Season of the Witch

 

(1973) Written and directed by George A. Romero; Starring: Jan White, Raymond Laine, Ann Muffly, Joedda McClain, Bill Thunhurst, Neil Fisher, and S. William Hinzman; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ***½

“The film and the character of Joan grew out of the time, I think. I mean, it just grew out of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s, when it seems as though women were wanting to break out. This is not career stuff – it’s not the glass ceiling or anything like that, it was just a woman’s role at home and a woman is less than a compete citizen of the world, of a marriage, or a relationship, and it just seems like that was happening… There was a lot in the press back then… It was women’s lib… and all the beginning rumblings of that, and I just thought it would be a good topic for a film…” – George A. Romero (from 2005 Anchor Bay interview)

After the runaway success of his independent debut feature, Night of the Living Dead (1968), fans of the film likely expected Pittsburgh-based filmmaker George A. Romero to continue in that vein. Instead, he chose to focus on character-driven dramas, starting with the fractured romance, There’s Always Vanilla (aka: The Affair) (1971), followed by his third feature, Season of the Witch.* Shot in 16 mm for a budget of only $90,000,* Season of the Witch failed to make much of an impact with audiences or critics (much like its predecessor), dying a quick death at the box office. Although it might be stretching things a bit by stating the movie has enjoyed a second wind, it’s long overdue for a much-deserved reassessment. 

* Fun Fact #1: Romero shot and directed several short documentary-style segments for another famous Pittsburgh-based production, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His most noteworthy effort on the show was the 1971 segment, "Mister Rogers Gets a Tonsillectomy," which Romero joked was the scariest film he ever made. 

** Fun Fact #2: The original title of the film was Jack’s Wife, which distributor Jack H. Harris rejected. The film was subsequently edited down from 130 to 90 minutes, re-titled Hungry Wives, and marketed as a softcore movie. Years later, in an effort to cash in on Romero’s horror legacy, it was re-titled Season of the Witch. 

*** Fun Fact #3: The movie was originally budgeted at $250,000, but when the original financer went belly up, Romero was left with a fraction of that amount.

 

From the opening dream sequence (the first of several), we learn all we need to know about Joan’s relationship with her husband Jack. She walks several steps behind him, while tree branches smack her in the face. Along the way, she sees a baby on a blanket,* before catching up with her husband to provide his morning coffee. When he discovers her sitting in his car, he smacks her with a newspaper and leads her around by a leash,** before locking her in a dog kennel. Joan’s real life isn’t much better, with a husband who’s constantly gone on business trips, and a 19-year-old daughter she barely sees. When Jack is home, their bed is someplace to sleep, nothing more. Now entering middle age and stuck in a perennial malaise, she’s trapped in a domestic cage of lonely servitude. To make matters worse, she’s haunted by recurring nightmares of a menacing intruder in a mask, *** who attempts to break into her house.**** But life is about to change for Joan, in ways she could scarcely imagine…  

* Fun Fact #4: While never expressly stated in the movie, Jan White confirmed in an interview that the baby was supposed to be Joan’s son, who died during infancy. 

** Random Observation (MILD SPOILER ALERT): Compare this sequence to a scene towards the end of the movie, when Joan is led around with a red rope (which matches the color of the leash) during her witch’s initiation ceremony. 

*** Fun Fact #5: The intruder is played by Bill Hinzman (best known as the graveyard ghoul who pursues Barbra in Night of the Living Dead), who also served as Romero’s assistant cameraman. 

**** Fun Fact #6: Joan’s suburban Pittsburgh house belonged to the parents of Christine Forrest, who would eventually become Romero’s second wife.

 

Season of the Witch is at once a snapshot of the time it was made, as well as a sign of the social revolution that was about to take place in American society. Like many marriages from their generation, Joan and Jack’s relationship isn’t based in compatibility or love, but a social contract, reinforced by societal expectations. Jack fulfills the stereotypical male role of the time, boorish, laconic, and guided by thoughts rather than emotions. They don’t have dialogues, just parallel monologues. As the self-ordained breadwinner, Jack goes off on his business trips, leaving Joan to handle the household, which includes keeping an eye on their 19-year-old daughter Nikki (Joedda McClain). When Nikki unexpectedly runs off, he lashes out at Joan, slapping her because she failed to do what he considered to be her parental duty. Meanwhile, he doesn’t take any accountability for raising Nikki (the depth of his parenting advice is “You kick some ass!”). Instead of shouldering the blame for any perceived parental shortcomings, he condescendingly addresses Joan like a child who misbehaved. Both are conditioned by society to accept their stereotypical gender roles, with Joan embodying the outdated, misogynistic, hetero-centric view that the woman must dutifully sublimate her dreams and desires for the man in her life.

The soul of Season of the Witch is Jan White’s* courageous, naturalistic performance as the beleaguered housewife Joan. We see the turning point in Joan’s life in the scene where she regards her reflection in the mirror, and to her horror sees a much older, withered version of herself staring back. This nicely contrasts with another scene in which Nikki compliments her mother on her nice figure – Joan might be older, but she’s not dead. Another catalyst in Joan’s transformation arrives in the form of smug college professor Gregg (Raymond Laine), who challenges her staid notions of domestic life. Even though he’s never meant to be more than a fling, his bluntness provokes something inside her. Ultimately, it’s not a man that ignites her passions, but the siren call of witchcraft. While Season of the Witch is arguably not a movie about witchcraft, it plays a pivotal role for Joan, representing a means of asserting herself as an individual with agency over her life Whether she really evokes the supernatural isn’t important – it's her belief in herself that matters most.   

