Invasion der Bienenmädchen

Yes, this is quintessential 70's B movie stuff that has it all: bad acting, crazy plot strands, a far-out story about girls becoming human bees and killing men with over-exhaustion in the sexual act, and lots of pretty, bosomy girls not afraid to keep you abreast of their physical attributes. Government agent Will Smith goes to Peckham, California, to look into the death of a researcher at Brandt Research. He comes in the midst of a huge death tally as in one day or soon the number of men that have died from over-exhaustion rises to 10. We get to see some of these deaths and there is absolutely nothing scary about them. The whole film seems to have a very campy edge to it. That is a credit to first time screenwriter Nicholas Meyer who wrote The Seven-Percent Solution and the scripts for several Star Trek movies as well as directed many good films later on. Meyer's script is absurd at times but he along with the director are able to keep it not quite real - if you know what I mean. The budget is a bit higher than many films of this era but has obvious constraints. The bee hive room was impressive as are many of the female leads. Anitra Ford is gorgeous with her long legs and playful eyes, but she is nothing next to Victoria Vetri who fills a blouse beautifully. Both women are adequate thespians as well(I'm sure this is of a grave concern for viewers of films like this). Invasion of the Bee Girls is one of those really fun movies from the seventies that mixes just enough sleaze with other elements like science fiction to come up with a viewing pleasure despite its obvious shortcomings.

Inspired 70's b-movie about a colony of bees that manage to infiltrate the minds and bodies of glamorous women, and use them as vessels for a takeover of mankind. Here's the rub, so to speak: they 'sting' their prey during copulation with the male species. Hence the 'R' rating. A bevy of buxom b-movie starlets (and loops, e.g. Rene Bond, Kathy Hilton), work their way around the campus of a university under the watchful eye of the sultry Anitra Ford, as she pilots their take-over of the town of Peckham. Alarmed at the increasing rate of stiffs being wheeled into the morgue, local police captain (Osmond) welcomes Federal agent William Smith (in fine, fighting form) along with bimbo sidekick Victoria Vetri, sent to investigate the strange phenomena.

Witty dialogue (courtesy of noted word-smith and director Nicholas Meyer) sets this cult sci-fi apart; Denis Sanders' direction isn't especially taut and momentum does tend to sag, but the constant influx of quirky characters and situations is irresistibly entertaining. Some of the special effects used to depict the bee-vision isn't bad either, considering its vintage. The cast is an interesting assembly of talent, with experience (Smith, Hammer, Osmond, King in particular) offset by rank amateurism. Anitra Ford is a beguiling woman, but her acting talents here are lamentable. Fortunately, her looks do tend to compensate.

Don't be mislead by some of the associated press and commentary concerning this film: while it isn't soft porn, nor is it "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" in narrative or technical standard. Disbelief aside, if you can appreciate the dry humour and lusty amateurs who adorn the screen (sometimes being smothered in bee wax for good measure) you should enjoy this, one-of-a-kind movie experience.

I was first turned on to this film by Siskel & Ebert a zillion years ago on a program they ran featuring their choices for the best "bad" movies. They were sure right about this one. The plot is so ridiculous it doesn't bear mentioning -- the magic is all in the execution, e.g., Anitra Ford stripping and writhing to the strains of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherezade", a secret laboratory in which women are transformed into seductive automatons by a procedure involving their being bathed in honey and then exposed to bees -- lot's of that kind of thing here. And what's this? The film has the US government sending out an agent to investigate the death of a guy who suffered a heart attack during strenuous sex. Is that where our intelligence agencies put their energies? No wonder they were so clueless about 9/11 and Iraq. Now for some inane reason, this film got reissued on DVD under the tile "Graveyard Tramps". It's true, there is at least one scene in a cemetery, and as to the female characters being tramps . . . no argument. Nevertheless, what kind of moron would throw away a great title like "Bee Girls" for something so prosaic? Oh, and the DVD cover for some reason identifies the female lead as the late Claudia Jennings, who is not even in the film (the lead is her fellow Playmate Victoria Vetri). Go figure. Here's another thing I love about this film -- although it is completely about sex, albeit sex in the context of some loony incomprehensible plot involving a world takeover, and although there is plenty of nudity and seduction, this film from the early 70's is rated PG. Teens could see it without a chaperone. Yep, back when I was a boy, we didn't suffer from the same neurotic fears we now have about adolescents being permanently damaged by the sight of a female breast. Seems we were relatively hardy in those days, although on the other hand, we didn't have to deal with news reports of beheadings and the like. But I digress. There will always be a special place in my heart for Invasion of the Bee Girls, the sine qua non of its genre. And a heck of a lot of fun.

INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS is about a string of deaths caused by the buzzy ladies of the title. It seems that male humans are being seduced and "loved" into their untimely departures! Special agent, Neil Agar (William Smith) is enlisted to get to the bottom of things. Could the mysterious Dr. Susan Harris (Anitra Ford) be behind the shagging shenanigans?

Absolutely absurd in every way imaginable, this movie has a certain charm, mostly involving nude women in huge sunglasses being covered in bee goo (aka: white glop that looks suspiciously like marshmallow cream)!

Indeed, this was the sort of film our forefathers would sneak off to see at the drive-in, hoping to catch a glimpse of something "naughty"! Of course, by today's standards, this movie is quite tame, even quaint. Still, it's a bit of fun for anyone who can see it in its proper context. Otherwise, the sting of boredom will be thy only reward...

Never has world domination seemed more appealing than in "Invasion of the Bee Girls." How can you NOT root for these Bee Vixens from outer space? Their "coming and going" strategy seems "sure-fire" and is definitely a lot more fun (and effective) than in blockbusters such as "Independence Day."

But of course some dumb secret agent is out to spoil all of their over-sexed shenanigans. Nonetheless, Anitra Ford's (an early Barker Beauty on "The Price is Right") performance as top Bee Girl, Dr.Susan Harris, is alone worth the price of admission! I'm definitely going to make it a point to see some of her other movies!