Invasion from the North: THE DEADLY MANTIS (1957)
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
- This big bug movie from producer William Alland is often overlooked as one of the weaker creature features of the 1950's, but it deserves a second chance.
If you're looking for a "review" in the traditional sense, then let me just say I love this movie. This video, however, is a "review" in the literal sense (using the Miriam-Webster definition "a retrospective view or survey"), in that I'm going over the history of the film and its place in cinema history.
In other words, please stop commenting on how my videos aren't what you consider "reviews."
#TheDeadlyMantis #Mantis #WilliamAlland
00:00 Intro: Giant Bugs
01:20 Synopsis
02:14 Production Background
03:48 Shameless Self-Promotion
04:16 Casting
05:19 The Mantis
08:20 Filming
09:03 Release & Legacy
10:17 Opinion & Analysis
12:38 Outro
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I have fond memories of The Deadly Mantis, much like I do for Them! and other Big Bug movies of the era. Although this film didn't involve bugs, I place The Monolith Monsters in the Big Bug category. The film gave off an ominous vibe to the seven-year-old that was me when I first saw it on TV. However, as gullible as I was back then, the solution the scientists/military came up with to defeat the monoliths was hard to swallow. [WARNING: spoiler alert]. Stopping the unstoppable monoliths with salt water seemed to me like a too-easy way to neatly wrap up the film when it needed to end. Still and all, I enjoyed reliving my youth a couple of years ago by watching The Monolith Monsters again... laughing at the salt water revelation and enjoying every guffaw.
I'm really enjoying the production value of your videos, Eric. Very well composited. I don't think I have a favorite, but at some point in my childhood, one of the local channels ( probably Channel 9 our if NJ, I think), ran all sorts of good older films. At some point, they got into all these giant insect movies. They are like time capsules, reflecting the real-life goings on. My Dad was a USAF pilot during the Korean War but never actually went to Korea. Instead, he was stationed up North, spending most of his time at a base in Goose Bay, Labrador as part of an all-weather interceptor squadron, flying F-94's. The tactical idea was to intercept Russia bombers as, at the time, that was the only method of delivering nuclear payloads to the U.S. He had a funny story about meeting the infamous General Curtis LeMay there, too.
So, someone had something to say about Godzilla's junk, huh? LOL! ❤
My grandfather was a pilot in WWII and an officer in Korea. Respect. 🫡
@@TheUnapologeticGeek Very cool. What did you Grandfather fly in WWII? My Uncle was a B-17 pilot in '44 and '45. Part of the Clay Pigeons.
Loved all of these as a kid, they made Saturdays so much fun! Great video as always, Sir!
You gotta love those 50s B movies.
Great Review Eric. Also I agree that the 200 foot long Mantis model rumor is a complete crock. As for your next review, I will take the guess that it is The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
It has its moments and flops but as far as 50's big bugs go, this is a top five.
It is a silly movie, but I have a lot of affection for it. It was the first giant insect movie I ever saw on late night TV. And it’s also given me a real interest in real life insects and arachnids. It’s just a bit of fun. ❤❤
As another poster stated, it has it's moments and was just one of those fun Friday night movie films we never missed when we were kids.
Compared to the Giant claw, we considered this effort an A!
I watched THEM as part of a 50s movie class in college, and it was one of my favorites. For a person who dislikes most insects, I have to say I like these giant monster insect films! They’re not accurate at all, but they sure are creative.
And if there was ever a year for these creature features to return, this is the year. Double the cicadas AND a solar eclipse?! The script writes itself!
I never saw a love triangle between Blaine and Medrick, their relationship struck me as Platonic. That's why Blaine and Park worked so well. It was interesting to watch Medrick be amused with Park hitting on her. The dynamic there was that Park thought he was competing with Medrick when he actually wasn't.
I hadn't seen this one in a while, so I didn't remember that the doctor was played by Tall Dra ... um, Paul Drake. My wife and I being huge (forgive the pun ... it wasn't intentional ... initially) Perry Mason fans, I now feel compelled to watch THE DEADLY MANTIS again. (Being the OCD geek that I am, we have the Shout Factory Blu, and I am upset with Shout Factory for making ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS a limited edition, meaning that I can only hope that Kino Lorber picks it up, eventually.)
I seem to recall that Mr Mantis would eventually move on to play a small role in the first season of BABYLON 5. He wasn't gigantic or deadly, but, hey, work is work.
A studio going overboard and building a giant, working bug creature prop (which runs amok) is the plot of a Bronze Age Superman comic.
That's awesome
@@TheUnapologeticGeek perhaps it was a reference to the legends around this film...
Also a Golden Age Batman comic! The dinosaur that became an iconic display in the comic-book Batcave (next to that giant penny) was part of a 1946 Jurassic Park precursor populated with mechanical thunder-lizards and cavemen, purportedly for thrill-seekers to battle. A mobster turns it into an overly-elaborate trap for Batman and Robin.
