King of the Ants

Last updated
King of the Ants
King of the ants 01.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Stuart Gordon
Screenplay by Charlie Higson
Based onKing of the Ants
by Charlie Higson
Produced byDuffy Hecht
David Michael Latt
Starring Chris McKenna
Kari Wuhrer
George Wendt
Daniel Baldwin
Cinematography Mac Ahlberg
Edited byDavid Michael Latt
Music by Bobby Johnston
Production
companies
Anthill Productions
The Asylum
Hecht Productions
Red Hen Productions
Distributed by The Asylum
Release date
  • June 11, 2003 (2003-06-11)(SIFF)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

King of the Ants is a 2003 American independent neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Stuart Gordon, written by Charlie Higson, and starring Chris McKenna, Kari Wuhrer, George Wendt, Vernon Wells, and Daniel Baldwin. It was adapted from Higson's 1992 novel of the same name, and was one of the first films produced by The Asylum.

Contents

Plot

Sean Crawley is a struggling young man trying to make ends meet by painting houses in suburban Los Angeles. One day, Sean meets "Duke" Wayne, who introduces Sean to his boss, a shady real estate developer named Ray Matthews. Ray hires Sean as a spy and orders him to follow Eric Gatley, an accountant who has been investigating Ray's company. Problems start when Ray, while drunk, offers Sean $13,000 to kill Eric. Sean accepts his offer and, although ambivalent, ends up killing Gatley by breaking into his house and beating him to death. When Sean goes to collect his pay, however, he is double-crossed and when he insists that they pay him, he is kidnapped and taken to Ray's secluded farm. It emerges that Matthews never had any intention of paying Sean for the killing, for he only wanted to use and eliminate him. But Sean survives from having a bullet put in his head then reveals that he had taken Gatley's work file of evidence and hidden it along with his documentation of events leading to the murder.

When torture fails to make him disclose the whereabouts of the file, Sean is then brutally beaten about the head with golf clubs many times by Ray and his henchmen daily for weeks in an effort to destroy his memory. After suffering a heavy amount of trauma, Sean escapes, killing Duke, and finds his way to a downtown homeless shelter where Gatley's widow, Susan, takes him under her wing, oblivious to his role in her personal tragedy. After she nurses him back to normal, he feels he has been reborn and they become lovers and he moves into her house. But after a few weeks, Susan finds his file describing the murder and, enraged, physically attacks him. Defending himself, Sean accidentally kills her.

Having lost what he saw as his redemption and rebirth, more angry and cynical than ever, Sean returns to Ray's farm and methodically and ruthlessly exacts revenge on his captors; having arrived before Ray, he finds Duke's body and decapitates it, removing the wounds that would implicate his involvement. While waiting for Ray, Sean burns Duke's head in a fire pit along with pictures of Susan, exclaiming that if it wasn't for him and his friends he could have had a happy life. He hides in the house while Ray's henchmen search for him. Sean jumps Carl upstairs and hits him in the chest with a sledgehammer and kicks him down the stairs. Carl lies on the floor unable to move from internal bleeding. Beckett comes into the house to find Carl when Sean breaks his leg and hits his back, paralyzing him.

With the two henchmen unable to move, he moves on to Ray, dousing him in gasoline and setting him on fire. He returns to the house to deal with the wounded Carl and Beckett, who is begging him for medical assistance and asking why. Sean simply replies asking if there needs to be a reason for his revenge. Sean turns the stove on and leaves the house. He changes Ray's shoes to make it appear that the trio were working on the house when an accident occurs. Sean lights one of Ray's shoes on fire and throws it in the house; Beckett and Carl scream and cry as Sean walks away from the house before it explodes.

