#killer insects

Insecticidal (2005)

A giant killer bug movie that was unfortunately made in 2005. Which of course means, discount CGI insects—and arachnids, you know how these movies like to call everything "Bugs." There are some practical effects used, which are pretty good, but incredibly minimal. For the most part, it's just the okayest CGI the filmmakers could afford swiping wildly at actresses very much looking like they're trying to react to something that isn't there.

The Nest (1988)

“Bugs ( insects, spiders, etc., not the bunny) and I have a complex relationship. I think they are amazing-- anatomy, behavior, the fact that we have very little in common. It all intrigues me immensely on both a curiosity and an aesthetic level, even if sometimes it takes me a few minutes to appreciate it. Also, generally, I prefer not to kill things, if it's avoidable. Trying to build good karma is hard enough without me ending tiny little lives when I get spooked in the kitchen. Instead, I try to overcome my lizard brain, wait for any surprise to subside, scoop the little alien-looking assholes up, and release them back into the wild (out the front door). Unfortunately, while this nonviolent policy worked well back in my home town in California, the stakes are higher here in the desert. Before, the worse thing I could run into (bug-wise) was a black widow. Currently, I spend my summer months bumping into all sorts of random, real life, Creepy Crawler mother fuckers with a range of weapons and attitudes. They still look cool. If anything, many of them seem more badass, and they are smart too, but that makes it worse. Take the scorpion for example, as I don't go a week without finding one in the vicinity of my sleeping place (a pile of laundry/tapes with 2 X-Files action figures, a portrait of Ray Bradbury and a lamp next to it). You don't just capture or "squish" a scorpion, you engage in mortal combat, and not in the exciting way with the "K" instead of "C." The fucked-up kind, like when two plane crash survivors are forced to fight over the last ounce of a stewardess. Everything about the moment's struggle feels more substantial than your average reckless act of human superiority. Both parties give off an air of desperate strategy and the room has a strangling musk to it. I can't explain in full but put plainly, it's hardcore shit and reminds me more of a street fight with a stranger, than a one-sided extermination. Plus, if I win (it's a statistics game at this point), I have to deal with that later. How am I supposed to live after killing something nearly as smart as me because I was afraid of his poison-butt-spear and secretly know I'm the real invader? It could be worse, I guess. I could be in a New England fishing village, facing an infestation of chemically enhanced roaches with a taste for flesh and a knack for lively impressions...”

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

In the very specific category of "Giant arthropod movies from the 1950s," this is definitely one of the best. It has good pacing and effects that hold up as well as anything from a 65-year-old movie. Plus the much more distinctive choice of a mantis, versus the more common giant spiders and ants. Although the science is horribly inaccurate.

7/10

Ticks (1993)

I was not expecting a movie about giant ticks starring Seth Green to be good, and in a rare turn of events, I was wrong. It's not great, but it is an entertaining watch with good effects and just enough comedy to make it fun, without making it stupid.

6/10

The Hatchlings is now available on Amazon

The Hatchlings A peaceful Saturday afternoon barbecue turns into an afternoon of terror for a suburban man when the charcoal briquets he is using in his grill start to hatch! He must find a way to combat the deviant creatures that emerge from the hot coals and save his home from being destroyed. This horror short story is now available on Amazon. That Was So Weird The grill made a crackling noise…