The Top 10 Creepy-Crawly Pest Movies
10. “The Wasp Women” (1959) - Roger Corman, wrote and directed this sci-fi/horror tale about an again cosmetic company owner who takes an experimental youth serum made from extracted wasp jelly…with the expected sci/horror results. She grows a wasp head and kills several people.
9. "Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984) – This isn’t exactly a pest movie but it features an extended show stopping scene in which Indy and pre-teen side-kick, Short Round, confront a secret passage crawling with a veritable who’s-who of the exotic insect world.
8. “Willard” (2003 remake) – Professional weirdo, Crispin Glover, plays the titular character in this version. His beloved pet rat, Socrates, helps him summon a rat army to do his building, like a sinister entomological Dr.Doolittle.
7. “Creepshow” (1982) – This horror-comedy anthology is based on the trashy EC horror comic books from the 1950’s. In one segment, evil slumlord, E.G. Marshall, is overtaken in short order by an army of cockroaches that invade his apartment, his food and eventually his body.
6. “Food of the Gods” (1976) – Giant killer rats. Enough said.
5. “Kingdom of Spiders” (1977) – Veterinarian William Shatner is called into a small Arizona town to investigate mysterious livestock details. He soon discovers the results of migrating tarantulas. Hysteria and laughter ensue.
4. “The Birds” (1963) – A Hitchcock classic about killer birds!
3. “Beginning of the End” (1957) – Not a good movie, but if you’re a fan of atomic age monster movies. Movie stars, Peter Graves and making a monster out of the least likely of bugs. Giant grasshoppers are attempted to great an illusion.
2. “The Fly” (1986) – Just because the original is better – David Cronenbers reimagining into the titular character after a teleportation experiment goes horribly wrong.
1. “Them” (1954) – Giant bug movies defined cinemas in the 1950’s. Nuclear tests in the desert are to blame for colossal ants, building colossal anthills, and reeking colossal havoc in the American Southwest.
Honorable Mention:
“Archnophobia” (1900) – An exotic breed of jumping spiders terrorize a small town and Jeff Daniel’s family. John Goodman plays an over the top pest management professional.
Pest Movies for Kids:
1. “Antz” (1998)
2. “A Bugs Life” (1998)
3. “Bee Movie” (2007)
4. “An American Tail” (1986)