Okay, every other reviewer here has gone into the story, so I won't do that here. And YES, it appears once again that we either have dubious gushing 10 star reviews, or people completely dumping on the film, as usual...Sooooo... Look, the 'movie' such as it is is very, VERY silly. And, the only real criticism that I have is that if the film makers had simply trimmed away about 15-20 minutes of the parts that weren't so funny, THEN you would have really had a great film! (Well, maybe 'great' is a bit strong...) But, you would have had a really tight, fast paced, MUCH more funny film in my lowly and wretched opinion. There are entire sequences that I thought didn't work that well and could have easily been eliminated (like the segment with the plane, and some of the military stuff, and more) I get it though... You are a first time film maker and you are all excited to put in EVERY bloody idea you can think of into the movie. Sure, understandable. But, that is part of ultimately being a good director, is KNOWING exactly how the movie comes across to your audience and how to maximize the entertainment value of it. Just takes experience, I guess.Anyway, some of the parts were just hilarious, especially with the doctor. He had such a GREAT deadpan delivery. And good ol' Del... Man, WHERE the hell did they find these people?! There were honestly some VERY good conceptual shots and atmosphere here too, which I feel really shows the talent and potential of these guys. I mean, there were some REALLY lovely shots and some great little snippets in there, such as the 10 second part about how the doctor got the name for the creature. Awesome! But, unfortunately, by keeping in so much additional blah material, I felt that it sadly diluted the excellent parts of the rest.So, I would say, that first of course, if you 'get' what they are doing here and accept that at face value, that is a good start. But, if you like really serious-faced, deadpan, SILLY humour, then there is a chance that you might find this little film kind of fun.(Honestly, I really feel like going in there and editing out about 20 minutes of it myself, because I'm pretty SURE that after doing that, you would have a truly great, funny little movie here!)

ANOTHER MACROTIGER MOVIE REVIEW !!!Insectula (2015) MT Rating: 9/10Executive SummaryAn encyclopedia of sci-fi/horror genre. Joins Macro Tiger's list as one of the top four films ever shot in Minnesota. Some sound problems and perhaps excessive CGI marginally reduce watchability. Altogether, very funny, with tons of obscure genre references and inside jokes. The attention to detail that went into the film must have been humungous. Acting very solid. Some very fine camera set- ups, some less-so. Every indie producer/director/writer/crew should watch this film several times. At least one of the cast, A. Cezanne is a potential star.Plot:Giant insect from outer-space plops into White Bear Lake and starts stabbing people to death. Apparently some victims become zombies but that's left a little uncertain. Some psychological stylistic elements are introduced, especially with the two main scientists - one of them good, one of them bad, both troubled. This is in keeping with the genre, back then people had great hopes and faith in psychology. I am just old enough to have watched the films upon which Insectula is based on TV as a kid, and I watched them then without irony. I genuinely was concerned with the stomping of a town by the Man Who Grew 7 Feet a Day or the horrible monster destroying Tokyo. I was NOT old enough to have seen these films in the theater.Actresses : Yeah. Now you're talking. Others have mentioned the skimpy attire. Peterson et co instincts are on-the-money here. Trying to be a prude with a sci-fi/horror film? No way. I think I might have pushed this even farther, but all in all, Peterson hit the nail on the head here. All the actresses looked great. Arielle Cezanne was gorgeous as lead female. I would not give her an A+ on acting (yet) but she's got charisma and commands the viewers attention, more than can be said for a lot of Hollywood actors. She is a superb choice for this role. I recall an old girlfriend who would pan any movie if the lead female was not absolutely beautiful. Another angle on this is once you've seen the director is not afraid to have his actresses sexy then you know he is capable of doing anything, and that's when you start thinking you might need another bag of popcorn. Nuff said here. Sarah French (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2720796/) and Hannah Hudson receive a lot of air time and look great on film.Actors : Sufficiently eccentric and creepy. Well-developed given the restrictions of