Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Bug

  • 1975
  • PG
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
Bug (1975)
An earthquake releases a strain of mutant cockroaches with the ability to start fires, which proceed to cause destructive chaos in a small town.
Play trailer2:04
1 Video
63 Photos
HorrorMysterySci-FiThriller

The inhabitants of a small town find themselves under siege from mutant cockroaches that have the ability to start fires.The inhabitants of a small town find themselves under siege from mutant cockroaches that have the ability to start fires.The inhabitants of a small town find themselves under siege from mutant cockroaches that have the ability to start fires.

  • Director
    • Jeannot Szwarc
  • Writers
    • Thomas Page
    • William Castle
  • Stars
    • Bradford Dillman
    • Joanna Miles
    • Richard Gilliland
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.2/10
    2.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jeannot Szwarc
    • Writers
      • Thomas Page
      • William Castle
    • Stars
      • Bradford Dillman
      • Joanna Miles
      • Richard Gilliland
    • 63User reviews
    • 47Critic reviews
    • 42Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Official Traile
    Trailer 2:04
    Official Traile

    Photos63

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 56
    View Poster

    Top cast16

    Edit
    Bradford Dillman
    Bradford Dillman
    • James Parmiter
    Joanna Miles
    Joanna Miles
    • Carrie Parmiter
    Richard Gilliland
    Richard Gilliland
    • Gerald Metbaum
    Jamie Smith-Jackson
    Jamie Smith-Jackson
    • Norma Tacker
    • (as Jamie Smith Jackson)
    Alan Fudge
    Alan Fudge
    • Mark Ross
    Jesse Vint
    • Tom Tacker
    Patty McCormack
    Patty McCormack
    • Sylvia Ross
    Brendan Dillon
    Brendan Dillon
    • Charlie
    Frederic Downs
    Frederic Downs
    • Henry Tacker
    • (as Fred Downs)
    James Greene
    James Greene
    • Reverend Kern
    Jim Poyner
    • Kenny Tacker
    Sam Javis
    • Taxi Driver
    Bard Stevens
    • Security Guard
    Georgie Castle
    • Student
    • (uncredited)
    William Castle
    William Castle
      Karoly Fogassy
      • Preacher at Funeral
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Jeannot Szwarc
      • Writers
        • Thomas Page
        • William Castle
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews63

      5.22.8K
      1
      2
      3
      4
      5
      6
      7
      8
      9
      10

      Featured reviews

      chagood2001

      Creepy Low Budget 70's Eco-Horror

      Hadn't seen this since I was 8,so I didn't know what to expect,since it was directed by the infamous Jeannot Szwarc,who helmed such big budget disasters such as Supergirl & Santa Claus The Movie,have to say it was very creepy,well made, & even scary in some spots,believe me,after watching this,you'll be up all night spraying your kitchen with heavy doses of Raid.I hope that Paramount releases this on DVD.Check It Out!!!
      8etherman23

      Why is everyone so negative about the ending?

      I saw this movie once about 20 years ago. If you read other's comments you'll find that just about everyone hates the second half of the movie. For me it was the reverse. The first half wasn't particularly interesting. Bugs starting fires, BIG DEAL. Then the movie apparently ends and you're wondering what else could happen. That's where it gets interesting. I liked the doctor's slow descent into madness. It was highly original and refreshing twist. The bugs on the wall just rocked! If you want to make more sense of the doctor's actions read the book, The Hephaestus Plague. The book actually continues on beyond where the movie ends. I'd really recommend this movie unless of course you want stupid CGI instead of plot and character development.
      5Wuchakk

      A man and his cockroaches… and the Brady Bunch house

      Released in 1975, "Bug" stars Bradford Dillman as a professor who becomes fascinated by a fire-starting breed of large cockroaches after they're released from their subterranean habitat via an earthquake. As he descends into madness he descends into hell.

      The movie starts off good with an earthquake at a church in rural Southern California and the ensuing mystery of the fire-starting roaches, but the second half becomes draggy as it largely consists of the professor going recluse as he studies the roaches and performs an experiment. While I didn't find the roaches particularly scary, they're ugly and depicted in a creepy manner. The most memorable part of the movie occurs near the end when the bugs do something on the wall, which utterly freaks out the professor (and the viewer). The climax is pretty good too, but also unsatisfactory.

