The “Nature Attacks” genre exploded in the 1970s but to a widely varying quality, from Spielberg’s masterpiece Jaws to such offerings as Kingdom of the Spiders we’ve had quite the spectrum, but as in the latter example the killer insect was clearly dominant – the killer bee almost became its own genre – and today we are going to look at a rather bizarre offering in the form of William Castle’s Bug.
Bug was adapted by producer William Castle and writer Thomas Page from his own 1973 novel “The Hephaestus Plague” – which deals with a bizarre infestation of killer mutant insects, blending elements of horror, suspense, and a touch of ecological commentary. The plot kicks into gear when an earthquake releases a species of previously unknown insect which can create fires by rubbing their legs together, setting fire to farms and a nearby town, but when entomologist Professor James Parmiter (Bradford Dillman) is called things take a decidedly turn for the worst. Strangely enough, it’s not the fact that the Mayor’s Office ignores his claim of a fire-starting insect but that Parmiter himself becomes a little too obsessed with these creatures of fiery death and decides to try a help Mother Nature along.
“It’s time for a little mad science.”
Turns out that these bugs are dying off on their own accord, Parmiter’s colleague Professor Mark Ross (Alan Fudge) discovered that while these bugs are practically invulnerable they cannot survive in the low air pressure on the Earth’s surface. Now, this seems to be leading to a rather anti-climatic ending to this killer insect movie, with these flammable monsters becoming extinct all on their own, but the death of Parmiter’s wife (Joanna Miles) from a fiery confrontation with one of these firebugs has a rather bizarre effect on the professor. Instead of revelling in the thought of these bugs dying off Parmiter decides to keep one alive in a pressure chamber and proceeds to breed a new species with a modern cockroach, creating a breed of intelligent, flying super-cockroaches.
Hot bug on bug action!
Helmed by Jeannot Szwarc, Bug scuttles into the realm of B-movie cult classics with its schlocky premise and low-budget execution and while it may not boast the polished sheen of blockbuster counterparts, its earnest attempt at capitalizing on the creature feature craze of the era offers a nostalgic romp for aficionados of cheesy cinema. From the onset, Bug wears its B-movie badge proudly, evident in its campy dialogue, over-the-top performances and dated special effects. The practical effects may induce more chuckles than chills but they exude a certain charm reminiscent of the era’s penchant for creature features. Dillman’s portrayal of the earnest entomologist turned mad scientist is easily the film’s best stuff and his confrontation with his creations does have the expected result.
Raise your hand if you saw this coming.
Stray Observations:
• A few years later, director Jeannot Szwarc would helm Jaws 2 which is considered by most to be the only good sequel to the Spielberg original.
• Actor Bradford Dillman is no stranger to “Nature Attacks” as he would later star in such films as Joe Dante’s Piranha and Irwin Allen’s The Swarm.
•
The idea of an earthquake releasing a previously believed extinct
species would be the premise of the 2010 horror/comedy Piranha 3D.
• This film utilizes some of the same stock footage found in Irwin Allen’s made-for-television movie Fire! (1977)
• The room number of Professor Parmiter’s lab is 1408 and any fan of Stephen King would know this is not a good omen.
• These fire bugs eat the ash they create much in the way the dragons do in the film Reign of Fire, even though there is no nutrient value in eating ash.
•
The Parmiter home should be recognizable to fans of 70s television as
they used the interior of the Brady home from the ABC television series.
•
When a fire bug ignites the hair of Professor Parmiter’s wife she goes
up like a Roman Candle, and if you want to see the Brady set go up in
flames here is your chance.
Who knew suburban housewives were so flammable?
This was writer/producer William Castle’s last production before his death two years later and while Bug may not offer groundbreaking storytelling or revolutionary special effects, it more than makes up for it with its nostalgic charm and old-school creature feature fun. Despite its inherent campiness the film does manage to stir moments of genuine suspense, particularly during scenes of insect-inflicted chaos. The swarm sequences, albeit hampered by rudimentary effects, evoke a sense of primal dread, accentuated by Charles Fox’s ominous score. Where Bug stumbles is in its narrative predictability and lack of proper character development – we never understand why Parmiter reacts to the death of his wife by creating a breed of intelligent, flying super-cockroaches – but when it comes to mad science is an explanation ever required?
“Bow to your insect overlords.”
This is the kind of movie that is best enjoyed with a group of friends, popcorn in hand, ready to revel in its delightful silliness and occasional scares. It offers fleeting entertainment for fans of kitschy creature features and aficionados of B-movie nostalgia. While its shortcomings are plentiful, its unabashed embrace of camp, Bradford Dillman’s over-the-top performance, and creature carnage ensure a peculiar charm that persists throughout its runtime, albeit with limited staying power beyond the realm of cult curiosity.
