Joe's Apartment (1996)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

John Payson

Writers (WGA):

John Payson (short film)
John Payson (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 July 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Fantasy

Tagline:

Sex Bugs Rock 'n Roll.

Plot:

A nice guy has just moved to New York and discovers that he must share his run-down apartment with a couple thousand singing, dancing cockroaches.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | New York | Singing | Insect | Part Computer Animation

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Jerry O'Connell	...	Joe
Megan Ward	...	Lily Dougherty
Billy West	...	Ralph Roach (voice)
Reginald Hudlin	...	Rodney Roach (voice)
Jim Turner	...	Walter Shit / Voice of Cockroach
Sandra 'Pepa' Denton	...	Blank (as Sandra Denton)
Robert Vaughn	...	Senator Dougherty
Don Ho	...	Alberto Bianco
Jim Sterling	...	Jesus Bianco / Voice of Cockroach
Shiek Mahmud-Bey	...	Vladimir Bianco
David Huddleston	...	P.I. Smith
Frank Bello	...	Stick-Up Man #1
Lord Kayson	...	Stick-Up Man #2
Alejandro Molina	...	Stick-Up Man #3
Wayman Ezell	...	Apartment Broker #1
Vincent Pastore	...	Apartment Broker #2
Rose Kimmel	...	Mrs. Growtowski
Cynthia Neilson	...	Dangling Woman
Tracy Vilar	...	Complaint Handler
John Palomino	...	Complaint Handler
Willi One Blood	...	Complaint Handler
William Preston	...	Complaint Handler
Michael Mandel	...	Complaint Handler (as Michael Mandell)
Roy Milton Davis	...	Complaint Handler (as Roy Davis)
Edward Rosado	...	Boy at Play
Desiree Casado	...	Girl at Play
Salvatore Paul Piro	...	Sal (as Salvatore Piro)
Peter Yoshida	...	Zipp Copy Customer
Stewart Russell	...	Zipp Copy Manager
Rae C. Wright	...	Movie Goer
Toukie Smith	...	Head Usher
Tommy Hollis	...	Boss Plumber
Scott 'Bam Bam' Bigelow	...	Boss Construction
Christopher Durang	...	Boss Clergy
Dale Goodson	...	Boss Clown
Patricia O'Connell	...	Ms. Featherstone
Fanni Green	...	Counsel
Peggy Healey	...	Counsel (as Peg Healey)
Cristina Martinez	...	Boss Hog Band Member
Jon Spencer	...	Boss Hog Band Member (as Jonathan Spencer)
Jens Jurgensen	...	Boss Hog Band Member
Hollis Yungblut	...	Boss Hog Band Member
Nick Zedd	...	Pizza Couple
Solange Monnier	...	Pizza Couple
Paul Bartel	...	NEA Scout
Moby		(as Richard 'Moby' Hall)
William Wegman	...	Distinguished Man with Dog
Glenn Kubota	...	Lab Manager
Rick Aviles	...	Cockroach (voice)
Vebe Borge	...	Cockroach (voice)
Owen Burke	...	Cockroach (voice)
Dave Chappelle	...	Cockroach (voice)
Godfrey	...	Cockroach (voice) (as Godfrey Danchimah)
Kenan Moran	...	Cockroach (voice)
Jennie Moreau	...	Cockroach (voice)
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Cockroach (voice)
Mark Rosenthal	...	Cockroach (voice)
James Stauffer	...	Cockroach (voice)
John Tereile	...	Cockroach (voice)
Kevin Weist	...	Cockroach (voice)
Geoffrey Whelan	...	Cockroach (voice)
B.D. Wong	...	Cockroach (voice)
Tawatha Agee	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Sean Altman	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Don Blackman	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Carter Burwell	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Barry Carl	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Regina Cooper	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Babi Floyd	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Elliott Kerman	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Scott Leonard	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Melvern Mackell	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Mark Palermo	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Billy Straus	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Jeff Thacher	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
J.C. White	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Tyrita White	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Wayne Wilkins	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Michael Winther	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
Carol Woods	...	The Roach Chorus (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Americus Abesamis	...	Bianco's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Brother Eden Douglas	...	Purple Painted Businessman (uncredited)
Richard Hull	...	(uncredited)
John Nesci	...	Landlord (uncredited)
Nina Onuora	...	Girl in Garden (uncredited)

Directed by
John Payson

Writing credits (WGA)
John Payson		(short film)
John Payson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Griffin Dunne	....	executive producer
Bonni Lee	....	producer
Judy McGrath	....	executive producer
Diana Phillips	....	producer
Abby Terkuhle	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Peter Deming

Film Editing by
Peter C. Frank		(as Peter Frank)

Casting by
Meg Simon

Production Design by
Carol Spier

Art Direction by
Ed Check

Set Decoration by
Karin Wiesel

Costume Design by
Stephanie Maslansky

Makeup Department
Nathan J. Busch II	....	hair stylist
Patricia Regan	....	makeup artist (as Patricia Schenkel Regan)

