Your favourite spider movies ?

[LucN]

I know that I've seen some old threads on the topic via google searches, but instead of reviving a 10 year old thread, why not create a new one ?

Let me start by saying that an overwhelming majority of spider flicks aren't exactly blockbuster quality, with very few exceptions.

Without further ado, here are my personal top 5, from worst to best. You might actually be surprised by my picks. Here goes.

5. The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

This is one of those bad movies. So bad it's actually laughable. The titular giant spiders are actually VW Beetles, clothed in black fur and have mechanical legs on their sides, operated by a crew inside the vehicle. Other than that, there was a handful of WC B. hamorii and possibly A. chalcodes as extra props. I think two were visibly killed on-screen, one being chopped in half by a shovel, the other passed in a blender to make some sort of alcoholic drink. My major complaint about the film is that some scenes are just too dark to make out what's happening.

4. Tarantulas : The Deadly Cargo (1977)

Here's one that actually ain't too bad. Some of the acting is just ok, but it has its cringy moments. The biggest issue I have is that they mistakenly (and dangerously) identify the harmless B. hamorii as Phoneutria nigriventer ! Other than that, the bit about the sound of buzzing wasps putting tarantulas into paralysis was pretty silly. If there's one thing I'll praise, it's the jazz-based musical score. At times, the music really doesn't fit the scene, but it is nice.

3. Kingdom of The Spiders (1977)

Another of those '70s films which helped to give Ts a bad reputation. This time, because of overuse of insecticides, tarantulas begin to prey on larger animals, including dogs, cows and people ! William Shatner gives his best acting, which really is hilarious at times and downright cringe on others. Loads of B. hamorii are seen, along with what looks like T. vagans and T. albopilosum. The ending is surreal. In my opinion, it's definitely worth looking into.

2. Arachnophobia (1990)

This is easily the most mainstream spider film on the list, if not of all. A Venezuelan spider is discovered and is seen to possess incredibly potent venom. It hitches a ride inside a coffin to the US, in which it mates with a House Spider and creates a deadly strain of offspring. Other than the Venezuelan spider, which is probably based on either Theraphosa or Pamphobeteus, the offspring are actual Huntsman spiders, Delena cancerides. I thought that was a nice touch and added some creepy moments. Odds are if you've been keeping Ts over the '90s, you've seen the film. And for once, we get great acting from Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. It's always a pleasure to revisit his classic from time to time. Now that I think of it, this film is one of the catalysts that got me into keeping Ts.

And for the #1 spot... Are you people ready for it ?

1. Kiss of The Tarantula (1975)

This is a guilty pleasure of mine. The acting for the most part is abysmal, but I really LOVE the setting. Most of the film takes place in a mortuary. The girl, Susan, around 17-18, keeps a lot of WC B. hamorii in steel cages, like those they would have used for hamsters and such. Eventually, some of her classmates barge into her home and kill one of her prized spiders. How does she react ? She sets them loose on the wrongdoers, creating panic and having themselves killed on accident. There's also a subplot of her creepy uncle that wants to have her in bed. The film delivers one of the best, if not THE best synthesized-based scores for any film. There is no way that today's synths could reproduce what was made back then. The ending is so unexpected and downright satisfying. Once again, worth a look in my honest opinion.

I know there's some that I left off, such as Eight-Legged Freaks, which is SO goofy, Tarantula! from 1955, which is THE classic spider movie and Ice Spiders, which is plain horrible. I've also heard of Big @$$ Spider, which seems absolutely ridiculous and Lavantula, which makes me wonder what substance the movie makers were on...

So, what are your favourite spider movies ?

 

[Colorado Ts]

I remember watching some black & white movie as a kid on Saturday nights about a giant Tarantula...probably called Tarantula.

We would watch on Creature Features....

Scared the crap out of us...fun times

 

[fried rice]

I know that I've seen some old threads on the topic via google searches, but instead of reviving a 10 year old thread, why not create a new one ?

Let me start by saying that an overwhelming majority of spider flicks aren't exactly blockbuster quality, with very few exceptions.

Without further ado, here are my personal top 5, from worst to best. You might actually be surprised by my picks. Here goes.

