Phase IV
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| Phase IV | |
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| Directed by | Saul Bass |
| Produced by | Paul Radin |
| Written by | Mayo Simon |
| Starring | Michael Murphy Nigel Davenport Lynne Frederick |
| Music by | Desmond Briscoe Brian Gasciogne David Vorhaus |
| Cinematography | Dick Bush |
| Editing by | Willy Kemplen |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1974 |
| Running time | 91 min |
| Country | USA, UK |
| Language | English |
Phase IV is an American science fiction film, made in 1974. It is the only feature-length film directed by the noted title designer Saul Bass. It starred Michael Murphy, Nigel Davenport and Lynne Frederick.[1]
The interiors of the film were shot largely at Pinewood Studios in England even though it is set in the United States. There was some exterior location shooting done for the film as well which was shot in Kenya but set in Arizona.[1] It is not documented whether any scenes were shot in the United States. It was produced by the Alced Productions and Paramount Pictures of the USA.
The film was a box office flop and as a result this was the only feature film directed by Bass. It has since gained a cult following due to TV airings beginning in 1975 and also when the film was shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during the KTMA era.
The film bears some similarity to an earlier film, The Hellstrom Chronicle. Both feature extensive use of close-up photography of actual insects.
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[edit] Plot
Due to some unknown cosmic event, listed in "phases", ants have undergone rapid evolution and developed a hive mind. A scientific team begins investigating strange towers and geometrically perfect designs that the ants have started building in the desert. The ant colony and the scientific team, along with a rural family, make war with each other, with the ants being the more effective aggressors. The narrative uses the scientific team as the main protagonists, but also an ant "heroine" going about her duties in the colony. The film concludes with the last of the cosmic "phases," Phase IV, which promises a new future for all life on Earth.
Despite the lurid tone of its poster art based on one of the shocking images from the film, Phase IV approaches its subject matter naturalistically, with relatively little melodrama. The film contains relatively little dialogue, mainly relaying the storyline visually.
[edit] Production
- Although set in the United States the film was shot in England. The interiors were shot at Pinewood Studios, England.
- Ken Middleham who shot the insect sequences for "Phase IV" also shot the insect sequences for the documentary "The Hellstrom Chronicle".
According to the IMDb, Bass complained in interviews that the film was re-edited after previews by 20th Century Fox radically altering the ending of the film which consisted of surreal images presented in a montage. The montage was supposed to suggest that the two surviving characters were altered by the ants creating the next step in evolution for humanity and insects. Many of the images from the altered conclusion of the film appear in the trailer and although it has recently been released to home video by Legend Films, the reissue on DVD features the shorter U.S. version which had 9 minutes stripped from the film before its official U.S. debut.
The novelization of playwright/screenwriter Mayo Simon's screenplay, written by Barry N. Malzberg, gives a hint of the final version by Bass as it uses the uncut version of Simon's script.
[edit] Adaptations
- A novelization of the film was written by respected science fiction writer Barry N. Malzberg.
- In January 1989, Phase IV was featured on one of the very early episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
[edit] Home video release
This film is available on VHS by Paramount Pictures, the studio that made the movie. A DVD was released by Legend Films in 2008. The DVD is only a bare bones release and doesn't include the original trailer which had scenes cut from the final version of the film. The no frills release has no special features although there was a featurette produced by 20th Century Fox at the time to promote the film.
[edit] Similarly themed movies
- The 1954 film Them!, the first American film to feature mutant bugs such as ants.
- The 1971 film Andromeda Strain featured scientists and locals battling a seemingly intelligent pathogen of extraterrestrial origin which undergoes rapid evolution.
- The 2003 film The Bone Snatcher also involves a group of scientists fighting ants in South Africa that have developed a hive mind
[edit] References
- ^ Bailey, Stuart (2006), Dot Dot Dot 11, 11, Princeton Architectural Press, p. 20, ISBN 9077620052, http://books.google.com/books?id=f6qfhOBrJOYC&pg=PA20
[edit] External links
- Phase IV at the Internet Movie Database
