Synopsis
Joe's Apartment (1996) is a comedy-fantasy directed by John Payson, expanded from an MTV short film — watch it online on iFILM. Jerry O'Connell plays Joe Grotowski, an idealistic Midwesterner who arrives in New York broke and lands the only apartment he can afford: a condemned building in the East Village, practically free, with one small detail nobody mentioned — several thousand cockroaches already living there.
These cockroaches sing. They harmonize, stage production numbers, and dispense life advice with considerable confidence. They're also fiercely loyal to Joe, which turns out to matter when corrupt city officials try to demolish the building and a surprisingly elaborate plan to save it kicks into gear. Megan Ward plays the love interest, and Dave Chappelle turns up in a supporting role before anyone knew his name.
The effects work holds up better than it should — live insects, animatronic rigs, and early CGI cut together into something that's genuinely strange rather than just cheap. It's unashamedly weird and committed to its own internal logic. Stream Joe's Apartment (1996) on iFILM.
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