The Nest (1988) Movie Script
[man on radio] Six forty-five AM,
here on North Port.
And the temperature on the island
is a bracing 62 degrees.
You're listening to WNPT,
serving up a non-stop menu
of light rock, news,
and white lavender.
For all you--
uh, for all you morning
coffee achievers.
Seem to be having
some technical difficulties.
Always good
for a light laugh, in my book.
However, our intrepid engineer--
[broadcast breaks up]
Please, stand--
[beeping]
[female] Hold, please.
[female talking on radio]
[female on phone]
North Port Police.
-You beep me, Millie?
- You mean woke you.
Listen, Richard, my switchboard's
been buzzing with strange calls.
ltem one, Roger Gordon
didn't come home last night.
-And--
- Let me guess,
uh, tourist girl is missing?
That old lighthouse does it
every time, doesn't it?
Anyway, l told his mom
you'd check up there.
ltem two, that dog at the lntec
trailer is still barking.
Here's a thought-- send the dog
after the Gordon kid.
ltems three, four, and five--
Mrs. Pennington,
three times she calls about pages
falling out of her books.
Richard!
Are you still with me?
Yeah, Millie, l'm here, l'm here.
Yeah, l'm on my way
to the lighthouse, okay?
That's it for now.
- Oh, bite my tongue.
- What is it?
The mayor's birthday is Sunday
and there's somebody, a VlP,
coming in on the morning plane.
You know, a surprise.
l take it that means
you'll head out there.
l'm on it, Millie.
Homer?
Hey, you want
to go huntin' today, Homer?
l'm always on the hunt, Jake.
Oh, yeah. [laughs]
Homer?
You got pests, Chief?
Yep.
Why, l know about pests.
lf you wanna stop 'em,
you gotta do one thing--
-What's that?
-You gotta--
Uh.
Don't leave food out.
Thanks, Jake.
Mornin'.
- Hey, Richard.
- Fair Lillian.
Chief's got pests.
Now, you leave him be, Dad.
Betcha it's bugs.
At the store,
if it's not rats, it's bugs.
Rats is the worst and don't
you tell me no different.
North Port's a damn
floatin' cesspool, you ask me.
Do you mind,
we're eating here.
[cook] Oh, sorry.
l went over to the mainland yesterday.
l wondered where you were.
l got you somethin'.
- Oh, yeah?
-Yeah.
Hmm.
Ooh.
Eh?
You're one mean piece
a law enforcement, sheriff.
You bet l am.
Drop by later?
After l tame these mean streets.
Hi.
Hi.
- So, thanks a lot--
- So, if l was--
After you.
No, l don't know what to say,
it's been so long.
- [sighs]
- How 'bout, ''l missed you?''
l missed you.
You look good.
Thanks, so do you.
So, you sheriff now?.
Mm-hm.
Your dad retire?
He died.
l'm sorry.
lt was a while ago.
What happened to Dan's Bar?
Oh, they tore it down.
[Beth] Everything's changed.
[Richard] lt's four years, Beth.
[female] Richard, Richard!
Yoo hoo!
[siren wails]
- Over here.
[woman] l'm pleased
that you are coming.
lt certainly took you long enough.
Doesn't that Millie
pass on emergency calls?
Richard, look at this,
just look at this.
Kids, no respect for property.
Hi, Mrs. Pennington.
Hi, Beth.
Every single,
solitary page--torn out.
That's just mice or insects,
Mrs. Pennington,
they eat the glue
out of the binding.
Not in every book
in the library, overnight?
Who's she--
how'd she get a ride?
Oh, my niece--working
with Mr. Perkins this summer.
So, l'll check it out.
Oh!
Hell to pay with the library
committee, Richard.
Hell to pay.
Oh, say hello to your father
for me, Beth.
The improvements that you
and the city council asked me to make
are almost done.
But time's runnin' out.
The tourists are almost here.
They're gonna be crawlin' all over
this island before we know it.
And l need capital.
Now you and lntec both
promised me that money.
Loan.
Yeah, yeah, loan, money--
whatever.
l needed it three weeks ago
if l was gonna be ready
for the season.
Listen, Mayor,
the bottom line is this--
Without it,
l gotta raise my prices.
No, you're not gonna
raise your prices
and you will get the loan
when lntec wants to give it
to you, and not before.
Now, look, l'm going
to tell you something--
l'm gonna take
the time to do this.
lntec is going to take this backward
little island into the 20th century.
And l will not allow
any narrow-minded, provincial,
greedy little merchant
to drive away the tourists.
You're gonna miss your lunch.
You know, Mayor,
you can't control everything
on this island.
Go away, Sy.
How long are you staying?
l don't know yet.
l need to spend
some time with my dad.
Want to get together tonight?
- 566
- 2728?
Okay. [sighs]
Tell your dad happy birthday.
[bass singing opera]
Dad?
Uh, l was looking for a book
on the legal precedent--
precedent about a--
bunch of attorneys
on this damned island.
You look older, Dad.
Well, you're what l wanted
for my birthday.
l'm glad.
[seagulls squawking]
Millie, no sign of Roger
at the lighthouse.
Well, l'll be dipped.
Listen, l've got five more
dog complaints.
You want to check it out
or should l just explain
that he's part of nature's
never-ending wonder.
You know, like tripe?
On my way.
[buzzing]
[laughing]
Damn it, Jake!
What if l had my gun out?
Polio sneaks up on ya, Chief.
[laughs]
You gotta keep one eye open.
How'd you get out here so fast?
Ah, never swim in a public pool.
Only kiss a woman you trust.
Jake, we gotta talk.
Uh, yeah.
We had this discussion
about other people's property, Jake.
[Jake] Uh, yeah, [babbles]
All right, look, this is
what l want you to do--
l want you to take
the boat back today.
l won't say another word
about it, okay?
Today, l'll take it back today.
Thanks, Jake.
You gonna marry
my daughter, Chief?
l like her, Jake.
What happened
to Mom's shell collection?
l... put everything
in the basement afterthe funeral.
l mean, you--
a little while later, you know.
Beth,
l am sorry-- l'm sorry
that l couldn't help you more.
Listen to me, please.
l knew you were hurting.
l couldn't even help myself.
Beth,
l guess l just-- l guess l just don't
want to lose you again, all right?
[sighs]
l know.
[growling and barking]
[female] So, the gorilla looks
at Lady Di and says,
''Richard, are you
on your way to lntec yet?''
[whimpers]
[buzzing]
Hm.
Since when?
[buzzing]
[growling]
[dog howls]
[moaning]
[gasps]
Oh, God, Richard.
Who could have done that?
lt's okay, you'll be all right.
[sighs] Yeah, Richard.
Mayor, l just dropped by to see
if Elizabeth's all right.
Uh, she's all right.
What the hell do you think happened?
[sighs] l don't know.
l already talked to Simpson
about going out there.
He used to hunt mountain lions.
Mountain--why,
you think it's an animal?
l hope so.
- Dad?
- Uh, good night, Richard.
Elizabeth, hi.
Hi.
Well, Richard,
l would hold off on Simpson.
lt's lntec's land,
they'll probably want
to take care
of it themselves, yes?
Seems to me,
this is everybody's problem.
Yeah, l'll call 'em
first thing in the morning.
-Wanna get some fresh air?
- Mm-hm.
You know, the whole time
l was growing up,
all l could think about
was moving to the city.
Then when l moved to the city,
all l could think about
was coming back here.
Why didn't you?
So, why is your old hideout
all fenced off?
lntec's building condos up there.
Yourfather made a deal with them
to develop the island.
North Port, the new yuppie heaven.
Well, Elias is just trying to give
people a reason to stay here.
[Elias] No, don't try
to stall me on this.
No, l don't know
for certain what it was.
But l'm sure we both understand
the implications, huh?
l worked on this newspaper.
l wrote about traffic accidents
and smog levels.
Mark, my editor, always says
that the only people
who truly like L.A.
have never lived anywhere else.
You quit?
lt's, um, open-ended.
