‘Ants! a.k.a. It Happened At Lakewood Manor’ Blu-Ray Review – Creepy Crawly Eco-Horror Goodness

A mountain resort is ravaged by a deadly force in this terrifying tale of Mother Nature’s revenge—Ants!, a.k.a. It Happened at Lakewood Manor. Expecting a weekend of luxurious self-indulgence, visitors at the ritzy Lakewood Manor soon discover they’re the entrée of the day for an army of malevolent ants with an appetite for human flesh. When these killer creepy-crawlies eat toxic insecticides, they don’t die—they just get meaner. Vacation is no picnic in this cult eco-horror classic. The delicious cast includes Suzanne Somers (TV’s Three’s Company), Robert Foxworth (The Black Marble), Lynda Day George (TV’s Fear No Evil), Bernie Casey (TV’s The Martian Chronicles), Barry Van Dyke (TV’s Diagnosis Murder), Steve Franken (The Party), Karen Lamm (Trackdown) and Brian Dennehy (F/X) with a special appearance by celluloid great Myrna Loy (Love Me Tonight). Directed by TV veteran Robert Scheerer (TV’s Kolchak: The Night Stalker).

For thoughts on Ants!, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/LdTzEUEuG24?t=2143]

Video Quality

Ants! comes to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in both the 1.33:1 TV and the 1.85:1 Theatrical aspect ratios derived from a new 2K master that is very impressive. The fact that Kino Classics has not only rescued this notorious television film from obscurity but has also given it a stunning new presentation makes us love them all the more. Instances of print damage have been cleaned up immensely with only a handful of obvious blemishes, such as a faint line during a conversation at the hospital. 

This print is in much better shape than we might have even hoped. It maintains the natural film grain of the source without any hints of digital tinkering to smooth over the details. The grain presents as organic rather than overwhelmingly noisy, which allows for greater nuance to the image. Overall clarity and detail is incredible with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Skin tones veer a little bit on the pasty side of the spectrum. Colors are fairly well saturated with distinct hues popping off the screen when it comes to the foliage. Black levels are deep and hold up well with crush not serving as a noticeable issue. Kino Classics has done a standout job with this release. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that perfectly captures the intended sound of the film. The environmental sounds at the construction site are rendered well alongside everything else. This track handles the music well throughout the duration of the film with no obvious distortion or fluctuations in fidelity. There is also never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has given this film an accurately preserved audio presentation that brings the story to life in a memorable way. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin provides an entertaining and informative commentary track in which he discusses the story, the six forms of eco-horror, the uncertainty around the title of the film, the iconic movie marketing, how the actors avoided getting bitten by the ants and more. This is more than worth a listen!

• Audio Interview with Actress Barbara Brownell: A new 39-minute audio interview with Brownell (Marjorie) conducted by Gambin in which she discusses her early career, working with Myrna Loy, the aspects of her character which she related to, memories of the larger ensemble, the initial airing and reception of the film, the ways in which she was typecast and more. She has a very exciting attitude about her work and involvement with the film that is a joy to listen to. 

• Audio Interview with Actor Barry Van Dyke: A new 40-minute audio interview with Van Dyke (Richard Cyril) conducted by Gambin in which he discusses his career and television in the ‘70s, working with the stunt men to properly jump off a roof, the work of the “ant wrangler”, the trajectory of his career, the jobs he cherishes the most, the enduring nature and interest in the film and more. 

• Audio Interview with Actress Anita Gillette: A new 32-minute audio interview with Gillette (Peggy Kenter) conducted by Gambin in which she discusses the tour with John Travolta in Summer Stock right before this project, fighting against typecasting, the place of Myrna Loy in this production, the concerns she had about certain costume choices in her career and more. 

• Audio Interview with Actor Moosie Drier: A new 33-minute audio interview with Drier (Tommy) conducted by Gambin in which he discusses his work as a child actor, the uncomfortable reality of working with the ants, memories of working with Myrna Loy, reminiscing about ‘70s television, the lack of meaty roles when he was younger and more. 

• Audio Interview with Production Assistant and Daughter of Producer Alan Landsburg, Valerie Landsburg: A new 45-minute audio interview with Landsburg conducted by Gambin in which she discusses the work of her father, her role on the set of Ants, how this film is about human dilemmas, when and why her father realized he was not passionate about directing, the importance of the TV movie to his career, learning about directing from some incredibly talented people, the difficulties during production, reflections about her own career and more. 

Final Thoughts

Ants! is a simple premise that might seem laughable at first, but once you begin to think about it and see how creepy they look in huge clusters, it does not take long to send a shudder up your spine. The blending of practical effects with real ants and some less creepy movie magic works well to maintain the palpable sense of dread that comes from being covered with ants. The acting is nothing to write home about, but most performers do a decent job in their roles. The greatest asset of this film is being able to see screen legend Myrna Loy still crushing it into old age. Kino Classics has once again rescued a lesser-known television artifact with a new Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and an amazing array of special features. Those looking for something a little creepy to add to their Halloween viewing lineup should find this pretty compelling. Recommended 

Ants! is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.