New World Picturs must have really dug Heathers (1988) as director Michael Lehmann had this in production before that even hit theaters. It tells the story of a group of giant bugs that move from the Amazon rainforest to the USA suburbs and pretend to be humans in order to destroy a nuclear power plant. The parents (Ed Begley Jr. And Stockard Channing) want to project normalcy on their mission, but are stuck with only 1950s stereotypes as reference. Soon their kids (Camille Cooper and Bobby Jacoby) are succumbing to evil American ways and the parents aren't far behind.
This has to be the oddest film in New World catalog post-Corman sale in 1983. Lehmann obviously must have been a big fan of Beetlejuice (1988) as this is totally trying to copy that Tim Burton style here. It must have worked in some regard as after this Burton teamed up with this film's producer, Denise Di Novi, for the next decade. This is actually pretty fun once it gets going as each family member has to hide their foul ups by cocooning people. Kevin Yagher's team provides some impressive big bug FX, but the filmmakers goof in the action climax as all the bugs look the same so you can't tell who is who as they fight the bad bug (played by Dabney Coleman in human form). The fact New World funneled money from successes like Hellraiser (1987) into something like this won't leave you shocked to learn the company was in financial trouble by the time this was wrapping up and delayed the release for several years.
This has to be the oddest film in New World catalog post-Corman sale in 1983. Lehmann obviously must have been a big fan of Beetlejuice (1988) as this is totally trying to copy that Tim Burton style here. It must have worked in some regard as after this Burton teamed up with this film's producer, Denise Di Novi, for the next decade. This is actually pretty fun once it gets going as each family member has to hide their foul ups by cocooning people. Kevin Yagher's team provides some impressive big bug FX, but the filmmakers goof in the action climax as all the bugs look the same so you can't tell who is who as they fight the bad bug (played by Dabney Coleman in human form). The fact New World funneled money from successes like Hellraiser (1987) into something like this won't leave you shocked to learn the company was in financial trouble by the time this was wrapping up and delayed the release for several years.