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Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Good Movies  |  It's a shame I have to keep reminding myself on just how good "Them!" is *spoile « previous next »
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Author Topic: It's a shame I have to keep reminding myself on just how good "Them!" is *spoile  (Read 2973 times)
daveblackeye15
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« on: July 01, 2010, 10:10:23 PM »

*spoilers*

I mean there's the effects, the excellent writing, the fact the film takes itself seriously and doesn't detract from itself, and the character's aren't too bad either. Though I admit when you think about it, Dr. Pat wasn't quite essential to the plot, well neither was Graham, and they both were kind of pretty faces the movie needed.

On the other hand Pat was quite the step forward in terms of female characters in the 50's, she only screamed once and that was the first time she saw a giant ant and it was damn close to her. Instead of spending the rest of the film screaming at monsters she remains well composed and professional. Also her asserting herself to go down into the gassed nest was pretty cool. She's able to remain in the story without feeling like the load, and being helpful and still co-existing with her father, the same type of scientist.

And there's Sgt. Peterson who I'd like to think is everyone's favorite character. I mean I'm kind of wishing it was the pretty boy FBI guy who bought it but then it wouldn't have been so sad now would it? Peterson is easily the coolest character in the movie. He got to machine gun down the first ant, have a general be the loader for his bazooka, torch several ants, something of a gentle giant when it came to children, and is probably the main character despite not exactly being the best looking guy in the movie. What's best about his death is you don't see it coming from the start. He doesn't seem at all expendable, I mean when a movie does it wrong you go 'RED SHIRT!'

If I have just ONE complaint about this movie, is that when the trio go down into the first nest we get a glimpse of just how dangerous a matured nest could be. We see numerous dead ants and it is kind of foreshadowing for how out of control it could get if the problem wasn't solved in time. Fast forward to the nest in L.A. and you kind of have been built up to expecting something bigger. It's damn exciting watching soldiers bombard the ants with machine guns, flame throwers, and exploding grenades, and very ominous when Graham is separated from the rest. There is a pause and then sure enough more ants come up. And once the rest of the troop catch up and shoot a few more ants you see them approach a hole and...that's it they've already found the new queens. It kind of feels like they should have had to have gone down another floor or something with more ants guarding the way.

I guess that's really nitpicky but still it feels like something was cut in-between the army guys digging in, shooting, then the shot of them approaching the nest area.

Also how did the two kids survive so long when they were only a couple hundred feet from the nest?

Whatever, great giant bug movie is great.

Damn I meant to keep this short but I do love this movie!
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« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2010, 02:11:44 AM »

This film scared the crap out of me as a child whenever it was on TV. Great movie, I usually watch it once a year around Halloween.
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Newt
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« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2010, 07:06:21 AM »

This film is the first one that scared me silly - and fascinated me - at the tender age of 5 or 6 (I think).  (God bless babysitters with no sense!)  It has been one of my favourites ever since.  Classic.
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« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2010, 05:06:50 PM »



This one has always been a favorite of mine, too. I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe it was originally supposed to be filmed in color, but there were budget problems so it was done in B&W.

I especially liked the little girl the police find wandering in the desert  ... especially in the scene where she is lying in the back of the ambulance, HEARS the ants, sits up with that vacant wide-eyed expression on her face, then slowly lays back down.

Today, those giant ants with their floppy antennae and black shaggy bodies and legs, probably wouldn't scare a three year old.  But in the late 1950's, well ... it scared me!

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« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2010, 12:29:29 AM »

I love Them!  It's a film to show people who think 50's B-movies couldn't be a solid film.  Great use of atmosphere with the deserrt at the begining.     
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Raffine
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« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2010, 05:50:48 PM »



This one has always been a favorite of mine, too. I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe it was originally supposed to be filmed in color, but there were budget problems so it was done in B&W.




Oddly enough, when this was originally released the main title was in glorious Eastman color. Thre weren't any other color bits in the film. The DVD restored this effect.

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ChaosTheory
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« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2010, 05:16:14 PM »


I especially liked the little girl the police find wandering in the desert  ... especially in the scene where she is lying in the back of the ambulance, HEARS the ants, sits up with that vacant wide-eyed expression on her face, then slowly lays back down.


That poor girl.  I remember this was one of the very first (and only) times I actually felt fear/sympathy with a kid in a horror movie.  You can definitely add me to the "Them! is great" camp.
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« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2010, 11:02:24 PM »

Small | Large

THEM!Thumbup
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« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2010, 03:52:38 PM »

Them! is a prime example of quality 1950s giant monster bug films...in fact I'm sure many would argue it's the best of its particular subgenre. The little girl mentioned is just awesome and her delivery of her famous line just a classic moment of cinematic horror!  Thumbup
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