Phase IV (1974)

Phase IV is a favorite movie of mine. It was done in the mid 1970’s as part of the cycle of disaster and nature gone bad movies. It is probably a bearable movie and it actually has some clever and well done moments.

This is the first movie directed by Saul Bass, the great title and art director from Hollywood’s last golden years. It also has a 1950’s feeling of not trusting nature and threats from outside the United States’ lifestyle and society.

None of the ants in the movie were constructed in a shop or are puppets. They were all photographed as they were in nature. That makes it even more terrifying. They are in close up much of the time and you have the feeling they are very strong, capable, ruthless and smarter than humans as they are presented in the movie.

There is also a great alternate ending that the studio did not use for commercial reasons. You are able to get it now on YouTube or websites and it’s worth watching. It turns science fiction into a cosmic horror tale.

The craft of the movie is also worth watching. Camera angles are very well directed by Bass who had Hollywood experience by then. Produced by his wife, it was a family affair as well.

The actors, even at that time, were not very big. This was a good idea as it makes you watch the special effects and terrifying story all the more. A young Michael Murphy and an aged Nigel Davenport are great in their roles as two scientists who combine in full battle to stop the ants if they can. Davenport was an underrated B movie and trash movie actor who never got to work with Quentin Tarrantino or John Carpenter. He was a second version of Donald Pleasance. You’re watching good acting in a B movie project and it makes it all the more terrifying - these two men in battle with a whole cosmic army. It also stars Peter Sellers’ last wife, Lynne Frederick, who graced some very enjoyably bad English movies.

The visual style is cosmic and terrifying at the same time. There are blue and red looking scenes, there are exaggerated shots of the ants, even with a full telephoto lens in front of you. There are early computer graphics and computer animation in some scenes, crude in a 1970’s way as they are. The whole effect is demented on purpose. It could have worked better with the alternate ending. It’s an enjoyable movie, nevertheless. My hats off to this only in the 70’s cosmic horror much like “Jaws” or “The Exorcist”.

The creatures from "Phase 4"