5. The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

This is one of those bad movies. So bad it's actually laughable. The titular giant spiders are actually VW Beetles, clothed in black fur and have mechanical legs on their sides, operated by a crew inside the vehicle. Other than that, there was a handful of WC B. hamorii and possibly A. chalcodes as extra props. I think two were visibly killed on-screen, one being chopped in half by a shovel, the other passed in a blender to make some sort of alcoholic drink. My major complaint about the film is that some scenes are just too dark to make out what's happening.

4. Tarantulas : The Deadly Cargo (1977)

Here's one that actually ain't too bad. Some of the acting is just ok, but it has its cringy moments. The biggest issue I have is that they mistakenly (and dangerously) identify the harmless B. hamorii as Phoneutria nigriventer ! Other than that, the bit about the sound of buzzing wasps putting tarantulas into paralysis was pretty silly. If there's one thing I'll praise, it's the jazz-based musical score. At times, the music really doesn't fit the scene, but it is nice.

3. Kingdom of The Spiders (1977)

Another of those '70s films which helped to give Ts a bad reputation. This time, because of overuse of insecticides, tarantulas begin to prey on larger animals, including dogs, cows and people ! William Shatner gives his best acting, which really is hilarious at times and downright cringe on others. Loads of B. hamorii are seen, along with what looks like T. vagans and T. albopilosum. The ending is surreal. In my opinion, it's definitely worth looking into.

2. Arachnophobia (1990)

This is easily the most mainstream spider film on the list, if not of all. A Venezuelan spider is discovered and is seen to possess incredibly potent venom. It hitches a ride inside a coffin to the US, in which it mates with a House Spider and creates a deadly strain of offspring. Other than the Venezuelan spider, which is probably based on either Theraphosa or Pamphobeteus, the offspring are actual Huntsman spiders, Delena cancerides. I thought that was a nice touch and added some creepy moments. Odds are if you've been keeping Ts over the '90s, you've seen the film. And for once, we get great acting from Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. It's always a pleasure to revisit his classic from time to time. Now that I think of it, this film is one of the catalysts that got me into keeping Ts.

And for the #1 spot... Are you people ready for it ?

1. Kiss of The Tarantula (1975)

This is a guilty pleasure of mine. The acting for the most part is abysmal, but I really LOVE the setting. Most of the film takes place in a mortuary. The girl, Susan, around 17-18, keeps a lot of WC B. hamorii in steel cages, like those they would have used for hamsters and such. Eventually, some of her classmates barge into her home and kill one of her prized spiders. How does she react ? She sets them loose on the wrongdoers, creating panic and having themselves killed on accident. There's also a subplot of her creepy uncle that wants to have her in bed. The film delivers one of the best, if not THE best synthesized-based scores for any film. There is no way that today's synths could reproduce what was made back then. The ending is so unexpected and downright satisfying. Once again, worth a look in my honest opinion.

I know there's some that I left off, such as Eight-Legged Freaks, which is SO goofy, Tarantula! from 1955, which is THE classic spider movie and Ice Spiders, which is plain horrible. I've also heard of Big @$$ Spider, which seems absolutely ridiculous and Lavantula, which makes me wonder what substance the movie makers were on...

So, what are your favourite spider movies ?

how is the giant spider invasion a good movie? You said it has tarantulas get killed.

 

[LucN]

I remember watching some black & white movie as a kid on Saturday nights about a giant Tarantula...probably called Tarantula.

We would watch on Creature Features....

Scared the crap out of us...fun times

That would be Tarantula! from 1955. It's the classic spider movie. Not the most exciting one, but decent nonetheless.

how is the giant spider invasion a good movie? You said it has tarantulas get killed.

Tarantulas getting killed is unfortunate, but seeing the WV spiders kinda saves the movie from total mediocrity. Some Ts are also killed on-screen in Kingdom of The Spiders, in a specific scene, we clearly see some B. hamorii getting run over by a car. You need to consider the time these films were made, there was little protection for the welfare of these animals back in the day. My guess is that they were seen as disposable props.

 

[Jack Mccormack]

I know that I've seen some old threads on the topic via google searches, but instead of reviving a 10 year old thread, why not create a new one ?

Let me start by saying that an overwhelming majority of spider flicks aren't exactly blockbuster quality, with very few exceptions.

Without further ado, here are my personal top 5, from worst to best. You might actually be surprised by my picks. Here goes.