Mark's a friend.
Better go.
Richard, l'm sorry.
l never knew why you left, Beth.
l left because...
because l'd always been
treated like l was 17 here.
And... l left because l needed
to feel separate from the island.
And l needed... to feel separate
from my dad.
Separate from me?
No, Richard, not from you.
My dad was ruining that too.
Richard, don't be angry with me.
Glad you're home.
[gunshot]
[gun cocks]
Take your last poison rat breath!
Ha-ha! [laughs]
[squeaks]
Ahh-hh.
[squeaking]
Show yourself! [laughs]
Death comes slow
to those who run. [laughs]
[squeaking]
[buzzing]
[babbling]
Just leave me alone!
[yells]
[screaming]
[screaming]
Homer?
Whoa! [chuckles]
Hi, sheriff.
Yeah, Homer, look--
Geez, you know, l was reading
the darnedest thing
last night, sheriff.
How long you reckon
a man could last in Alaska,
middle a summer,
buck naked?
l'm not too good at riddles, Homer.
Oh, this ain't no riddle, l read this
in American Entomologist.
- Three days.
- [chuckles] Uh-uh.
l give up.
- Twenty minutes.
- That's swell, Homer.
You know why he's only
gonna last 20 minutes?
Huh, huh, huh?
l don't know, Homer!
'Cause after 20 minutes,
mosquitos woulda sucked out
every pint of blood in him.
Wow!
Listen, Homer,
will you spray my place?
Well, not today, sheriff,
l gotta go spray the cabins.
l'll tell you what l'll do, though--
[recites poisons inventory]
Ah, Kruptonetta.
Here.
You take this,
and you call me
in the morning, okay?
Okay, like to stay,
but gotta go sheriff!
lt was stripped to the bone.
That dog was dead
before it knew it.
Bone?
Fouryears is a long time.
So, how'd the sheriff take it?
Don't let me interrupt you boys.
Hello.
Awfully quiet in here this morning.
Mornin' sheriff.
Say, l hear Elizabeth's back.
Now, how long has it been sin--
Denver omelet.
Yesterday!
[bang]
Sure, well, right away.
[beeping]
Gotta go.
MayorJohnson.
Oh, no, pleasejust call me Elias.
We're not very formal here,
on the island.
Dr. Hubbard.
Of course, we could change that.
Allow me.
Somebody else
supply these units?
No, they're ordered by me.
So, what's up, Elias?
Dr. Hubbard, this is Richard Tarbell.
- Coffee, Mayor?
- Richard is our--
No, thank you.
He's a new sheriff, he sort
of inherited thejob from his father.
Dr. Hubbard is here to check
on the animal bites on the dog.
The carcass.
Well, Simpson is getting ready
to go up and hunt fortracks.
Richard... that's private property,
and l'm sure that lntec
would preferthat Dr. Hubbard
continue the investigation
from here on in.
Have you ever hunted, doctor?
Often.
[flies buzz]
Thank you.
Did you ever have a dog,
Dr. Hubbard?
Not until now.
[beeping]
Let me know what she finds.
[Millie] Richard, l know you're there,
l can hear you breathing.
Listen, Jenny Pennington called,
you know the ditz
working at Perkins market?
She's got some kinda problem
in the meat department.
Millie, get on the horn to lntec Corp.
Find out the official capacity
of a Dr. Morgan Hubbard.
Morgan Hubbard,
that's a real name?
What the heck you got
out there, Richard?
lt's an itch l gotta scratch.
ls it them?
When l came in this morning,
you know, it was alljust like this.
Weird, huh?
Where's Perkins, Jen?
Boss is fishing,
l'm watching the store by myself.
God, he's gonna be so pissed.
Do you think this is ajoke,
or something?
l mean, in my dorm at school,
they used to play pranks.
And, you know.
Well, some of these tourists
have a strange sense of humor.
Perkins has mice, doesn't he, Jen?
Uh-huh, l thought of that too.
But you know what?
Bizarre.
Ooh.
Yuck!
What the heck's goin'on
around here, sheriff.
We have ourselves a trap.
Place the resonator in the ground
while l initiate the homing cycle.
Okay.
[thumping]
That's adequate.
Now we'll get some bait.
[meow]
Kitty?
[sighs]
ls this going to be much longer?
l hope not.
[buzzing]
lf you'd like to, there's one
good restaurant on the island.
Jesus Christ.
[screeching]
l need a place to work.
[bell rings]
[bell rings]
Very brave,
very strange creatures.
The way they don't run from the light
as one would expect them to.
Yeah.
Doctor... let's not get off the track.
The point is,
can we contain them, right?
The way they collect
on the carcass, they're--
they're belligerent.
Almost warlike.
You done yet, Mr. Exterminator?
Lillian, l keep tellin' ya,
l'm not an exterminator.
l'm a pest control agent.
lt's kinda hard
to exterminate a species
that's been around
for 25 million years,
when the only natural
predators it's got
is me, yourfoot,
and some sticky paper.
And l'm sure they'll all be
at the beach sunbathing
long after humanity
blows us all up.
Uh--
Finish thejob, Homer.
Yeah.
Hi.
Long time no see.
Hi.
[Lillian] Heard you were back.
[Beth] Yeah.
Are you staying?
l don't know yet.
Try to decide whether to move back.
Well, honey,
l'm on the forty side of thirty.
l make a living
serving broken eggs to yokels.
My dad spends his leisure hours
in a garbage dump.
And when you're not around,
the one man in town worth walking
across the street for
comes to see me.
So, you decide.
Uh--
You done, Homer?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
You open, Lilly?
Yeah.
Coffee?
Yes, please.
[buzzing]
Hand me my scalpel, will you?
lt's in the case.
l so admire these
nymph cockroaches--
their ability to reproduce
without the contribution
of their male counterpart.
[buzzing continues]
What is it?
My hand.
They're biting my hand.
Take your hand out.
Take your hand out!
Jesus.
lt's unbelievable.
[buzzing]
Uh!
[sighs] Stop screwing around
and kill them right now, please.
That's precisely what l intend to do.
Good, do it.
[motor whirs]
[buzzing]
What exactly is this?
lt's called Retenone.
All right, you tell me when.
Now.
Hm, l'll have to try
a higher concentration.
[sighs] Do you have enough
with ya to gas all of them?
Retenone in the dosage
that l just used,
is lethal to human beings.
My God.
God almighty.
Why the hell did l listen to them?
All right, why did l listen to them?
We can-- we can control it.
lt's--
All right, l'm going
to evacuate the island.
No, there's another way!
Give me 24 hours.
Don't-- don't lie to me!
Twenty-four hours,
that's all l'm asking.
[buzzing]
All right.
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
[siren wails]
What seems to be
the problem, sheriff?
Homer?
Yeah.
Sheriff!
Homer!
Yeah?
Got somethin'
l want you to look at.
Yeah, yeah.
You gonna tell me what it is?
Periplaneta.
They're big periplaneta,
but periplaneta just the same.
And what might that be
in plain English?
Cockroach droppings.
Come here.
Could roaches do that?
Yeah, if they have
a knife and fork.
[Millie] Sheriff?
Sheriff Tarbell?
Yeah, Millie.
Got the scoop
on Dr. Morgan Hubbard.
Couldn't get anything from lntec--
very unpleasant people.
So l had Mrs. Pennington take a gander
at the Who's Who of Medicine,
Guess the pages didn't fall
out of that one, eh?
Anyway, seems Hubbard
was a hotshot in genetics
at MlTa few years back,
until they kicked her out.
For what?
lllegal experiments.
Geez, what kind
of experiments are illegal?
You find this sheriff
as much of a pest as l do?
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
[screams]
[buzzing]
l've had enough
of your patronizing, Elias.
Bringing in outsiders
is not the solution.
All right, tomorrow, dawn,
l'm taking a search party
into those caves
and l'm gonna put
a stop to this!
No, you're not.
The situation is under control
and you're gonna leave it alone.
lt doesn't look under control to me.
