Daily Archives: January 19, 2020

Genocide (1968)

Genocide (AKA “War of the Insects”) (Konchu daisenso)
Directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu
Written by Susumu Takaku; story by Kingen Amada
1968/Japan
IMDb link
First viewing/Criterion Channel

 

[box] Since Auschwitz, we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima, we know what is at stake. Viktor E. Frankl[/box]

Japanese horror trades giant monsters for tiny ones in this amusingly dreadful movie.

Swarms of insects attack a U.S. bomber and it pilot becomes the first to be infected.  He slowly goes insane and starts babbling about genocide.  Turns out the insects have gathered together to exterminate the human race in order to to save themselves from extermination by the H-bomb.  A pretty American concentration camp survivor(!) is conspiring with the insects.

The twisted mind that brought us the hilariously bad The X from Outer Space (1967)  is back with this little gem, in which bizarre plot meets bad effects.  The dialogue (sub-titled) is pretty great too.  Recommended to my fellow connoisseurs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwNHNgd86Og