It’s proof you don’t need Nazis to make a good Indiana Jones movie.
Colonel-Doctor Irina Spalko = Cate Blanchette = Natasha Fatale = perfect casting FTW.
(Bonus political observation – I don’t know what the Russian Communists are so exercised about. Spalko was my favorite character.)
Hear hear. Agree with all points. I particularly liked the use of the mcguffin to scare away swarming ants and/or natives. Dude! Charlotte Sleigh has written a Big Academic Paper on this precise discourse in imperialism: how anxieties about soldier ants were a transference of anxieties about uncontrollable native revolt. I bet that was Spielberg not Lucas…
My Godly friend Brian was upset there was no god in it. Unless you think it’s some kind of dubious nod to Scientology….
Is this – ‘Empire of the Ants: H. G. Wells and Tropical Entomology.’ Science as Culture 10 (2001), 33-71. – the big paper? Six Legs Better looks like a winner – it’s going on my book list – thanks for the pointer to Colonel-Doctor Sleigh! (Also, thanks for the BBC ‘On Screen’ link – more great stuff.)
Oh, and I’ve been thinking about the Scientology link – just can’t force-fit anything though. No DC-8s, no volcanoes, Xenu and the thetans are supposed to be (I think) more humanoid – Mac could be L. Ron, I guess…