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© 2017 jason plumb / noisybox / infiltration lab.
2019-12-24T06:52:54.000Z
Jason Plumb
jason@noisybox.net
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Phase IV (1974)
https://noisybox.net/blog/2019/12/phase_iv_1974
2019-12-24T06:52:54.000Z
<p>The other night I had been in and out of consciousness, fighting some unknown
food poisoning or 24-hour-bug, and passing the waking time with some
restful movie binging. Since it's the holiday season, I first watched
some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard">Die Hard</a>, but later found
this interesting/familiar image in the scroll:</p>
<p><a href='https://noisybox.net/blog/images/20191223-phase_iv.jpg'><img alt='phase iv' src='https://noisybox.net/blog/images/20191223-phase_iv_1024.jpg'/></a></p>
<p>I remembered having seen this cover many times, and I always found it pretty
fascinating, so I decided to click it on. Within the first few minutes, I was
sure that I had never seen this thing and that I was definitely in for a trip!</p>
<p>The film is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_IV">Phase IV</a> (1974).</p>
<p>You can read reviews and much more in-depth history and raving critiques
of this film <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/phase-iv/251935/phase-iv-is-the-greatest-killer-insect-movie-ever-made">elsewhere</a>...but I thought I'd offer up my quick recommendation.</p>
<p>This film was so much fun! It's a huge sweatbox of long drawn-out high-color
macro shots of ants and masterful/powerful/deep synth-and-timpani work. The
plot revolves around a couple of scientists trying to learn about newfound
ant behaviors (strange collaborations) after a cosmic event. Their research
turns them into renegades who must struggle against their unseen
funding/organization sources...and the ants themselves. Shit escalates
quickly -- there's some secrets, a bunch of retro tech/gear porn,
a farm girl, lots of great scifi mumbo/philosophy, a little bit of body horror,
and LOTS of great sound/score work. </p>
<p>Put all of this together with some intensely artful and colorfully
composed sequences of ants doing evil ant things, and it's a winner in my book.
Like so many films of the era, it hasn't aged that well in a few areas and
has some rough spots, but if you can look past those things, you might
enjoy this thing as much as I did!</p>