IMDb RATING
5.2/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
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.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Jamie Smith-Jackson
- Norma Tacker
- (as Jamie Smith Jackson)
Frederic Downs
- Henry Tacker
- (as Fred Downs)
Georgie Castle
- Student
- (uncredited)
Karoly Fogassy
- Preacher at Funeral
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
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!!!
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.
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+
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+
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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaThe 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.
- GoofsWhen 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 ...
- ConnectionsFeatured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)
- How long is Bug?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,602,023
- Gross worldwide
- $3,602,023
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