* Fun Fact #7: Jan White was initially reluctant to accept the role because it required nudity. She relented after Romero assured her that extra sex scenes were added to the script only so he could attract funding for his movie. A body double was provided for the film’s penultimate scene, when she’s initiated into a coven.

George A. Romero commented that of all his films, he would like to have done a remake of Season of the Witch, because he didn’t feel he was mature enough to tackle the subject at the time, but that seems to be selling himself short. It’s a vast topic that could never be contained in one film, but while the results are sometimes rough around the edges, Romero handles the subject matter with sensitivity and compassion. Romero focused on one particular character, Joan, and her personal struggles for autonomy and significance in a society where she was effectively a second-class citizen. Romero’s character-driven film likely baffled audiences expecting another horror flick. Instead, it was neither erotic nor horrific enough (at least from a surface glance) to please viewers expecting these elements. Instead, we were treated to a thoughtful drama with horror-adjacent elements. Rather than an outlier, Season of the Witch fits neatly in Romero’s filmography, including themes he would explore again and again: criticism of the status quo, performative religious practice, and infuriating authority figures. As much as I’d like to say Joan’s domestic prison is a relic of the past, this attitude has somehow managed to persist in modern society like a virus that refuses to die. Unfortunately, due to lazy marketing, the film failed to connect with audiences. As a title, Jack’s Wife was perhaps too generic to capture anyone’s attention, while Hungry Wives was simply misleading. Season of the Witch was probably the best title, since it wasn’t entirely inaccurate, but whatever you care to call the film, it’s a significant achievement in Romero’s filmography. 

* Fun Fact #8: According to film writer Travis Crawford, this was the first of Romero’s movies to feature a tracking shot (in the scene where Joan shops for tools of the witch’s trade). 

 

Sources for this article: “Digging up the Dead: The ‘Lost’ films of George A. Romero,” interview with George A. Romero (Anchor Bay, 2005); “The Secret Life of Jack’s Wife,” interview with Jan White; Arrow Blu-ray commentary by Travis Crawford; “This ‘Mister Rogers' Neighborhood’ Segment Was Directed by a Horror Icon,” by Andrew McGowan, Collider (June 30, 2023); “George Romero on Zombies & Season of the Witch Remake?” by Ammon Gilbert, JoBlo (2010)

 

 

Animated August Quick Picks and Pans

 

Harvie Krumpet (2003) Writer/director Adam Elliot’s stop-motion-animated short film introduces us to the bittersweet world of Harvie Krumpet, a Polish immigrant with Tourette’s Syndrome living in Australia (Geoffrey Rush provides the droll narration). Like many of Elliot’s other films, it’s a celebration of the outsider and their uniquely skewed perspective. Despite his struggles connecting with others, Harvie manages to carve his own niche in society. This brief but affecting portrait pushes all the right buttons, and is well worth a look (or two or three). 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray (included in The Adam Elliot Collection), DVD, Kanopy and Tubi

 

 

The Tune (1992) Bill Plympton’s musical film celebrates the creative process as it intersects and clashes with commercialism. When he experiences the songwriter’s version of writer’s block, Del journeys to the musical town of Flooby Nooby to find inspiration and learn to sing from the heart. Plympton’s unique hand-drawn animation, takes the viewer in unexpected directions, with byzantine gags that build on each other. Will Del find his inspiration in time to please his demanding boss, and win the woman of his dreams? Watch and find out. 

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi 

Blood Tea and Red String (2006) Christiane Cegavske’s exquisitely detailed stop-motion-animated film plays like a waking dream, skirting the barriers of consciousness. A group of birdlike people clash with mice over a life-size doll, while a frog shaman works his special brand of conjuring. Blood Tea and Red String uses fairy tale tropes to tell its unique story about infatuation, greed and togetherness.   

Rating: ***½. Available on

Phantom Boy (2015) Alex, an 11-year-old boy undergoing chemotherapy, becomes an unlikely partner for an injured police detective when he discovers the ability to leave his body. When a super criminal vows to take control of New York City, Alex scours the streets for clues that might break the case. Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol’s French-animated feature is about summoning your inner strength, even when you feel powerless. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Kanopy

 

The Murder Case of Hana and Alice (2015) After her parents’ divorce, Tetsuko Arisugawa (“Alice”) moves to a small town with her mother. As the new kid at her middle school, she arrives to a mystery, under the watchful eye of a shut-in former student, Hana. Shunji Iwai’s gentle tale of friendship separates myth from reality, as Alice contends with bullying classmates and reticent locals to learn the truth about a classmate’s alleged death.   

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi 

Bubble Bath (aka: Habfürdö) (1980) In this fun, if slight, Hungarian musical oddity, Zsolt gets cold feet over his impending marriage to Klára, taking refuge in his friend Anna’s apartment. Complications ensue when Klára pays Anna a visit, and memories and feelings are brought to the surface. Will Zsolt marry the capricious Klára or run off with amiable Anna? Looking a bit like a lost sequel to Yellow Submarine, Bubble Bath features silly songs and hallucinogenic animation that makes me wonder what kind of substances they were smuggling behind the Iron Curtain during that time.   

