In the Science Fiction and Horror world, beyond Edgar Allan Poe or Stephen King, few other authors have found their writings adapted into films to the extent of H.G. Wells. Wells, a visionary like Jules Verne and Aldous Huxley, had many fascinating, yet dystopian ideas of where the world was headed. That being said, Wells’ stories such as 1895’s The Time Machine, 1897’s The Invisible Man, or 1898’s The War of the Worlds may have been routed in Science Fiction, but in the eyes of many prophetic.
While some of his literary work might be more easily recognized in popular culture than others, there is no denying that a lot had extraordinary insight into humanity. For example, his 1905 short story Empire of the Ants shows how arrogantly self-important human beings are and how our stronghold on planet Earth is not nearly as significant as we tell ourselves. In fact, an insect as small as an ant is so smart… it could challenge human intelligence. Hard for most to comprehend, this story inspired the 1977 film of the same name.
Released July 29, 1977, Empire of the Ants was directed/co-written by Bert I. Gordon, along with Jack Turley. Expanding on Wells’ original concept, the film interjects the insect into a situation where nuclear waste has transformed into monstrously large creatures. Here the ants are prime to take over and dominate the human race. A great concept for a Horror film, Gordon’s feature takes place on an island off the shore of Florida where a shrewd land developer Marilyn Fryser (played by Joan Collins) takes a a group of clients over on a boat in an attempt to entice property sales. Soon she and this group of unspecting patrons are subject to terror beyond their wildest imagine.
Overall, the flow of the film plays quite well. This is while the bill is dressed with many well-known names such as Joan Collins. An award-winning actress, Collins plays the part of the opportunist real estate saleswoman perfectly, and it even earned her an award for best actress at the 5th annual Saturn Awards. Joining her, Robert Lansing (an accomplished theater and film actor), Pamela Susan Shoop (who would go on to star in 1981’s Halloween II), and John David Carson (also known for voiceovers in the cartoon Space Ghost), are just a few of the solid cast involved.
This leads to the special effects, because what is a Sci-Fi Horror film like this without them? For today’s standards, they might seem cheesy, but one has to admire the ingenuity Gordon had to create them in Empire of the Ants, as well as many of his other films like 1976’s The Food of the Gods. Speaking of which, The Food of the Gods had some success, and this could have been a key factor in Empire of the Ants even getting made.
Interesting to look back, even decades later both are fun films to watch. That is why is exciting to see Kino Lorber release The Food of the Gods and Empire of the Ants in 2024 to Blu-ray. Released as a part of the label’s Kino Cult collection on August 20th, this marks the first standalone Blu-ray domestic release of Empire of the Ants. Brought to Blu-ray originally back in 2015 as part of a double feature with 1981’s Jaws of Satan through Scream Factory, this 2024 edition mirrors the quality. Beyond this, the special feature of an audio commentary from Bert I. Gordon is identical as well to the 2015 copy, but the difference is you also get an additional audio commentary from two other film historians.
Not too bad, the bonus is a nice cardboard slipcover and reversible artwork which brings the package together nicely. So, if you enjoy Sci-Fi Horror with a bit of satire and still have not seen Empire of the Ants, it is a must-watch. That is why it is recommended to pick up this reasonably priced new Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber, because Cryptic Rock gives it 4 out of 5 stars.
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