      On the female front, Jamie Smith-Jackson (Alice from 1973's "Go Ask Alice") earns top awards, lookin' great in a pair of jeans, and Patty McCormack (Sylvia) gets second place. Unfortunately, not enough is done with 'em.

      The "Brady Bunch" reference refers to the fact that the professor's house is the re-painted and re-arranged house-set of that popular early 70s' show. I was expecting Alice to appear in the kitchen at any moment! Needless to say, if you need a 70s' fix "Bug" fills the bill.

      The film runs 99 minutes and was shot in Riverside, California, and Paramount Studios.

      GRADE: C+
      dire69

      It Freaked Me Out

      This movie I can tell you, it freaked me out very much when I first saw it. I now own it on vhs and to this day I still get freaked out everytime I watch it. This movie along with others that were done about 30 yrs. ago approximately especially the ones with insects were done very well and some are a lot better than the ones of today.
      jmaglioc

      Scary!!

      I saw this movie when I was about 8 years old in a very old, ornate theater. At that time, it absolutely scared the hell out of me. This movie has been burned in my memory as being incredibly terrifying. I would love to see it now because in retrospect, it was probably one of the cheesiest movies I have ever seen. Great for B movie fans.

      More like this

      Beyond the Pole
      6.9
      Beyond the Pole
      Eye of the Devil
      6.1
      Eye of the Devil
      Antiques Roadshow US
      7.3
      Antiques Roadshow US
      52 Pick-Up
      6.4
      52 Pick-Up
      Extreme Close-Up
      4.6
      Extreme Close-Up
      Hercule & Sherlock
      4.5
      Hercule & Sherlock
      Honor Bound
      6.6
      Honor Bound
      Crime Club
      8.2
      Crime Club
      They Nest
      5.2
      They Nest
      Sssssss
      5.4
      Sssssss
      Kingdom of the Spiders
      5.7
      Kingdom of the Spiders
      The Nest
      5.3
      The Nest

      Related interests

      Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
      Horror
      Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
      Mystery
      James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
      Sci-Fi
      Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
      Thriller

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        The set used for the Parmiter home, (where Joanna Miles's character has her head set ablaze by a "bug"), was the same set at Paramount Studios in Hollywood as the one used for the interiors of the Brady home in the ABC television series, The Brady Bunch (1969). Due to very poor ratings, being massacred by Sanford and Son (1972), the series had been canceled in 1974, a few months before filming on this film began. Since this film's release in 1975, "The Brady Bunch" became a ubiquitous hit in syndication, and the set has become easily recognizable to several generations of classic TV watchers, even though the set was altered for use in this film.
      • Goofs
        When Parmiter finds the dead body in the shed its still daylight. He then runs into the house and is in there no longer than a minute and when he emerges its pitch black.
      • Quotes

        James Parmiter: [tape recording] Gone too far ... gone too far ... gone too far ... gone too far ...

      • Connections
        Featured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)

      Top picks

      Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
      Sign in

      FAQ18

      • How long is Bug?Powered by Alexa
      • Where can one watch this movie?

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • June 6, 1975 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • The Hephaestus Plague
      • Filming locations
        • Riverside, California, USA
      • Production company
        • William Castle Productions
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

      Edit
      • Gross US & Canada
        • $3,602,023
      • Gross worldwide
        • $3,602,023
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        • 1h 39m(99 min)
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.85 : 1

      Contribute to this page

      Suggest an edit or add missing content
      • Learn more about contributing
      Edit page

      More to explore

      Recently viewed

      Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
      Get the IMDb App
      Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
      Follow IMDb on social
      Get the IMDb App
      For Android and iOS
      Get the IMDb App
      • Help
      • Site Index
      • IMDbPro
      • Box Office Mojo
      • License IMDb Data
      • Press Room
      • Advertising
      • Jobs
      • Conditions of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Your Ads Privacy Choices
      IMDb, an Amazon company

      © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.