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and Tubi

Felidae

(1994) Directed by Michael Schaack; Written by Martin Kluger and Akif Pirinçci; Based on the novel by Akif Pirinçci; Starring: Ulrich Tukur, Mario Adorf, Helge Schneider, Wolfgang Hess, Gerhard Garbers and Klaus Maria Brandauer; Available on Blu ray and DVD 

Rating: ****

“…the book gives you the answer, because it’s a dark mystery story, and of course we didn’t want to make a film like Aristocats, because Aristocats is great and fine, but this must be something different. And with our abilities and budget, we couldn’t compete with the big-budget movies, and so we are forced to be different, and if you’re different in style, this must have been our way, and all the artists were fascinated and loved to do this.” – Michael Schaack (excerpted from 2023 interview by Dennis Bartok)

In the United States, animation is unjustly regarded by many as a children’s medium. While dark themes certainly abound in Disney’s classic films (think Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, or Pinocchio), it’s always been clear whom the intended audience is. Meanwhile some independent American animators (Ralph Bakshi, Bill Plympton, etc…) have reinforced their more adult visions on the unsuspecting public. Although animators in Europe and Japan have also created fare suitable for all ages, it seems to be common knowledge there are many stories to tell that aren’t particularly family friendly. Falling into that latter category is Michael Schaack’s Felidae* (based on a novel by Akif Pirinçci). The most expensive German animated feature to date, at 15 DM ($9 million), may have seemed a drop in the inkwell for Disney, but a monumental undertaking for Senator films. Under Schaack’s direction, the collaborative effort employed 150 animators in Hamburg, Germany, Toronto, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland. 

* Fun Fact: #1 Despite the fact that an English dub was recorded for the film, Felidae never received an official release in the United States.

In the cat-centered world of Felidae, the feline characters exist in their own realm, parallel to but separate from the human world. The cats of Felidae refer to humans as “can openers,” which tells you all you need to know about how we rate with our companions (I think most fellow cat owners would back me up). Our protagonist, Francis, arrives in a new town with his layabout human companion Gustav, but unlike his sedentary two-legged friend, he roams the neighborhood as an amateur sleuth (like a feline Philip Marlowe). He befriends Bluebeard, a grizzled old cat missing an eye and a stump for a tail, who turns him on to a grisly mystery. Several cats have turned up dead, with their bodies horribly mutilated. He stumbles upon a cult dedicated to the martyr Claudandus (victim of experimentation by human scientists Preterius and Ziebald), led by the zealot Joker, who uses old lab equipment to shock his loyal followers. Haunted by the mystery of Claudandus and the ever-increasing cat deaths, he crosses paths with an assortment of friends, foes, and everything in-between, including the blind Felicity, ambivalent Kong, and enigmatic Pascal, who’s somehow linked to all the strange goings-on. As he gets closer to the sinister truth, he unravels a twisted web of sex, deception, and murder.

Michael Schaack created a library of moving cats as a guide, so the characters in the film moved like real cats (not “cartoony”). Indeed, their movement looks so fluid, one might easily confuse the film for something from Don Bluth or Disney (adult content aside). Of course, Felidae goes in a much darker direction* than either of those studios would dare. The animators also took pains to give each of the primary players distinct appearances and personalities, as befitting a mystery filled with a colorful cast of characters. The few humans depicted in the film occupy the background, while low and high-angle shots simulate the cats’ perspectives. Felidae also features an excellent score by Anne Dudley (one of the principal members of the ‘80s pop group, The Art of Noise), which contributes greatly to the films 

* Fun Fact #2: According to Schaack, the visual style was influenced by classic horror movies, particularly those from Universal.

At its heart Felidae is a noir-tinged detective story (“Cat Noir”?), filled with labyrinthine twists and turns, red herrings a-plenty, and a femme fatale. The rest might be a hard sell for some. Even those accustomed to more adult subject matter might be taken aback by the graphic depictions of feline sex, torture, vivisection and eviscerated cat corpses – all in service to the story, but it may give some viewers pause. It’s not a big surprise that Felidae underperformed at the box office in its native Germany – audiences looking for a cute escapist movie about cats likely weren’t prepared for its themes of animal experimentation and eugenics. While the film has enjoyed a second wind with an ardent cult following, the recent controversy from author Pirinçci* probably only hastened its descent into relative obscurity. Thanks to the good folks at distributor Deaf Crocodile, Felidae may yet receive its due (just a year or two ago, I never thought I’d have a UHD Blu-ray in my eager hands, but here we are), with its stunning restoration.** Superficially, it begs comparison with Watership Down (1978) or The Plague Dogs (1982), but unlike those relentlessly grim films Felidae softens the blows with a keen sense of humor (thanks to Francis’ droll observations). If you can stomach some of the more sordid aspects, it rewards upon repeat viewing, with its timeless story, relevant themes, and affable characters. 

* Not-So-Fun Fact: Despite the story’s dark themes, not-so-subtly evoking the atrocities of Nazi Germany, Akif Pirinçci irreparably undermined his career, speaking out at a 2015 far-right assembly in Dresden, with xenophobic and Islamophobic statements. 

