THE BEES

THE BEES

I don't know about you lot, but any time I get my hands on a movie in any way associated with the great John Saxon, then I'm immediately happier than I was before. And, if I get so much as a hint that we're going to witness – John Saxon: Bee Wrangler, then I think it's fair to say that entertainment will follow. Such is the case with The Bees, a straightforward enough title brought to us from a label with a straightforward name of its own – Cheezy Flicks. So, you might surmise that this isn't going to be a philosophical work...but just how worthwhile is this film?

Well, for all that follows, and perhaps surprisingly, this film starts with a real-life basis (although then runs off into the absurd). I was expecting giant nuclear-mutated bees, but no; we actually start with the problem of the spread of Africanised Honey Bees, a bee species which has been spreading like wildfire through the developed world. Yep, they produce a lot of honey, but they're also a very aggressive species, and when any member of the colony feels the urge to sting an intruder, the other bees will also attack.

So, when we see a father and son somewhere in Brazil busting into an American-owned research compound to steal some honey, we know it can't end well (and please note: when you keep calling to mind the fact that there are, but of course, no bees present in most of the attack sequences, but rather an overlay of swarming insects added after filming, the it makes some of the performances here astonishing. Consummate professionals, these, rolling about on the ground with nothing actually attacking them). The Great White Hope running this compound, a man named Franklin Miller, vows to improve security, and looks like he'll have a mob of angry locals on his hands concerned about these 'devil bees', but before he can make good on his promise to successfully breed a more docile strain, he comes a cropper, too.

Enter John Saxon (that's a declarative, not an imperative) and hey presto, the action moves to the US of A. Despite the untimely demise of his friend and colleague Franklin, Saxon's character, John Norman, vows that the research must go on, so alongside Franklin's none-too-cerebral widow Sandra (who has smuggled a bag full of fucking bees out of South America) they plan to keep going. However, you'll never guess what bloody happens? Yes, the bees get out. We then have a period of time of bees running wild, people going on fire, people diving through plate glass, maniacal caricatures, and improbable schemes...seriously, the plot we end up with had me roaring with laughter and perhaps this is one film I couldn't possible spoiler, but I think you should see how the thing gets resolved for yourselves. The Bees is firmly in the so-bad-it's-good category. Not only does it have some serious time capsule charm, but there is never the sort of lull which would allow boredom to creep in. Bad science gives plenty of forward-motion in cinema, and it's here in spades, adding layer upon layer of nonsense all acted completely straight. There are even a few Evil Corporate Bastards thrown in here for good measure, and – somehow – some sex scenes. As I say, it's impossible to get bored.

A film which seems determined to plough through as many plot devices as humanly possible, whilst landing us with the conclusion to end all conclusions, I'd say The Bees is one of the most successful bee-orientated films I've ever seen, and oddly enough, I have seen a few! The print quality here isn't all that great (for instance, a lot of the blacks on screen are a tad washed-out) but honestly, you don't come to a film like this for pristine images and thought-provoking content. The performances are massively OTT, the bombast completely belies the plot, and all in all, I had a lot of fun with this. (And, hey, Cheezy Flicks throw in a few trailers to other hitherto lost gems as well). Watch this if you like your pseudoscience to come dressed in 70s garb. And who doesn't?

Review by Keri O’Shea


 
Released by Cheezy Flicks
Region 1
Not Rated
Extras : see main review
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