DAILY CALL SHEET: MAY 29, 2024

The Deadly Mantis (1957) More fun from the prolific Nathan H. Juran, who helmed this, The Brain from Planet Arous, and 20 Million Miles to Earth all in the same year. He could've stopped right there and still earned B-movie Heaven. In this particular opus, a thawed out prehistoric praying mantis eats its way around the globe. It's a fairly typical storyline as far as big bug movies go, but the proceedings are somewhat elevated above many of its peers by a pretty cool looking mantis puppet.

TIL: The mantis is pretty versatile as far as symbolism goes. The Surrealist movement, for instance, latched onto the bug as a symbol of the link between sex and death due to the female mantis' habit of chowing down on its mate after coitus. The more religious minded, however, often see the mantis as an avatar of stillness, meditation, and, of course, prayerfulness.

I HAVE SOME NOTES: Still scribbling thoughts on my daily Scripture readings