5. The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

This is one of those bad movies. So bad it's actually laughable. The titular giant spiders are actually VW Beetles, clothed in black fur and have mechanical legs on their sides, operated by a crew inside the vehicle. Other than that, there was a handful of WC B. hamorii and possibly A. chalcodes as extra props. I think two were visibly killed on-screen, one being chopped in half by a shovel, the other passed in a blender to make some sort of alcoholic drink. My major complaint about the film is that some scenes are just too dark to make out what's happening.

4. Tarantulas : The Deadly Cargo (1977)

Here's one that actually ain't too bad. Some of the acting is just ok, but it has its cringy moments. The biggest issue I have is that they mistakenly (and dangerously) identify the harmless B. hamorii as Phoneutria nigriventer ! Other than that, the bit about the sound of buzzing wasps putting tarantulas into paralysis was pretty silly. If there's one thing I'll praise, it's the jazz-based musical score. At times, the music really doesn't fit the scene, but it is nice.

3. Kingdom of The Spiders (1977)

Another of those '70s films which helped to give Ts a bad reputation. This time, because of overuse of insecticides, tarantulas begin to prey on larger animals, including dogs, cows and people ! William Shatner gives his best acting, which really is hilarious at times and downright cringe on others. Loads of B. hamorii are seen, along with what looks like T. vagans and T. albopilosum. The ending is surreal. In my opinion, it's definitely worth looking into.

2. Arachnophobia (1990)

This is easily the most mainstream spider film on the list, if not of all. A Venezuelan spider is discovered and is seen to possess incredibly potent venom. It hitches a ride inside a coffin to the US, in which it mates with a House Spider and creates a deadly strain of offspring. Other than the Venezuelan spider, which is probably based on either Theraphosa or Pamphobeteus, the offspring are actual Huntsman spiders, Delena cancerides. I thought that was a nice touch and added some creepy moments. Odds are if you've been keeping Ts over the '90s, you've seen the film. And for once, we get great acting from Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. It's always a pleasure to revisit his classic from time to time. Now that I think of it, this film is one of the catalysts that got me into keeping Ts.

And for the #1 spot... Are you people ready for it ?

1. Kiss of The Tarantula (1975)

This is a guilty pleasure of mine. The acting for the most part is abysmal, but I really LOVE the setting. Most of the film takes place in a mortuary. The girl, Susan, around 17-18, keeps a lot of WC B. hamorii in steel cages, like those they would have used for hamsters and such. Eventually, some of her classmates barge into her home and kill one of her prized spiders. How does she react ? She sets them loose on the wrongdoers, creating panic and having themselves killed on accident. There's also a subplot of her creepy uncle that wants to have her in bed. The film delivers one of the best, if not THE best synthesized-based scores for any film. There is no way that today's synths could reproduce what was made back then. The ending is so unexpected and downright satisfying. Once again, worth a look in my honest opinion.

I know there's some that I left off, such as Eight-Legged Freaks, which is SO goofy, Tarantula! from 1955, which is THE classic spider movie and Ice Spiders, which is plain horrible. I've also heard of Big @$$ Spider, which seems absolutely ridiculous and Lavantula, which makes me wonder what substance the movie makers were on...

So, what are your favourite spider movies ?
[/QUO

I know that I've seen some old threads on the topic via google searches, but instead of reviving a 10 year old thread, why not create a new one ?

Let me start by saying that an overwhelming majority of spider flicks aren't exactly blockbuster quality, with very few exceptions.

Without further ado, here are my personal top 5, from worst to best. You might actually be surprised by my picks. Here goes.

5. The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

This is one of those bad movies. So bad it's actually laughable. The titular giant spiders are actually VW Beetles, clothed in black fur and have mechanical legs on their sides, operated by a crew inside the vehicle. Other than that, there was a handful of WC B. hamorii and possibly A. chalcodes as extra props. I think two were visibly killed on-screen, one being chopped in half by a shovel, the other passed in a blender to make some sort of alcoholic drink. My major complaint about the film is that some scenes are just too dark to make out what's happening.

4. Tarantulas : The Deadly Cargo (1977)

Here's one that actually ain't too bad. Some of the acting is just ok, but it has its cringy moments. The biggest issue I have is that they mistakenly (and dangerously) identify the harmless B. hamorii as Phoneutria nigriventer ! Other than that, the bit about the sound of buzzing wasps putting tarantulas into paralysis was pretty silly. If there's one thing I'll praise, it's the jazz-based musical score. At times, the music really doesn't fit the scene, but it is nice.