I grew up enjoying this 1950s Atomic Age creature feature. Yes it's campy however it's also a guilty pleasure of mine.
I love this movie one of my all time favorites
I think you are more generous to this film than I am, but I certainly can't begrudge you that. In my opinion it's a poor offering. I don't find the excessive stock footage as painful as I should, because DEW line footage is at least a bit unusual, and you can tell the Inuit sequences were lifted from an earlier film because the frame rate is lower, making it look undercranked.
My favorite big bug film is, of course, Them!.
My second is Tarantula, because I think it is the only one which actually shows what would really happen if a giant monster were attacked by a fighter bomber squadron with napalm. It also helps the fighter squadron was commanded by a young actor named Clint Eastwood, who would go on to have a successful career.
My favorite old-school big bug movie will always be _Tarantula!_ for its grand mixture of body horror, squicky (if not graphic) deaths, impressive effects (even if 'Ranty is occasionally mis-cropped in mattes), maximum-smug John Agar, the ubiquitous Nestor Paiva, and of course gorgeous Mara Corday. Also: _Spider!_ Eeeeee!!
Forgive me, but I don't like this one very much. The special effects of _The Deadly Mantis_ are almost as good as those of _Tarantula!,_ but despite how creepy and otherworldly the creature looks, it also appears incredibly fragile and the movie regularly bears this out. Its attacks on major cities leave only a few smashed vehicles and hordes of mildly-concerned looky-loos, and it is stymied by wet tarpaulins; the leads are more concerned about a tunnel getting flooded than anyone getting eaten. I love (most of) Nathan Juran's movies, even the cheesy ones, and I understand the importance of establishing the reason for the remote military outpost, but that gratuitous wandering-the-map opening is almost as lethal as the lecture on goofball theories that opens _The Mole People,_ and the third act (also overly laden with stock footage) ends up being a promo for the Ground Observer Corps. This isn't my _least_ favorite "classic that everyone else seems to love" (that would probably be _Gorgo)_ but it's up there.
For what it was in the past, I like the Deadly Mantis. There's good work in the creature design.
Always had a soft spot for this movie. Parts of it are a bit cringeworthy, but it's all worth it to get to that creepy climactic trek through the fog in the Holland Tunnel. Thanks for giving it a little love.
Fun fact: the first four letters in the title were used for Matinee's movie within a movie "Mant".
Could not agree more on the undeserved place in cinematic history of this film.
It's like the Nickelback of giant bug flicks...
In fact, I always thought that the mantis effect looked better than the ants from "Them".
And TDM might be as historically well regarded as Them if not for two key differences:
pacing and the lack of an iconic creature sound effect.
I guess throwing in Leonard Nimoy couldn't hurt, either...
I've always loved this movie just for its monster!
When the giant ants attacked in Fallout 3, they called the quest: THOSE!
I love all these films... Great flick!
I despise Mystery Science theater...
The Deadly Mantis is an odd one. If you want to convince me it's good, I can sort of see it but if you want to convince me it's bad, I can see that too.
I draw the line at "classic" though. I have this one in a set along with the Incredible Shrinking Man and Tarantula. Those are classics, Mantis occasionally hits above its weight class.
A colorized version would probably help. 12:46 That's EXACTLY what I'm thinking, they pick so many places where a green mantis would look rather majestic only to have it grey on grey.
Saw this with my when I was a kid & ironically it triggered my love of REAL mantises! (Plural unclear!)
Cool!
hi brother
Thanks!
Thank you!
Another movie for your consideration..Serenity (2005)
🤘🏻😎🤘🏻 epic af
I enjoy the enthusiasm, and your work is worth a subscription.
However, i wish words like "shlock" would not crop-up. (Yes, yes, I know....Landis....)
It strikes of an embarrassed equivocation, as if you were making an excuse or forging a rationale
as to why these films could not be enjoyed simply for what they are/were. No excuses -
We love our giant, mutated bugs, lizards, reawakened and angry dinos whose names
bear Harryhausen's initials, headed to its ol' stompin' grounds. Sorry, I just wouldn't use
descriptors such as "the worst" when reviewing "The Deadly Mantis." The worst what?
The worst of the giant-insect flicks of the mid-'50s? (Bert I. Gordon's "Beginning of the End"
make take that honor.) It is a nice romp, a good afternoon at the Bijou, worth its price of
admission (plus popcorn and ice cream roll.) Respect, dude, respect . . . Keep up the good work.
I got a Mantis in my Pantis...............
It has to be "THEM" because I saw it first.
Them is probably my favorite too.
I enjoyed the Deadly Mantis. I enjoyed it more after I saw the Giant Claw. 😮That was pretty terrible.
Yes it was. 😂
This one is strictly formulaic with weak FX so is the weakest of the big bug movies you mention in your intro. No way did they build a full size bug though. Nathan Juran directed The First Men in the Moon which is excellent so you should get around to it! Best wishes
It's on my list!
@@TheUnapologeticGeek Great script bu Nigel Kneale