BEGINNING OF THE END (1957)
Tagline: You'll be ROCKED Out of Your Seat...SHOCKED Out of Your Skin!
(Sci-Fi, Horror, Giant Grasshoppers) [G]
Note – This movie did not originally have an MPAA rating, but I am pretty sure it would have been a G.
Dr. Wainright, you're a scientist, you know what grasshoppers can do. I'm a soldier, I know what guns can do
In this one journalist, Audrey Ames will stop at nothing to get a scoop on reports of giant grasshoppers invading the countryside. We know they were created by a chemical treatment at a farm in Illinois, but is the world ready to know that even the military is struggling to keep the grasshoppers from devouring all? Is this…the beginning of the end?
First off, I think that many have gone out of their way to rip the effects in this movie. Particularly the scene where the giant grasshoppers are climbing up buildings. However, I actually thought it was a brilliant move on the part of the director who just put grasshoppers on photos to make it look like the grasshoppers were climbing up, rather than just relegating every scene to ground movement.
I have mentioned this in a few reviews, but when I was in the 7th grade I actually did a science report on crickets. I think I bought 10. I had them for about a week and by then there was only 1 fat one left. See crickets and grasshoppers are freakin anti-social monsters from beyond the grave. Left in an enclosed area they will just start eating each other. That is the reason the production for this movie actually had over 200 grasshoppers they used for the movie but ended up with about a dozen.
Cinematically I can’t claim this is a masterpiece, but I enjoyed it thoroughly and the acting itself isn’t terrible in spite of the likes of Peter Graves often getting knocked for being a bit too wooden. Graves plays Dr. Ed. Wainwright in this movie and was famous for roles in IT CONQUERED THE WORLD and KILLERS FROM SPACE as well as AIRPLANE!. I also never get upset when Morris Ankrum gets a part in a movie. He is famous for EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS and THE GIANT CLAW among others. He plays Gen. John Hanson in this and in the 50s seemed to play a lot of Generals because he has a hardened battle face I guess? The leading lady in this one is Peggie Castle who plays Audrey Aimes. I will say that the character is fairly inconsistent. She seems fearless at times and like a pool of melted pudding in others. Peggie is probably most famous for 1952’s downer INVASION, U.S.A. We also get a James Seay sighting. He is most famous for PHANTOM FROM SPACE and plays Capt. James Barton in this.
I think one thing this movie could have done better is try to use some darker tones and night shots. Because most of this is shot during the day it makes the grasshoppers who are not menacing at all, even less menacing. The post is also clearly misleading as grasshoppers do not have teeth and they were not added for this movie. It does do a good job with pace and storyline.
For me, this is an above-average sci-fi flick I will definitely be watching again. It’s also a fantastic addition to any “giant bugs will eat your face” marathon you do. Plenty of grasshopper awesomeness. I have to give this one a 5 out of 7.
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