tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post6852880051149649389..comments2024-03-27T12:35:33.631-04:00Comments on The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense: Let Us ALL Welcome Our Insect OverlordsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-75037224582977778582012-02-25T22:48:50.815-05:002012-02-25T22:48:50.815-05:00Noted and seconded!Noted and seconded!deadlydollshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06061028044836745499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-9557801383057049432012-02-25T21:01:19.866-05:002012-02-25T21:01:19.866-05:00I second the Kraken Wakes recommendation!I second the Kraken Wakes recommendation!Chris Hewsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11566568274862884325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-29775575254903250082012-02-25T14:43:44.855-05:002012-02-25T14:43:44.855-05:00Damn! My library only has the book for 'in lib...Damn! My library only has the book for 'in library us.' Guess I'll have to put it on my amazon list for when I need to bulk up an order for free shipping. Eventually, I shall read!<br /><br />And that's an interesting point about the Sovietness of the ants. It totally does fit in a lot of ways. Lots to consider.deadlydollshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06061028044836745499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-20795452607606349352012-02-25T14:14:26.299-05:002012-02-25T14:14:26.299-05:00I just mentioned political overtones since that wa...I just mentioned political overtones since that was very much how the USSR was presented to us in school in the 70's - This sort of vast, completely alien, godless communal monolithic hive intelligence that was slowly advancing over the world and absorbing everything else into itself. Most of the time when I think of "anti-commie" allegory movies, I think of 50's SF, but Phase IV did make me wonder.<br /><br />Re: The Kraken Wakes. It stands out for me in two ways - One, it's one of the most cheerful apocalypse novels you'll ever read (The hero and his wife maintain admirable stiff upper lips and jolly attitudes through the whole thing, even when they're rowing past the upper tip of a sunken Big Ben under hundred foot seawater rises). And Two, it's a very unique alien invasion. None of this war machine stuff. The aliens invade via deep sea, landing in the ocean and going to the bottom and being unnoticed for years, before they begin monkeying with the ice caps to cause global flooding to cleanse the land masses. It's an interesting idea because the aliens do not fight us directly at all, they simply tweak the planet and use ecological impact against us. My wife really liked it too, so it's not just a 'Boys' Own Adventure' book - Much less so than Triffids, for instance.TreverThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02652943318376670283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-31805928678040292412012-02-25T13:59:48.062-05:002012-02-25T13:59:48.062-05:00Trever: I'll definitely put it on my library l...Trever: I'll definitely put it on my library list. I liked Triffids, but I don't know how much of that was my post-apocalyptic obsessions vs. WYndham's writing style. <br /><br />Agreed on how great the absence of good/bad species is. It really does make the film something truly unique and complicated. I don't know if there are any other political implications. There certainly could be, but I think I'm just not equipped to figure them out. Another reason why the bare bones release is such a shame.<br /><br />And damnit Chris, now I really do wish he'd finished it!deadlydollshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06061028044836745499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-59835296108017389552012-02-24T21:57:00.125-05:002012-02-24T21:57:00.125-05:00Actually Web is a killer spider thriller. The ant ...Actually Web is a killer spider thriller. The ant overlords are in just as much touble as we are! haha!Chris Hewsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11566568274862884325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-28211938314696247282012-02-24T19:51:42.272-05:002012-02-24T19:51:42.272-05:00I love John Wyndham's books. Triffids was exc...I love John Wyndham's books. Triffids was excellent though my favorite is probably "The Kraken Wakes", which offers some freaky observations about life in a world of global climate change and rising sea levels. It's also noteworthy for being one of the few books EVER which features a husband and wife as protagonists and manages to make them interesting, dynamic, fun, and very real-feeling in how they relate. It was actually kind of wonderful to read an alien invasion novel that did not have "Hero and heroine get together" as the B subplot of the story.<br /><br />Glad to hear you enjoyed Phase IV! I saw it as a kid on the late show, maybe in the late 70's at age 10-12, and it weirded me out. I remember being very confused and wondering who we were supposed to side with, seeing as how I was used to THEM! as my killer ant film of reference, where the heroes and villains are clearly defined. In later years I really came to appreciate how Phase IV gives us a chance to look at how a totally different species could replace us, operating under an entirely different type of thinking and intelligence. The ants don't seem to bear us any ill will, we're just impediments. <br /><br />I've occasionally wondered if there was any intentional political allegory there regarding capitalism vs communism. For that matter, the ants are a bit Borg-like too.TreverThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02652943318376670283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-12027666247676758892012-02-24T10:29:25.317-05:002012-02-24T10:29:25.317-05:00Having read Day of the Triffids, I could see Wyndh...Having read Day of the Triffids, I could see Wyndham writing an interesting ant thriller. Don't know how worthwhile such an early draft sounds though!deadlydollshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06061028044836745499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-79594165026597684872012-02-24T10:07:42.470-05:002012-02-24T10:07:42.470-05:00This reminds me of the John Wyndham book Web. Exce...This reminds me of the John Wyndham book Web. Except from what I've read and heard, that wasn't as well put together as Phase IV, seeing as how Wyndham came down with a nasty case of death before he could revise it! Hence, the book's only about 100 pages, has an apparently aprupt ending, the character who is cogent is named 'Camilla Cogent', the book's just called 'Web', and stuff like that.Chris Hewsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11566568274862884325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-76178385446564748922012-02-24T09:54:22.004-05:002012-02-24T09:54:22.004-05:00I think the revival stems from the recent (and app...I think the revival stems from the recent (and apparently long-awaited) DVD release, although it's SERIOUSLY sad that it's bare bones. <br /><br />I can see this being seriously terrifying to kids. I love how you never really know who to side with. If I were a kid--okay, and even now--I felt so dang bad for the ants!<br /><br />You've still got a week for The Shortening! I'm going to do one more link roundup on the 29th. Hope to see something!deadlydollshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06061028044836745499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003758772971289930.post-39406520172007541282012-02-24T09:12:45.227-05:002012-02-24T09:12:45.227-05:00This film seems to be suffering somthing of a rivi...This film seems to be suffering somthing of a rivival amongst the cult critic circuit at the moment and it's a film which I saw only once as a kid, yet parts of it I still remember now such as the ant funeral and the ant hills being shot down. <br />The part which still haunts me though is that darn ant pit death, which creeps me out still thinking about it, while furthering my theory that it's usually films with Age ratings (12A, 15, PG13 ETC) that have the most mentally scaring images.<br />Good review and will hopfully have somthing to contribute to the shortening soon, so please don't think I have forgot about it, it's more my lack of review organisation that's to blame. :)Elwood Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09661750406352159996noreply@blogger.com