''Bug Buster'' is a 1998 American

comedy horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and spo ...

film directed by Lorenzo Doumani. It is the only known film to be written by Malick Khoury. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, this film was released under the title ''Some Things Never Die''.

Plot

After the mayor uses a potentially dangerous substance to protect the local

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

, the lakeside town of Mountview, in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, is attacked by a lethal species of large

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...

. After some of the town's inhabitants are killed, the mayor enlists the help of eccentric pest exterminator General George S. Merlin in order to prevent further harm to the local dwellers.

Cast

Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in '' The Last Detail'' i ...

as General George S. Merlin *

Brenda Epperson Doumani Brenda Epperson (born September 9, 1965) is an American actress and singer. Epperson is best known for being the second actress to portray the character of Ashley Abbott on the CBS daytime drama ''The Young and the Restless''. Biography Her fa ...

as Dr. Laura Casey *

Katherine Heigl Katherine Marie Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and former fashion model. She played Dr. Izzie Stevens on the ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that brought her recognition and a ...

as Shannon Griffin *

James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series ''Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottish ...

as Sheriff Carlson *

George Takei George Takei (; ja, ジョージ・タケイ; born Hosato Takei (武井穂郷), April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS ''Enterprise'' in the telev ...

as Dr. Hiro Fujimoto *

Meredith Salenger Meredith Dawn Salenger is an American actress. Her credits include the 1985 film '' The Journey of Natty Gann'', as the title character, and the 1989 teen comedy '' Dream a Little Dream''. Early life and education Salenger was born and raised i ...

as Veronica Hart * David Lipper as Steve Williams * Doug Jones as The Mother Bug *

Tom Willett Thomas "Tom" Willett (born 1938) is an American television and film actor, record producer, singer-songwriter, and YouTuber. Called the "modern-day silent screen star", Willett is best known for playing non-speaking roles, such as the character ...

as Band Member

Reception

''Bug Buster'' received almost universally negative reviews from audiences and critics alike. Despite this, some viewers enjoyed it, seeing it as a throwback to the 1950s monster films. Robert Pardi of

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...

said "this modestly budgeted effort has a certain low key charm."

References

External links

* 1998 direct-to-video films American comedy horror films Films about insects Films set in California 1998 films 1990s monster movies American monster movies 1998 comedy horror films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{comedy-horror-film-stub