Plot: What’s it about?
A small town has been demolished and a number of innocent people are missing, but what force has created this mayhem? There seems to be no end to this path of destruction through Illinois’ countryside, but there is no cause for it all, at least not one that the government is letting the public be aware of. But reporter Audrey Ames (Peggie Castle) knows there has to be an explanation and when she finds it, not only will be she be setting the truth free, but she could get some serious reporting kudos in the process. While information is slim at best, there is one man who could assist her, the man who caused the situation. That man is Dr. Ed Wainwright (Peter Graves), who caused the chaos by accident, when some of his agricultural experiments set off some unexpected results in the ecosystem. It seems some of the Department of Agriculture experiments involved radiation in large doses, which was supposed to help decrease pests and increase yields, but instead created a menace like the world has never seen before. The radiation was absorbed by grasshoppers and now, they’ve grown to massive size and are determined to destroy all in their path, including mankind and all it has created. With nuclear weapons as the sole option, can Wainwright somehow deduce an alternate solution to this most lethal dilemma?
I can never get enough 50s sci/fi movies, especially when the flicks involve giant bugs, science gone wrong, and the end of the world. In this case, all those bases are covered and as an added bonus, Peter Graves has one of the lead roles. This movie was brought to us by Bert I. Gordon, the B movie legend that also gave us such classics as King Dinosaur, Empire of the Ants, Village of the Giants, Attack of the Puppet People, and The Food of the Gods. As such, you can imagine what to expect from Beginning of the End, as Gordon’s pictures were known for their low rent special effects and scientific inaccuracies. In other words, a B movie fan’s favorite kind of 50s sci/fi, tons of giant bugs, ham handed performances, and of course, a social commentary that takes a backseat to the monstrous creatures. The dialogue is laughable in most scenes, while the performances are decent, but mostly unremarkable. And of course, the giant grasshoppers are poorly inserted into the movie, but come on, they’re fun and that what counts. I’m sure many of you have this as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but I think it is entertaining by itself, thanks to the hokey special effects and often hilarious dialogue. I recommend this to fans of 50s sci/fi, especially since Image has issued this more than solid treatment.
It might seem strange to see Peter Graves in a low rent sci/fi picture, but this wasn’t his first and as it turned out, it wouldn’t be his last. Over his career, Graves has been in almost every genre you could imagine, but perhaps he is best known for his work as Jim Phelps, as part of the smash television series Mission: Impossible. He has been able to handle himself in westerns, action movies, sci/fi adventures, dramas, comedies, you name it and old Graves has done it, usually in fine form, no less. In Beginning of the End, Graves is also solid and if it sounds odd to have him share the screen with massive grasshoppers, he’d already had stranger costars. He battled a carrot-like creature used bat mites, plus been part of a team that received messages from Mars, so grasshoppers proved to be no problem. Of course, this movie doesn’t yield one of the better performances, but given the circumstances, I’d say he’s solid enough. Other films with Graves include Red Planet Mars, Airplane!, Savannah Smiles, Sidecar Racers, and Killers from Space. The cast also includes Peggie Castle (Invasion USA, The White Orchid), Morris Ankrum (Giant from the Unknown, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers), Thomas Browne Henry (20 Million Miles to Earth, The Brain from Planet Arous), and Than Wyeen (Hot Rod Rumble, The Sign of Zorro).
Video: How does it look?
Beginning of the End is presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen. As long as there’s ample light, this is a passable visual effort, but when it gets dark, most of the scenes look murky and detail is sparse. But most scenes are light in terms of visuals, so only a few rotten sequences emerge and that’s not enough to sink this one. This treatment was taken from the original negative, but some minor restoration work could have enhanced it a lot, to remove the frequent nicks, scuffs, and unwelcome grain that surface. But this is a low rent 50s sci/fi picture after all, so I can excuse some of the defects, though I wish more work was done on this edition. Even so, this new widescreen edition is the best home video version I’ve seen.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included soundtrack is basic and shows some signs of wear, but it still holds up fairly well. I heard some distortion and rather harsh hiss at times, but not too much and I still think this option is decent enough. A little work could have made a lot of difference though, as the hiss is thick in some scenes, but it never stays long, which is good news. The music is loud and gets a little tinny, but comes through in decent fashion, while sound effects seem solid too, though also a tad on the thin side in some instances. No trouble with dialogue though, as vocals seem clear and never muffled or what not. So yes, this soundtrack has some rough spots, but given the material involved, I can overlook some flaws in this case.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In addition to a selection of lobby card artwork, this disc also includes an informative audio commentary track. In addition to moderator Bruce Kimmel, the track also include Bert I. Gordon’s one time wife Flora, as well as his daughter Susan. As Flora worked on the film’s special effects, she lends some nice insights, while Kimmel keeps the session lively with assorted questions and other prompts. I wouldn’t say this is one of the better tracks I’ve heard, but I am pleased to just have one included on this release.
