Iconic Pests In Movies – As Halloween quickly approaches, it seemed like a good idea to go over some of the most iconic movies with pests. Insects have been used as movie villains for over half a century and continue to be used to this day. Many people hate seeing bugs in their homes, and seeing these same bugs on the big screen only encourages that same fear. Bugs, such as spiders, cockroaches, and ants can all be commonly found in the home – so what iconic films include these pests?
Iconic Movies with Spiders
Jumanji – 1995
Arguably, one of Robin William’s best movies, Jumanji provides one of the most memorable spider scenes of all time. The scene begins with Sam and Judy continuing to play the board game, then things quickly get out of hand when, out of nowhere, large spiders begin to come running toward them. At the same time, Sarah is trying to save Alan (Robin Williams) from sinking through the floor. At this point, Alan only has his head and arms to use, because the rest of his body has sunk beneath the floor. Sarah is holding on for dear life, making sure Alan does not slip any further. Thankfully, Judy begins to defend both of them with a chair. After she clobbers a couple of the spiders, they run away back into the corners of the room, from which they appeared. One of the best parts about the scene is that it does an excellent job of being both funny and serious, while, they handle a massive spider infestation.
Arachnophobia – 1990
A movie to watch with the lights on, Arachnophobia is something straight out of a nightmare. Starring Jeff Daniels, Harley Jane Kozak, and a hilarious pest control technician by actor, John Goodman, the movie produces several memorable one-liners. It begins with the arrival of a deadly Venezuelan spider that takes over a cozy California small town. Not long after their arrival, town residents begin mysteriously dying. Thankfully, the quirky pest control man (John Goodman) is on the case and ready to save the day. Unfortunately, because of Arachnophobia, we will never look at spiders the same.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – 2002
The second installment in the Harry Potter movie franchise provides a very suspenseful spider scene. It all begins when Harry and Ron follow the spider into their lair, with the hopes of learning more about the suspected monster in the chamber of secrets. What they come to find is a giant spider named, Aragog, who turns out is not the monster released from the chamber of secrets. Before long, Aragog’s children crawl out from the darkness wanting to feed on Harry and Ron. This leads to their inevitable escape from the spider liar and back to Hogwarts. This scene does an excellent job administering a good case of the heebie-jeebies.
Iconic Movies with Cockroaches
Men In Black – 1997
Is there a better movie that can make your skin crawl, like Men In Black with cockroaches? These pesky insects can be seen in the entirety of the movie and provide quite the surprise at the end. Thanks to state-of-the-art CG animation at the time, the film displays an alien cockroach that looks surprisingly real. In the closing minutes of the movie, we find out that he was planning to take over the earth. Thankfully, the cool, yet serious. Tommy Lee Jones and his hilarious partner, Will Smith, save the day. It does not seem like a far-off plot that these insects want to take over the earth. This may be due to their innate ability to be nearly indestructible. Not so fun fact, did you know that cockroaches can live up to a week with no head!
Iconic Movies with Ants
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids – 1989
Honey, I shrunk the kids is another Rick Moranis classic. The children of Scientist and inventor, Wayne Szalanski (Rick Moranis), and the children next door accidentally get shrunken down when trying to retrieve a baseball they had hit into their attic. The adventure then ensues when they are thrown away by accident and must travel back, to return back to normal size. There is a scene in the movie where they see an ant and are determined to ride it back home. What they soon come to learn is that the ant does not want them to ride on it. Finally, they persuade the ant with a piece of cookie, in which they hold on a stick in front of it while it trudges along. A classic family film for the ages, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, provides a hilarious scene with a common household-pest.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – 2008
As the fourth movie in the Indiana Jones movie series, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull delivers a very memorable fighting sequence, while man-eating ants are running past them. What makes the scene so memorable is how the character that Indiana Jones fights in the movie dies. After Indy hit him with a slew of boxing combos, he fell and gets quickly covered by the man-eating ants. The ants then carry him into their ant mound and he disappears forever. Even though there is no such thing as man-eating ants, the scene is still scary nonetheless. Another terrific reason to clean the home regularly, to avoid attracting them into the home.
Them! – 1954
Them! became one of the first commercialized, successful giant bug films of all time. It all begins in the deserts of New Mexico, where giant radioactive ants have come to life and start to terrorize the nearby town. With the help of the military, they quickly find the queen ants and destroy their nests before they get out of control. Luckily, 15-foot ants do not exist, however, regular ants can quickly get out of hand within your home if left untreated. It is recommended, that if you find an infestation of ants in your home, to call a professional pest control company immediately.
Are spiders, cockroaches, and ants giving you problems?
Even though man-eating insects do not exist, there is still a surprise when we find normal pests in our homes. Bugs such as spiders, cockroaches, and ants can cause a lot of damage if left untreated. If your home is under attack from pests, give the professionals at U.S. Pest a call today! Call: 615-822-8500 or Visit: uspest.com for more information!
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