I have not seen many films by Irwin Allen, but I somehow get the idea that he was quite a primitive filmmaker. This, I think, is best shown when one reads that he was confused by the success of the original Star Wars, in that it had no love story or major stars and yet became the highest-grossing film of its time. The Swarm, one of the disaster movies that killed his career, could not possibly be more primitive. One of the problems it has is one that it shares with killer bunny movie Night of the Lepus: it has way too serious of a tone and yet seems to be filled with silliness, intentional or not.After a break-in at a military base, Dr. Brad Crane (Michael Crane) takes charge of an operation meant to get rid of a giant swarm of killer bees headed for the United States. That is as simple a story as you could get. Most of it is just repeated attempts to find a way to destroy the bees. However, there are a couple of sub-plots that have nothing to do with anything, such as the wooing of Olivia De Havilland's school headmaster by Ben Johnson and Fred MacMurray; all classic movie actors who have seen better days. Another sub-plot includes Patty Duke being widowed due to killer bee attacks and giving birth to a child, after which she falls in love with her doctor. Neither of these go anywhere as Johnson, MacMurray, and De Havilland are all killed in a train crash caused by the bees before the latter makes a decision about who to marry, and Duke disappears after the birth of her child; none of these people even interact with Dr. Crane or his love interest, Dr. Anderson played by Katharine Ross from The Graduate.Other problems include the acting; it's downright awful. Even Caine, who is usually fantastic, seems dull and uninterested. He did get to buy his mother a house with the money he earned, so he got something out of it. Everyone seems half-hearted, and Ross competes with Caine in terms of dullness. With the characters constantly referring to the killer bees as "Africans," one can be excused for thinking the film is racist, or even anti-immigrant.The script even calls for the characters to do things that border on the hilarious. After losing his parents to the bees, a kid sneaks out of the hospital to throw Molotov cocktails on the beehive, which causes the bees to rampage in his town and kill over 200 people. The kid rightly acknowledges that he is to blame, but Crane tells him "I would have done the same thing." All I can say is, "No you wouldn't." This is an example of Allen's weak attempts to get emotions out of the viewer, along with the unneeded sub-plots and ill-defined relationships. Crane and Anderson are supposed to have a romance, but that hardly seems to come through in the movie. That kid who firebombed the hive is important to Anderson, but how? The film is also too long, as there is very little story to go on, even with an attempted conflict between Crane and Richard Widmark's General Slater, who only seems to dislike Crane because he is a typical tough-guy American general.One detail mentioned in the film is that the fight against the bees has been going on for 15 years. What I don't understand is, if the bees have been killing people for that long, why have they only just started to invade America? I'd say a flashback was in order.To conclude, The Swarm is a film I do not recommend watching, as it is not an enjoyable creature feature. Even Frogs, which was arguably a worse movie, was more entertaining. Irwin Allen has done good work in the 70s, such as with The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, but The Swarm shows what happens if you try to be as pretentious and simple as possible and make money from an audience in a decade when people wanted their movies to be smarter and fresher.