3. Kingdom of The Spiders (1977)

Another of those '70s films which helped to give Ts a bad reputation. This time, because of overuse of insecticides, tarantulas begin to prey on larger animals, including dogs, cows and people ! William Shatner gives his best acting, which really is hilarious at times and downright cringe on others. Loads of B. hamorii are seen, along with what looks like T. vagans and T. albopilosum. The ending is surreal. In my opinion, it's definitely worth looking into.

2. Arachnophobia (1990)

This is easily the most mainstream spider film on the list, if not of all. A Venezuelan spider is discovered and is seen to possess incredibly potent venom. It hitches a ride inside a coffin to the US, in which it mates with a House Spider and creates a deadly strain of offspring. Other than the Venezuelan spider, which is probably based on either Theraphosa or Pamphobeteus, the offspring are actual Huntsman spiders, Delena cancerides. I thought that was a nice touch and added some creepy moments. Odds are if you've been keeping Ts over the '90s, you've seen the film. And for once, we get great acting from Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. It's always a pleasure to revisit his classic from time to time. Now that I think of it, this film is one of the catalysts that got me into keeping Ts.

And for the #1 spot... Are you people ready for it ?

1. Kiss of The Tarantula (1975)

This is a guilty pleasure of mine. The acting for the most part is abysmal, but I really LOVE the setting. Most of the film takes place in a mortuary. The girl, Susan, around 17-18, keeps a lot of WC B. hamorii in steel cages, like those they would have used for hamsters and such. Eventually, some of her classmates barge into her home and kill one of her prized spiders. How does she react ? She sets them loose on the wrongdoers, creating panic and having themselves killed on accident. There's also a subplot of her creepy uncle that wants to have her in bed. The film delivers one of the best, if not THE best synthesized-based scores for any film. There is no way that today's synths could reproduce what was made back then. The ending is so unexpected and downright satisfying. Once again, worth a look in my honest opinion.

I know there's some that I left off, such as Eight-Legged Freaks, which is SO goofy, Tarantula! from 1955, which is THE classic spider movie and Ice Spiders, which is plain horrible. I've also heard of Big @$$ Spider, which seems absolutely ridiculous and Lavantula, which makes me wonder what substance the movie makers were on...

So, what are your favourite spider movies ?

has to be 8 legged freaks, so unbelievably unrealistic and absolutely hilarious

 

[LucN]

And that's why I didn't include Eight-Legged Freak, the CGI is all over the place. You can tell it's fake, but not to the extent of Ice Spiders. That was probably the absolute worst I've seen. No way am I ever going to revisit that one.

Freaks was humorous, I'll give it that, it was so over-the-top corny, even cornier than Giant Spider Invasion. But in my book, nothing will ever top the VW Beetle spiders

 

[viper69]

Spider-Man of course

 

[GalacticFurai]

Lavalantula because of how bad the plot and CGI is.
Hive mind lava rock "tarantulas" terrorize Los Angeles

 

[SonsofArachne]

3. Kingdom of The Spiders (1977)

Nope. No one who likes T's should like this movie. In a number of scenes you can clearly see live Tarantula being run over by cars, stepped on, etc. But even worse the "filmakers" behind this film imported 5,000 Brachypelma hamorii from Mexico (pre-CITES) for this film. By the time filming was done reportedly all 5,000 were dead, mostly from neglect. I would not support this film in any way.

 

[Jim Cricket]

Not a spider movie but Home Alone was the first time I saw a T. Blew my mind!

 

[Arthroverts]

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but considering the damage done to the reputation of tarantulas and arachnids in general by these movies and the large amount of fear generated by them (I have seen how it has enslaved people first hand), I can't say I appreciate any of these movies. Arachnophobia in particular seems to have really put a dent in the numbers of possible enthusiasts/sympathizers out there just by fact of its circulation and the (true to its name) arachnophobia it has caused in many.

There are a few videos however that I do appreciate, though you wouldn't exactly call them "movies" in their own right...

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[LucN]

Nope. No one who likes T's should like this movie. In a number of scenes you can clearly see live Tarantula being run over by cars, stepped on, etc. But even worse the "filmakers" behind this film imported 5,000 Brachypelma hamorii from Mexico (pre-CITES) for this film. By the time filming was done reportedly all 5,000 were dead, mostly from neglect. I would not support this film in any way.

