{{Short description|1971 film by Walon Green}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = The Hellstrom Chronicle | image = Hellstrom chronicle.jpg | caption = Promotional film poster | director = Ed Spiegel<br/>Walon Green | starring = Lawrence Pressman | writer = David Seltzer | producer = Walon Green<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jFeP925vbo Documentary Winners: 1972 Oscars]</ref> | music = Lalo Schifrin | cinematography = Helmuth Barth<br/>Walon Green<br />Vilis Lapenieks<br/>Ken Middleham | editing = John Soh | studio = Wolper Pictures | distributor = Cinema 5 Distributing | released = {{Film date|1971|6|28}} | runtime = 90 minutes | country = United States | gross = $1.5 million<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmdist0000dona/page/296/mode/1up|title= American film distribution : the changing marketplace|last=Donahue|first= Suzanne Mary|year=1987 |publisher=UMI Research Press |page=296}} Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada</ref> | language = English }} '''''The Hellstrom Chronicle''''' is an American film released in 1971, which combines elements of documentary, horror and apocalyptic prophecy to present a satirical depiction of the struggle for survival between humans and insects. It won both the 1972 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 44th Academy Awards and BAFTA Award for Best Documentary at the 25th British Academy Film Awards. It was conceived and produced by David L. Wolper,<ref>[https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-hellstrom-chronicle/Film?oid=1057645 Chicago Reader]</ref> directed by Walon Green<ref>[https://www.spectacletheater.com/the-hellstrom-chronicle/ Spectacle Theater]</ref> and written by David Seltzer, who earned a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 24th Writers Guild of America Awards. The film won the Technical Grand Prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
==Plot== Fictional scientist Dr. Nils Hellstrom guides viewers throughout the film. He claims, on the basis of scientific-sounding theories, that insects will ultimately win the fight for survival on Earth because of their adaptability and ability to reproduce rapidly and that the human race will lose the 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, other insects rarely seen before on film.<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-hellstrom-chronicle-v22117 AllMovie]</ref>
==Cast== *Lawrence Pressman as Dr. Nils Hellstrom
==Production== Technical advisers Roy Snelling and Charles Hogue were entomologists at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
==Reception== Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 75% score based on reviews from 8 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hellstrom Chronicle (1971) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hellstrom_chronicle |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=28 August 2020}}</ref> Walon Green later called it "almost yellow-journally but good. We were giving the audience an elbow to the ribs every third line."<ref name="Grantland">{{cite web|url=http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7608725/the-hellstrom-chronicle-one-most-bizarre-films-win-best-documentary-feature-oscar|title=Swarming the Field: Bugs, Nazis, and The Hellstrom Chronicle|access-date=2012-09-29|work=Grantland}}</ref>
==Awards== * 1972 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature<ref name="Turner Classic Movies">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=465849&name=The-Hellstrom-Chronicle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731092851/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=465849&name=The-Hellstrom-Chronicle|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 31, 2013|title=Glenn Erickson: The Hellstrom Chronicle|access-date=2013-01-14|work=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref><ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972 1972|Oscars.org]</ref> * 1972 BAFTA Award for Best Documentary
==Home video== The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray January 10, 2012 from Olive Films.<ref>[https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s3766chro.html DVD Savant Review]</ref>
== See also ==
* ''Phase IV'' * ''Hellstrom's Hive'' * ''Watership Down'' * ''The Plague Dogs'' * ''The Adventures of Chatran''
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.davidlwolper.com/shows/details.cfm?showID=275 ''The Hellstrom Chronicle''] at the David L. Wolper Co. * {{IMDb title|id=0067197|title=The Hellstrom Chronicle}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110520011733/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/22117/The-Hellstrom-Chronicle/overview New York Times review] * [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19710101/REVIEWS/101010312/1023 Review], ''Chicago Sun-Times'' by Roger Ebert * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160110150627/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/485071/The-Hellstrom-Chronicle/#notes Notes] at Turner Classic Movies
{{Navboxes |title = Awards for ''The Hellstrom Chronicle'' |list = {{AcademyAwardBestDocumentaryFeature1961-1980}} {{BAFTA Award for Best Documentary}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hellstrom Chronicle}} Category:1971 films Category:Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners Category:American documentary films Category:American satirical films Category:Documentary films about insects Category:1971 documentary films Category:Films directed by Walon Green Category:Films with screenplays by David Seltzer Category:The Wolper Organization films Category:Films scored by Lalo Schifrin Category:1971 English-language films Category:1971 American films Category:Films produced by Walon Green Category:English-language documentary films