Them! 1954 Ultimate Guide Magazine

Product Description

The giant-ant classic that started the ‘big bug’ craze

There’s something in the desert, and it has a taste for sugar… rediscover an icon of science fiction cinema with our Ultimate Guide to Them! In 1954, Warner Bros unleashed a colony of atomically enlarged ants on an unsuspecting world, and in doing so created the template for every giant-monster movie of the decade. Our full-colour magazine guide is the perfect companion to your next viewing of a film whose scale, ambition and dread have never been bettered.

Richly designed and packed with beautifully restored images from the film, this magazine takes you from the eerie silence of the New Mexico desert to the climactic battle in the storm drains of Los Angeles. It’s the stylish, collectable companion that puts you back in touch with the suspense, spectacle and atomic-age anxiety that make Them! the finest of the “big bug” films.

The colour, 3-D epic that became a black-and-white masterpiece

Few science fiction films have a backstory as intriguing as this one. Them! was planned as a lavish colour production in the new craze of 3-D – but the camera equipment proved so troublesome that the colour was dropped, the widescreen format abandoned, and the film shot in stark black and white, with only the lurid red-and-blue opening title surviving. That happy accident may have made the film: for its first third the giant ants are never seen at all, only heard, in an unearthly pulsing shriek. Inside the guide, you’ll discover how this near-disaster became a masterstroke.

Expert articles on the making of the film

This guide features a series of engaging, professionally written articles that examine how the movie was made. Authors Nige Burton and Jamie Jones tell the story of how this epic battle came to the screen – the context the film emerged from, its journey from concept to execution, the abandoned colour-and-3-D plans, and the practical reality of building and operating an army of marauding insects for the camera. A wealth of trivia and insight throughout enriches every viewing.

Meet the cast and crew

Beyond the film itself, the guide explores the lives and careers of the people who made it. Informative biography features introduce the key cast and crew, from stars James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness and Onslow Stevens to director Gordon Douglas and the team who turned the unlikely story of giant ants into a powerhouse of cinematic thrills. It’s the perfect way to deepen your appreciation of a film that rewards a closer look.

Luxury production values, page after page

Presented in A4 format (210mm x 297mm), this guide has a sturdy front cover with a luxury gloss laminate that underlines our focus on quality. The full-colour pages are designed to keep the focus on the film, with timeless, uncluttered layouts that let every image breathe. Our full-colour print processes give even the black-and-white stills a depth and richness that ordinary monochrome printing simply can’t match.

A must-have for every science fiction collector

No fan of Them! should be without our Ultimate Guide. Whether you’re revisiting an old favourite or discovering the giant ants for the first time, it’s an essential and endlessly re-readable addition to any classic sci-fi or horror collection – and another must-have from Classic Monsters.

• 36 pages
• A4 (210mm x 297mm)
• Full colour throughout
• Luxury gloss laminated cover
• Printed on fine silk stock paper

Rated 5/5 by readers. In stock for immediate shipping.

Explore more science fiction

Continue your collection with more Ultimate Guides to the golden age of monster and sci-fi cinema:

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Read more on this film in our Them! encyclopaedia entry.