Really ? All 5000 animals perished from neglect ?! That's the first I hear of it. I'm sure I've read in an interview somewhere that they made some effort to kill as little as possible. Here's the thing with pre-CGI animal films, they had to expect some casualties at some point or other. That's a shame that most weren't given or sold as pets. Regardless, I still appreciate the film for what it is, a somewhat decent horror film. And I'm pretty sure that I've read somewhere that the B. hamorii used in Kiss ended up as pets following filming, so not all films neglected their animals.

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but considering the damage done to the reputation of tarantulas and arachnids in general by these movies and the large amount of fear generated by them (I have seen how it has enslaved people first hand), I can't say I appreciate any of these movies. Arachnophobia in particular seems to have really put a dent in the numbers of possible enthusiasts/sympathizers out there just by fact of its circulation and the (true to its name) arachnophobia it has caused in many.

There are a few videos however that I do appreciate, though you wouldn't exactly call them "movies" in their own right...

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

And you are absolutely entitled to your opinion, my friend. Back in the day and still now, it would seem that many people have trouble differentiating fact from fiction. Concerning the '70s films, they were made in a time period in where there was little to no factual information about tarantulas, so many believed what was shown on-screen was true. Fortunately, we now know better. These films can only be recommended as entertainment and showing what tarantulas aren't ! My main reason for enjoying these films is because they showcased the B. hamorii, which has become the hobby's most popular species.

Edit : You mention Arachnophobia causing the fear and removing potential hobbyists, for me, it was the opposite effect, it sparked a fascination for all spiders and caused a chain of events which brought the eventual ownership of Ts.

 

[CommanderBacon]

Shocked and appalled to see that no one has mentioned the amazing movie Big Ass Spider! (2013) dir by Mike Mendez.

Don't expect anything other than a goofy monster movie, but it really blows most other giant animal movies out of the water. It's so fun!

 

[SonsofArachne]

I'm sure I've read in an interview somewhere that they made some effort to kill as little as possible.

They had scenes where "panicked people" were running through live T's and cars driving over roads covered in T's, so I'm not really sure where the "effort to kill as little as possible" came in.

 

[Ungoliant]

Really ? All 5000 animals perished from neglect ?! That's the first I hear of it. I'm sure I've read in an interview somewhere that they made some effort to kill as little as possible. Here's the thing with pre-CGI animal films, they had to expect some casualties at some point or other. That's a shame that most weren't given or sold as pets.

It's basically a tarantula snuff film.

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) Retrospective

As it was cold special enough to occasionally snow at the Sedona and Cobra Verde, Arizona locations, the south-of-the-border stars did not take well to the cooler climate. The crew used heat lamps to keep the spiders warm between takes, which, combined with the many action scenes involving running, driving and stomping, succeeded in sacrificing many of the eight-legged actors to the B-movie gods.

"In my opinion, they did not observe any animal rights laws," protests Ryan. "In between scenes, somebody would cover them all with little yogurt containers so they would stay in place, and then they would heat them. And they had a nasty tendency to melt! I remember a lot of them dying from that.

Kingdom of The Spiders - Concerns Over Animal Cruelty

Another common notion about the film is that it could not be made today due to the increased attention paid by animal rights organizations to film production. Indeed, many tarantulas died during production. This was partly because some of the creatures could not handle the constant changes in temperature and climate during the production process, but more because of the nature of the script. During the scenes where the survivors are trapped in the lodge, many spiders were stomped and crushed because the script called for the characters to kill them (as the spiders were supposed to be so dangerous to humans). Further, many more were crushed inadvertently during the scene where the creatures attack the town; several were stepped on and many others were run over by vehicles. In the scene where Gene Smith drives into town, the squad car's wheels clearly run over several spiders right in front of the camera.

With animal rights organizations now working with most film productions to ensure that animals are not harmed, a movie such as Kingdom of the Spiders would have to be made differently. During production of the similarly themed 1990 horror comedy Arachnophobia, for example, when the script called for a spider to be killed on-screen, the crew would substitute a fake rubber spider model or the carcass of a spider that had died of natural causes. Another method would be to use CGI models.