Production Management
Sarah Connors	....	post-production supervisor
Cecilia Kate Roque	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vebe Borge	....	first assistant director
Otie Brown	....	second assistant director
Jonathan Starch	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Peter Gelfman	....	leadman
Julia G. Hickman	....	art department coordinator
Carlos Menéndez	....	assistant art director
Ken Nelson	....	construction coordinator
Mark Peltzer	....	property master
Amy Safhay	....	greensperson
Will Scheck	....	key greensperson
Dan Shefelman	....	storyboard artist
Carol Silverman	....	set decorator: additional photography
Robert Topol	....	principal scenic artist
M. Tony Trotta	....	camera scenic artist
Joan Winters	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Rosa Howell-Thornhill	....	sound mixer
Toussaint Kotright	....	utility sound
Kevin Lee	....	sound editor
Daniel Pagan	....	assistant sound editor
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
Lynn Sable	....	sound editor
Matt Sietz	....	additional sound engineer

Special Effects by
Peter Kunz	....	on set special effects

Visual Effects by
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor
Tom Bisogno	....	CG modeling/materials
Rhett Collier	....	technical director
Peter Kuran	....	visual effects supervisor
Alexander Levenson	....	modeler
Matt McDonald	....	visual effects
Nina Rappaport	....	digital effects producer
Christina Reyes	....	digital effects production assistant
Sam Richards	....	digital effects supervisor
John Siczewicz	....	senior digital artist: Blue Sky Studios
Chris Trimble	....	technical director: Blue Sky Studios
Michael Turoff	....	visual effects producer
Leon Xiao	....	systems administrator
Stephen Sobisky	....	project manager: Viewpoint Datalabs (uncredited)

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunt coordinator
Howard 'Stick' Baines	....	stunts (as Howard Baines)
Douglas Crosby	....	stunts
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
David S. Lomax	....	stunts (as David Lomax)
Paul Marini	....	stunt double
Paul Michael Marini	....	stunts
Kristopher Medina	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunt coordinator
David Shumbris	....	stunts
Bernie Spencer-Horsman	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dany Adams	....	camera operator
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Joseph R. Collins	....	second assistant camera
Andy Day	....	best boy electric
Robert K. Feldmann	....	key grip
Morris Flam	....	gaffer
Michael Fradianni	....	generator operator
Paul Holahan	....	director of photography: second unit
Todd Hotaling	....	assistant camera
Bruce MacCallum	....	camera operator
Rick Marroquin	....	best boy grip
William D. Moran	....	company grip
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Chris Silano	....	first assistant camera
Kevin McKenna	....	video assist operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Peter Carisi-de Lappe	....	animator
Jan Carlee	....	computer animation sequence supervisor
David Figliola	....	animator
Marc Lougee	....	animator: stop-motion
Tim Nordquist	....	animation editor
Steve Talkowski	....	animator
Voltaire	....	animator
Chris Wedge	....	animation director

Casting Department
Meredith Jacobson	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ann Gastler	....	costume assistant
Barbara Hause	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Barbara J. Hause)
Fionnuala M. Lynch	....	wardrobe supervisor
Elizabeth Shelton	....	assistant costume designer (as Liz Shelton)

Editorial Department
Anthony L. Jamison	....	first assistant editor
Irene Kassow	....	assistant editor
Nancy Novack	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Margot Core	....	music supervisor
Lynn Geller	....	music supervisor
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
John Moses	....	musician
Shari Schwartz	....	music editor

Other crew
David A. Brody	....	assistant roach wrangler (as Dave Brody)
Owen Burke	....	assistant to director
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
James Currie	....	production assistant
Jenny R. Evans	....	assistant location manager
Joyce Hsieh	....	first assistant accountant
Mitch Kopelman	....	senior technical director
Ian MacGregor	....	location assistant
Clara Martinez	....	assistant: Bonni Lee
Steve McAuliff	....	animal trainer
Raymond A. Mendez	....	roach wrangler
Exile Ramirez	....	assistant production coordinator
Wendy Lee Roberts	....	script supervisor
Jennifer Roth	....	production coordinator
Daniel Strol	....	location manager
Michael Sullivan	....	puppet constructor
Rene Veilleux	....	key production assistant
Mario West	....	production assistant
Vlad Wolynetz	....	assistant to director
Bill Daly	....	post-production accountant manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Geffen Pictures
• MTV Networks
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Geffen Pictures
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• SubTV (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (2001) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Special Effects

• Blue Sky Studios
• Blue Sky/VIFX

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude humor and a brief drug reference.

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34647) | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Denmark:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Geffen Pictures

Trivia:

The first ever feature film produced by MTV Networks.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: An African elephant, identifiable by its long ears, passes through town and Joe collects its dung. Later, flowers grow on the dung and he presents them to Lily, who says that the flowers only grow on the dung of elephants native to southeast Asia. Lily claims to have written her senior thesis on this species of flower, so it is unlikely that she has misidentified them or that she is mistaken about where they grow.

Quotes:

Roaches: Funky Towel, towel's got the funk/Funky towel, towel's got the funk!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs First Blood (1982)

Soundtrack:

De La F.U.N.K.Y. Towel

laugh your head of

What's wrong with you, people??? Why has this movie such a low rating???

I loved those bugs everywhere. The special effects are OK. The story itself is a bit naive, but, hé, it's a fairy-tale!

Everyone who likes Who frames Roger Rabbit, Ant Z, Thumbelina by Don Bluth (OK, bad example) or over-the-top-sentimental-romance like What Dreams May Come must like Joe's Apartment.

What do we have here? 1: a lonely country-boy in New York; 2: two ugly and dumb bad guys; 3: a sweet girl as love interest; and 4: thousands of bugs who are supposed to be loathsome, but soon turn out to be adorable. The first three items you have seen all before. But the fourth! You've never seen something like this, and you will never forget you saw it.