Cast

Production

It is based on a novel by writer Charlie Higson, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Actor George Wendt read the novel and contacted Higson about a film adaptation. Higson replied that there had been interest in the past but nothing had materialized. Wendt then brought the novel to Stuart Gordon's attention, and they were able to get the project off the ground. Wendt and Gordon had previously worked together in Chicago theater. [1] It took seven years to find a company willing to produce the film. The Asylum was the only studio willing to commit to such a dark and violent story. [2] This was the first film that The Asylum produced; they had previously worked exclusively as a distributor. [3]

Release

King of the Ants premiered at the 2003 Seattle International Film Festival. [4]

The film was released on DVD by DEJ Productions on June 29, 2004. On July 5, that same year it was released by Mosaic. The film was later released by First Look Pictures on August 24, 2005. First Look would release a SteelBook edition of the film on October 6, 2009. [5]

Reception

Ken Eisner of Variety wrote that although the film has clever writing, a veteran director, and "starts out engagingly enough", it can't decide whether it is a horror film, neo-noir caper, or psychological thriller. [6] Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle rated it 3/5 stars and called it "an intriguing indie effort" that is "refreshingly unpredictable". [7] Ain't It Cool News praised the film, calling it director Gordon's best film. The reviewer praised the film's acting, intelligent approach, and difference in comparison to the director's previous works. [8]

Ross Williams of Film Threat rated it 4/5 stars and called it Gordon's best film since Re-Animator . [9] Mike Pinsky of DVD Verdict wrote that the first half of the film has promise, but "the second half of the script is a complete mess." [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Terror Tract</i> 2000 American TV series or program

Terror Tract is a 2000 American dark comedy/horror anthology film directed by Lance W. Dreesen and Clint Hutchison.

<i>King Ralph</i> 1991 US comedy film by David S. Ward

King Ralph is a 1991 American comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward and starring John Goodman, Peter O'Toole, and John Hurt. The film is about an American who becomes the unlikely King of the United Kingdom after an electrical accident wipes out the British Royal Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Higson</span> British actor, comedian and author

Charles Murray Higson is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer. He has also written and produced for television and is the author of the young adult post-apocalyptic book series The Enemy, as well as the first five novels in the Young Bond series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kari Wuhrer</span> American actress (born 1967)

Kari Samantha Wuhrer is an American actress, model, and singer. She is known for her time as hostess of the MTV game show Remote Control (1988–1989), her portrayals of Abigail on USA Network's Swamp Thing (1991–1992), and Maggie Beckett on the Fox/Syfy series Sliders (1997–2000). Wuhrer has appeared in horror films such as Anaconda (1997), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), King of the Ants (2003), The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting (2003), Hellraiser: Deader (2005), two entries in the Prophecy series, and Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014). In video games, she portrayed Agent Tanya in cutscenes of Westwood Studios' real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and its subsequent expansion pack, Yuri's Revenge. She also provided the voice of Maria Hill for Disney XD's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010–2012).

<i>Re-Animator</i> 1985 film by Stuart Gordon

Re-Animator is a 1985 American comedy horror film loosely based on the 1922 H. P. Lovecraft serial novelette "Herbert West–Reanimator". Directed by Stuart Gordon and produced by Brian Yuzna, the film stars Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West, a medical student who has invented a reagent which can re-animate deceased bodies. He and his classmate Dan Cain begin to test the serum on dead human bodies, and conflict with Dr. Carl Hill, who is infatuated with Cain's fiancée and wants to claim the invention as his own.

<i>Gregorys Girl</i> 1981 Scottish film

Gregory's Girl is a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan. The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhill district of Cumbernauld.

<i>Belly</i> (film) 1998 film directed by Hype Williams

Belly is a 1998 American crime drama film written and directed by music video director Hype Williams, in his feature film directing debut. Filmed in New York City, the film stars rappers Nas and DMX in their film debut, alongside Taral Hicks, Method Man, T-Boz and an uncredited cameo from Sean Paul.

<i>The Crossing Guard</i> 1995 film by Sean Penn

The Crossing Guard is a 1995 American independent drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Sean Penn. The film stars Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Robin Wright and Anjelica Huston. It tells the story of Freddy Gale, a man who has been tormented for more than five years by his daughter's death in a car accident. When he finds out that the man who was responsible for the death is being released from prison, he decides to seek vengeance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Gordon</span> American film and theatre director and writer (1947–2020)

Stuart Alan Gordon was an American filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Gordon began directing films in 1985. Most of Gordon's cinematic output was in the horror genre, though he also ventured into science fiction and film noir.

<i>Final Examination</i> (film) 2003 American film

Final Examination is a 2003 American erotic horror thriller film which was directed by Fred Olen Ray and stars Kari Wührer, Brent Huff and Debbie Rochon.

