Monsters, a half-hour syndicated anthology TV series that aired from 1988 to 1991, is the subject of today’s video. It featured a wide range of topics and approaches, all of which centered around monsters of various types.
Notably, we will focus on the Bug House episode, which is one of the grittier and more sexualized episodes that has left a lasting impression on the audience.
In the late 1980s, when practical effects were king, Mitchell Gallin and Richard P. Rubinstein, the creators of the Tales from the Darkside TV series, wanted to create a show that featured a new narrative about a different monster every week. With its strange dynamics and character insights, the insect house episode would captivate your interest.
A story of unexpected horrors
One stormy night, a young lady drives to her father’s seaside home in the middle of nowhere to check in on her estranged, more youthful sister. After breaking down in the middle of a violent storm, she rushes inside to learn that her sister is nearly nine months pregnant and acting oddly.
When she looks about the cottage and notices that it is falling apart and plagued with insects, she begs her sister to leave and return home with her. May, whom she hasn’t seen in years, her vehicle breaks down, and she drives the rest of the way to learn that May is pregnant and living in an old house with a strange man named Peter. Ellen feels May should go, but she refuses. Despite May’s repeated attempts to persuade Ellen to leave, she remains, despite the disastrous repercussions.
Ellen has these visions, or hallucinations of slimy bugs and roaches crawling down in the corners of the house, on things and foods. Here, the audience gets the hint of some sort of rivalry between the two sisters. Peter, a strange character for sure, has the power to greatly influence those around him. Ellen does get a peculiar feeling from him, but she convinces herself to stay away from her sister’s matters. May is extremely cold to Ellen.
Furthermore, the sister rivalry between the two females provides an added emotional edge, and the unexpected tragic finale delivers a wallop. This was an actual spine-chilling episode. While the series is a lot of fun, aside from the horror FX, the narrative is a little poor most of the time. And in fact, Ellen gets warned by May to stay away from Peter. Peter is charming, but there is something definitely off about him. He is like one of those boys in high school who everyone wants but ends up being the one breaking hearts.
Later in the movie, the content goes on to justify the title. The random hallucinations of Ellen seeing bugs were not exactly unexpected. Peter is one character that’s getting the light. He is the character that draws attention. In the middle of the movie, we see that Ellen is being watched from places where one would never give sight or expect a being to be there at all. Peter grabs Ellen from the back to not make noises. He then further persuades himself to seduce Ellen. May walks in on them, and the walls hear the havoc that has been created.
May is in despair. She wants to kill her baby. She takes a long dagger and threatens to slice her tummy off and bring death to the child she has been bearing for 7 or 8 months. Ellen tries to calm her down, but Peter walks in at that very moment. Here, we see the influential power of Peter, or one can call his mind control tricks. Despite May violently resisting May’s repeated efforts to calm her down, May decided to adhere to what he said on just Peter’s one command. As it has been established by now, Peter’s character plays a central role in defining and structuring the plot.
What’s great about this episode is that, while the characters’ predicament appears genuine, the overall tone of the program is quite unnerving. When the younger sister eventually gives birth to the “baby,” the entire episode turns terrible. You, of course, find out what has really occurred. The attack has a downer finish, which you can see coming after the “baby” is born, but it’s a good downer ending.
In the end, the episode concludes by depicting slimy bugs and roaches crawling all over the cabin. Peter’s true character is revealed, and his secret overpowers the existence of both the sisters. Now the question arises how one would escape such a situation, primarily when the instinct of survival is controlled by a half-human-half disgusting-looking living thing. And why is her pregnant sister’s tummy moving like that? The answers are unsettling, and they include some amazing gross-out effects involving various bugs and larvae. This episode will undoubtedly irritate you.
Why you should watch the bug house episode
The surge in popularity of the horror genre resulted in advancements in makeup and special effects. Each episode of this show highlights these talents. Much of the design seems to go into the construction of the monsters, with simple narratives to be carried out in the half-hour format. Even though it must be fit for network transmission, the concentration on monsters affords countless stunning chances.
The sense of dread that grows throughout the movie keeps you guessing till the conclusion, which has some beautiful slimy monster effects and makeup, the twist you may see coming. Still, it doesn’t go well with the unpleasantness of it all.
This one prioritizes the plot and tells a thrilling and convoluted story of a lady who is frightened when she sees her pregnant sister, who has not only moved into her father’s house but has also formed a relationship with a strange man. The age-old sibling rivalry arises, and the male appears to be interested in bedding both sisters.
But what about the weird chirping and crunching sounds coming from the walls? Director Kenny Myers expertly creates a damp and unpleasant atmosphere, makes the most of the tiny and constricted claustrophobic environment, builds plenty of sexual tension, and keeps the engrossing tale going along steadily.
Monsters was a charming series that deserved this episode-by-episode look back at this cute little shock series. It’s unfortunate that such a scary narrative was cut so short, but it’s one of the better episodes. If you happen to see the “Monsters” anthology show on Chiller and happen to see the episode Bug House is showing… Tune it right away.