Invasion of the Bee Girls

Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973)

Genres - Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller  |   Release Date - Jun 1, 1973 (USA - Unknown), Jun 1, 1973 (USA)  |   Run Time - 85 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - R
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Review by Fred Beldin

Supposedly sexy sci-fi for the discriminating cinemaphile, Invasion of the Bee Girls has been credited with a knowing satirical bent solely because of the relatively distinguished minds behind its creation. Don't be fooled by the hype. This low-brow psychotronic classic is no smarter or dumber than a host of equally exploitative bottom dwellers. It is, however, an entertaining piece of trash that scores high with a good, solid cast, a creative concept and straightforward delivery of some utterly silly action. William Smith is at his square-jawed best as the two-fisted hero, Anitra Ford is all smarm and ice as the villainous queen bee and familiar character actor Cliff Osmond delivers a surprisingly subtle performance as the overworked local sheriff. Slumming in the sexploitation cesspool are screenwriter Nicholas Meyer (Time After Time, Fatal Attraction and a few Star Trek movies) and director Denis Saunders (respected for documentaries A Time Out of War, Soul to Soul and Czechoslovakia 1968); perfectly comfortable in the sleazy milieu is cinematographer Gary Graver, who shot footage for directors as diverse as Al Adamson and Orson Welles. While celebrity critics Siskel and Ebert were right to recommend Invasion of the Bee Girls as a "guilty pleasure," its cinematic worth isn't much higher than many films the duo dismissed outright.