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Bug Buster

1998 | Color | 93 Minutes | 1.37:1 | PG-13 | Horror | Dolby | Shoreline Entertainment

Source: VHS

Director: Lorenzo Doumani

Writer: Malick Khoury

Stars:

Randy Quaid

Brenda Epperson

Katherine Heigl

James Doohan

George Takei

Plot:

After the mayor uses a potentially dangerous substance to protect the local plantation, the lakeside town of Mountview, in California, is attacked by a lethal species of large cockroach. After some of the town's inhabitants are killed, the mayor enlists the help of eccentric pest exterminator General George S. Merlin in order to prevent further harm to the local dwellers.

It's May Monster Madness time! And this year theme Insects. And when you live in a house of girls you know all about the blood curly screams they can induce. I have plenty of bug films in my collection that I could have easily picked for this but one day when I was out Movie Hunting I ran across this VHS. It looked fun and cheesy but after the Randy Quaid debacle from the Frankenstein movie that I watch I put it back down. Yet I could not get it out of my mind and  despite having a reputation as being a poorly made film, that has nonetheless achieved a small B movie cult status. So back to the Salvation Army a week later to see if it was still available. Thankfully with 50 cents in my pocket I walked out with hopes of finding one of those hidden gems. Did I strike it rich...  

Well, how can one go wrong with an all-star cast of washed-up TV actors? In fact, this movie has the made for TV feel with its slightly better then low budget effects. And if you look past that and really settle in with a cast that works very well with one another and look at this film as a 1950's style bug movie you just might enjoy it. The setting for Bug Buster is in a cozy small town where the Captin of the Ship no wait, sorry wrong show Bernie Kopell buys a rustic resort and moves his family in. Of course, this is the hot spot for the mutant bugs!

Katherine Heigl looking fantastic.

Huge gross Cockroaches to be exact. And they steal the show with their ugliness! And the size of them holy crap and the very beautiful Katherine Heigle has these slimy gross bugs crawling on her face! No Thank you. I can handle bugs just fine, but Cockroaches are a lot like mice you end of feeling dirty because they somehow got into your house.  

I actually would have to say the story line is well written and the pace never really drags on you. The special effects are not mind blowing but gross enough for a PG-13. Being that this is a bug movie I know it would give my 11-year old nightmares, but I also know this would not upset her to bad. In fact for a low budget flick, the infected human limbs look great and grotesque. The soundtrack matches this movie as well with a sci-fi underscore that fits in perfect. 

I will say that Randy Quaid did not piss me off in this movie like the *cough* other crapfest on VHS that I watched of his. But He was not really in the movie that much, in fact, his commercials were funny and he did play his role fairly well.  The only big time grip would have to be the romance understory, It gives you a Hallmark Channel meets Sci-Fi channel mash up. So in the end the movie looks good sounds great and the bug's are truly creepy. If you run across this on late night tv maybe give it a whirl. Is it worth the $7 bucks or more on eBay HELL NO! Does it deserve to be talked about under the "Cult Statice" nope but for some odd reason I did not hate it or really like it. It was worth a watch once and that my friends was enough.

Beam me up Scotty I'm out of here.

2 Bloody Brains out of 5

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