sir ... 

Phase IV (1974) 

http://imdb.com/title/tt0070531/

Not to be confused with the ironically unrelated ...

Phase IV (2001) 

http://imdb.com/title/tt0289758/

I don't think it's on DVD, nor do I think it's readily
available on VHS.  A friend (LSJTD is a favorite of
his as well, I think that's just out on DVD) taped it
for me way back when, a copy of a copy of a ... I
later shelled out for a clean copy, but I recently
grabbed another for $5 from the video store across the
street from the Music Box Theater in Chicago (where I
SHOULD be today, albeit at the Century Landmark, but,
having gotten up 3 1/2 HOURS before I had to catch
either the Amtrak or the Greyhound down, last minute
delays of COURSE made me miss the Greyhound by three
minutes, whichwas two minutes before the Amtrak left,
from several blocks away, so ... So I am particularly
cranky today, be forewarned) ...  

Anyway, Phase IV is examplary of what I like to call
"The Boring 70s Science Fiction Film" (a favorite
genre of mine, beginning in 1968 with 2001: A Sapce
Odyssey, and continuing onward with Solaris, The
Andromeda Strain, Silent Running, et al., up through
Andrei Tarkovsky's paint-drying masterpiece, Stalker
(1979)).   Keep in mind, I really love these films,
but I knew someone who managed a video store, told her
to order Stalker.  Everybody complained about it,
apparently.  One guy returned it, saying he "couldn't
think that slow."  The only customer who liked it was,
of cpurse, "an English teacher," so ...

But, man oh man oh man ... do note that nowhere in the
movie does it say, "No ants were harmed in the making
of this film."  AND there's a novelization by Barry N.
Malzberg, much of which is written from the point of
view of the ants.  Reminds me as well, Bernard
Werber's book, Empire of the Ants (unrelalted to teh
Joan Collins vehicle of 1977).  Or Clifford Simak's
City (an all time fave rave).  SPOILER ALERT: First
it's the dogs, then it's the ants ...

Plus some interesting (?) trivia ...

http://imdb.com/name/nm0800294/

http://imdb.com/title/tt0070531/crazycredits

I hadn't really thought about that before.  Okay, now
I gotta see what provoked this ...

--- Richard Romeo <r.romeo at atlanticphilanthropies.org>
wrote:

> Phase 4 is a small film (like Let's Scare Jessica
> to Death--vampire ghoul hippie nightmare) but
> intelligent, engaging and frightening
> 
> Two researchers investigate apparent problems with
> local ants--they get more than they bargained for--
> some wonderful insect photography to boot
> 
> Made in 1974 I believe

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