Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

dweilermg-1 * Back in 1950s there was no CGI or other computer technology for special effects so producers had to be creative. The scene where giant grasshoppers are crawling up the Wrigley Building was done by have real grasshoppers walk across an 8 by 10 photograph of Wrigley Building lying on a table and photographed close-up. Brilliant indeed.

Hitchcoc The movie starts out with a couple of "out of control" teenagers necking in a car. Of course, for their horrid behavior (by 1950's standards), they end up being eaten by a grasshopper. Don't you hate when that happens. We find out that an entire town has been decimated and all the residents nowhere to be seen. Peter Graves has been experimenting with a radio-active plant supplement (like in "Tarantula") and is growing tomatoes and strawberries to enormous sizes. For the time being, they are inedible. For the time being, no one puts two and two together. An attractive reporter talks Peter and his deaf/mute assistant (done in by radioactivity) to the scene of a destroyed warehouse where tons of grain was stored. Well, the poor disabled guy gets eaten by a grasshopper. Now they need to convince the army guys that these bugs are around and find a way to stop them. This is a nicely set up monster movie. What pretty much diminishes it are the lousy special effects. The grasshoppers are nothing like the backgrounds, so they are obviously superimposed. At times we can actually see through them. It's also hard to figure out how big they are. Anyway, when they appear it begins to be laughable. Also, a lot of soldiers must have gone home after the war because the guys in this movie are utterly incompetent. Graves also runs the gamut of emotions from A to B. I get a kick out of this movie, but my standards aren't that high.

vtcavuoto "Beginning of the End" isn't at the top of the "giant something or other" films of it's time but has a certain charm. This time the giants are grasshoppers who are munching their way through the state of Illinois. The movie has an impressive list of great B-movie actors such as Morris Ankrum, Thomas Henry, Hank Patterson, Peter Graves and Peggy Castle. The grasshoppers ate some radioactive food by accident and started growing. They are drowned at the end by a sort of "Pied Piper" lure. The acting carries the film and the pace moves along nicely. The grasshoppers are a bit corny but still the film is enjoyable. If you're a fan of 1950s Sci-Fi/Horror films,it's one to check out.

David Michael O'Rorey (retromaster2000) I saw this movie when I was in High School back in 2000 or 2001. I got the VHS for Christmas. Which it was The Director's Cut in Pan & Scan Full Screen 1.33:1 released on Rhino Home Video. It wasn't all that I expected I just expected a lot of buildings to be toppled by The Giant Grasshoppers. Like in other 50's Sci-Fi Giant Creature Features. Otherwise the movie is great. Another cautionary tale about the effects of radiation on a living life form. This film actually seems like a deliberate Spin-Off of Warner Bros. "Them!" (1954) except this was done on a lower budget for AB-PT Pictures. Also instead of having James Arness in the lead here we have his brother Peter Arness known as Peter Graves in the Film & T.V. World. I actually think this film is better then Them! even though that film had a bigger budget also won the academy award for Best Special Effects. Last it was a top grossing 50's Sci-Fi Film. I actually think Mr. B.I.G.'s little Sci-Fi Cult Film is much better. Mainly because the giant creatures make their way into the city & terrorize the population. The film takes place in Chicago. Ed Wainwright (Graves) is an Entomologist working an Illonois Department Of Argiculture Experimental Station. Experimenting with radioactive plant food. With large Tomatos, Strawberries & others. Some Grasshopper / Locusts accidentally get into their lab & eat some of the radioactive plant food & grow into 8 to 50 foot monsters. The town of Ludlow is completely demolished & know one knows why. The local National Guard has the road blocked off. Beautiful Audrey Ames played greatly by Peggie Castle is the leading lady here. Her character here works for The National Wire Service & is looking for a story runs then into a road block. Other familiar faces here Morris Ankrum famous character actor was in a lot of 50's Sci-Fi Films. He was usually playing a Military Character. Also Thomas B. Henry famous for a good bit of 50's Sci-Fi. James Seay also a familiar face which I have seen before in a few films & not just 50's Sci-Fi. Hank Patterson has a brief scene here, he also appeared in Jack Arnold's 1955 Sci-Fi-Thriller "Tarantula". Plus Patterson was in Bert. I. Gordon's other Sci-Fi- Thriller A.I.P.'s "Earth vs. The Spider" released in 1958. He also had a small appearance as a Janitor in Gordon's "Attack Of The Puppet People" also from A.I.P. released in '58. But Hank Patterson's real claim to fame was in the 60's & 70's with the spin-off of The Beverly Hillbillies Show "Green Acres" which he played Mr. Ziffle. Back to the movie here. Castle's character Ames eventually finds clues to what might have caused the destruction to Ludlow which actually is a real town in Illnois. Which clues lead to Graves and The Department of Argiculture. Which she persuades Entomologist (Graves) to accompany her to a Grain Elevator which was all destroyed before the town Ludlow. Also Frank a botanist & deaf mute working with Wainwright (Graves) comes along too. When they get there talking a bit & the ground isn't teaming without any insect or animal life it is all barren. Wainwright (Graves) knows something has scared everything away. Ames (Castle) goes back to her Camera for some shots. A loud high pitched screeching noise begins. Then they turned around emerging from the hillside is a Gigantic Grasshopper-Locust. Which it kills & devours Frank the deaf mute botanist. Ames & Wainwright drive off in a hurry. Don't wanna say much more anyone that seen the movie knows. For those that didn't 50's Sci-Fi Buffs check it out. Bert Gordon did the Special effects also Produced & Directed the film too. The effects are pretty good which real grasshoppers are used in the film. Rear screen projection. Which has the grasshoppers on a blank frame of film stuck over another frame of film which has a city with extras running away acting as if something is chasing them. Also other shots similar were used. Also model buildings & things were used with the Grasshoppers crawling all over them. The finale shots use a photo the Wrigley Building with the Grasshoppers crawling up it. Pretty innovative for the 50's but Stop-Motion Animation is much better. You Can't always use that technique either though so. I got the Special Edition DVD last year which Image Entertainment released The Theatrical Version for the first time in Widescreen 1.66:1. The Peter Rodgers also had The Original Camera Negative it looks beautiful fully intact & restored. Looks the way it did on it's 1957 theatrical running. The DVD also contains a great Audio Commentary with Bert's daughter Susan Gordon also ex-wife Flora Lang & some fan named Bruce Kimmal. Very entertaining interesting commentary with a lot of stuff discussed about the film the effects, locations used in filming also much more is discussed in detail. Just was puzzled when I first got the DVD last year why Bert himself wasn't on the commentary track. I recently heard was was busy at the time & couldn't take part. Last year in June of 2006 Mr. Godron was at Monsterbash which is held in Western Pennsylvania every year I met him got him to autograph my DVD Insert for this movie. It was cool meeting him just not what I expected. His second appearance in 2007 he was much better & I really enjoyed talking to him also got some photos with him also his daughter Susan. Anyway die-hard 50's Sci-Fi Fanatics will like this if u haven't seen it check it out. Grab a copy of the Image Entertainment DVD Special Edition. Just was mad that it was missing The Original Theatrical Trailer.