Genocide (1968)

This is How Movies Should Be Made

A Major Disappointment

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A group of military personal investigate the crash of an army plane on a remote island. They uncover an evil plot by lethal insects to bring about the end of the human race. Director Kazui Nihonmatsu relates the intricate and absorbing story at a constant pace, grounds the fantastic premise in a believable everyday reality, and adroitly creates and maintains an extremely grim and uncompromising take-no-prisoners nihilistic tone. Susumu Takaku's harsh script makes a bleak point on how mankind's self-destructive nature will bring about his own ruination. This film further benefits from several interesting hateful characters: Kathy Horan as bitter and vengeful holocaust survivor Annabelle, Ralph Jesser as the ruthless Lt. Gordon, and Chico Roland as the unhinged Charlie. The surprise bummer ending packs a startling punch. A solid little Japanese sci-fi/horror movie.

All the insects on Earth become wild and attack humans, causing Armageddon.The film's staff includes Shizuo Hirase as the cinematographer, who also worked on the Shochiku films "The X from Outer Space" and "Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell". Composer Shunsuke Kikuchi, who also worked on "Goke", does the music here; he may be best known today for "Female Convict Scorpion" or perhaps "Dragon Ball Z".Because this was the last horror film Shochiku would produce, it is suitably ambitious and apocalyptic. This is dark, bleak, and edgy beyond what we typically see from horror of the era, especially in Japan. We (at least Americans) expect men in rubber suits to beat on each other, but this is a far worse menace!

More or less I am sort of responding to the first review that was done in 2009, which was very negative of the film. I think that the film is interesting, and watching it you realize why the film may never have been released overseas.Many years ago, when I was in College, there was a white individual, who after watching a black exploitation film made a very rude comment, especially considering the one black female in the room. "Now I understand the black mentality". Sadly, in watching this film made in 1968, one could almost say the same exact thing. In the film, the Americans are played as if an occupying force in Japan, at least on this Island. the Americans, especially with the lead American character, one could almost say he is portrayed as some kind of Nazi type official, though he does not go and execute people. A little bit is made of the War that the United States fought Japan in the Pacific, though now as one of the Japanese characters does say in the film, and paraphrasing, "now we're friends. Yet watching the film, the Japanese seem to be portrayed as innocent victim. Any Japanese person who is bad in the film,, is actually working for the Communists. Much of course is made of nuclear war, and of course the blame somehow will be put on the Americans, and perhaps in this case somewhat understandably. But however here is the kicker, Their is this one woman, who looks way to young for her to have been a young victim of the holocaust, as she is somehow shown to be somewhat sexy. Of course, she is the one behind some experimentation of the insects, and working with the communists, wants to get revenge on the world for what happened to her. Of course in this case it is the Germans who are portrayed as the villains who did this to her, but to blame another country, and not your own, as the Japanese creators of this movie have done, and it is well documented that Japan was just as bad as Nazi Germany was, and many POW's were treated far worse by the Japanese than the Germans. In some ways, what happened to her in world war II is somehow made to equal what happened to the Japanese in WWII with the dropping of the atomic bomb, but of course there is no mention in this movie of the atrocities that Japan was responsible for. Japan is only shown as innocent victim of American aggression. Also of course highlighted, with the participation of Chico Rolands, a black actor who it would be interesting to know more about, and the alleged racism that is shown in this film by his American white superiors. One amazing scene certainly demonstrates that. Merits of the film are that it is rather suspenseful, and in many cases you do care about some of the characters. One person here gives his life in what is rather moving, and of course the way he dies for what is a greater good. Also the last image of the film of someone in a boat was touching.

This is a bad movie and I'm going to try and make this a bland as possible so you don't think there is any reason to see the film.Huge cloud of bees brings down a bomber carrying an atomic bomb over an island near Japan. Some of the crew escapes and makes it to the island where they are killed by the insects. One of the local men is charged with the men's murder. Through a long winding chain of events it transpires the bees are a new species that were being bred by a mad scientist to get revenge on Germany for what happened during World War 2. (There's more but trust me you don't want to know) Disaster of a film is a kin to the horrible eco-films (Last Days of Planet Earth) Japan turned out in the 1970's. These were big on having a point but small on any real plot. Here the film drones on with lots of talk and not much happening. Sure there is two late in the game bee attacks but it doesn't make it worth sitting through the preceding 80 minutes. A dreadful film in the unfun way that only Japanese scifi films can be.2 out of 10 because the two plane sequences at either end of the film are screamingly funny for all of the wrong reasons.(However they are not a reason to watch this movie)