Bats (film)  Bats is a 1999 American adventure-horror film, directed by Louis Morneau and produced by Bradley Jenkel and Louise Rosner. The film stars Lou Diamond Phillips, Dina Meyer, Bob Gunton and Leon. It was the first film released by Destination Films, while Columbia Pictures distributed outside of United States  The plot concerns a hostile swarm of genetically mutated bats who terrorize a local Texas town and it is up to zoologist Sheila Casper, who teams up with town Sheriff Emmett Kimsey, to exterminate the creatures before they take more lives. The film was panned by several critics for its campiness, subpar special effects, underdeveloped characters, and unfrightening tone. However, the film has developed somewhat of a cult following. Despite substantial negative reception, the film was a box office success, recouping nearly double its budget. After people start to die in the small Texas town of Gallup, the prime suspects are bats. The CDC calls in chiropterologists Dr. Sheila Casper and her assistant, Jimmy Sands, to investigate the situation. Alexander McCabe is secretive about the situation, but admits that the bats were genetically modified by him to become more intelligent and also omnivorous so they wouldn't be in danger of extinction any longer. Sheila is disgusted by this but it seems that McCabe had the best intentions. Aided by Sheriff Emmett Kimsey and CDC specialist Dr Tobe Hodge, Sheila and Jimmy begin to search for the nest. The first night they are attacked and manage to capture one and plant a tracking device on it. However, as soon as they let it go, it is killed by the other bats, who understood the strategy. Emmett decides that Gallup needs to be evacuated, and the mayor is told to broadcast a warning to all residents to stay indoors and secure their houses. Unfortunately, no one listens. The bats invade the town and, within minutes, chaos ensues and several people are killed, including Dr. Hodge, who sacrifices himself to save Sheila. The National Guard arrives and begins evacuating the town. They give Sheila and her bat hunters 48 hours before they destroy the town in hopes of killing the bats. Sheila sets up headquarters in the school. The military has promised to center the infrared cameras of a Chromo-B340 satellite on the area around Gallop to help locate the bat roost. Even when the roost is located, however, Sheila is at a loss how they can exterminate all the bats, of which there must be several thousand: bombing the roost will only scatter them, leading to the creation of other roosts and spreading the infestation through the rest of the country; while the most popular bat poison is only marginally effective against bats but highly lethal to humans.