** Fun Fact #3: According to Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok, the 4K scan of the 30-year-old original negative couldn’t have come at a better time, since it was showing signs of wear and tear, including the dreaded “vinegar syndrome.” 

 

Sources for this article: Interview with director Michael Schaack (by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile); “Teuton Fine-Tooning,” by David Molner, Variety (December 4, 1994);

 

 

 

Wizards

 

(1977) Written and directed by Ralph Bakshi; Starring: Bob Holt, Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, David Proval, Jim Connell, and Steve Gravers; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ***½

“…Unless democracies keep their eyes open, fascism is always ready to come back, in any generation… Dictatorships rise when democracies get weak.” – Ralph Bakshi (from DVD commentary) 

Maverick animator Ralph Bakshi, best known for his X-rated Fritz the Cat (1972), along with the controversial satirical urban comedy/dramas Heavy Traffic (1973) and Streetfight (1974), isn’t exactly the first name you would associate with family entertainment. Nevertheless, he’s been no stranger to more family-oriented fare throughout the years, having directed multiple episodes of Spider-Man (1968-1970) and several other notable TV projects. If we’re only considering his theatrical output, however, Wizards represented a significant departure from Bakshi’s previous work.

The movie starts with a brief prologue* to get the audience up to speed. Set in the far distant future, millions of years after a worldwide nuclear apocalypse wiped out life as we knew it, the Earth is healing. Although parts remain uninhabitable, new species have emerged, while society has banned science and technology for fear of repeating history. Magic is effectively the new science. Powerful wizard twins Avatar and Blackwolf, one good, one evil, represent opposing forces on the revitalized planet. Their differences lead to an inevitable clash resulting in Blackwolf’s defeat, but 3,000 years later, Blackwolf is up for a rematch. From his castle in the dark land of Scortch (think Mordor),** he orders his minions to scavenge for any remnants from Earth’s ancient, technological past, adopting the iconography and ruthless ideology of the Nazis as a template for his own campaign of shock and awe. Blackwolf sends a robot assassin to eliminate his brother, which doesn’t go as planned when it’s captured by Avatar and re-named “Peace.” Against incalculable odds, Avatar sets out with the half-fairy princess Elinore, elf warrior Weehawk, and Peace, to confront Blackwolf and his formidable army. 

* Fun Fact #1: Susan Tyrell, who provided the film’s narration (and also narrated the first trailer) requested to have her name removed from the credits. She later regretted the decision after seeing how the film helped, rather than hindered her career. 

** Fun Fact #2: J.R.R. Tolkien’s daughter, Priscilla, enjoyed Bakshi’s film, proving in her mind that he was capable of successfully animating a fantasy story, thus opening the door for his adaptation The Lord of the Rings.

 

While his brother Blackwolf ticks all the usual boxes for a villain, Avatar (voiced by Bob Holt, who modeled his characterization after Peter Falk’s Columbo) isn’t your typical stereotype of a “good” wizard. He’s depicted as a cuddly, cigar-chomping, absent-minded little man, with a bit of a lecherous streak. Unlike his brother, he’s a lover, not a fighter. In contrast, Blackwolf, with his skeletal arms, harsh facial features and piercing eyes, creates no doubt about his malevolent intent. The curvaceous half-fairy Elinore (voiced by Jesse Welles, and named after Bakshi’s ex-girlfriend) who looks like a cross between Betty Boop and Mae West, spends most of the film running around in a skimpy bikini – not the most practical clothing if you’re planning to fight evil, but she provides some much-needed moments of levity. Most of the vocal performances are fine,*/** except for the elf warrior Weehawk (Richard Romanus), who sounds more like he belongs in the cast of Warriors (1979) or West Side Story (1961) than a fantasy film. In his commentary, Bakshi confided that he wasn’t entirely happy with Weehawk’s design as it appeared in the film, and would probably cast a different actor in the sequel (which remains unmade). 

* Fun Fact #3: At about the halfway point, watch out for the fairy character Sean, voiced by Mark Hamill, fresh from filming Star Wars (1977). 

** Fun Fact #4: Bakshi himself voiced two characters, the hapless soldier Fritz, and a peace-loving (albeit dimwitted) stormtrooper. Bakshi’s wife and daughter, Liz and Victoria, lent their vocal talent as a Fairy Mother and child, respectively.

Wizards utilized traditional cell animation, augmented by different styles, for artistic as well as budgetary reasons. Artist Michael G. Ploog illustrated the stills in the prologue and ending, which otherwise would have been too expensive to animate, while British illustrator Ian Miller created the highly detailed industrial nightmare backgrounds of Scortch. Bakshi incorporated clips from live-action Nazi propaganda films, including Leni Riefenstahl’s notorious Triumph of the Will (1935), providing an instantly recognizable link to humanity’s sordid past. To depict Blackwolf’s marching hordes, Bakshi employed rotoscoping of live-action stock footage from other films. The blending of disparate visual styles makes every scene look fresh, rather than something that was churned out by a committee.

