The Hellstrom Chronicle

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The Hellstrom Chronicle

Directed by	Ed Spiegel Walon Green
Produced by	David L. Wolper
Distributed by	Cinema 5 Distributing
Release date(s)	1971
Running time	90 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Hellstrom Chronicle is an American film released in 1971 which combines elements of documentary and science fiction to present a gripping depiction of the Darwinian struggle for survival between humans and insects. It was directed by Walon Green and written by David Seltzer, who earned a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for his screenplay. Several cinematographers photographed this film using stop-motion photography with microscopic and telescopic lenses. The trailer resembled an announcement for a science fiction movie. The film provided the inspiration for Frank Herbert's science fiction novel Hellstrom's Hive.

[edit] Plot summary

A fictitious scientist called Dr. Nils Hellstrom (played by Lawrence Pressman) guides viewers throughout the film. He claims, on the basis of scientific-sounding theories, that insects will ultimately win the fight for survival on planet earth because of their adaptability and ability to reproduce rapidly, and that the human race will lose this fight largely because of excessive individualism. The film combines short clips from horror and science fiction movies with extraordinary camera sequences of butterflies, locusts, wasps, termites, ants, mayflies, and other insects rarely seen before on film.