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Episode 0009 - Phase IV


 


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Movie Summary


 Movie: Phase IV: 

Desert ants suddenly form a collective intelligence and begin to wage war on the desert inhabitants and it is up to two scientists and a stray girl they rescue from the ants to destroy them. Of course, the ants have other ideas. Depending on your viewpoint, this is either a nifty thriller about a pair of scientists trying to understand an intelligent hive of ants or a National Geographic TV Special on the Wonderful World of Ants and all other intricacies. The first half hour of the movie painstakingly displays the work of two scientists, Dr. Ernest D. Hobbs and James Lesko, as they perform scientific research on ant communication and prepare a dome structure.

Meanwhile, we are occasionally treated to what was once considered highly stunning model animations of ants in the underground. The movie is simple to follow, and while it has a classic sci-fi theme, it is more than likely not what viewers are expecting. "Phase IV" tends to suffer from an extreme lack of any real action all the while being terrifyingly suspenseful at the same time. This was Director Saul Bass's feature debut. Bass is best known for his titles sequences for other filmmakers, such as for "Vertigo," "Psycho," "Spartacus," and "Walk On The Wild Side." Sadly, there was also a lengthy, surrealistic sequence depicting how the ants would control man, but the film's distributor ultimately cut this sequence. "Phase IV" also won the 1975's Grand Prix at the International Festival of Science Fiction Films.

Host Segments


 Prologue: 

 

 Invention: 

 

 Segment 2: 

 

 Segment 3: 

 

 Segment 4: 

 

 Segment 5: 

 

 Stinger: 

 


Reflections

The tagline for this film: The Day The Earth Was Turned Into A Cemetery!


 
       
 
 
  
 
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