Bug Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Bug Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 25, 2020

William Castle enjoyed an incredible career as a filmmaker, producer, and general showman, with his use of gimmicks to sell tickets turning him into an industry legend, creating vivid moviegoing memories for those lucky enough to see titles such as “House on Haunted Hill,” “The Tingler,” and “13 Ghosts.” Castle had a special way of turning subpar cinema into an event, and for his final production, he strives to do something a little different with the insect invasion drama, “Bug.” Such a title promises a run time filled with creepy crawlies, screaming co-stars, and some kind of stunt from Castle, but the co-writer/producer calms down for the 1975 feature, which is more of psychological drama than a chiller. In fact, there are barely any scares at all in the effort, as it aims to keep its distance from schlocky highlights. “Bug” prefers to burrow deep inside the main character’s mind, going the weird science route with periodic violence and, apparently, use of “Brady Bunch” sets, giving the unfolding freak-out an unexpected familiarity as director Jeannot Szwarc tries to conjure a level of alarm that’s not always there for the picture.

An earthquake hits small town America, unleashing a community of mutant cockroaches capable of starting fires by rubbing their legs together. The infestation begins to cause problems for all, with the cockroaches blowing up cars and burning animals alive, leaving the locals confused and frightened. Gerald (Richard Gilliland) decides to go to his former professor, James (Bradford Dillman), for help, getting a man in tune with nature’s ways to explore the cockroach invasion and come up with a plan of action. While James manages to find a potential solution to the growing problem, he also becomes infatuated with the insects, taking them to his remote home for additional study, becoming obsessed with crossbreeding the pests, generating a new threat while friends such as Sylvia (Patty McCormack) grow concerned about the withdrawn man.

The good news is that “Bug” doesn’t waste much time before it conjures its first disaster. There’s an earthquake that tears open a huge hole in the ground, releasing the deadly cockroaches, who are drawn to the smell of burning fumes, quickly making homes inside the exhaust pipes of local cars. Explosions soon follow, ruining the lives of innocent rural folk, inspiring Gerald to find a man capable of figuring out what the heck is going on with these hot-to-the-touch insects, bringing James into the story. Pace and horror is there in the early going of “Bug,” with Castle and co-writer Thomas Page (adapting his own 1973 novel) sticking to monster movie formula, setting up a special threat (exploding cockroaches!), offering unsettling scenes of doom (exploding cockroaches taking out a screaming cat!), and including scenes of investigation, with James visiting disaster zones to understand what he’s up against.

“Bug” slows down after the first act, as the story changes from panic to study, tracking James and his growing obsession with the “fire bugs,” going from curious to closed-off as he looks for way to destroy the insects and continue their reign of terror through a special breeding operation. Castle is sure to keep the fear factor going with a few attack sequences, including one where the little buggers manage to hide around a phone, permitting them access to a victim’s face when she answers a call. There are offerings of traditional horror in “Bug,” and Szwarc does a fine job pulling off potentially hokey scares with some craftsmanship (his work here would earn him a job directing “Jaws 2” in 1978). Also helping the cause is the score by Charles Fox, who introduces an electronic soundscape to the feature, amplifying its unnerving encounters with the titular pest, jolting scenes with high-pitched stings. It’s very strange music, but this is a very odd film, with Castle downplaying his usual producing gusto to concentrate on James and his melting mind.

Bug Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Bug" appears to be sourced from a much older scan of the feature. Softness and blurriness carries throughout the viewing experience, limiting fine detail, while mild filtering is also present, eliminating grain and giving close-ups a smoother appearance. The basics of bug photography are present, keeping the crawling stars of the movie in view, and a limited sense of location remains. Household interiors lack true textures, but decoration and deterioration are noted. Colors are slightly aged, showcasing mild primaries with domestic decoration and costuming, and skintones are natural. Desert hues are passable. Delineation remains mostly communicative, with a few moments of solidification. Source is in decent shape, with mild speckling and scratches.

Bug Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix certainly preserves the electronic score, with music coming through with intentional loudness during bug attacks, delivering on suspense with satisfactory clarity. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, and while the performances are bit mumbled at times, exposition and emotionality are understood. Sound effects are blunt but effective, with violence free of distortive highs.

Bug Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Troy Howarth.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:13, HD) is included.

Bug Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Bug" really is a mad scientist story, despite marketing materials that suggest a regular romp with insect villains and panicked victims. In fact, the screenplay finds its way to mild brain-bleeder material in the final act, which is slightly similar to Saul Bass's "Phase IV," but doesn't go overboard with the cosmic confusion and sci-fi experimentation. "Bug" goes inward, which isn't expected, but it doesn't support the mental odyssey with tight pacing, letting things go slack before everything gets weird. It's certainly an interesting effort (James's home using leftover "Brady Bunch" sets is a real curiosity), especially coming at the end of Castle's extraordinary career. It's just not a rousing feature, requiring some extra patience with its offering of a cockroach apocalypse.