the genre. I recognized several of these from my films, the great Edel, Thingvall, Gilmer to name a few. All were effective ... and more fully clothed than the ladies. In my films I have all the men fully nude. Some of us go there for our art. Some of us don't. Acting was solid and engaging.Cinematography : A lot to be admired here. A lot of clever angles and lighting. Camera movements nice and in keeping with genre. It is evident crew spent a lot more time on some shots than on others. This is understandable. I have no idea what the budget for this film is but without Hollywood money corners have to be cut. I liked the camera work and will study it for my own films. In particular I liked very much the scene in which Dr. Kempler (Harrison Matthews) plays a piece by Rachmaninoff on his piano and contemplates his career. Also the shot of Gen. Ripper at his desk (John Edel) was beautifully-done. I noticed Jon Springer has made a documentary about the Mekons, a group I've been in touch with about a couple things. Give my regard to Ms. Timms, I love Ghosts of American Astronauts.Costuming : Very nice. I think I would have dressed the army men in WW2-style uniforms and given them M1 Garand rifles, in keeping with the spirit of the film. Scientist garb is excellent. John Edel as Gen. Ripper (a la Dr. Strangelove?) and Jeff Gigler as Gen. Erickson are superbly outfitted. Of the actors I didn't know I was especially impressed by Christian Hanson's short screen-time as Dr. Banning, a rival scientist.Set Decoration : Superb. The laboratory equipment is first rate. I like the old phones. Ihought perhaps the mobile phones should have been dispensed with. Also would have preferred 1960s cars.Music and Sound : The music was spot-on. Only complaint is that, on the version i watched, the dialog is sometimes difficult to hear over the music.SFX and Editing :I liked a lot of the special effects. Here budgetry concerns bite hard, but I would have liked more physical modeling and less CGI. Editing: now here I will be a hypocrite given the snail's pace of a film I've been part of - the editing appears solid but I would have liked a faster pace in places. A couple more close-ups here and there could have been an improvement, but Im not complaining. Editing on the original scifi/horror films was often spotty.Miscellaneous :I liked very much the dancing girls at the end, although really that's a 1970s thing and violates the genre, but I'm not complaining. I engaged the same ending in Land of Sky Blue Water. I can't help adding one nagging issue, I really wish the film had been shot using actual film, perhaps in b&w 16mm, however I realize I am in a small minority here and there may be cost advantages to digital. In short, thanks for the film, Michael Peterson. I enjoyed it greatly and hope to catch it on the big screen. I hope you make a whole lot more!!!

Spoiler Alert...This movie is about an Insect, a Giant one. It is crazy, stupid, dumb fun.Really you shouldn't have to be told #spoiler to know this. If you want an intelligent giant bug movie, watch...The brain bug from Starship TroopersIf, however, you want smart people acting stupid in obviously stereotype roles, then "Insectula!" is just the bug for you..... #spoiler alert... all of those cardboard characters who have absolutely no character development .... well they are just meant to be annoying fodder for the bug anyway. So, now that all of the #spoilerAlert insanity is out of the way prepare to stop the unstoppable Insectula by purchasing the video atHTTP://www.Insectula.com#thisIsNotAPaidEndorsement #ifYouDoNotGetTheIronicStupidittyOfThisSpoilerAlertGrrr #ThenNotTheMovieForYou #IfSo #ReadOn--------------------------------------------------------------Michael Peterson is just one man. One man with a daughter, a dream, and an insatiable appetite to make a movie about a giant bug and special effects #spoiler - writer/director/SFX/camera/cameo actor/father/compositor/fund-raiser/come on man, I am running out of space here/fine/otherSeriously, major illnesses and setbacks were telling this guy to not complete the film, but gosh darn it, he would not be stopped..... "Insectula!" would be unleashed.oh and a bunch of other people worked on the film, but really without Mike,(and producer/sound/mother Danielle Cezanne) his baby "Insectula!" would never have been born.So, onto the plot summary portion of my review darn it and because the irony of spelling everything out for you in a blatantly redundant attempt to have you say #uhIGetItItIsAThrowBackBugMovie#dealThis is really a simple movie told in an interesting way that sets up the typical Hollywood 3 part structure but blasts it to smithereens by having each part be its own mini movie in terms of tone or throwback references.PART 1: serious set up monster Bug movie Part 2: over the top gore-fest Bug Italian horror exploitation movie Part 3: Mad scientist Satire throwback movieEach part bleeds into the other as the story flows from one to the other. Like --> Review Template, Part 1: summary Part 2: what works Part 3: how things tie togetherThis review is referential and ironic and slightly covered in all parts.... SORT OF LIKE TAKING THIS SUMMARY PART 1 too seriously and beating your head into it like the movie did.