David Wolper and Cinema 5 got audiences into theatres to see this documentary by promoting it as if it were a science fiction thriller. Probably the best example of Oscar blundering as it won a Best Documentary award.
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.
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