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Joe's Apartment

  • 1996
  • PG-13
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
15K
YOUR RATING
Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward in Joe's Apartment (1996)
ParodyQuirky ComedyComedyFantasyMusicalSci-Fi

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.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.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.

  • Director
    • John Payson
  • Writer
    • John Payson
  • Stars
    • Jerry O'Connell
    • Megan Ward
    • Billy West
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    15K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Payson
    • Writer
      • John Payson
    • Stars
      • Jerry O'Connell
      • Megan Ward
      • Billy West
    • 73User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Videos1

    Joe's Apartment
    Trailer 1:41
    Joe's Apartment

    Photos101

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    Top cast86

    Edit
    Jerry O'Connell
    Jerry O'Connell
    • Joe
    Megan Ward
    Megan Ward
    • Lily Dougherty
    Billy West
    Billy West
    • Ralph Roach
    • (voice)
    Reginald Hudlin
    Reginald Hudlin
    • Rodney Roach
    • (voice)
    Jim Turner
    Jim Turner
    • Walter Shit…
    Pepa
    Pepa
    • Blank
    • (as Sandra Denton)
    Robert Vaughn
    Robert Vaughn
    • Senator Dougherty
    Don Ho
    Don Ho
    • Alberto Bianco
    Jim Sterling
    Jim Sterling
    • Jesus Bianco…
    Shiek Mahmud-Bey
    Shiek Mahmud-Bey
    • Vladimir Bianco
    David Huddleston
    David Huddleston
    • P.I. Smith
    Frank Bello
    Frank Bello
    • Stick-Up Man #1
    Lord Kayson
    • Stick-Up Man #2
    Alex Molina
    • Stick-Up Man #3
    Wayman Ezell
    • Apartment Broker #1
    Vincent Pastore
    Vincent Pastore
    • Apartment Broker #2
    Rose Kimmel
    • Mrs. Grotowski
    Cynthia Neilson
    • Dangling Woman
    • Director
      • John Payson
    • Writer
      • John Payson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews73

    5.515K
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    Featured reviews

    6lib-4

    Funny little singing critters

    Decided to pick a film I'd never heard of- this turned out to be very funny especially the songs of the cockroaches. Connolly plays a down on his luck character well and the scene at the 911 operations is hilarious-- even my son was laughing along with me. Whoever designed the set deserves credit for their creativity.. a funny film that deserved more credit than it got.
    8holicool

    Funny and well shot

    I was quite surprised when I saw the mark given by the IMDb users to this film. Indeed, even though it's not the best movie of the century, I found it quite entertaining and "fresh".

    I loved the way it is shot, there is a real work on the layouts that makes Joe's apartment look dirty and moving at the same time. Besides, the visual effects are well done for a film that dates back to 1996. They are not THAT impressive but they are very efficient to create the funny atmosphere. I could not describe the way I laughed rolling on the floor when I saw those roaches watching an "insect porn movie", it cracked me up.

    This movie is worth seeing for sure and does not deserve such a mark. Everyone who's curious should watch it to make his/her own opinion and should not pay attention to the five miserable stars given to the film.
    6Mike-DD

    Roach memories

    I enjoyed this movie despite one thing - I had an irrational phobia of roaches since I was young, and only got over it a few years ago just before this movie came out. Just as well - I might never watched it otherwise. To see the roaches up close and performing song and dance made me a little nauseous at first as it brought back memories of those times when I got too close to a real roach, but after a while, you sort of forget that they are dirty and disgusting pests and actually start enjoying and anticipating their next comic routine. For me, the stars of the show are the roaches, in fact, I can't even remember who acted in it after a while.
    7hemmelmol

    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.
    6Quinoa1984

    Disgusting, outrageous, I loved nearly every minute of it

    Just remember, this is a critic who holds some of the most vile films ever (vile in a good way) in my list of best comedies ever (Dumb and Dumber, UHF, South Park), so it is not surprising that I found this movie enjoyable and funny. The movie stars Jerry O'Connell as a loser type who finds an apartment in NY's east side for 50 or 60 bucks, but then he also finds it is infested with more cockroaches than the DMV has idiots. I'm sure there will be some watching the movie who might think, this might be a good time to become bulemic, and for those people I don't reccomend the movie for the hurl factor. But for those who can take the chum of roaches on a face, in breasts, in toilets singing songs (I love the funky towel song), this movie is for you. By the way, this is the first MTV movie, so it shows that at first MTV might've had a good streak. Looks like execs can't take urinal cake jokes though. A

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The CGI roach scenes were filmed using the same graphics effects engine from Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Jurassic Park (1993).
    • Goofs
      When Joe and Lily are sitting on his couch after their first date, the position of his arm changes from lowered to around her shoulder between shots.
    • Quotes

      [Joe finds a man lying in a pool of blood]

      Joe: Oh, my god! Mister, are you alright?

      Walter Shit: Two days, seven hours, twenty-three minutes and four seconds. That's how long I've been lying here.

      Joe: Are you O.K.?

      Walter Shit: 'Course not! I'm an artist!

    • Crazy credits
      After the end credits, the cockroaches come together and form the MTV logo, then they crawl away.
    • Alternate versions
      When Joe's Apartment was aired on network television, the name of the band that Joe became involved with was changed from "SHIT" to "POO"
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: A Time to Kill/Manny & Lo/Kingpin/Joe's Apartment/The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Joe's Apartment Theme
      Written by Kevin Weist & John Payson

      Performed by Mel Tormé & the Roach Chorus

      Courtesy of Concord Records

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    FAQ20

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 26, 1996 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • El departamento de Joe
    • Filming locations
      • Newark, New Jersey, USA
    • Production companies
      • Geffen Pictures
      • MTV Films
      • MTV Entertainment Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $13,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,619,014
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,854,490
      • Jul 28, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,619,014
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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