Beginning of the End (1957)

Simply Perfect

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The movie starts out with a couple of "out of control" teenagers necking in a car. Of course, for their horrid behavior (by 1950's standards), they end up being eaten by a grasshopper. Don't you hate when that happens. We find out that an entire town has been decimated and all the residents nowhere to be seen. Peter Graves has been experimenting with a radio-active plant supplement (like in "Tarantula") and is growing tomatoes and strawberries to enormous sizes. For the time being, they are inedible. For the time being, no one puts two and two together. An attractive reporter talks Peter and his deaf/mute assistant (done in by radioactivity) to the scene of a destroyed warehouse where tons of grain was stored. Well, the poor disabled guy gets eaten by a grasshopper. Now they need to convince the army guys that these bugs are around and find a way to stop them. This is a nicely set up monster movie. What pretty much diminishes it are the lousy special effects. The grasshoppers are nothing like the backgrounds, so they are obviously superimposed. At times we can actually see through them. It's also hard to figure out how big they are. Anyway, when they appear it begins to be laughable. Also, a lot of soldiers must have gone home after the war because the guys in this movie are utterly incompetent. Graves also runs the gamut of emotions from A to B. I get a kick out of this movie, but my standards aren't that high.

Hordes of mutant grasshoppers menace photographs of downtown Chicago.Now if termites had been the menace instead of garden variety grasshoppers, my rear-end might not have ached at the end. Okay, this drive-in special was never intended as Oscar bait. In fact, it hardly makes it as camp, what with all the needless travel time padding the 70-minutes. But you've got to hand it to Graves and Castle who give it their Z-movie all. Then there're those two lordly icons of 50's sci-fi together at last—Ankrum and Browne. No matter how bad the material, they always keep a straight face and stay employed. But come on producer-director Gordon, couldn't you have shown one of those awful scary grasshoppers devouring at least one guy. That way, we could at least have had an 'ick' factor. Otherwise, I kept wondering where the army kept their cans of Raid. As I recall, I was in the back of my teenage Chevy with a six-pack when I first sat through this special. On second viewing, I should have gotten a twelve-pack.

This was much better than Leonard Maltin's *1/2 rating would suggest: in fact, the unflattering comments in his book (where it is described as "awful"!) pretty much kept me from acquiring the now-OOP Image DVD (complete with Audio Commentary track). Also, watching this hot on the heels of Gordon's other giant insect flick EARTH VS THE SPIDER (1958), I realize he was not always aiming squarely at the exploitation market – for this is as intelligent, indeed persuasive, as they come (knowing the devastation left in the wake of locust plagues, imagine just what would happen if it were to be magnified). Pity, then, that the evident low-budget cramped the overall effort: this is especially true during the climax, where it is obvious the grasshoppers are only normal size and the tall buildings either models or, worse, no more than blown-up photographs! Likewise, the monsters' come-uppance is somewhat rushed: hell, even my mother who came in halfway through and stayed to watch (often commenting aloud on the action as is her amiably irritating habit!) expected the film to end on a shot of the river covered with dead insects so as to stress their annihilation…but there was none!! The small cast is led by likable Peter Graves and lovely Peggie Castle (overcoming the annoying connotations of the obligatory intrepid female reporter part); the most notable supporting characters, then, are Graves' assistant – rendered a deaf-mute by radiation and who naturally is soon made to expire at the hands of the grasshoppers – and the elderly General who, in a desperate attempt to stall the insects' march, is even willing to throw an A-bomb over Chicago!