Bakshi pushed the envelope of what could be considered a “family” film in 1977 with the PG-rated Wizards. As he noted in his commentary, he wasn’t aiming for something that resembled a Disney production. The house that Walt built would never have allowed characters with overt sexuality, revealing outfits, or graphic depictions of violence. While Disney’s animated films routinely receive a PG rating nowadays, they seem sanitized by comparison, lacking the street smarts, anatomically-endowed characters, and innuendos of Baskshi’s film. Many of these elements wouldn’t seem out of place in a Japanese or European-animated production, but it might raise an eyebrow or two with audiences primarily accustomed to Disney’s way of doing things. Beyond the stylistic choices, Wizards dares to go where few other films intended for a broader audience dare to tread. Its themes about authoritarianism and absolute power corrupting everything it touches are ideal launching points for a family discussion.

Despite the challenges of creating a low-budget fantasy epic within a scant 80-minute running time, Ralph Bakshi convincingly depicts a world that’s far removed from our own, yet oddly relatable. It’s at once an amusing speculative glimpse at the far-flung future, as well as a grim reminder that the sins of the past only remain in the past if we choose not to repeat them. Although it was released nearly a half-century ago, Wizards continues to evoke parallels to recent political developments – war and fascism never seem to go out of style.

 

Sources for this article: DVD commentary by Ralph Bakshi

Bug Month II Quick Picks and Pans

Curse of the Black Widow (1977) An amiable private investigator (Tony Franciosa) and cranky police detective (Vic Morrow) clash while attempting to learn more about a series of strange deaths in which the victims suffered two large puncture wounds on their chests, with their bodies completely drained of blood. Meanwhile, a mysterious dark-haired woman lurks in the shadows, luring men to their doom. It almost feels like an extended Kolchak the Night Stalker episode, minus Kolchak (no big surprise, since director Dan Curtis worked on the second Kolchak TV movie, The Night Strangler). While far from perfect, Curse of the Black Widow features some suspenseful scenes and a sense of playfulness, making this one a cut above the usual made-for-TV fare. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Prime Video

 

Earth vs. the Spider (aka: The Spider) (1958) Bert I. Gordon, who’s no stranger to depicting enlarged creatures with his usual home-grown subpar effects, brings us his bargain basement answer to Tarantula (1955) After Carol’s (June Kenney) father goes missing, she starts a search with her boyfriend Mike (Eugene Persson). They learn the awful truth when they discover his desiccated corpse inside a nearby cavern. The culprit turns out to be an enormous spider, which almost makes them its next meal (oddly enough, no one seems to pay much attention to the skeletons of former victims littered around the cave floor). After a truckload of DDT fails to kill the supersized arachnid, the authorities rack their brains for another solution. Some highlights include the oldest “teenagers” you’ve ever seen, a high school dance around the spider’s not-so-dead corpse, and spelunkers who can’t be bothered to bring a flashlight (Who knew caves were so bright?). 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi 

 

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977) When ill-fated business partners Buddy and Fred (Tom Atkins and Howard Hessman) crash land their DC-3, carrying coffee from Ecuador (along with a bunch of killer spiders) in a small California town, mayhem ensues. Yet another flick that rode the wave of tarantula-sploitation movies (perpetuating the myth that the much-maligned spiders are far more venomous than they really are), Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo boasts a strong cast, including TV movie stalwart Claude Aikens as a fire captain and Pat Hingle as a small-town doctor. Thanks to the aforementioned pests, a big plot point is whether or not the latest orange harvest will go to waste (No, really!). You could do worse than to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon watching hordes of spiders, shaky science and a pat ending (hint: It’s bad for spiders but good for oranges). 

Rating ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

 

Mosquito (1994) An alien spacecraft crashes into a swamp in rural Michigan, and mosquitoes feast on the remains of the extraterrestrials’ bodies, resulting in giant mutant creatures. A park ranger, her alpha male boyfriend, and an Air Force scientist team up to combat the monster mosquitoes, along with a pair of crooks (Gunnar Hansen and Mike Hard). The effects range from quite good (the full-size mosquito) to terrible (animation depicting the swarm). One highlight is seeing Mr. Hansen wield a chainsaw again (20 years after a certain movie from Texas). Unfortunately, most of the movie is uninspired, with lackluster acting and mostly lame attempts at humor. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Ticks (1993) Seth Green stars as Tyler, a disaffected youth sent to a camp to straighten out his life. Soon, he finds himself fighting for his survival, along with his fellow campers and counselors when some giant mutant ticks (resembling a bad first draft of an Alien facehugger) are inadvertently unleashed in the wilderness by pot growers (including Clint Howard as the first victim) using a new potent fertilizer. It’s not the worst way to spend 90 minutes, although there are better bug films out there.     

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray, Prime Video and Tubi

 Ants! (aka: It Happened at Lakewood Manor) (1977) A construction crew unwittingly stir up a colony of deadly ants, which spread to an adjacent property, the 100-year-old Lakewood Manor. A construction foreman, fire chief and coast guard race against time to save the remaining guests before the ants take over the place. A good cast (including Robert Foxworth, Lynda Day George, Bernie Casey, Brian Dennehy and Myrna Loy!) are mostly wasted in a movie that, despite the lurid subject matter, manages to be surprisingly tedious. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Mesa of Lost Women (1953) Reportedly cobbled together from an unfinished film with scenes added in (It’s two, count ‘em, two confusing movies in one!). From his hidden desert laboratory, mad scientist Dr. Aranya (Jackie “Uncle Fester” Coogan) attempts to create a master race of superwomen, fortified by spider hormones. He also experiments with supersized spiders, just to spice things up. It’s a big mess, good for some unintentional laughs, a Chinese character who only seems to speak in trite aphorisms, and a repetitive score that hoped to do for flamenco guitar what zither music did for The Third Man. You’ve been warned. 

