Tango01  | 17 Jun 2020 9:38 p.m. PST |
"In the 1950s, Elvis was king, hula hooping was all the rage, and movie screens across America were overrun with giant arthropods. Back then, Tarantula (1955), The Deadly Mantis (1957), and other "big bug" films starring colossal insects or arachnids enjoyed a surprising amount of popularity. What kicked off this creepy-crawly craze? An eerie blockbuster whose impossible premise reflected widespread anxieties about the emerging atomic age. Grab a Geiger counter and let's explore 1954's Them!. When World War II broke out, the knowledge Ted Sherdeman had gained from his career as a radio producer was put to good use by Uncle Sam, landing him a position as a radio communications advisor to General MacArthur. However, the fiery conclusion of the war left Sherdeman with a lifelong disdain for nuclear weapons. In an interview he revealed that upon hearing about the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, he "just went over to the curb and started to throw up."…"
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Amicalement
Armand
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| rvandusen | 18 Jun 2020 7:15 a.m. PST |
One of the first and most successful efforts to blend Sci fi and horror, and one of the most gameable plots around, especially for solo play. |
| CAPTAIN BEEFHEART | 18 Jun 2020 8:28 a.m. PST |
One of my all time favorites. Like alien an A list/B list cross over. |
| Oberlindes Sol LIC | 18 Jun 2020 11:21 a.m. PST |
I have never actually seen Them!, but I'm sure I can find it on Prime or Netflix. I did once see an exhibit, I think at the Boston Museum of Science, that demonstrated that arthropods cannot exceed a certain size on land. I think that the reason given there was that the chitin material of their exoskeletons could not support its own weight above some size, but more recent analysis suggests that the size of air passages needed for our current nitrogen-oxygen blend is the limiting factor: link |
| athun25 | 18 Jun 2020 11:41 a.m. PST |
They mention it was to be in color and 3D, but cost changed those plans. However, the title 'THEM' was already shot, so is the only part of the film in color/3D. The film also set the pattern of young heroes seeking the advice of the old professor type, who then explains to them, and the audience, the 'science' behind the events unfolding. One of my favorites! |
| Tango01 | 18 Jun 2020 2:13 p.m. PST |
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| Bill Rosser | 18 Jun 2020 6:09 p.m. PST |
Good actors, good pacing, fun story. One of my all time favorites. With the right actors (ex. Matt Damon as the state trooper and Tommy Lee Jones as the FBI agent) this could be a great remake with todays CGI. Jon Favreau as the director. Picture the ants like the bugs of starship troopers. |
 Wolfshanza | 18 Jun 2020 10:09 p.m. PST |
"Make me a general…gimmee the booze !" |
| Tango01 | 19 Jun 2020 11:06 a.m. PST |
I support your idea Bill… (smile) Amicalement
Armand |
| Col Durnford | 19 Jun 2020 12:45 p.m. PST |
All time favorite big big movie! |
| Dick Burnett | 06 Nov 2021 4:36 a.m. PST |
No remakes.
Some bright bunch will turn Them into Highlander 2 or Star Trek V or the remakes of Psycho and the Manchurian Candidate.
Too many things could go wrong--bad effects, poor script, mediocre cast |
| TC Strauss | 12 May 2023 4:42 p.m. PST |
There is a remake in development. Same director that did Werewolf by Night for Marvel/Disney+. |
