Dean,

Charlton Heston has made a surprising number of horror/sci-fi films
for an actor who was once highly regarded, and he made them when he
still had most of his reputation which, I think, might indicate that
he actually likes being in such films. 'Naked Jungle' isn't presented
so much as a horror film as an adventure/romance film, but it does
have enough of the conventions of the horror film to just barely
qualify, and I'd have to say it is my third favorite Heston
film. 'Planet of the Apes' was the first Heston film I can recall
that was openly science-fiction, and I enjoyed it when I first saw it
although I don't think it holds up as well as most people do; Heston
has so little screen time in the sequel to that film that I don't
count it as a Heston film. I don't like 'The Omega Man' because I
consider it the weakest of the film adaptions of Mathson's 'I am
Legend' (and I suspect that book will never be faithfully adapted),
but I do admire the way Chuck brings off a few one-liners. 'Soylent
Green' is a mystery with a solution so obvious that everyone in the
audience I first saw the film with had guessed exactly what the title
substance was made of long before the climax but is still very
engaging despite the non-mysterious mystery at its center. Edward G.
Robinson gives a wonderful performance in 'Soylent Green' and working
with Robinson seemed to have brought out the best in Heston's
acting; 'Soylent Green' is my second favorite Heston film. My all
time favorite Heston film is the one with all the supernatural horror
elements: plagues, staffs turning into serpents, babies being
slaughtered, the Red Sea parting, a talking burning bush, and so on.
Although I can take it in stride now, 'The Ten Commandment' scared me
as much as any film I had ever seen when I first saw it at the ripe
old age of nine.

For what it is worth,
Jon

--- In sonsofkong@y..., sonofvulcan <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> I have a weakness for Charlton Heston's scene chewing and I've
> enjoyed The Naked Jungle a couple of times. There is something
> terribly frightening about the inevitable and somewhat mundane
nature
> of the ant threat. They aren't behaving out of character, but
rather
> perfectly in character. It's like a disaster movie only the threat
> has an odd movie personality to it.
>
> Dean