<i>Castle Freak</i> 1995 American horror film directed by Stuart Gordon

Castle Freak is a 1995 American direct-to-video horror film directed by Stuart Gordon. The film stars Jeffrey Combs as John Reilly, an American recovering alcoholic who inherits an Italian castle when a distant relative passes away. John stays at the castle with his estranged wife Susan and blind daughter Rebecca, but a freakish monster locked away in the basement escapes and commits a series of murders.

<i>The Painted Stallion</i> 1937 film by William Witney, Ray Taylor, Alan James

The Painted Stallion is a 1937 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the sixth Republic serial of the sixty-six made by that company. Western serials such as this made up a third of the serials from Republic, a studio that was also heavily involved in making B-Western feature films at the time.

<i>Sniper 3</i> 2004 American film

Sniper 3 is a 2004 American direct-to-video action film starring Tom Berenger, Byron Mann, Denis Arndt and John Doman. It was directed by P.J. Pesce, It is the sequel to the 2002 film Sniper 2 and is the third installment in the Sniper film series.

John Gordon Purvis Jr. is a man who spent nine years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

<i>The Fast Show</i> British TV comedy sketch show (1994–2014)

The Fast Show, also known as Brilliant in the United States, is a BBC comedy sketch show that ran on BBC 2 from 1994 to 1997, with specials in 2000 and 2014. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Arabella Weir and Caroline Aherne. Other significant cast members included Felix Dexter, Paul Shearer, Rhys Thomas, Jeff Harding, Maria McErlane, Eryl Maynard, Colin McFarlane and Donna Ewin.

<i>555</i> (1988 film) 1988 American horror film directed and produced by Wally Koz

555 is a 1988 American horror film directed by Wally Koz, and written by Roy Koz. A direct-to-video release, it stars Mara Lynn Bastian, Charles Fuller, Greg Kerouac, Greg Neilson, B.K. Smith, and Bob Grabill. The plot involves the police searching for a murderous necrophile who, every five years, murders five couples over the course of five nights, with the latest killing spree taking place in Chicago, Illinois.

<i>Batman: The Dark Knight Returns</i> (film) 2012 two-part animated film directed by Jay Oliva

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part direct-to-video adult animated superhero film, an adaptation of the 1986 comic book The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and is set in the same continuity as Batman: Year One. It was directed by Jay Oliva, who worked as a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Under the Red Hood, Year One and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Several other Batman veterans were also involved in the film. Part 1 was released on September 25, 2012, and Part 2 was released on January 29, 2013. A deluxe edition combining both films was released on October 8, 2013. Part 1 is the 15th film, and Part 2 is the 16th film, of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.

<i>Beyond Desire</i> 1995 American film

Beyond Desire is a 1995 American action thriller film directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard, written by Dale Trevillion, and starring William Forsythe and Kari Wuhrer. It was released direct-to-video, first in Germany on July 13, 1995, followed by the United States on April 23, 1996. It was released in the United Kingdom as The Last American Elvis.

<i>Batman: Hush</i> (film) 2019 animated film directed by Justin Copeland

Batman: Hush is a 2019 American animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman and loosely based on the 2002 comic book story arc of the same name. It is the thirteenth installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe and the 37th overall film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. In the film, Batman forms an alliance with Catwoman to defeat a new villain named Hush, who knows all of Batman's secrets and targets key figures in his life.

References

  1. Savlov, Marc (2003-12-12). "From BarFly to 'King of the Ants'". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  2. Williams, Ross (2003-07-09). "Stuart Gordon: King of the Gorehounds, Part 2". Film Threat . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  3. Patterson, John (2009-07-30). "Seeking Asylum: the rise of Hollywood's Z-movies". The Guardian . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  4. Williams, Ross (2003-07-09). "Stuart Gordon: King of the Gorehounds, Part 1". Film Threat . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  5. "King of the Ants (2003) - Stuart Gordon". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  6. Eisner, Ken (2003-07-17). "Review: 'King of the Ants'". Variety . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  7. Baumgarten, Marjorie (2003-12-12). "King of the Ants". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  8. "SIFF: Vern attends the world premiere of Stuart Gordon's KING OF THE ANTS and goes nuts for it!". Ain't It Cool.com. Ain't It Cool News Staff. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  9. Williams, Ross (2003-06-24). "King of the Ants". Film Threat . Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  10. Pinsky, Mike (2004-08-13). "King of the Ants". DVD Verdict . Retrieved 2014-01-16.