#IgetItIn other words: Simple summary. BUG MOVIE Complete Summary.. Insectula is BUG MOVIE,THROWBACK MOVIE, MAD SCIENTIST MOVIE,EXPLOITATION MOVIE, and encyclopedic reference of a genre MOVIE. #easterEggAlert Did you catch Brandon Van Vliet's characters name? There is the obvious horror reference. "Insectula!" also references the work of Elliot Diviney, whom is also a Minnesota filmmaker and whose latest feature dropped on DVD May 19. The complete summery portion of the review also shows some technical aspects....excessive and cheap CGI, which at the beginning of the movie slows it down. Part one is probably the weakest. The characters are stiff, and if YOU Don't KNOW ITS MAKING FUN OF ITSELF, you check out.it is supposed to be that way, but unfortunately part 1 is basically set up without payoff, so there is no fun in the....The payoff really comes in part 2 and that is where the movie starts to rock.Really it all boils down to the actresses and the cameos. I mean sure Harrison Matthews is good, but Nicole Kreux, Sarah French, and Arielle Cezanne are better, and to be fair for you ladies.. H.T. Altman is to die for in this film.....If you claim that this movie sucks because it degrades women then you are missing the point. It is doing the exact opposite. The skimpy attire and dumb blonde staple of movies of the 60s and the ilk is in full effect here. Also, Peterson's instincts are on-the-money here with perfect casting. Nicole Kreux is essentially the Drew Barrymore role in Scream here. Sarah French is selling both her sexiness and her strong persona and presence. Each of these assets is equally useful in the film. The least clothed of the bunch is Michael's own real life model daughter, Arielle Cezanne. NOTE: In my book if a director has the balls to put the film in the hands of his own daughter, in front of her mother, while birthing his new child, aka Insectula, and barely clothing her for the world to see, you would have to be insane to think that he is degrading women.The most memorable roles in the film are the women... Well except for H.T. Altman... great scenes there.Aside from the aforementioned Harrison Matthews, the Guys in this film are the standard, staple characters... because they are written that way. Harrison sells his character well and so does Joel Thingvall as his assistant. Both are eccentric and creepy. Shout out to Pasquale Pilla for his set up and threw line character. His is in the weakest portion of the film; its not because of his doing. Edel, Flemming, Giger, Niel Johnston, and the aforementioned Altman, Van Vliet, and even Peterson show up in genre staple cameos...Cameos sell these kind of movies; here most work.The sets are gorgeously sadistic. High quality low tech laboratory equipment. Mike spared no expense; time appropriate era phones, locations, caves and woods. OK its practical locations, but nice scouting and of course the cheesy effects sell the cheese of the low budget picture. Maybe a bit to over the top.In the end the film keeps on giving with credits that sell the women of the film and perhaps purposely have errors (another nod to the old films). We are left with Michael Peterson's baby Insectula, starring his baby Arielle, all grown up and unleashed onto the world.

I'm very picky with my movies and I'm a huge fan of silly and ridiculous movies. I was in tears the whole time! I'm going to see it again tomorrow and this film deserves much, much more recognition and I hope it gets what it deserves on a national scale or beyond. After seeing the movie I found out it was filmed in St. Paul and I saw someone who looked like the main character in the movie and it was! He was very nice and allowed me to take a picture with him. Afterward I did a little bit of research on the movie and found out Mike Peterson and his friends and family doing the movie, he even taught himself how to do CGI. I'm going to be bringing as many friends as I can to see it tomorrow. I hope you do really well in theaters this is the best indie film I've ever seen and I can tell you guys put your heart into it. You've got yourselves a hardcore fan and I hope to see more from you in the future!