WAR OF THE INSECTS (1968)
I'll level with you, dear reader. My mind is occupied...elsewhere. I'm not "with it." I'll spare you the details, but suffice to say, real-world stress is trying to rain on my b-movie parade. I only mention it because horror fiction is the ultimate outlet for escapism, whether in print or on celluloid. Today's subject is no different. In fact, you could say that it's rather kooky. Produced by Shochiku (the oldest among Japan's major movie studios), War of the Insects - a.k.a. Genocide - is a psychedelic slice of bug-addled horror. My copy is a bootleg, but it's worth mentioning that it was released by Criterion in a swanky set alongside 1968's The Living Skeleton, 1967's The X from Outer Space, and 1968's Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell. Do me a favor. Don't let me buy that thing. As it stands, I have a surplus of Blu-rays and tapes to sift through. Do me another favor. Don't let me drift off-topic again. Just smack me.
Right, so War of the Insects. The plot is baffling. Pests everywhere are sick of humans destroying the planet. They won't stand for it, man. Somehow, they all agree as a hive mind to flip out and overthrow us. I'm not sure if that includes mites and gnats, but this act of sedition manifests itself as a swarm of locusts (I suppose they could have been wasps or rabid dragonflies) that takes down a plane carrying an H-bomb. It's all very apocalyptic. What's more, we meet a mad scientist. In a nice change of pace, our unhinged entomologist is a buxom blonde. She's concocting a poison that will equip bees with a hallucinogenic stinger. Apparently, her motives are not related to the bug uprising. A happy accident? To be honest, it seems unnecessary. It's as if screenwriter Susumu Takaku simply wanted to jam as much conflict into the script as possible. On the upside, none of it is boring.
If you're looking for a breakdown of the film's social commentary, you're woofing up the wrong tree. I do appreciate the downbeat ending. Go ahead and give War of the Insects a whirl. Recommended to fans of The H-Man and the letter "h" in general.
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