Them!

Them! (1954) starring James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness. Giant mutant ants, created by nine years of exposure to the radiation of the first atomic bomb test, menace the Southwest. Naturally, man's first reaction is to try to exterminate all the ants, first with cyanide, then with flame throwers. The special effects are primitive by today's standards, but the finale -- fought in the storm drains under Los Angeles -- is a real corker. (The disc features subtitles in several languages, including English, plus closed captions.) Grade: B