{2jtab: Movie Review}

Bad hairdos, really large insects, and gore, gore, gore is what you’ll find inside this skin-crawling nest.  Yes, it’s the six-legged bug who gets toasted and then roasted in this creature feature produced by Julie Corman.  It’s a low budget disaster and Scream Factory, on a roll this week with Blu-ray/DVD combos of VHS-favorite rentals of mine, wants you to scream yourself silly with this gore-ific tale.  Unfortunately, there is but only one reason to really watch the flick and that, my friends, can be discovered in the pools of blood these roaches leave behind.

Yes, this is the territory of Terence H. Winkless’ The Nest, a Corman-produced creature feature from 1988.  So what if the atomic age is safely behind us?  And so what if America feels safest in its small towns?  For this gorehound feature Corman’s Concorde label proudly flies its “devil may care” freak flag and spits in the eye of science and hometown pride with a wild narrative about a mutant strain of roaches feasting on the inhabitants of Smalltown, USA.

How do you like your horror?  Hopefully, with a bit of a smarmy grin, at least that’s what Winkless is hoping.  If you go in expecting shock, don’t be disappointed when you get schlock.  Truly, the highs of this swarm are best enjoyed through a comedic lens.  The charming peacefulness of the New England seaside has never been as inviting as it is in The Nest.  Sunny skies, the impossible sound of an endless surf, and peaceful picnics.  It’s what’s under the surface of this pleasant valley that will have you running.  Get ready to be grossed out because these disgusting roaches arrive in a super deluxe size.

Residents here have no idea that radical biological experiments have created a noisy new nuisance in their small coastal town.  And local sheriff Richard Tarbell (Franc Luz), up to his eyelids in drama and interesting townspeople, can’t seem to catch a break.  His old high school flame, Elizabeth (Lisa Langois), arrives back in town to wish her argumentative father, the mayor (Robert Lansing), a “Happy Birthday” and his current flame - a waitress at the local diner - can’t stand it.  Of course, petty jealousies are only the beginning of his concerns.

The mayor has been hiding a lot more than his emotions from everyone.  Working with the almost psychotic Dr. Hubbard (Terri Treas), he’s sort of responsible for this mutant infestation that is overtaking the town.  Hubbard’s wonky cat experiments aren’t helping matters.  Ever wanted to know what a cat-roach looks like?  Watch The Nest.  For Sheriff Tarbell, it’s all in the line of duty, you know.

Based on a book by Eli Cantor, the plot is just a hodgepodge of generic scenes from other creature feature flicks like Jaws and Them! but that’s not really the reason you should see the film.  The acting's awful so scratch that, too.  The comic timing from Stephen Davies is subpar.  There's also only a couple of moments of genuine terror...so what gives?  Why is this considered a cult fave?  It's all about the exceptional gore.  The Nest is rich with some really keen practical visuals.  The insane make-up and special effects from James M. Navarra work together to save this flick from the garbage.  Just make sure your stomach is lined with steel because these giant-sized roaches like to wreak havoc anywhere and everywhere.  From the inside out, they will disgust and digest you.

Pet owners beware!  Not even the cat is safe from The Nest.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 88 mins.
Director: Terence H. Winkless
Writer: Robert King
Cast: Robert Lansing; Lisa Langlois; Diana Bellamy; Nancy Morgan
Genre: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline: Roaches have never tasted flesh... until now. She's just an appetizer.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I so admire their ability to reproduce without the contribution of their male counterpart."
Distributor: Concorde Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: May 13, 1988
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Febraury 19, 2013

Synopsis: Horrifying shocker as a biological experiment goes haywire when meat-eating mutant roaches invade an island community, terrorizing a peaceful New England fishing village and hideously butchering its citizens.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - February 19, 2013
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Presented by Scream Factory, the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack houses a pretty clean and crisp 1080p transfer.  Of course, this is 1988 we are talking about so nothing on the image rivals the technical marvel and digital gloss of today’s film.  Texture and fine detail – note the dried hairspray on the follicles – are both present and colors are properly saturated.  The gore is excessively thick and the make-up work is of a darkly precise matter.  There’s no CGI so the effects are all practical and thankfully have clear definition.  The sound is presented in the film’s original mono release.  Dialogue is mixed well with everything else in the front channels.  Nothing spectacular here.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• Director Terence H. Winkless provides an honest commentary. He’s frank with his low-budget filming techniques and points out the film’s many, many flaws but he does it with a great sense of humor that makes listening to it a pleasure.  Also of interest is his explanation on how he used the film’s locations to his advantage.

Special Features:

There are no extras.

{2jtab: Trailer}

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