DON'T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE

Interesting.. I don't think the concept alone is strong enough to get me to rent it without good word of mouth though. Maybe the rest of the country feels differently, but I can't get that worked up over the idea of bed bugs. Maybe if I'd ever actually seen one I'd have a different take, but I've experienced far worse insect plagues in my lifetime* to get freaked out over the idea of night time bug attacks. As far as skin-burrowing insects go, I think the X FILES already explored the subject quite sufficiently in the classic WAR OF THE COPRAPHAGES episode

However, middle America might feel differently (I've been reading articles about how fly over state people are poisoning their mattresses with carcinogenic toxins in an effort to win the so called "war" on bed bugs), and so I can see that at the very least this proposed film makes business sense if not "horror" sense

*Several years ago, we had the "year of the caterpillar" here, where there were (literally) billions of caterpillars EVERYWHERE, hanging by the thousands from trees to ambush you as you walked (or to fall into your car and down your shirt as you drive with the sun roof open), swarming the sidewalks so that they'd pop under foot wherever you went. They ate all the leaves off the trees and the trees had to grow a second set. It was a true nightmare. After that, the idea of bugs that bother you while you sleep just does not really do much to "terrify" me. I even woke up covered in bites several times this summer, but since I couldn't see any bugs, somehow it bothered me less perhaps than people who experience the same thing in NYC (plus, I blamed Mosquitos, not "bed bugs")

I think for this film, it's problem is that it's about bugs. Bugs are gross, but not *frightening* (IMHO). Spiders might be better option though. There was a story I read growing up (It was part of the SCARY STORIES) series, and it was about a girl who got a pimple that turned out to be a spider egg and they all burrowed under her skin. That story, combined with the horrific illustration, would I think much better material for a horror film than a national bed bug infestation. Hopefully the "bugs" in the film can have a fairly arachnoid appearance

EDIT: Fixed.

Broken link.

edit: interesting, I don't know that one!

Having actually suffered through a bedbug infestation in my own apartment many years ago, I can attest that the idea of this movie makes my skin crawl. Which I suppose is what the producers want, so kudos to them.

Yeah much like "tennis elbow", it's totally laughable until you get it. Bedbugs are awful.

 

 

*edit: Didn't realize this was an old post until after reading the article. Damn spammers!

So, did this flick get made?