Stay out of those damn caves
until l tell you different, all right?
l wasn't thrown out of MlT, sheriff.
l left voluntarily.
l found the whole situation there
rather... stifling.
You know there will come a day
when there will be no need
for pesticides or chemicals.
All these things that harm us.
Genetic engineering
is part of our future.
Now, it is true that l have done some
experiments here, at North Port.
Of course, l can't tell you
the exact nature of the experiments.
But l can assure you that l've got
everything completely under control
and that by tomorrow,
it'll all be over.
Dad, are you going
to come clean with us, or not?
Elias, l don't think there's
any point--
Doctor, shut up!
Look, if you don't think
there's anything unusual
going on up in those caves,
why don't we go take a look right now?.
- No.
- Dad, look at me!
lt was awful!
l don't know what's up
in those caves,
l don't know what
those things were,
but something chased me
out of those caves!
Baby, baby, look, l'm sorry.
l'm sorry, but you'rejust going
to have to trust me.
l wish l could.
Tarbell, you stay
the hell out of those caves!
My dad always said
this day would come.
And he hoped
l'd be up to it... thanks.
[country song playing]
All right, Church shoots a fall away
jumper from the top of the key.
All right!
Church, don't play
with the garbage.
You're not a raccoon.
Yeah, right, Lillian.
Shit, oh well.
[sings]
Ow!
[buzzing]
Jesus H!--
[moans]
[gasping]
[groaning]
[female] lntec lndustries.
-Yeah, it's Johnson.
- Johnston.
No, no T.
- Uh, well, Mr. Johnson,
-Yes.
l'm sorry, but Mr. Hauser
is unavailable at the moment.
Yes-- now, you lis-- listen to me.
You tell Mr. Hauser
he is to call me immediately.
lt's a matter of life and death.
Richard, do you have
a shirt l could put on?
Uh, one sec.
Knock-knock.
Thanks.
Feeling better?
l'm good.
You know, your dad's
a pain in the ass,
but l can't believe he'd do anything
to endanger North Port.
You don't know my dad very well.
After my mother's funeral,
l just wanted somebody
to comfort me
and to hold.
l went up to my dad's room
and he wasn't there.
But there was a letter
on his desk.
lt was from my mother.
lt was her suicide note.
Beth, it was an accident.
She knew how many pills to take.
He lied, Richard.
He lied to me
and he lied to the town.
Because for him,
suicide's an embarrassment.
[sighs]
l did miss you, Richard.
[whispers]
l missed you.
[buzzing]
Yeah.
Jake?
Ready or not, here l come!
Jake?
Send the women home,
it's time for checkers.
[owl hoots]
Wish you'd quit
movin' stuff on me, Jake.
Jake?
Hey, Jake?
Dead to the world, huh?
Lillian sent the good stuff.
Wakey, wakey, Jakey, Jakey.
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
All right, Hauser,
you just try concentrating.
You're not grasping this--
if this gets to the mainland,
we'll never stop it.
ls it possible
you're overreacting, Elias?
lf Retenone is lethal
to human beings,
that means evacuation,
that means official scrutiny.
Hauser, scrutiny is nothing
compared to the alternative.
Don't go back
to Los Angeles.
Come back with me.
[Beth] Mm.
You do still owe me, you know.
l'll show ya.
l appreciate
that you're under stress,
but l need
a clear head out there.
All right, you try this--
see if this is clear enough.
lf you don't take immediate action,
my next call will be
to The New York Times,
is that clear?
That would be a mistake, Elias.
There are many heads
on the chopping block here.
Oh, you try me.
Elias, now look,
l prefer spraying at night.
l'll get on it now.
Stay close.
Yeah.
Come to L.A., we'll call it even.
You'll love it out there.
There's sunshine everywhere
and health clubs every three blocks
and palm trees everywhere
and a real beach without rocks.
Just wanna be where you are.
[buzzing]
Ooh, Richard!
Millie?
Mil?
Richard, l was just trying
to reach you.
Millie, get a hold of Homer.
Richard, hold on.
Perkins was fishing
down near the beach.
He thinks he found
the Gordon kid
and that missing tourist girl.
Dead.
Shoot, l forgot the--
oh, no, no biggie, okay.
Uch!
[sings]
[TVdialog]
[snores]
Oh.
Oh, you didn't.
Yes, l did.
Oh, you shouldn't.
Did you make a mess?
Well, you know if l did,
l'd clean it up.
Oh, well, l doubt that.
Come on, Aunt Clara,
l'm not always that bad.
[chuckles] Oh, you're
a piece of work, Jenny.
Oh, l know l've been a pain
since l came to stay.
But l hope this makes it up to you.
Well, you don't get to bed
too late, now.
Huh?
That daggone thing's
gonna deafen you!
What?
Oh, stop--
[groans]
[pop music plays]
Hee, hee.
[buzzing]
[chuckles]
Oh.
Oh.
Oh, no.
No, scatter!
Scatter, scatter!
Scatter, scatter, ow, ow!
Jenny! Jenny!
Jenny, no!
[moaning]
Oh, ow, Jenny!
[yells]
[moans]
Entry number 127.
Hybrid periplaneta unstable.
No, correction, correction.
lt's advanced.
Highly superior
to the original hybrid.
Now let's look at the magnification
of the egg capsules.
The egg capsules,
having survived the Retenone,
have hatched.
They're immune.
[grunts]
Easy, easy, now,
l'm losin' his head.
All right.
Uh!
What do you want me
to do with them?
Take 'em to Doc Bimstein's.
All right, l'll see you in town.
What a mess.
Richard, l have to go back
to my dad's.
l gotta force him to tell me
what's going on.
Subject's DNA proves a remarkable
capacity for adaptation.
[chuckles]
l did it.
Hello?
... want us to spray.
Hello, Hauser?
... five o'clock tomorrow morning.
Right, 5 AM.
Listen, can-- can you hear me?
This line is going.
[buzzing]
[broken dialog]
...you understand?
[Elias] Hauser,
if l can't evacuate everyone...
Listen, listen to me, Hauser,
if l can't get everyone off the island,
we will turn on the lighthouse beam.
Confirm!
...do not spray
if lighthouse lit up.
Yes, if the helicopters
see a beam from the lighthouse,
then don't spray!
You've got it?
[buzzing]
Ow!
[screaming]
No, l cannot change a hundred.
[''La Cucaracha''plays on juke box]
God!
Dessert, anybody?
Refill on that coffee, sir?
What are you staring at?
No, lady, yourtime is up.
l'm going to evacuate the island.
They're spraying at 5 AM.
The roaches are immune to Retenone.
Spray if you want, Elias.
But the results,
when the eggs hatch,
will be a species of roaches
that no known chemical can kill.
What do you m-- l saw them die!
Yes, but their eggs
became immunized.
The lighthouse.
The lighthouse, light the light.
They won't spray
if they see the beam.
Quaint, Elias.
Elias... don't do anything else.
[Homer] Right, it's party time, bugs.
And l'm makin' the cocktails.
And l'm gonna give you
the good shit.
There we go.
l killed your father,
l killed your grandfather.
Now, by God,
l'm gonna kill you.
Eh?
[zapping]
[whispers]
Damn!
Hubbard, where's the beam?
Dad, what's going on
on this island?
You go upstairs and pack.
Right now.
l've gotta know what the hell's
going on on this island?
Hubbard!
Dad?
Come in, this is Richard.
Come in, this is Richard.
Millie.
Millie?
Millie?
Mil.
Where the--
Oh, oh, Jesus!
Lillian?
[whispers]
Oh.
Lillian...
sleep in peace.
l'm sorry, baby.
[yells]
Sheriff, sheriff, they killed Jake.
They blew--
they blew up my house.
The roaches did it,
they're everywhere.
The whole town's dead, Sheriff.
Lillian's dead.
Oh, God.
What are we gonna do,
sheriff, huh?
What are we gonna do?
[Dr. Hubbard] Elias, there's
a malfunction in the lighthouse beam.
Elias, come in.
l repeat, there's a malfunction
in the lighthouse beam.
Elias, come in.
Damn it, Elias!
Beth, l loved your mother,
you've got to knowthat.
l know that, Dad.
l know you did.
Dad,
what are you running from?
lt's a mistake.
lt wasn't supposed to hurt the island,
it was just supposed to help.
lt was supposed to help everyone.
What was?
l wish you were a man.
Since you're not,
why are the roaches killing people
and how do we stop them?
You can put that gun away, sheriff.
lt was a normal lntec research study.
lt took a turn
that l didn't anticipate.
l was trying to find
an alternative to the pesticides.
But over time, roaches become
immune to the spraying.
She's right about that, sheriff.
So, you invented something.
A roach that eats other roaches.
Then it was supposed to die out
after one generation.
lt just kept getting hungrier.
See, their molecular structures
are starting to evolve.
Each host becomes a new species
with the ability to act together.
They're starting to develop
real social instincts.
lt's quite lovely, actually.
Gee, are you trying to say
they're becoming intelligent?
Possibly.
- Or--
- Orthere's a queen.
Which means there's a nest.
Homer P. Birum,
lndependent Pest Control Agent.
Why experiment here?
Because if l let them test here,
they would invest in the island.
Beth, look, don't look
at me like that.
l wasn't-- l wasn't starting
World War lll, for God's sake.
That wasn't a nuclear plant.
This was supposed to be
a boon to mankind.
lt was a chance to rid
the world of a pest,
an ancient, ancient--
You've done to North Port
what you did to my mother.
You destroyed them both.
[lights buzz]
Oh, my God.
Now, let me get this right--
lntec's gonna spray the island
in a couple hours
unless the lighthouse is lit.
And if they do spray,
the bugs are dead,
but so are we.
You're saying
that the unhatched roaches,
which Beth saw in the nest,
will not only survive the spraying,
but be immune to the only spray
that works on it now?.
- Great.
- Great.
Let's light this candle.
[motor starts]
Come on.
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
They're here.
l got it, Dad!
[buzzing]
l'm gonna call Richard.
Richard Tarbell, Richard Tar--
sheriff Tarbell,
come in, please.
This is an emergency.
Sheriff Tarbell, come in, please!
Yes, what is it?
Gimme Tarbell.
l'd like to do that, Elias,
but it's very important
that we get the light on.
...the hell do you think
you're doing?
We need some help here,
get me Tarbell!
Fire extinguishers--
CO2 freezes the roaches.
Oh!
Okay, try that.
[buzzes]
Whoop!
Turn it off, okay.
Just keep tryin'.
l'm gonna check in with Beth.
l just spoke to Elias on the radio.
He and Elizabeth are just fine.
And she says that she loves you,
and that they're counting on you.
And we're running out of time, Pal.
Hey, this ain't no toaster, sheriff.
Okay, okay, okay, that's it.
Give it a go.
[buzzes]
Whoops.
Dad?
Wait, wait!
The rug, Dad, the rug!
There's another extinguisher
in the cabinet, get it!
- Caught.
-All right.
Ow, shit.
Get away!
- Too many of them.
- Dad, let me help you.
Get back, get out,
get the hell out!
Get out!
Save yourself.
Dad!
Open up!
No!
No, Dad!
Hubbard, l said throw
the circuit breaker!
Maybe she got lost.
[crash]
[yelling]
[groan]
Hubbard?
Sh-hhh.
Meow.
[purring]
[whispering]
lt's still here.
[purring]
[screeching]
[purring]
[screeching]
Homer, go upstairs
and get my gun.
- Uh.
- No, don't kill it.
What do you want me to do,
make friends with it, doctor?
Homer?
That's incredible,
it's a hybrid of a hybrid.
Whatever they ingest,
they become.
Homer?
[growls]
Homer, when l count to three,
go upstairs and get the gun.
l'll keep it occupied.
- Ready?
- No.
One,
two,
three!
Dr. Hubbard, extinguisher!
[screeching]
Hubbard!
Spray it!
[crying]
[cries]
[yells]
No bug too big, huh?
[sighs]
[buzzing]
[gasps]
Ow!
Never changes.
Yourface has no emotion.
l could be dyin'.
lt wouldn't make any difference.
Perhaps we'll get
the chance to find out.
[clunk]
Hey, hey!
Four o'clock,
beat the choppers by an hour.
[Richard] All right, Hubbard,
time to show us your God damn nest.
[Richard on radio]
Elizabeth, Elias, come in.
Elizabeth?
Elizabeth, Elias, come in, please.
- Richard?
- Elizabeth, Elias, come in.
Richard... l'm here.
Beth... is that you?
[Beth] Yes, please come in.
You're breaking up, Beth.
Switch to channel two.
Can you hear me better?
Beth, are you all right?
Richard, my dad's dead.
l'm sorry, Beth.
Are you safe?
Yes.
Richard, l need you.
You sure you're safe?
Roaches are gone?
Beth, confirm, please.
[whispering]
Beth.
Dad.
Oh, my God.
No, don't!
No!
[yells]
[screams]
Elizabeth, can you hear me?
Uh-oh.
Hey, sheriff.
Lighthouse is out.
Shit!
Wait, Homer, Homer,
l want you to go to the lighthouse.
l want you to work your magic.
You got better than 20 minutes.
Yeah, uh, hey, sheriff,
Right-- Beth, l want you
to go with Homer.
No, she knows the caves,
she has to show me the caves.
l know the caves!
Yes, but she's seen the nests.
She knows where it is.
Who is in charge here, sheriff?
Right now, l'm going in!
Uh, sheriff, l don't know
how to drive a car.
Sorry.
- Okay, just take this key.
-Yeah.
[car starts]
Hey, hey!
Hey!
Women, huh?
Move it in the car, move!
l'll move.
Men.
Turn right.
Time?
Fifteen minutes.
[buzzing]
Shit, shit, where the hell
did they come from?
lt's okay.
lt's okay, they can't get us in here.
l can't get the back window up.
Got it!
- Homer?
- Yeah.
Give me the extinguisher
in the back.
Yeah.
Shit, come on!
[tires screech]
Uh!
[yells]
Where is the nest?
Just up ahead.
- l'll meet you there.
-What?
Hey, hey!
Homer, would you go easy
on the spray.
And we can't get
any more air in here.
Fine, l'll tell the roaches
to attack more slowly.
- Roach!
-Ah!
Uh!
We got it!
Where'd they go?
l was hoping
you could tell me that!
They were right here.
[growling]
l say we set charges right now
and we get out of here.
We don't have to get
the exact spot.
Destroy the caves,
we destroy the nest.
Okay, actual controls intact.
Set timer.
Oh-oh.
Blah!
[stereo plays opera]
[engine stalls]
What?
[opera continues]
- Oh, my.
- Where are they all going?
There's a God damn queen.
See the thing
about a queen, Rich,
is that she sends out
some kinda signals
and they pick up on it
and the roaches return to her.
[shoots radio]
lt's kind of-- kind of like
the collective unconscious.
You know, people have it too--
the feeling deep inside
that they know what is God
and the devil
and what's good and evil.
What the hell
are you talking about?
l didn'tjust make this up,
this is Jung's basic theory.
Where will we find this queen?
The nest.
[whispering]
Where Elizabeth is.
[beeping]
Okay, Hubbard, l've set the timer
forfive minutes, starting right...
[loud beep]
Hubbard?
Hubbard!
Homer, you should do whateveryou have
to do to get that thing lit, okay?
Hey, where are you goin'?
Bye, Rich.
[sloshing]
Which of these-- okay.
Do somethin' for me, baby.
Please?
[growling]
Uh!
Hubbard?
[yells]
Hubbard?
[screams]
[helicopter whirring]
Oh, great, they're early.
Oh, God, l hate bugs!
[screaming]
Elizabeth!
Richard?
[yells]
Come on!
lf l'm gonna go,
l'm gonna go down swingin'.
Huh.
Homer P. Birum, exterminator.
[whirring continues]
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
here on North Port.
And the temperature on the island
is a bracing 62 degrees.
You're listening to WNPT,
serving up a non-stop menu
of light rock, news,
and white lavender.
For all you--
uh, for all you morning
coffee achievers.
Seem to be having
some technical difficulties.
Always good
for a light laugh, in my book.
However, our intrepid engineer--
[broadcast breaks up]
Please, stand--
[beeping]
[female] Hold, please.
[female talking on radio]
[female on phone]
North Port Police.
-You beep me, Millie?
- You mean woke you.
Listen, Richard, my switchboard's
been buzzing with strange calls.
ltem one, Roger Gordon
didn't come home last night.
-And--
- Let me guess,
uh, tourist girl is missing?
That old lighthouse does it
every time, doesn't it?
Anyway, l told his mom
you'd check up there.
ltem two, that dog at the lntec
trailer is still barking.
Here's a thought-- send the dog
after the Gordon kid.
ltems three, four, and five--
Mrs. Pennington,
three times she calls about pages
falling out of her books.
Richard!
Are you still with me?
Yeah, Millie, l'm here, l'm here.
Yeah, l'm on my way
to the lighthouse, okay?
That's it for now.
- Oh, bite my tongue.
- What is it?
The mayor's birthday is Sunday
and there's somebody, a VlP,
coming in on the morning plane.
You know, a surprise.
l take it that means
you'll head out there.
l'm on it, Millie.
Homer?
Hey, you want
to go huntin' today, Homer?
l'm always on the hunt, Jake.
Oh, yeah. [laughs]
Homer?
You got pests, Chief?
Yep.
Why, l know about pests.
lf you wanna stop 'em,
you gotta do one thing--
-What's that?
-You gotta--
Uh.
Don't leave food out.
Thanks, Jake.
Mornin'.
- Hey, Richard.
- Fair Lillian.
Chief's got pests.
Now, you leave him be, Dad.
Betcha it's bugs.
At the store,
if it's not rats, it's bugs.
Rats is the worst and don't
you tell me no different.
North Port's a damn
floatin' cesspool, you ask me.
Do you mind,
we're eating here.
[cook] Oh, sorry.
l went over to the mainland yesterday.
l wondered where you were.
l got you somethin'.
- Oh, yeah?
-Yeah.
Hmm.
Ooh.
Eh?
You're one mean piece
a law enforcement, sheriff.
You bet l am.
Drop by later?
After l tame these mean streets.
Hi.
Hi.
- So, thanks a lot--
- So, if l was--
After you.
No, l don't know what to say,
it's been so long.
- [sighs]
- How 'bout, ''l missed you?''
l missed you.
You look good.
Thanks, so do you.
So, you sheriff now?.
Mm-hm.
Your dad retire?
He died.
l'm sorry.
lt was a while ago.
What happened to Dan's Bar?
Oh, they tore it down.
[Beth] Everything's changed.
[Richard] lt's four years, Beth.
[female] Richard, Richard!
Yoo hoo!
[siren wails]
- Over here.
[woman] l'm pleased
that you are coming.
lt certainly took you long enough.
Doesn't that Millie
pass on emergency calls?
Richard, look at this,
just look at this.
Kids, no respect for property.
Hi, Mrs. Pennington.
Hi, Beth.
Every single,
solitary page--torn out.
That's just mice or insects,
Mrs. Pennington,
they eat the glue
out of the binding.
Not in every book
in the library, overnight?
Who's she--
how'd she get a ride?
Oh, my niece--working
with Mr. Perkins this summer.
So, l'll check it out.
Oh!
Hell to pay with the library
committee, Richard.
Hell to pay.
Oh, say hello to your father
for me, Beth.
The improvements that you
and the city council asked me to make
are almost done.
But time's runnin' out.
The tourists are almost here.
They're gonna be crawlin' all over
this island before we know it.
And l need capital.
Now you and lntec both
promised me that money.
Loan.
Yeah, yeah, loan, money--
whatever.
l needed it three weeks ago
if l was gonna be ready
for the season.
Listen, Mayor,
the bottom line is this--
Without it,
l gotta raise my prices.
No, you're not gonna
raise your prices
and you will get the loan
when lntec wants to give it
to you, and not before.
Now, look, l'm going
to tell you something--
l'm gonna take
the time to do this.
lntec is going to take this backward
little island into the 20th century.
And l will not allow
any narrow-minded, provincial,
greedy little merchant
to drive away the tourists.
You're gonna miss your lunch.
You know, Mayor,
you can't control everything
on this island.
Go away, Sy.
How long are you staying?
l don't know yet.
l need to spend
some time with my dad.
Want to get together tonight?
- 566
- 2728?
Okay. [sighs]
Tell your dad happy birthday.
[bass singing opera]
Dad?
Uh, l was looking for a book
on the legal precedent--
precedent about a--
bunch of attorneys
on this damned island.
You look older, Dad.
Well, you're what l wanted
for my birthday.
l'm glad.
[seagulls squawking]
Millie, no sign of Roger
at the lighthouse.
Well, l'll be dipped.
Listen, l've got five more
dog complaints.
You want to check it out
or should l just explain
that he's part of nature's
never-ending wonder.
You know, like tripe?
On my way.
[buzzing]
[laughing]
Damn it, Jake!
What if l had my gun out?
Polio sneaks up on ya, Chief.
[laughs]
You gotta keep one eye open.
How'd you get out here so fast?
Ah, never swim in a public pool.
Only kiss a woman you trust.
Jake, we gotta talk.
Uh, yeah.
We had this discussion
about other people's property, Jake.
[Jake] Uh, yeah, [babbles]
All right, look, this is
what l want you to do--
l want you to take
the boat back today.
l won't say another word
about it, okay?
Today, l'll take it back today.
Thanks, Jake.
You gonna marry
my daughter, Chief?
l like her, Jake.
What happened
to Mom's shell collection?
l... put everything
in the basement afterthe funeral.
l mean, you--
a little while later, you know.
Beth,
l am sorry-- l'm sorry
that l couldn't help you more.
Listen to me, please.
l knew you were hurting.
l couldn't even help myself.
Beth,
l guess l just-- l guess l just don't
want to lose you again, all right?
[sighs]
l know.
[growling and barking]
[female] So, the gorilla looks
at Lady Di and says,
''Richard, are you
on your way to lntec yet?''
[whimpers]
[buzzing]
Hm.
Since when?
[buzzing]
[growling]
[dog howls]
[moaning]
[gasps]
Oh, God, Richard.
Who could have done that?
lt's okay, you'll be all right.
[sighs] Yeah, Richard.
Mayor, l just dropped by to see
if Elizabeth's all right.
Uh, she's all right.
What the hell do you think happened?
[sighs] l don't know.
l already talked to Simpson
about going out there.
He used to hunt mountain lions.
Mountain--why,
you think it's an animal?
l hope so.
- Dad?
- Uh, good night, Richard.
Elizabeth, hi.
Hi.
Well, Richard,
l would hold off on Simpson.
lt's lntec's land,
they'll probably want
to take care
of it themselves, yes?
Seems to me,
this is everybody's problem.
Yeah, l'll call 'em
first thing in the morning.
-Wanna get some fresh air?
- Mm-hm.
You know, the whole time
l was growing up,
all l could think about
was moving to the city.
Then when l moved to the city,
all l could think about
was coming back here.
Why didn't you?
So, why is your old hideout
all fenced off?
lntec's building condos up there.
Yourfather made a deal with them
to develop the island.
North Port, the new yuppie heaven.
Well, Elias is just trying to give
people a reason to stay here.
[Elias] No, don't try
to stall me on this.
No, l don't know
for certain what it was.
But l'm sure we both understand
the implications, huh?
l worked on this newspaper.
l wrote about traffic accidents
and smog levels.
Mark, my editor, always says
that the only people
who truly like L.A.
have never lived anywhere else.
You quit?
lt's, um, open-ended.
Mark's a friend.
Better go.
Richard, l'm sorry.
l never knew why you left, Beth.
l left because...
because l'd always been
treated like l was 17 here.
And... l left because l needed
to feel separate from the island.
And l needed... to feel separate
from my dad.
Separate from me?
No, Richard, not from you.
My dad was ruining that too.
Richard, don't be angry with me.
Glad you're home.
[gunshot]
[gun cocks]
Take your last poison rat breath!
Ha-ha! [laughs]
[squeaks]
Ahh-hh.
[squeaking]
Show yourself! [laughs]
Death comes slow
to those who run. [laughs]
[squeaking]
[buzzing]
[babbling]
Just leave me alone!
[yells]
[screaming]
[screaming]
Homer?
Whoa! [chuckles]
Hi, sheriff.
Yeah, Homer, look--
Geez, you know, l was reading
the darnedest thing
last night, sheriff.
How long you reckon
a man could last in Alaska,
middle a summer,
buck naked?
l'm not too good at riddles, Homer.
Oh, this ain't no riddle, l read this
in American Entomologist.
- Three days.
- [chuckles] Uh-uh.
l give up.
- Twenty minutes.
- That's swell, Homer.
You know why he's only
gonna last 20 minutes?
Huh, huh, huh?
l don't know, Homer!
'Cause after 20 minutes,
mosquitos woulda sucked out
every pint of blood in him.
Wow!
Listen, Homer,
will you spray my place?
Well, not today, sheriff,
l gotta go spray the cabins.
l'll tell you what l'll do, though--
[recites poisons inventory]
Ah, Kruptonetta.
Here.
You take this,
and you call me
in the morning, okay?
Okay, like to stay,
but gotta go sheriff!
lt was stripped to the bone.
That dog was dead
before it knew it.
Bone?
Fouryears is a long time.
So, how'd the sheriff take it?
Don't let me interrupt you boys.
Hello.
Awfully quiet in here this morning.
Mornin' sheriff.
Say, l hear Elizabeth's back.
Now, how long has it been sin--
Denver omelet.
Yesterday!
[bang]
Sure, well, right away.
[beeping]
Gotta go.
MayorJohnson.
Oh, no, pleasejust call me Elias.
We're not very formal here,
on the island.
Dr. Hubbard.
Of course, we could change that.
Allow me.
Somebody else
supply these units?
No, they're ordered by me.
So, what's up, Elias?
Dr. Hubbard, this is Richard Tarbell.
- Coffee, Mayor?
- Richard is our--
No, thank you.
He's a new sheriff, he sort
of inherited thejob from his father.
Dr. Hubbard is here to check
on the animal bites on the dog.
The carcass.
Well, Simpson is getting ready
to go up and hunt fortracks.
Richard... that's private property,
and l'm sure that lntec
would preferthat Dr. Hubbard
continue the investigation
from here on in.
Have you ever hunted, doctor?
Often.
[flies buzz]
Thank you.
Did you ever have a dog,
Dr. Hubbard?
Not until now.
[beeping]
Let me know what she finds.
[Millie] Richard, l know you're there,
l can hear you breathing.
Listen, Jenny Pennington called,
you know the ditz
working at Perkins market?
She's got some kinda problem
in the meat department.
Millie, get on the horn to lntec Corp.
Find out the official capacity
of a Dr. Morgan Hubbard.
Morgan Hubbard,
that's a real name?
What the heck you got
out there, Richard?
lt's an itch l gotta scratch.
ls it them?
When l came in this morning,
you know, it was alljust like this.
Weird, huh?
Where's Perkins, Jen?
Boss is fishing,
l'm watching the store by myself.
God, he's gonna be so pissed.
Do you think this is ajoke,
or something?
l mean, in my dorm at school,
they used to play pranks.
And, you know.
Well, some of these tourists
have a strange sense of humor.
Perkins has mice, doesn't he, Jen?
Uh-huh, l thought of that too.
But you know what?
Bizarre.
Ooh.
Yuck!
What the heck's goin'on
around here, sheriff.
We have ourselves a trap.
Place the resonator in the ground
while l initiate the homing cycle.
Okay.
[thumping]
That's adequate.
Now we'll get some bait.
[meow]
Kitty?
[sighs]
ls this going to be much longer?
l hope not.
[buzzing]
lf you'd like to, there's one
good restaurant on the island.
Jesus Christ.
[screeching]
l need a place to work.
[bell rings]
[bell rings]
Very brave,
very strange creatures.
The way they don't run from the light
as one would expect them to.
Yeah.
Doctor... let's not get off the track.
The point is,
can we contain them, right?
The way they collect
on the carcass, they're--
they're belligerent.
Almost warlike.
You done yet, Mr. Exterminator?
Lillian, l keep tellin' ya,
l'm not an exterminator.
l'm a pest control agent.
lt's kinda hard
to exterminate a species
that's been around
for 25 million years,
when the only natural
predators it's got
is me, yourfoot,
and some sticky paper.
And l'm sure they'll all be
at the beach sunbathing
long after humanity
blows us all up.
Uh--
Finish thejob, Homer.
Yeah.
Hi.
Long time no see.
Hi.
[Lillian] Heard you were back.
[Beth] Yeah.
Are you staying?
l don't know yet.
Try to decide whether to move back.
Well, honey,
l'm on the forty side of thirty.
l make a living
serving broken eggs to yokels.
My dad spends his leisure hours
in a garbage dump.
And when you're not around,
the one man in town worth walking
across the street for
comes to see me.
So, you decide.
Uh--
You done, Homer?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
You open, Lilly?
Yeah.
Coffee?
Yes, please.
[buzzing]
Hand me my scalpel, will you?
lt's in the case.
l so admire these
nymph cockroaches--
their ability to reproduce
without the contribution
of their male counterpart.
[buzzing continues]
What is it?
My hand.
They're biting my hand.
Take your hand out.
Take your hand out!
Jesus.
lt's unbelievable.
[buzzing]
Uh!
[sighs] Stop screwing around
and kill them right now, please.
That's precisely what l intend to do.
Good, do it.
[motor whirs]
[buzzing]
What exactly is this?
lt's called Retenone.
All right, you tell me when.
Now.
Hm, l'll have to try
a higher concentration.
[sighs] Do you have enough
with ya to gas all of them?
Retenone in the dosage
that l just used,
is lethal to human beings.
My God.
God almighty.
Why the hell did l listen to them?
All right, why did l listen to them?
We can-- we can control it.
lt's--
All right, l'm going
to evacuate the island.
No, there's another way!
Give me 24 hours.
Don't-- don't lie to me!
Twenty-four hours,
that's all l'm asking.
[buzzing]
All right.
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
[siren wails]
What seems to be
the problem, sheriff?
Homer?
Yeah.
Sheriff!
Homer!
Yeah?
Got somethin'
l want you to look at.
Yeah, yeah.
You gonna tell me what it is?
Periplaneta.
They're big periplaneta,
but periplaneta just the same.
And what might that be
in plain English?
Cockroach droppings.
Come here.
Could roaches do that?
Yeah, if they have
a knife and fork.
[Millie] Sheriff?
Sheriff Tarbell?
Yeah, Millie.
Got the scoop
on Dr. Morgan Hubbard.
Couldn't get anything from lntec--
very unpleasant people.
So l had Mrs. Pennington take a gander
at the Who's Who of Medicine,
Guess the pages didn't fall
out of that one, eh?
Anyway, seems Hubbard
was a hotshot in genetics
at MlTa few years back,
until they kicked her out.
For what?
lllegal experiments.
Geez, what kind
of experiments are illegal?
You find this sheriff
as much of a pest as l do?
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
[screams]
[buzzing]
l've had enough
of your patronizing, Elias.
Bringing in outsiders
is not the solution.
All right, tomorrow, dawn,
l'm taking a search party
into those caves
and l'm gonna put
a stop to this!
No, you're not.
The situation is under control
and you're gonna leave it alone.
lt doesn't look under control to me.
Stay out of those damn caves
until l tell you different, all right?
l wasn't thrown out of MlT, sheriff.
l left voluntarily.
l found the whole situation there
rather... stifling.
You know there will come a day
when there will be no need
for pesticides or chemicals.
All these things that harm us.
Genetic engineering
is part of our future.
Now, it is true that l have done some
experiments here, at North Port.
Of course, l can't tell you
the exact nature of the experiments.
But l can assure you that l've got
everything completely under control
and that by tomorrow,
it'll all be over.
Dad, are you going
to come clean with us, or not?
Elias, l don't think there's
any point--
Doctor, shut up!
Look, if you don't think
there's anything unusual
going on up in those caves,
why don't we go take a look right now?.
- No.
- Dad, look at me!
lt was awful!
l don't know what's up
in those caves,
l don't know what
those things were,
but something chased me
out of those caves!
Baby, baby, look, l'm sorry.
l'm sorry, but you'rejust going
to have to trust me.
l wish l could.
Tarbell, you stay
the hell out of those caves!
My dad always said
this day would come.
And he hoped
l'd be up to it... thanks.
[country song playing]
All right, Church shoots a fall away
jumper from the top of the key.
All right!
Church, don't play
with the garbage.
You're not a raccoon.
Yeah, right, Lillian.
Shit, oh well.
[sings]
Ow!
[buzzing]
Jesus H!--
[moans]
[gasping]
[groaning]
[female] lntec lndustries.
-Yeah, it's Johnson.
- Johnston.
No, no T.
- Uh, well, Mr. Johnson,
-Yes.
l'm sorry, but Mr. Hauser
is unavailable at the moment.
Yes-- now, you lis-- listen to me.
You tell Mr. Hauser
he is to call me immediately.
lt's a matter of life and death.
Richard, do you have
a shirt l could put on?
Uh, one sec.
Knock-knock.
Thanks.
Feeling better?
l'm good.
You know, your dad's
a pain in the ass,
but l can't believe he'd do anything
to endanger North Port.
You don't know my dad very well.
After my mother's funeral,
l just wanted somebody
to comfort me
and to hold.
l went up to my dad's room
and he wasn't there.
But there was a letter
on his desk.
lt was from my mother.
lt was her suicide note.
Beth, it was an accident.
She knew how many pills to take.
He lied, Richard.
He lied to me
and he lied to the town.
Because for him,
suicide's an embarrassment.
[sighs]
l did miss you, Richard.
[whispers]
l missed you.
[buzzing]
Yeah.
Jake?
Ready or not, here l come!
Jake?
Send the women home,
it's time for checkers.
[owl hoots]
Wish you'd quit
movin' stuff on me, Jake.
Jake?
Hey, Jake?
Dead to the world, huh?
Lillian sent the good stuff.
Wakey, wakey, Jakey, Jakey.
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
All right, Hauser,
you just try concentrating.
You're not grasping this--
if this gets to the mainland,
we'll never stop it.
ls it possible
you're overreacting, Elias?
lf Retenone is lethal
to human beings,
that means evacuation,
that means official scrutiny.
Hauser, scrutiny is nothing
compared to the alternative.
Don't go back
to Los Angeles.
Come back with me.
[Beth] Mm.
You do still owe me, you know.
l'll show ya.
l appreciate
that you're under stress,
but l need
a clear head out there.
All right, you try this--
see if this is clear enough.
lf you don't take immediate action,
my next call will be
to The New York Times,
is that clear?
That would be a mistake, Elias.
There are many heads
on the chopping block here.
Oh, you try me.
Elias, now look,
l prefer spraying at night.
l'll get on it now.
Stay close.
Yeah.
Come to L.A., we'll call it even.
You'll love it out there.
There's sunshine everywhere
and health clubs every three blocks
and palm trees everywhere
and a real beach without rocks.
Just wanna be where you are.
[buzzing]
Ooh, Richard!
Millie?
Mil?
Richard, l was just trying
to reach you.
Millie, get a hold of Homer.
Richard, hold on.
Perkins was fishing
down near the beach.
He thinks he found
the Gordon kid
and that missing tourist girl.
Dead.
Shoot, l forgot the--
oh, no, no biggie, okay.
Uch!
[sings]
[TVdialog]
[snores]
Oh.
Oh, you didn't.
Yes, l did.
Oh, you shouldn't.
Did you make a mess?
Well, you know if l did,
l'd clean it up.
Oh, well, l doubt that.
Come on, Aunt Clara,
l'm not always that bad.
[chuckles] Oh, you're
a piece of work, Jenny.
Oh, l know l've been a pain
since l came to stay.
But l hope this makes it up to you.
Well, you don't get to bed
too late, now.
Huh?
That daggone thing's
gonna deafen you!
What?
Oh, stop--
[groans]
[pop music plays]
Hee, hee.
[buzzing]
[chuckles]
Oh.
Oh.
Oh, no.
No, scatter!
Scatter, scatter!
Scatter, scatter, ow, ow!
Jenny! Jenny!
Jenny, no!
[moaning]
Oh, ow, Jenny!
[yells]
[moans]
Entry number 127.
Hybrid periplaneta unstable.
No, correction, correction.
lt's advanced.
Highly superior
to the original hybrid.
Now let's look at the magnification
of the egg capsules.
The egg capsules,
having survived the Retenone,
have hatched.
They're immune.
[grunts]
Easy, easy, now,
l'm losin' his head.
All right.
Uh!
What do you want me
to do with them?
Take 'em to Doc Bimstein's.
All right, l'll see you in town.
What a mess.
Richard, l have to go back
to my dad's.
l gotta force him to tell me
what's going on.
Subject's DNA proves a remarkable
capacity for adaptation.
[chuckles]
l did it.
Hello?
... want us to spray.
Hello, Hauser?
... five o'clock tomorrow morning.
Right, 5 AM.
Listen, can-- can you hear me?
This line is going.
[buzzing]
[broken dialog]
...you understand?
[Elias] Hauser,
if l can't evacuate everyone...
Listen, listen to me, Hauser,
if l can't get everyone off the island,
we will turn on the lighthouse beam.
Confirm!
...do not spray
if lighthouse lit up.
Yes, if the helicopters
see a beam from the lighthouse,
then don't spray!
You've got it?
[buzzing]
Ow!
[screaming]
No, l cannot change a hundred.
[''La Cucaracha''plays on juke box]
God!
Dessert, anybody?
Refill on that coffee, sir?
What are you staring at?
No, lady, yourtime is up.
l'm going to evacuate the island.
They're spraying at 5 AM.
The roaches are immune to Retenone.
Spray if you want, Elias.
But the results,
when the eggs hatch,
will be a species of roaches
that no known chemical can kill.
What do you m-- l saw them die!
Yes, but their eggs
became immunized.
The lighthouse.
The lighthouse, light the light.
They won't spray
if they see the beam.
Quaint, Elias.
Elias... don't do anything else.
[Homer] Right, it's party time, bugs.
And l'm makin' the cocktails.
And l'm gonna give you
the good shit.
There we go.
l killed your father,
l killed your grandfather.
Now, by God,
l'm gonna kill you.
Eh?
[zapping]
[whispers]
Damn!
Hubbard, where's the beam?
Dad, what's going on
on this island?
You go upstairs and pack.
Right now.
l've gotta know what the hell's
going on on this island?
Hubbard!
Dad?
Come in, this is Richard.
Come in, this is Richard.
Millie.
Millie?
Millie?
Mil.
Where the--
Oh, oh, Jesus!
Lillian?
[whispers]
Oh.
Lillian...
sleep in peace.
l'm sorry, baby.
[yells]
Sheriff, sheriff, they killed Jake.
They blew--
they blew up my house.
The roaches did it,
they're everywhere.
The whole town's dead, Sheriff.
Lillian's dead.
Oh, God.
What are we gonna do,
sheriff, huh?
What are we gonna do?
[Dr. Hubbard] Elias, there's
a malfunction in the lighthouse beam.
Elias, come in.
l repeat, there's a malfunction
in the lighthouse beam.
Elias, come in.
Damn it, Elias!
Beth, l loved your mother,
you've got to knowthat.
l know that, Dad.
l know you did.
Dad,
what are you running from?
lt's a mistake.
lt wasn't supposed to hurt the island,
it was just supposed to help.
lt was supposed to help everyone.
What was?
l wish you were a man.
Since you're not,
why are the roaches killing people
and how do we stop them?
You can put that gun away, sheriff.
lt was a normal lntec research study.
lt took a turn
that l didn't anticipate.
l was trying to find
an alternative to the pesticides.
But over time, roaches become
immune to the spraying.
She's right about that, sheriff.
So, you invented something.
A roach that eats other roaches.
Then it was supposed to die out
after one generation.
lt just kept getting hungrier.
See, their molecular structures
are starting to evolve.
Each host becomes a new species
with the ability to act together.
They're starting to develop
real social instincts.
lt's quite lovely, actually.
Gee, are you trying to say
they're becoming intelligent?
Possibly.
- Or--
- Orthere's a queen.
Which means there's a nest.
Homer P. Birum,
lndependent Pest Control Agent.
Why experiment here?
Because if l let them test here,
they would invest in the island.
Beth, look, don't look
at me like that.
l wasn't-- l wasn't starting
World War lll, for God's sake.
That wasn't a nuclear plant.
This was supposed to be
a boon to mankind.
lt was a chance to rid
the world of a pest,
an ancient, ancient--
You've done to North Port
what you did to my mother.
You destroyed them both.
[lights buzz]
Oh, my God.
Now, let me get this right--
lntec's gonna spray the island
in a couple hours
unless the lighthouse is lit.
And if they do spray,
the bugs are dead,
but so are we.
You're saying
that the unhatched roaches,
which Beth saw in the nest,
will not only survive the spraying,
but be immune to the only spray
that works on it now?.
- Great.
- Great.
Let's light this candle.
[motor starts]
Come on.
[buzzing]
[buzzing]
They're here.
l got it, Dad!
[buzzing]
l'm gonna call Richard.
Richard Tarbell, Richard Tar--
sheriff Tarbell,
come in, please.
This is an emergency.
Sheriff Tarbell, come in, please!
Yes, what is it?
Gimme Tarbell.
l'd like to do that, Elias,
but it's very important
that we get the light on.
...the hell do you think
you're doing?
We need some help here,
get me Tarbell!
Fire extinguishers--
CO2 freezes the roaches.
Oh!
Okay, try that.
[buzzes]
Whoop!
Turn it off, okay.
Just keep tryin'.
l'm gonna check in with Beth.
l just spoke to Elias on the radio.
He and Elizabeth are just fine.
And she says that she loves you,
and that they're counting on you.
And we're running out of time, Pal.
Hey, this ain't no toaster, sheriff.
Okay, okay, okay, that's it.
Give it a go.
[buzzes]
Whoops.
Dad?
Wait, wait!
The rug, Dad, the rug!
There's another extinguisher
in the cabinet, get it!
- Caught.
-All right.
Ow, shit.
Get away!
- Too many of them.
- Dad, let me help you.
Get back, get out,
get the hell out!
Get out!
Save yourself.
Dad!
Open up!
No!
No, Dad!
Hubbard, l said throw
the circuit breaker!
Maybe she got lost.
[crash]
[yelling]
[groan]
Hubbard?
Sh-hhh.
Meow.
[purring]
[whispering]
lt's still here.
[purring]
[screeching]
[purring]
[screeching]
Homer, go upstairs
and get my gun.
- Uh.
- No, don't kill it.
What do you want me to do,
make friends with it, doctor?
Homer?
That's incredible,
it's a hybrid of a hybrid.
Whatever they ingest,
they become.
Homer?
[growls]
Homer, when l count to three,
go upstairs and get the gun.
l'll keep it occupied.
- Ready?
- No.
One,
two,
three!
Dr. Hubbard, extinguisher!
[screeching]
Hubbard!
Spray it!
[crying]
[cries]
[yells]
No bug too big, huh?
[sighs]
[buzzing]
[gasps]
Ow!
Never changes.
Yourface has no emotion.
l could be dyin'.
lt wouldn't make any difference.
Perhaps we'll get
the chance to find out.
[clunk]
Hey, hey!
Four o'clock,
beat the choppers by an hour.
[Richard] All right, Hubbard,
time to show us your God damn nest.
[Richard on radio]
Elizabeth, Elias, come in.
Elizabeth?
Elizabeth, Elias, come in, please.
- Richard?
- Elizabeth, Elias, come in.
Richard... l'm here.
Beth... is that you?
[Beth] Yes, please come in.
You're breaking up, Beth.
Switch to channel two.
Can you hear me better?
Beth, are you all right?
Richard, my dad's dead.
l'm sorry, Beth.
Are you safe?
Yes.
Richard, l need you.
You sure you're safe?
Roaches are gone?
Beth, confirm, please.
[whispering]
Beth.
Dad.
Oh, my God.
No, don't!
No!
[yells]
[screams]
Elizabeth, can you hear me?
Uh-oh.
Hey, sheriff.
Lighthouse is out.
Shit!
Wait, Homer, Homer,
l want you to go to the lighthouse.
l want you to work your magic.
You got better than 20 minutes.
Yeah, uh, hey, sheriff,
Right-- Beth, l want you
to go with Homer.
No, she knows the caves,
she has to show me the caves.
l know the caves!
Yes, but she's seen the nests.
She knows where it is.
Who is in charge here, sheriff?
Right now, l'm going in!
Uh, sheriff, l don't know
how to drive a car.
Sorry.
- Okay, just take this key.
-Yeah.
[car starts]
Hey, hey!
Hey!
Women, huh?
Move it in the car, move!
l'll move.
Men.
Turn right.
Time?
Fifteen minutes.
[buzzing]
Shit, shit, where the hell
did they come from?
lt's okay.
lt's okay, they can't get us in here.
l can't get the back window up.
Got it!
- Homer?
- Yeah.
Give me the extinguisher
in the back.
Yeah.
Shit, come on!
[tires screech]
Uh!
[yells]
Where is the nest?
Just up ahead.
- l'll meet you there.
-What?
Hey, hey!
Homer, would you go easy
on the spray.
And we can't get
any more air in here.
Fine, l'll tell the roaches
to attack more slowly.
- Roach!
-Ah!
Uh!
We got it!
Where'd they go?
l was hoping
you could tell me that!
They were right here.
[growling]
l say we set charges right now
and we get out of here.
We don't have to get
the exact spot.
Destroy the caves,
we destroy the nest.
Okay, actual controls intact.
Set timer.
Oh-oh.
Blah!
[stereo plays opera]
[engine stalls]
What?
[opera continues]
- Oh, my.
- Where are they all going?
There's a God damn queen.
See the thing
about a queen, Rich,
is that she sends out
some kinda signals
and they pick up on it
and the roaches return to her.
[shoots radio]
lt's kind of-- kind of like
the collective unconscious.
You know, people have it too--
the feeling deep inside
that they know what is God
and the devil
and what's good and evil.
What the hell
are you talking about?
l didn'tjust make this up,
this is Jung's basic theory.
Where will we find this queen?
The nest.
[whispering]
Where Elizabeth is.
[beeping]
Okay, Hubbard, l've set the timer
forfive minutes, starting right...
[loud beep]
Hubbard?
Hubbard!
Homer, you should do whateveryou have
to do to get that thing lit, okay?
Hey, where are you goin'?
Bye, Rich.
[sloshing]
Which of these-- okay.
Do somethin' for me, baby.
Please?
[growling]
Uh!
Hubbard?
[yells]
Hubbard?
[screams]
[helicopter whirring]
Oh, great, they're early.
Oh, God, l hate bugs!
[screaming]
Elizabeth!
Richard?
[yells]
Come on!
lf l'm gonna go,
l'm gonna go down swingin'.
Huh.
Homer P. Birum, exterminator.
[whirring continues]
[buzzing]
[buzzing]