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      The Hellstrom Chronicle

      G Released Jun 28, 1971 1h 30m Documentary List
      75% 8 Reviews Tomatometer 87% 100+ Ratings Audience Score This unique and quirky offering combines elements of documentary films and horror movies to illustrate the potential threat posed by the world's insects. With their collective intelligence, high capacity for work and sharp instincts, the film argues, they are waging a struggle against humans for supremacy of our planet. Expert cinematography captures footage of the small creatures, some quite tiny and elusive, interspersed with clips from horror films to achieve dramatic effects. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (8) Critics Reviews
      Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) Put together by Walon Green from film shot on five continents, it offers a chilling thought and, if you can ignore that commentary, it is obviously high time we made friends with the termites. Mar 19, 2020 Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian It is still the most extraordinary film which alternates the stunningly beautiful with the intensely ugly so tantalisingly that you begin to wonder which is which. Mar 19, 2020 Full Review Tom Milne Financial Times The apocalyptic message it has to deliver is that the insects are taking over from man: scientifically possible, perhaps, but dramatised with absurd over-emphasis. Mar 19, 2020 Full Review Terry Alan Smith Bay Area Reporter The Hellstrom Chronicle is overwhelmingly brilliant. Apr 28, 2020 Full Review Dilys Powell Sunday Times (UK) [The Hellstrom Chronicle is] about the ferocity and the frightening organisation of the insect world. Mar 19, 2020 Full Review John Mahoney Los Angeles Free Press If even half of the science-fact presented in the David L. Wolper production, The Hellstrom Chronicle, is proven true, it could be the most important film you will ever see, while you have the chance. Jan 10, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      jon c A documentary combining footage of insects and horror movie antics Lawrence Pressman plays Neils Hellstrom, who narrates discussing the importance of these creepy little crawlers He illustrates the destructive force posed by these small animals Humans may be overrun and be the less evolved, dominant species Life must take life in the interest of it, it's not just to associate size with significance, man can radically change the earth yet an insect can change easily with them The insect footage is spot-on, the scary music adds some effect to these insects' presence, and this narrator makes his findings quite convincing In this documentary they cover all kinds of entomology from caterpillars to grasshoppers to dragonflies to praying mantises to spiders Even deadly plants like Venus flytraps pose as a challenge to these tiny terrors Why shouldn't these things be feared, after all they have evolved over millions of years adapting to their environments, they blend in easily to hunt and hide from hunters, they fly, have defense mechanisms in all kinds of forms, most of all they add very largely to our ecosystem They are used to living outside as opposed to us living indoors Insects such as termites are the first creatures to create social order As humans we have a natural fear of these things when they crawl over us, invade our personal space, cover our food supply, and ultimately create infestations, heck some of us have developed allergies against being stung or bitten Lots of insects carry deadly diseases and viruses without us knowing it as well so it's pretty much a battle for supremacy As a result we poison our own wildlife, rivers, and oxygen levels trying to kill pests and scavengers A lot of these findings are fascinating to witness but at the same time downright horrifying, it's all about Mother Nature working its course It all boils down to the ferocity and frightening interworkings of the insect world For a nature documentary it ain't half bad Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review delysid d i loved this nice documentary about insects Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/18 Full Review deke p Won 1971 Best Documentary feature Oscar. saw it in theater when came out. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Excelente documental ficcionado que habla de los insectos desde un punto de vista super interesante. Las imágenes valen por sí mismas, absolutamente recomendado! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member "The Hellstrom Chronicle" defende através do discurso científico uma ideia que, três anos mais tarde, seria retomada por "Phase IV" com um novo sentido narrativo: os insectos são bem mais fortes e capazes do que a maioria de nós supõe. Acontece que "The Hellstrom Chronicle" assume essa enorme admiração pela entidade insecto com alguns apontamentos radicais e o modo de pensar livre próprio da década de 70, o que inevitavelmente o deixa um pouco datado. Ainda assim as imagens da vida do insecto são espectaculares e as ideias são desenvolvidas com uma complexidade filosófica que nem sempre encontramos nos documentários da especialidade. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A delightfully disturbing mock documentary using scientific information and images from nature to "prove" that mankind is doomed and insects are taking over the world. A classic film which proves that scientific data can be turned into propaganda to prove any social or political point of view--care to prove me wrong, Al Gore? Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Hellstrom Chronicle

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis This unique and quirky offering combines elements of documentary films and horror movies to illustrate the potential threat posed by the world's insects. With their collective intelligence, high capacity for work and sharp instincts, the film argues, they are waging a struggle against humans for supremacy of our planet. Expert cinematography captures footage of the small creatures, some quite tiny and elusive, interspersed with clips from horror films to achieve dramatic effects.
      Director
      Walon Green
      Distributor
      Cinema 5 Distributing
      Rating
      G
      Genre
      Documentary
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jun 28, 1971, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      Oct 1, 2015
      Runtime
      1h 30m