The Deadly Bees
Paramount Pictures Presents An Amicus Production
Restored by Legend Films
Starring Suzanna Leigh, Frank Finlay, Guy Doleman
Directed by Freddie Francis
Screenplay by Robert Bloch and Anthony Marriott
Based on the novel "A Taste For Honey" by H.F. Heard
The Deadly Bees is one of those movies that has gained a special place in cinema history as one of those silly films that the guys on Mystery Science Theater 3000 use as the butt of their many jokes. It really is too bad. I'm not entirely sure how it came about that this film has been looked upon so harshly over the years, especially on my first view of it on DVD.
The story follows a young music performer as she goes on holiday to escape the pressures of her busy schedule. Her agent sets her up to get some rest and relaxation by staying in a remote village far from the hectic pace of city life and the attention of the spotlight. The bickering couple she boards with is an interesting pair. The man has a particular interest in beekeeping that his wife dislikes quite a bit, so when her dog turns up stung to death, she immediately goes wild and tries to burn the hives down. This is just the beginning of the suspicious events that occur. One accident after another involving a swarm of bees begins to lead the starlet to believe that there's more to what's going on than what is seen on the surface. Her suspicions are fueled by another beekeeper that lives nearby and begins to question if there is a more sinister plot or reason behind these strange attacks of The Deadly Bees.
The special effects have gone down in history as quite the subject of ridicule. In my opinion, they are no worse than any of the other effects used at the time this film was made and released. Do some of the bees look like they've been pasted in or superimposed on to the film? Of course they do, but no more so than a lot of dinosaurs or monsters did at that time.
The acting is very well done. Everyone is convincing in their parts. The bee attack scenes are done well. The terror is well-played by the actors. The eccentricities of the two beekeepers are quite convincing and not annoyingly over-the-top as sometimes can be done.
The picture is very crisp and clean, which surprised me quite a bit. Legend Films did a great job restoring this film. I'm surprised they could have found a negative still in good enough shape to use as a master to get it looking this good. Most "B-movies" like these weren't exactly kept under the best of circumstances.
The sound is mono, but is good. Many people will probably get a kick out of the performance of The Birds at the beginning of the film, which featured featured a very young Ron Wood (The Rolling Stones, The Jeff Beck Group). This helps to set the tone at what period of time this film was done in.
Overall, I feel that The Deadly Bees has garnered a lot of negative attention over the years for reasons I cannot explain. The story was loosely adapted from a good piece of smart literature by H.F. Heard called "A Taste For Honey" (which is being put back out again and will be available soon) by a phenomenal book and screenplay writer - Robert Bloch (Psycho, American Gothic, Star Trek, The House That Dripped Blood) - and directed by a very seasoned and genre-defining director - Freddie Francis (The Evil of Frankenstein, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Tales from the Crypt). I think that the film deserves another look and is re-evaluated for what it was at the time it was put out.
You can order the DVD by going to Best Buy's website. Also, be sure and visit www.legendfilms.com for more great restored classic films.
The Deadly Bees DVD Review
