A Família Applegate

The Applegates (Ed Begley Jr, Stockard Channing) are a peculiar suburban family. They live under assumed identities to infiltrate and sabotage the nuclear power plant. They are actually giant preying mantis from the Brazilian rainforest which is being stripped by development. Their queen, Aunt Bea (Dabney Coleman), is invading Ohio in three months. The daughter Sally falls for Vince Sampson from next door. When Vince forces himself on her, she goes mantis on him. The suburbs are harder than it seems. Sally gets pregnant. Johnny turns into a weed head. Jane goes crazy with her Discovery card. Richard gets fired. Then Aunt Bea arrives.

I wouldn't say that there are any big laughs. It does have a weird dark satirical take on the suburbs. There is also an environmental message. This all adds up to an unseen cult movie. It has some fun takes. Michael Lehmann directed one of the great teen satires of all times, Heathers. This is way weirder.

Before I start this review can I just ask why this film opens with a shot of an Emperor scorpion? A West African arachnid in a brazilian rainforest? Righto.

Now that's out the way, on with the review. Though this film has a very strong moral (people who think insects are disgusting and live disgusting lives should first take a look at the human race) the whole thing is marred by the fact that it can't seem to decide whether it's a comedy or a more serious ecologically-themed drama. The insect family trying to fit into human society and coming to terms with it could have been hilarious, but the film is too mean-spirited and bleak to be funny (the family daughter is date-raped, the father commits adultery with his secretary, the son takes drugs, the dog is poisoned by the same drugs and ends up reverting back to an insect before being crushed to death). It's also too cosily bland and light-hearted to be regarded as having anything serious to say about ecology.

I would say the most important statement in this corny flick; has to be that societal (social) influence can be much greater than anything else (including your priorities for survival) in this case.

Yeah, they're aliens trying to fit in. Transformed into a human appearance, pretty much every member of the alien family ends up succumbing to the (not so virtuous) practices (and vices) of those (humans), with whom they interact. And that does have its funny moments, however predictable.

I think the alien son (getting stoned with buddies), is pretty funny. Kid plays it well. Begley too, is fairly funny.

It's worth the watch. And; vs the hearltess, mindless releases of today, who knows, this might be a masterpiece.

I would give this film a 7.0.

This is the kind of film you watch with a big bowl of popcorn.

Stockard Channing is always great and the role of Sally Applegate is played extremely well.

This film should be required viewing for Ed Bundy.

I love the surreal and outrageous humour.

We all seem to be afraid of being invaded by aliens but I do believe that not many of us considered cockroaches even though they may among the few species that survive.

I couldn't disagree more with the other comment posted for this (unavailable..any body know of a release date for a DVD?) clever adult satire on the American dream and the life that accompanies it. Cockroaches are seen as one of the dirtiest bugs around, and what better metaphor exists than for them to be literally lurking right under the skin of a family that is awarded the 'Family of the Year Award'? The irony here is that slowly, the Applegates -the cockroaches we view as so beneath us- become corrupted by the vices of OUR urban culture: sex, drugs, greed, and selfishness, rather than the urban culture being infected by them. Yes, this film makes it's point lewdly, however, there is a gleeful self mocking absurdity that had me, even at 10 years old when I saw this movie, in stitches. If you are fortunate enough to encounter a copy of this film, I highly suggest you check it out. That is, if you can understand and appreciate clever satire.