I saw this movie when I was in High School back in 2000 or 2001. I got the VHS for Christmas. Which it was The Director's Cut in Pan & Scan Full Screen 1.33:1 released on Rhino Home Video. It wasn't all that I expected I just expected a lot of buildings to be toppled by The Giant Grasshoppers. Like in other 50's Sci-Fi Giant Creature Features. Otherwise the movie is great. Another cautionary tale about the effects of radiation on a living life form. This film actually seems like a deliberate Spin-Off of Warner Bros. "Them!" (1954) except this was done on a lower budget for AB-PT Pictures. Also instead of having James Arness in the lead here we have his brother Peter Arness known as Peter Graves in the Film & T.V. World. I actually think this film is better then Them! even though that film had a bigger budget also won the academy award for Best Special Effects. Last it was a top grossing 50's Sci-Fi Film. I actually think Mr. B.I.G.'s little Sci-Fi Cult Film is much better. Mainly because the giant creatures make their way into the city & terrorize the population. The film takes place in Chicago. Ed Wainwright (Graves) is an Entomologist working an Illonois Department Of Argiculture Experimental Station. Experimenting with radioactive plant food. With large Tomatos, Strawberries & others. Some Grasshopper / Locusts accidentally get into their lab & eat some of the radioactive plant food & grow into 8 to 50 foot monsters. The town of Ludlow is completely demolished & know one knows why. The local National Guard has the road blocked off. Beautiful Audrey Ames played greatly by Peggie Castle is the leading lady here. Her character here works for The National Wire Service & is looking for a story runs then into a road block. Other familiar faces here Morris Ankrum famous character actor was in a lot of 50's Sci-Fi Films. He was usually playing a Military Character. Also Thomas B. Henry famous for a good bit of 50's Sci-Fi. James Seay also a familiar face which I have seen before in a few films & not just 50's Sci-Fi. Hank Patterson has a brief scene here, he also appeared in Jack Arnold's 1955 Sci-Fi-Thriller "Tarantula". Plus Patterson was in Bert. I. Gordon's other Sci-Fi- Thriller A.I.P.'s "Earth vs. The Spider" released in 1958. He also had a small appearance as a Janitor in Gordon's "Attack Of The Puppet People" also from A.I.P. released in '58. But Hank Patterson's real claim to fame was in the 60's & 70's with the spin-off of The Beverly Hillbillies Show "Green Acres" which he played Mr. Ziffle. Back to the movie here. Castle's character Ames eventually finds clues to what might have caused the destruction to Ludlow which actually is a real town in Illnois. Which clues lead to Graves and The Department of Argiculture. Which she persuades Entomologist (Graves) to accompany her to a Grain Elevator which was all destroyed before the town Ludlow. Also Frank a botanist & deaf mute working with Wainwright (Graves) comes along too. When they get there talking a bit & the ground isn't teaming without any insect or animal life it is all barren. Wainwright (Graves) knows something has scared everything away. Ames (Castle) goes back to her Camera for some shots. A loud high pitched screeching noise begins. Then they turned around emerging from the hillside is a Gigantic Grasshopper-Locust. Which it kills & devours Frank the deaf mute botanist. Ames & Wainwright drive off in a hurry. Don't wanna say much more anyone that seen the movie knows. For those that didn't 50's Sci-Fi Buffs check it out. Bert Gordon did the Special effects also Produced & Directed the film too. The effects are pretty good which real grasshoppers are used in the film. Rear screen projection. Which has the grasshoppers on a blank frame of film stuck over another frame of film which has a city with extras running away acting as if something is chasing them. Also other shots similar were used. Also model buildings & things were used with the Grasshoppers crawling all over them. The finale shots use a photo the Wrigley Building with the Grasshoppers crawling up it. Pretty innovative for the 50's but Stop-Motion Animation is much better. You Can't always use that technique either though so. I got the Special Edition DVD last year which Image Entertainment released The Theatrical Version for the first time in Widescreen 1.66:1. The Peter Rodgers also had The Original Camera Negative it looks beautiful fully intact & restored. Looks the way it did on it's 1957 theatrical running. The DVD also contains a great Audio Commentary with Bert's daughter Susan Gordon also ex-wife Flora Lang & some fan named Bruce Kimmal. Very entertaining interesting commentary with a lot of stuff discussed about the film the effects, locations used in filming also much more is discussed in detail. Just was puzzled when I first got the DVD last year why Bert himself wasn't on the commentary track. I recently heard was was busy at the time & couldn't take part. Last year in June of 2006 Mr. Godron was at Monsterbash which is held in Western Pennsylvania every year I met him got him to autograph my DVD Insert for this movie. It was cool meeting him just not what I expected. His second appearance in 2007 he was much better & I really enjoyed talking to him also got some photos with him also his daughter Susan. Anyway die-hard 50's Sci-Fi Fanatics will like this if u haven't seen it check it out. Grab a copy of the Image Entertainment DVD Special Edition. Just was mad that it was missing The Original Theatrical Trailer.