I, for one, welcome your answers.
December 14, 2009 9:29 AM Subscribe
We all know about Them! What are other examples of sci-fi stories (serious or otherwise, well-known or otherwise) featuring insects (ants or otherwise, giant or otherwise) terrorizing, enslaving, or endangering humanity?
Well, Starship Troopers comes immediately to mind.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:35 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:35 AM on December 14, 2009
The baddies in Ender's Game are insects called Formics, and commonly referred to as "Buggers" in the novel.
posted by travis08 at 9:41 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by travis08 at 9:41 AM on December 14, 2009
I realize tarantulas are not insects, but...
Tarantula!
posted by JoanArkham at 9:50 AM on December 14, 2009
Tarantula!
posted by JoanArkham at 9:50 AM on December 14, 2009
Also The Swarm. I've never seen it but the commercials scared the crap out of me as a kid.
posted by JoanArkham at 9:52 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by JoanArkham at 9:52 AM on December 14, 2009
The Beginning of the End. (One of my favorite Mystery Science Theater episodes.)
posted by The Deej at 9:58 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by The Deej at 9:58 AM on December 14, 2009
Phase IV
Bug! (The Original Book, the Hephaestus Plague is much better)
Squirm
The Swarm (Again, a better Herzog book)
Kingdom of the Spiders (With SHATNER!)
That one section in Creepshow.
posted by Lord_Pall at 10:09 AM on December 14, 2009
Bug! (The Original Book, the Hephaestus Plague is much better)
Squirm
The Swarm (Again, a better Herzog book)
Kingdom of the Spiders (With SHATNER!)
That one section in Creepshow.
posted by Lord_Pall at 10:09 AM on December 14, 2009
Again, not strictly insects, but creepy crawlies. The Giant Spider Invasion. One of the most unintentionally hilarious movies I've ever seen. In one particular scene a woman wearing just her bra and panties escapes from a giant spider in her house. And what does she do? Yes, that's right, she hides in a dark, ramshackle shed that's filled with cobwebs. I will not spoil the rest of the movie for you ...
posted by essexjan at 10:30 AM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by essexjan at 10:30 AM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Oh, just one more spoiler. The special effect used for the most giant of the Giant Spiders is a VW Beetle with a fur cover and legs attached. Seriously. So I suppose that does make this an insect movie.
posted by essexjan at 10:35 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by essexjan at 10:35 AM on December 14, 2009
Frederick Pohl had a pretty good short story called "Let the Ants Try," where a depressed time traveler goes back and displaces humanity with a mutant insectoid civilization after his world is devastated by nuclear war. I can't link to it, as I'm on my mobile, but of you go to Google Books and search for "let the ants try" (with quote marks), the first result should be a version if it in a sci-fist anthology, with preview available.
posted by Rhaomi at 11:06 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by Rhaomi at 11:06 AM on December 14, 2009
Aww someone beat me to Tarantula, darnit. In the spider genre, Arachnophobia is fun, more recent take on terrorizing bug invasions.
And I might also add Earth vs The Giant Spider, but the film is so silly, its really not worth watching.
posted by elendil71 at 11:07 AM on December 14, 2009
And I might also add Earth vs The Giant Spider, but the film is so silly, its really not worth watching.
posted by elendil71 at 11:07 AM on December 14, 2009
Mimic isn't exactly a great film but the giant insects are very well realised. It's by Guillermo del Toro and, though victim of studio meddling, has a bit of his charm left.
posted by permafrost at 11:11 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by permafrost at 11:11 AM on December 14, 2009
Sandkings, both the story and the Outer Limits episode.
posted by gudrun at 11:14 AM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 11:14 AM on December 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Not a movie, but definitely thematically appropriate: the song Human Slaves of an Insect Nation by comedian Bill Bailey (prev)
posted by jtron at 11:16 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by jtron at 11:16 AM on December 14, 2009
Two more horrible listers:
-8 Legged Freaks
-Tremors
posted by Khazk at 11:52 AM on December 14, 2009
-8 Legged Freaks
-Tremors
posted by Khazk at 11:52 AM on December 14, 2009
There's a short story by Phillip K. Dick called "Expendable" which is one of my all-time favorites. It is included in this compilation, which is well worth the purchase price.
posted by DWRoelands at 11:54 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by DWRoelands at 11:54 AM on December 14, 2009
The Savage Bees... Bee movie in more ways than one.
Also the Dr Who episodes The Web Planet, Planet Of Giants, Ark In Space, Planet Of The Spiders The Unicorn And The Wasp
Quartermass And The Pit
There's also a 'giant' spider in The Incredible Shrinking Man
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:06 PM on December 14, 2009
Also the Dr Who episodes The Web Planet, Planet Of Giants, Ark In Space, Planet Of The Spiders The Unicorn And The Wasp
Quartermass And The Pit
There's also a 'giant' spider in The Incredible Shrinking Man
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:06 PM on December 14, 2009
An episode of the original Outer Limits series called The Zanti Misfits is about weird alien insects and carries a theme of mortal risk to humanity, but to say more would be to spoil it.
posted by galaksit at 2:29 PM on December 14, 2009
posted by galaksit at 2:29 PM on December 14, 2009
The complete list of films shown over the course of 27 years of the Insect Fear Film Festival.
posted by MsMolly at 4:12 PM on December 14, 2009
posted by MsMolly at 4:12 PM on December 14, 2009
Octavia Butler's Bloodchild. If you ask me, the emotional complexity of the insect-human relationship/symbiosis makes it even creepier.
posted by sively at 12:57 AM on December 15, 2009
posted by sively at 12:57 AM on December 15, 2009
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posted by AlliKat75 at 9:35 AM on December 14, 2009