One of the few creatures on this earth that terrifies and mystifies me in equal measure is that of the Praying Mantis. They are fearsome looking, especially when they strike out at lightning speed. These insects have inspired their fair share of media throughout the years and today we will be discussing a few of my favourites.
The Deadly Mantis (1957): The big bug daddy for which all others match up to. Nathan Juran’s insect movie was near the tail end of Universal’s sci-fi spectacles and unfortunately for the mantis the budgets at this time had been cut down drastically leading to the film using a lot of stock footage. It was shot in just 14 days ( via Keep Watching The Skies! By Bill Warren). The film was disliked by critics and superfans alike, and even ended up being riffed on MST3K. Even given all of those caveats, I’m here to insist this movie is a load of fun. The titular Deadly Mantis makes a huge impact with great model work; the flying scenes in particular are really fun to watch. The cast is very fun, although actress Alix Talton really steals the show. Far from perfect, it was the first, and for that my mantis loving heart shall be forever thankful.
The impact of The Deadly Mantis on cinema is something we will be exploring throughout this list, however it was written by a man who had a truly horrid effect on the cinematic landscape of the time. Screenwriter Martin Berkeley outed over 150 people to the House of Un-American Activities Committee. For those not in the know this led to the blacklisting of many famous Hollywood creatives as the committee was targeting anyone who had even the slightest hint of communist views in the early 50s. No one person outed as many people as Berkeley and as such his name will go down in infamy (via Keep Watching The Skies! By Bill Warren).
Son of Godzilla (1967), All Monsters Attack (1969), Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), and Godzilla: Planet of Monsters (2017): It took ten years for another mantis to enter the fray but, when Toho released Son of Godzilla they blew The Deadly Mantis out of the water. Titled either Gimantis or Kamacuras depending on the version you’re watching, the marionette work on the multiple beasts in Son of Godzilla is a wonder to behold. Kamacuras appears incredibly alive for a creature without a suit actor, no other practical application of the creature would be as memorable. Kamacurus made an impact on filmgoers as the creature appeared in 3 more Godzilla films, comic books, and even a few video games. One of the weaker antagonists of Godzilla, the mantis nonetheless packs a punch.
War of the Monsters (2003): Our only dalliance in video games we have the great Preytor, a playable giant praying mantis that was always one of my favourite characters to play as. It is interesting they chose to go with a praying mantis and not the much more common “giant ant,” especially considering the giant ant was an alternate skin for Preytor. War of the Monsters is a love letter to 50s and 60s monster movies in the realm of a fighting game that still holds up today. Released the year after the Pipeworks’ Godzilla game Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee it is interesting that this game included a giant mantis but no Pipeworks’ Godzilla game ever did. The added bonus of this being a video game is that you have a much more accurate acting praying mantis, although it is notable that in reality mantises are slow deliberate hunters who move extremely slowly, only to strike lightning fast. That method would be incredibly boring to play so Preytor feels more akin to Kamacarus in movement. Easy to track down on the PS4 Marketplace, it is highly recommended.
Goosebumps (2015): In American cinema it would take nearly 60 years to have another giant praying mantis appear on the big screen, this time inspired by the Goosebumps book A Shocker on Shock Street, it’s clear they based the majority of the creatures movements off of The Deadly Mantis and Kamacuras rather then the robotic creatures from the book. Much like The Deadly Mantis the giant beast in this film gets to take out a bus, which had to have been a callback. The Goosebumps movie features a wide array of creatures but the praying mantis gets a lot of screen time. Unfortunately they do not return in the sequel Haunted Halloween; Haunted Halloween does have an incredibly creative giant balloon spider so it is still recommended.
Goosebumps is a fascinating picture that takes a lot of influence from the era of the Monster Kid. It is clear R. L. Stine grew up on 50s sci-fi and the ideas thankfully found their way into the feature film. Full of heart and monsters don’t skip this one.
IT (2017) and IT: Chapter Two (2019): In his 1981 book Danse Macabre, Stephen King describes The Deadly Mantis as a “irascible friend”, therefore I naturally had assumed the that Pennywise gains the form of The Deadly Mantis in his book IT, I mean freaking Pennywise literally transforms into Rodan…but nope the praying mantis Pennywise is movie invention. There is a very praying mantis-type creature in the 2007 adaptation of The Mist, but Pennywise Mantis is way more memorable, they even made a freaking Funko of him. The original IT novel is very much influenced by 50s horror and the way these films truly terrified the youth of their day. At the end of the first IT we get our first glimpse of ole Mantis Hands when Pennywise starts stabbing at the protagonists intending to eat them, but the reason why the film makes it on this retrospective is the finale of IT: Chapter Two where he becomes a giant spider/mantis hybrid for the final confrontation. This creature is truly terrifying with dangerous claws that are incredibly effective. It is unknown if this was a direct reference to The Deadly Mantis, but I like to think that it is.
These are just a few of my favourites and is by no means a comprehensive list, there are plenty of animated mantises, and certainly a few other b-movie appearances throughout the years. The praying mantis has made a comeback in recent years. Here’s to you, Mantis. We’re all praying for your return to the silver screen and our nightmares.
