Seems these days now with the advent of low budget films, and computer special effects becoming much more available to filmmakers, we’re beginning to see a lot more bugs turning into gigantic monsters stalking poor saps in jungles, caves, cities, and woods. The good thing is I’m not averse to giant bug films when they’re done right. From “Them” to “Eight Legged Freaks” what’s not to love about giant bug films when done with enough humor and talent? They’ve been the fodder of B cinema since as far back as I can remember.
“Insecticidal” is cheesy and low-tech (Watch busty actress Samantha McLeod nearly slip and fall running for the door), and it’s not afraid to admit that it is in fact: cheesy and low-tech. It’s a hilarious film that doesn’t take itself seriously, and flaunts that it’s exploitative low-grade science fiction flashing nude soapy, skimpy, sleazy, skanky, and trampy women in our face almost non-stop at every possible occasion… not that I’m complaining, mind you, and boy does Lando love to turn the camera on McLeod. Not to mention it sure is a lot of fun to watch these disposable arch-types get their comeuppance (Watch someone mispronounce “Blaspheming”). Cami, an unpopular science student living in a sorority house, accidentally loses one of her genetically altered insects. Her bitchy house leader Josi angrily kills all her experiments and they return grown to human size… for some reason.
How did Cami get genetically altered bugs? How come no one in the neighborhood notices the giant bugs outside the house? Where are the police? Didn’t someone see anything that went on at the house? When they left the house did they leave it for good? What happened to the giant bugs in the tool shed? Didn’t anyone report the missing pizza man? Why would Cami experiment in her dorm room? Was it the spray that turned them big? Or were they going to turn large anyways—ooh, look bigguns! What was I talking about, again? Lando really knows how to direct a damn fine killer bug movie, and he really sets the mood for the bait and catch showing these sex scenes, then watching these suckers be offed (pun not intended) by giant leeches, and mantis’ and any other bug you can imagine. And the killing scenes are gory and gruesome. There are human body parts thrown around and blood pours every which way, and the make up is very above par.
The dialogue is expectedly clunky with people stating the obvious, and asking “What is that thing?” upon gazing at a bug attack, and it’s occasionally very funny (Soon to be classic line: “Man eating cannibal girls don’t get dates.”). The performances obviously aren’t Oscar quality, but they are apt enough, and funny enough for what’s required during the film. The girls in the house are really only required to scream and run, but it’s pulled off well enough to convince me they’re in peril, but Meghan Heffern gives a decent performance as the heroine who is always one step ahead of everyone, but Lando fails to make her look less attractive from everyone else. When I was finished, though, I had a lot of fun. This is the kind of guilty pleasure schlock that you can enjoy because it’s so bad it’s good. Boobs, bugs, blood, guts, knives, and a hell of a lot of flesh. What more can you ask for?