Adapted from a novel of the same name by Arthur Herzog, this science fiction monster horror film directed by Irwin Allen AKA the Master of Disaster, didn't have the buzz, it thought it should had been given when it was release in 1978. The film was a notorious box office bomb upon its release, barely making it two weeks in theaters. It's pretty clear, to say, with that fact, honey; that this 'Bee-list" horror movie wasn't Queen B, at all! Without spoiling the movie too much, I have to say, it was really nice to see, that they were able to find thousands & thousands of real life European honey bees, as shoes-in, for the dangerous real life, African honey bees swarm. It really gave the film, its look. I also love how the bees were manage for the most part of the film, throughout the film. It must had been a huge challenge for production to find several bee keepers who had bees that had their stingers off. I heard that about 800,000 bees were "de-stung" for the close-ups and medium shots filmed with human actors by incapacitating the insects in freezing temperatures. While, most of the 'de-stung', however, some of them, were somewhat missed; so they had to doctors with allergic medicine, just in case. I also love the production story of main actor, Michael Caine eating bee poop, after mistaking it for honey. It must had been very hilarious at the time. However, contrary to popular belief, regarding the bees. Most bees don't really sting, much people, unless they have to. If they do, the bees mostly likely will die as well. This science fact was really missing from the film. Another myth about Africanized bees, is that they're super aggressive. Unlike the over-the-top bees depicted in the film that seem to attack everything, from everywhere by roaming, the real-life African bees are local to the hive. The reason, why is because the banana-scented pheromone which give signals to other bees to attack would be, too weak, the farer, it gets from the main hive. Most bees can only go as far, as ¼ miles from their main source; unless, the bees feel like migrate as part of a seasonal response to lowered food supply or likely to "abscond" in response of deep stress. Seeing how the movie takes place in Texas, I really doubt, they will move as much, due to the extremely dry late summers & harsh winters that state has. In my opinion, the plot would actually have made a lot more sense had it involved wasps rather than bees. Still, seeing these deeply disturbed bees take out, passenger trains, helicopters, and nuclear power plants is bit too unrealistic and ludicrous for even me to take serious; despite how cool, it might seem. Another mistake, this movie made about the bees, is the venom. Africanized honeybee venom is not more painful or voluminous than normal honeybee venom. It wouldn't make you, hallucinate giant insects or any nonsense like that. The only way, to truly die from them, is to be deeply allergic to bees, or to be, total cover, by them. Not only is, the logic behind the science of the bee, seem to be kinda lacking in this film, but the logic by the supposedly on-screen scientist, as well. Dr. Bradford Crane (Michael Caine), is a total moron. Not only, does he repeatedly endangers countless lives in favor of the environment; but he gives in, to a lot of stupid idea that cause many people to die. By the way, setting the ocean on fire using oil is not environment friendly, Crane! I also hate the fact, that he waste time, trying to hook up with Dr. Helena Anderson (Katharine Ross), rather than saving people. Are we're supposed to cheer for him!? I'm not! Anyways, as much as I love Michael Caine as an actor. His character was too annoying. I don't blame Caine for this film failure. He did what he can. I blame, screenwriter Stirling Silliphant for the film direction. This movie has way too many side characters. Yes, it's nice to see certain celebs like Henry Fonda, José Ferrer, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, Fred MacMurray, and Bradford Dillman in the film, but some of them, could had been cut. I hate the fact, that most of them, don't really push the plot, forward. When, they do, it doesn't make any sense, like how the teenager, Paul Durant (Christian Juttner) went back to the hive to taunt the bees, after seeing his parent die. Wasn't a minute ago, he was still hallucinating about giant insects attacking him!? It doesn't make sense. Anyways, the filmmakers really focus way too much on, the characters normal lives than the bee attack concept. Some good examples are the pregnancy angle and the love triangle; which goes nowhere. It's clear, by the writing, that most of them hardly have any pay-off. At least, 3 side characters as far as we know of, seem to just vanish from the movie without any explanation of their fates. What a disaster! This is not how you make a disaster movie with a big cast. I'm deeply disappointing on how lack-lusting, most of these supporting characters are. Another problem with the film is the length. The film is not well paced for a simple plot about killer bees. There was really no reason for this film to be, 116 minutes for the normal theater cut & 156 minutes for the extended DVD cut! That's way too long! The movie's effects are also not that good. Model trains and planes blowing up. Day for night shots & matte painting, make this film, somewhat dated. Even terms like calling the bees 'Africans' seem a bit awkward to watch. Overall: This killer bee invasion movie is not a great watch, but not too bad. It's just below standards

the good part - the cast. the bad fact - unrealistic script. the best thing - it could become a kind of comedy. slice of a period fears and trends, it is only an ordinary dark utopia, a form of Jaws but at very different level. without be a good film, it is an useful demonstration about the taste of public and the vision of artistic team. the virtue - good intentions and few scenes. a film who remains legendary for the desire of a part of actors to give roots to a not inspired project. like many other cases, a good idea with huge potential and a not remarkable result. that is all. unrealistic but interesting for discover Michael Caine, Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland or Richard Widmark in an easy film about a huge danger. the solution - not different by the entire film.

Run for you lives, viewers, a "moving black mass" is on the loose. Soon revealed to be African killer bees, "The Swarm" levels some people and helicopter pilots. Bee-savvy entomologist Michael Caine (as Bradford "Brad" Cane) quickly swings into action. He's a real smarty-pants. Likewise surviving a bee attack, attractive Katharine Ross (as Helena Anderson) joins Mr. Caine. Initially called a "crackpot" by bee-skeptical Richard Widmark (as Thaddeus Slater), Caine is put in charge of fighting the bee invasion. Action continues in a small Texas town, which is holding its annual "Flower Festival". As you know, bees dig flowers...In Maryville, we meet two of the bigger names in the all-star cast, schoolmarmish Olivia de Havilland (as Maureen Schuster) and mayoral Fred MacMurray (as Clarence Tuttle). This fiasco was Mr. MacMurray's last appearance on screen. Neither he nor Ms. de Havilland spend much time on camera, fortunately. Also making it to town is young Christian Juttner (as Paul Durant), who has a very big bee in his bed. Folksy insect expert Henry Fonda (as Walter Krim) arrives in his wheelchair...More stars appear. More bees fly… "The Swarm" was produced by Irwin Allen, who usually knows how to do this sort of thing. First of all, he should have assigned someone different to direct this disaster. The performances show how those considered good actors and actresses can quickly turn into amateurs without the right script and director. Costume designer Paul Zastupnevich, a regular on Mr. Allen's crews, received an "Academy Award" nomination. This film doesn't warrant an "Oscar" award, but Mr. Zastupnevich consistently contributes well. The bee attacks are laughable and there are a few funny lines buzzing around.*** The Swarm (7/14/78) Irwin Allen ~ Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda