With Oscars done and over with (well until next year) got me thinking about movies involving insects. The first insect movie that came to my mind was A Bug’s Life released in 1998. A Bug’s Life was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It tells that story about a ant (Flick) who is deeply inventive. Flick hires “warrior bugs” (or so he thinks) to help fight a group of grasshoppers who have made the ant colony their servants.
Those of us who grew up in the nineties and watched this movie recall the unique characters and the fun music. A Bug’s Life was nominated for best original musical or comedy score. Unfortunately, it did not win an Oscar. But the nomination is still a great accomplishment! Kudos to conductor Randy Newman.
What kinds of insect movies would children growing up 50 years before that time have seen? In 1958 the Fly was released. In this movie a scientist with a loving family has a bad accident when he uses a teleportation device that he invented. He may or may not turn into fly (you’ll have to see for yourself- no plot spoiler here).
When I recently watched this movie I couldn’t help but think it was a bit ridiculous. The music was overly dramatic and the animations were quite comical. But for that era, I could easily see why this movie was a hit. According to IMB it made three million dollars, far less than the hundreds of millions of dollars earned by today’s hit movies but very good by 1950s standards. The Fly was not nominated for any Academy Awards but that does not detract from the quality of the movie.
Consider this an open thread on “Insects in the Movies.”
Living With Insects Blog 
One of my favorite quotes from “A Bug’s Life” is when Heimlich said, “I will be a beautiful butterfly, and then everything will be better.”
To me, the “A Bug’s Life” soundtrack is what starts playing in my head when I think about anything Disney or Pixar. It’s catchy and perfect for the tone trying to be set in the movie. This movie also opened the door for a friendlier approach to bugs in the media. Before 1998 you see a lot of insect movies that are horror or thriller. After 1998, you see a variety a children movies and books about bugs that seem to portray them as more friendly characters than they are horrific. Great article.
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