The Applegates (VHS, 1991)

To the outside world, the Applegates look like a typical suburban Ohio family. Dick (Ed Begley, Jr.) and Jane (Stockard Channing) have two kids and a dog named Spot. Like most families, they also have secrets: Dick has an affair with his secretary while Jane has an affair with credit cards, their son has a drug problem, and their daughter is pregnant. The Applegates, however, are hiding a much bigger secret than the average American family: They are actually advanced Amazonian insects who are masters of disguise with the ability to mimic the appearance of their host. They may seem as American as apple pie, but these Brazilian bugs are on a mission: They plan to blow up the nuclear power station where Dick works in protest of the industrialization of their homeland, which threatens their existence. Written and directed by Michael Lehmann, this film follows in the black-comedy tradition of HEATHERS, parodying suburban family life much as Lehmann's first film focused on the darker side of high school.