Rating: **. Available on DVD and Tubi 

The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) For reasons unknown, a wormhole to another galaxy forms a portal on a rural Wisconsin farm owned by a hateful bumpkin and his self-esteem-challenged wife. Some rocks resembling geodes appear with diamonds and spiders inside. The spiders start to grow rapidly, threatening to take over the town (as freakishly large spiders will do). A NASA astrophysicist and a local cosmologist try to figure out a way to close the wormhole before more spiders are unleashed. Other than some goofy dialogue and Alan Hale as the sheriff (he even calls someone “Little Buddy”), there’s not much to recommend. 

Rating **. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

The Bees (1978) The Bees tries to do for bees what Phase IV did for ants, but without the introspection. John Carradine (attempting a German accent) plays a researcher studying a new strain of intelligent South American killer bees. Co-star John Saxon does his best, given the flimsy material, but even he seems lost. There’s also a brief scene with a Jimmy Carter impersonator and an assassination/conspiracy subplot that comes out of left field. Add one of the worst film scores in recent memory into the mix (with wacky TV movie-caliber action music that does nothing to punctuate the horror), and you have a movie that’s guaranteed to raise eyebrows and make you question your life choices. See The Swarm (1978) instead. 

Rating: *½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Tubi and Kanopy

 

 

Squirm

(1976) Written and directed by Jeff Lieberman; Starring: Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow, Jean Sullivan, Peter MacLean, and Fran Higgins; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ***½

“I searched around until I found the yellow legal pad I first sketched out the idea on with title scrawled at the top; Skworm! With a fresh eye, the first thing that struck me was the way I spelled Squirm. Skworm. Too cutesy. The idea was weird enough without needing to put a spin on it. So Squirm it was.” – Jeff Lieberman (excerpted from Day of the Living Me) 

Worms are basically the Rodney Dangerfield of the bug world – like the famed comedian they don’t get a lot of respect. Their mere presence often evokes disgust, along with an “ewww” or “ick” from the beholder. What’s more, the word “worm” is sometimes used colloquially as a pejorative, to describe an unsavory or slimy person. Thanks to writer/director Jeff Lieberman, however, the lowly worm finally had its day in Squirm.* Originally set in New England, novice director Jeff Lieberman and crew took a trip down south, to film around the Savannah, Georgia vicinity. Shot in 24 days, the film featured a mix of professional actors and non-actors (who added some local color to the dialogue). 

* Fun Fact #1: When Lieberman brought up the initial idea of the movie to his wife JoAnn, she replied, “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard in my life.”

The opening crawl, in true exploitation form, proclaims the story we’re about to see is based on a real incident in rural Georgia, in which downed power lines sent “hundreds of thousands of volts surging into the muddy ground.*/** Our protagonist, Mick (Don Scardino) arrives by bus, but due to flooding, sets out on foot to meet his girlfriend Geri (Patricia Pearcy) in nearby Fly Creek (expect lots of jabs at New York City and “city boys”). His first encounter with the locals starts off on the wrong foot when he orders a drink from the diner, only to find a worm in his drink. Thinking it’s some sort of prank, Sheriff Reston (Peter MacLean), who would probably arrest him for breathing if he felt he could get away with it, accuses Mick of being a troublemaker. The sheriff’s esteem for Mick goes downhill from there. Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Mick does his best to ingratiate himself to the rest of the family, consisting of Geri’s recently widowed mother Naomi (Jean Sullivan) and her younger sister Alma (Fran Higgins, in her only theatrical role). Adversity looms on the horizon in the form of his would-be rival Roger (R.A. Dow) who runs a worm farm with father (Carl Dagenhart). But things are about to go from bad to worse for Fly Creek, when a horde of angry, carnivorous worms*** take over the town. 

* Fun Fact #2: Okay, so Lieberman omitted the fact that the incident in question stemmed from his childhood, when his brother (inspired by an article in Popular Science) used a toy train transformer to send an electrical charge through the ground, causing multiple worms to emerge. 

** Fun Fact #3: The footage of an electrical tower collapsing in the storm was lifted from Oceans 11 (1960). 

*** Not-So-Fun-Fact: The weird squealing sound of the worms was actually the sound of pigs being slaughtered.

As befits a movie dedicated to killer worms, expect to see lots of the squiggly critters. For the shoot, Lieberman used common earthworms with some marine bloodworms (glycera)* thrown in the mix (along with some terrifying close-ups of their pincers), and approximately 1 million fake rubber worms.** In a fun little bit of foreshadowing, when Mick and Geri interrupt the sheriff on a dinner date in an Italian restaurant,*** we’re treated to close-up shots of them sloppily devouring spaghetti, appropriately reinforcing the central theme. 

