The 'Burbs is a 1989 American black comedy directed by Joe Dante starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman and the late Henry Gibson. The film was written by Dana Olsen, who also has a cameo in the movie. The film pokes fun at suburban environments and their eccentric dwellers.

Plot

The movie opens at night, on Mayfield Place, a cul-de-sac in the fictional suburban town of Hinckley Hills, Iowa. Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) awakens to strange noises coming from his mysterious new neighbors' house and goes outside to investigate. On his way back inside, he sees the cigar-smoking Vietnam veteran Lt. Mark Rumsfield (Bruce Dern) watching the Klopeks' house from his bedroom window. The following morning, Ray watches Queenie, Walter Seznik's (Gale Gordon) dog, defecate on Rumsfield's lawn. Moments later, Rumsfield comes out and accidentally steps on it, causing a scene with Walter. Later, Art Weingartner (Rick Ducommun) almost kills Ray while attempting to shoot some crows, then invites himself into Ray's home for breakfast. Ray and Art attempt to speak with their new neighbors, the Klopeks, but are thwarted by an attack of bees.

That evening, Art and Ray spy on the Klopeks. They, together with Rumsfield, watch Hans Klopek (Courtney Gains) drive his dilapidated Pontiac from the garage to the curb, then pull a large, heavy garbage bag from the car, place it in a garbage can and bang it with a stick. During the night, Ray watches the Klopeks digging in their back yard with pick-axes in the middle of a rainstorm. The following morning, Art runs out to check the contents of the garbage truck as it is collecting the Klopek's can from the previous night. He is soon joined by Rumsfield and Ray, but their search in the hope of finding human remains is futile.