The Locusts (1997)

A drifter enters a small town looking for employment. While working at the local cattle ranch, he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Kitty and becomes involved in a deadly yet erotic love triangle.

Director:

John Patrick Kelley

Writer:

John Patrick Kelley

Stars:

Kate Capshaw, Jeremy Davies, Vince Vaughn

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kate Capshaw	...	Mrs. Potts
Jeremy Davies	...	Flyboy
Vince Vaughn	...	Clay
Ashley Judd	...	Kitty
Paul Rudd	...	Earl
Daniel Meyer	...	Joel
Jessica Capshaw	...	Patsy
Jessica Robertson	...	Ellen (as Jessie Robertson)
Jimmy Ray Pickens	...	Cameron (as Jimmy Pickens)
Jerry Haynes	...	Harlan
Jason Davis	...	Wrangler

Storyline

The daily life in a tiny Kansas town is indelibly changed when enigmatic drifter Clay Hewitt enters the landscape. Within a few hours of Clay's arrival, he punches out the local drunk, steals his gorgeous lady love, Kitty, and is hired by the local feed ranch's owner, boozy aging widow Delilah. Known for her appetite for younger men, Delilah eagerly takes him in, letting him use the carriage house on her estate. She of course has more in mind for Clay than merely room and board. Her completely withdrawn and utterly dominated young son, Flyboy, hasn't spoken a word to anyone other than his pet bull since his recent return from a mental hospital following eight years of incarceration. Clay slowly yanks the boy out of his shell, which unleashes a series of (occasionally brutal) turns of events.

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Plot Keywords:

kansas | cattle ranch | incest | shower | nymphomania | 

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Taglines:

Every summer they emerge for a ritual of sex and death

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Secret Sin

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,082 (USA) (3 October 1997)

Gross:

$10,082 (USA) (3 October 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA), Orion Pictures Corporation, Renegade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Moonlight Serenade"
Written by Glenn Miller and Mitchell Parish
Performed by Glenn Miller
Artist courtesy of The RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

The box art may be the highlight, OR so little story, so much (125mins) time.

That this film has a running time OVER 2 hours, and has had little or no theatrical recognition, immediately activates my senses. This length will complicate scheduling on pay-cable, and meant pressing an additional disk for the laser package. Why?. One possibility (rare) is that it is truly an auteur's masterpiece, not for the masses, maybe, but important enough, as is, to be kept intact. The more likely scenario is that this movie is such a waste of time that everyone involved could really care less what gets released. By now they've all changed their names, left town, and moved onto the next..

Predictably, The Locusts falls into category 2. Vince Vaughan in a muscle shirt and Ashley Judd with her cotton dress flying in the wind are about all this film has on the plus side. Dragging and nagging situations, disconnected dialogue, and uncertain motivation tend to make most every frame tortuous to endure.

First time-writer-directors (John Patrick Kelley here) tend to script a very personal project, one based on material with which they are intimately familiar-they draw on their strength. Subsequent efforts can wane, as the writer ventures into more unfamiliar territory. With this in mind, I leave you with 2 questions: (1) Where in the world did this story come from? And (2) What can we expect from John Patrick Kelly when he starts writing from an unfamiliar point of view ?

The answers may scare you.