* Fun Fact #4: Yes, these things are real. Although generally not considered dangerous to humans, a magnified view reveals some genuine nightmare fodder: extra-strong, venom-injecting pincers for grasping prey, reinforced with copper. Sleep well, folks! 

** Fun Fact #5: In the scene where the floor of Geri’s house comes alive with the writhing critters, Lieberman and company employed a low-tech solution, enlisting 50 kids from a boy scout troop. Stationed in the false floor below the fake worms, at various intervals, the boys would jump up from one corner to another to simulate movement. 

*** This is followed by one of the film’s more curious scenes, in which Sheriff Reston has sex with his date in one of his jail cells (Is it a kink or was he just too cheap to rent a motel room? You decide).

Like any worthwhile horror thriller, Squirm takes its time introducing us to some surprisingly three-dimensional characters,* starting with veteran actress Jean Sullivan as the haunted matriarch of the family, crumbling inwardly through suppressed emotions, but still proud. Lieberman remarked that if he had been a more experienced director at the time, he might have had Sullivan tone down the “Tennessee Williams,” but I think it works well for the character, as well as reinforcing the sense of dread. Geri’s younger sister Alma could have been depicted as a brat, but thanks to Fran Higgins’ nuanced performance, she displays more depth than meets the eye. The requisite sibling rivalry is on display, but it’s also clear that they care about each other. After their mothers’ implied breakdown, both had to step up to take on a larger role in the household. But Alma’s not simply following in her older sister’s footsteps – she’s a bit of a rebel, as revealed in the scene where she lights up a joint and offers Mick a puff. While it’s not exactly a love triangle, her interest in Geri’s boyfriend seems motivated by a combination of envy and curiosity. The other key player in this melodrama is Roger (R.A. Dow) who’s held a torch for Geri for years. He may not be the brightest bulb, but he has aspirations beyond his browbeating father’s worm farm. When he finally confesses his love for her, it goes about as well as could be expected. (SPOILER ALERT) Mercifully, we don’t have much time for second-hand embarrassment, since he becomes worm food.** 

* Fun Fact #6: According to Lieberman, film history might have gone a different way if he had ended up casting some other actors that were also considered at the time. Martin Sheen was originally cast for Mick, but he and Lieberman had creative differences about his character. Then-unknown Kim Basinger auditioned for Geri, and (before his ship sailed in with Rocky) Sylvester Stallone wanted the role of Roger. 

** Fun Fact #7: The facial prosthesis on R.A. Dow, graphically depicting the worms burrowing into his face, was created by budding effects master, Rick Baker.

Squirm’s low budget works to its advantage, painting an intimate portrait of a small town under siege, and one family’s attempt to meet a disaster head-on. Rich with Southern Gothic atmosphere, the film evokes an air of mystery, epitomized by antebellum ivy-covered houses gone to seed,* repressed family secrets, and unrequited love. Jeff Lieberman promised worms, and you get more of them than you can shake a fishing rod at. Unabashedly a B-movie through and through yet much better than its admittedly sensationalistic name suggests, Squirm delivers the goods, and then some. 

* Fun Fact (or Folklore) #8: Lieberman commented that one of the homes used for filming had a reputation as one of the most haunted in the South. It didn’t take much searching to learn that Savannah is apparently ground zero for ghostly occurrences.

  

Sources for this article: Day of the Living Me, by Jeff Lieberman; Kino Lorber Blu-ray commentary by Jeff Lieberman; Wikipedia entry, Glycera (annelid) 

 

 

Kingdom of the Spiders

(1977) Directed by Don “Bud” Cardos; Written by Richard Robinson and Alan Caillou; Original story by Jeffrey M. Sneller and Stephen Lodge; Starring: William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling, Woody Strode, Lieux Dressler, Marcy Lafferty and Roy Engel; Available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Rating: *** 

“Look, it’s not just a bunch of spiders, it’s a migration caused by some kind of imbalance – probably because a lot of ignorant people like yourself have killed off all their food with your stupid DDT. And I’ll tell you something else, sir, there’s not just a few spiders out there, there’s millions of them, and your town is right in their path.” – Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling) 

“Jeff Sneller and I were sitting in a restaurant across the street from CBS Studio Center, and he said, ‘How would you like to write a horror picture?’ And I said, ‘Well, what’s the thing that scares you the most?’ And we both thought for a minute, and both of us at the same time said, ‘spiders.’ And so, we went to a library and checked out a book on spiders, read it as quick as we could, and by the next morning we were writing.” – Stephen Lodge

If there was a golden age for nature-out-of-balance movies, the 1970s certainly fit the bill. Featuring more killer bug movies than you could spray a can of Raid at (Phase IV, Bug, Empire of the Ants, etc…), audiences were left perennially wondering what sort of creepy crawlies awaited them in the dark. Original story writer Stephen Lodge cited Jaws, The Birds, and a steady diet of ‘50s horror flicks as his (and co-writer Jeffrey M. Sneller) inspiration for Kingdom of the Spiders. With many (if not most) people accustomed to fearing the eight-legged creatures,*/** the filmmakers had a built-in audience. 

* Fun Fact #1: Only about 0.1 to 0.3 percent of spiders are considered dangerous to humans (“Why So Many People Fear Spiders and Snakes,” Psychology Today). 

** Fun Fact #2: According to psychologist Vanessa LoBue, her research with young children suggested fear of spiders (and snakes) isn’t something that’s ingrained, but socialized (ibid). 

Terror comes to the formerly peaceful small town of Verde Valley, Arizona (filmed in and around Sedona, Arizona), when a poor farmer’s (Woody Strode) prize calf suddenly keels over dead. Veterinarian Dr. Robert “Rack” Hansen (William Shatner) is perplexed by the death, so he contacts the local college for an expert to investigate. Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling)*/** arrives to a mystery, discovering not only a species more venomous than previously known, but the normally solitary arachnids coordinating in groups.*** After overcoming Rack’s initial cynicism about the threat, they combine forces to warn the rest of the town, but they meet resistance in the oblivious Mayor Connors (Roy Engel), who seems to have been cut from the same cloth as Amity’s mayor in Jaws. Connors has the upcoming county fair on his mind, and he’s not about to let some spiders ruin his town’s biggest annual event. But the spiders have different plans. 

* Fun Fact #3: Before Bolling joined the project, two other actresses, Donna Mills and Barbara Hale were considered for the role of Diane Ashley, except both were terrified of spiders. Since Bolling didn’t mind working with them, she clinched the part. 

** Fun Fact #4: Prior to Kingdom of the Spiders, Bolling appeared in another arachnid-adjacent role, in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976), as the crimefighting duo’s archnemesis, Spider Lady. 

*** Despite being an “expert,” she refers to the spiders as insects. But perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the story was how she managed to afford a new Mercedes convertible as a (presumably) state employee.

William Shatner is no stranger to playing smug characters, but Rack Hansen */** might have been specifically sent down from the heavens to harass women. When Diane checks into a motel, a brief exchange with the proprietor implies he’s at least dated (if not slept with) every female resident of legal age. As written (and portrayed by Shatner), he’s a cartoonishly sexist character who thinks being condescending is his idea of flirting. In the most egregious scene, he pursues her in his pickup truck, cuts her off the road, throws her in the passenger seat of her own car and takes the wheel (Our hero, folks). If this is typical Rack behavior, one has to wonder how or why he hasn’t been slapped with several restraining orders. To state Rack and Diane don’t share the greatest chemistry is putting it mildly, since he starts off on the wrong foot and continues to tread with said foot in their interactions. Eventually, he wears her down, although she seems more resigned to her fate than smitten by Rack. 

* Fun Fact #5: Bo Svenson was the filmmakers’ first choice for the role of Rack Hansen, but he turned it down. 

** Fun Fact #6: Shatner was offered $20,000 for the part, as well as a percentage of the profits, but his agent was adamant against him accepting the role for what he considered a paltry sum. Shatner ending up saying “yes” to the part, subsequently firing his agent.   

*** Fun Fact #7: According to co-star Bolling, Shatner kept hitting on her, despite the fact that his then wife Marcy Lafferty was on the set.

Let’s face it. We don’t give a hoot whether Shatner and Bolling hook up in the end – we’re just here to see spider-based mayhem, and oh, does it deliver. The real acting kudos belong to the movie’s unsung performers, several thousand tarantulas. The filmmakers brought in several different species, some of which were more “people friendly” than others, using the more docile varieties (such as the Mexican red-kneed tarantula) for interactions with the human actors and more aggressive species (Haitian brown tarantulas) for long shots. According to spider handler Jim Brockett, spiders can’t be “trained,” so they needed to be coaxed (often a blast of compressed air did the trick). It was quite a daunting task managing the tarantulas during the shoot, while ensuring that as many as possible survived. Despite the cast and crew’s best efforts, you can clearly see there were some casualties along the way, especially when there are multiple cars and people.

Kingdom of the Spiders’* concept of spiders co-existing in a colony was later recycled in Arachnophobia (1990), but recent discoveries proved it’s not entirely fantastical. The behavior was recently observed in Madagascar, with a previously unknown species, so the premise isn’t entirely wonky. The plot’s recipe is simple yet effective: introduce killer spiders, watch them multiply, repeat. While the film score is far from original (Twilight Zone fans will appreciate or be annoyed that the filmmakers chose to repurpose some of Jerry Goldsmith’s musical cues from the TV show), it’s eerily effective when used sparingly. Kingdom of the Spiders tests the mettle of its audience. Even those who don’t mind a spider or two,** might find the hordes of arachnids in the film to be unsettling. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself checking your clothes and bedding for unwanted guests. 

* Fun Fact #8: Shatner had originally planned to direct and star in a sequel to Kingdom of the Spiders with Cannon Films producing, but the deal fell through when Cannon went out of business. 

** Fun Fact #9: Yours truly kept a Chilean Rose tarantula named “Bela” (much to the chagrin of visitors) for about a decade. 

 

Sources for this article: DVD commentary by John “Bud” Cardos, Igo Kantor, Spider Wrangler Jim Brockett, and Cinematographer John Morrill; “Interview with Writer Steve Lodge” (2010); “Spider Solidarity: Scientists Discover New Species With Unprecedented Social Behavior,” by Carolyn Bernhardt, M.A., Entomologytoday.org (March 30, 2023);  “Why So Many People Fear Spiders and Snakes,” by Vanessa LoBue Ph.D., Psychologytoday.com