American Revenge Narratives: A Collection of Critical Essays

These arguments surrounding animals' disappearance from material reality and their collection in the media prove relevant to the discussion of Kingdom because despite its superficial anti-pesticide/pro-environment stance, when watching the movie, one cannot help but notice that dozens of actual tarantulas have boiling water poured on them, fall from heights a terrestrial tarantula would not survive, are trampled over, are run over by cars, and are simply crushed by various tools. The filmmakers reportedly paid $10 per large tarantula, and 10% of the movie's $500,000-budget was allotted to spider expenses, meaning there might have been as many as 5000 spiders on set. Indeed, even bringing so many tarantulas together and forcing hundreds of them to be close to numerous other spiders may be referred to as torture, as most tarantulas (the Mexican redknee tarantula, which is most often on display, in particular) are solitary and territorial animals. Ironically, in the storyworld, a character even points out this trait, saying, "[V]enomous spiders are loners; they are cannibals."

As a result, Kingdom of the Spiders is caught between its (lack of) real-world production ethics, in which animal cruelty played no small role, and the environmentalist message the narrative tries to communicate.

 

[LucN]

Thanks for the extra info, Ungoliant. I was unaware that there were cold periods during the time of shooting. No wonder so many died. Heating them with a direct source like a light bulb is an excellent way to kill them. Well then, it would seem I was wrong about actors doing their best to keep from killing them :/

Guess I have to treat this film and many others as a sign of the times. Does it lower my appreciation for the film ? A little bit, yes. At least nowadays, none would be harmed or killed intentionally.

 

[Ungoliant]

Guess I have to treat this film and many others as a sign of the times. Does it lower my appreciation for the film ? A little bit, yes. At least nowadays, none would be harmed or killed intentionally.

I can appreciate a silly "creature feature" as much as the next person, but seeing tarantulas killed spoils the film for me, especially considering how long it takes for a tarantula to reach adult size and how collecting 5,000 mature tarantulas from the wild in such a short timeframe might have affected their numbers in the wild.

I'm glad modern films use other methods (such as CGI or models) to portray on-screen deaths of animals.

 

[Vanisher]

I like serious documentaries about tarantulas and spiders. I find movies about tarantulas and spiders often ridiculous and often increasing the fear in already ignorant and scared people. So i dont really like them

 

[Chris LXXIX]

The problem about spiders/T's related movies is that they always need to turn into a fantasy/sci-fi plot because Arachnids aren't out there for harm (let alone obviously kill) due to their shy reclusive nature, so 'they' need to show huge-like-homes spiders etc

IMO fantasy-sci-fi spiders movies sucks a lot, btw.

 

[LucN]

Ok, it's been exactly one year since I posted this thread. Has my order and opinions changed ? For the most part, yes !

So here we go with a revised listing of my top 5 spider-related movies.

5. Kingdom of The Spiders (1977)

This one went way back to the last spot for fairly understandable reasons. The abuse and outright killing of so many tarantulas on screen. In one scene, the police car rolls over and squishes a tarantula just walking into the camera's view. Many are stepped on, damaged by ridiculously high falls, boiling water, etc... Some of it was due to ignorance, such as the case when a crew member was trying to keep them warm by blowing a hair dryer on them. Gee... I wonder why most melted into a puddle of spider goo ? And then, just outright cruelty. Apparently, to make the spiders safe to put on the actors, spider wranglers RIPPED off their chelicerae ! WTF !

Ok, ok, before my blood boils any further, let's look at the positives. Shatner's campy acting makes this movie, plain and simple. The locales are breathtakingly beautiful, such as all the shots showcasing the Arizona landscape. Last, but certainly not least, is the effective use of music cues from several episodes of The Twilight Zone TV series. They fit with their respective scenes perfectly. Enough, on to No. 4 !

4. Arachnophobia (1990)

While this film is indeed one of 3 catalysts that eventually brought me into keeping Ts, I find myself reaching for it far less often than the next 3. This film keeps giving spiders a bad rep, giving unenlightened people the impression that tarantulas are deadly. The acting is really good here, special mention goes to John Goodman to being so likeable as the exterminator Delbert. Once again, scenery is really nice, especially the Venezualan footage at the beginning. And the music score by Trevor Jones is so good, especially the opening theme with the melding of orchestral flourish, acoustic guitar and tribal percussions.

3. Tarantulas : The Deadly Cargo (1977)

I had struggled slightly with the placement between this and my next entry. For a made-for-TV movie, it's not as bad as most make it out to be. Sure, there's virtually no shocking scenes whatsoever and the pacing can be plodding at times. Some scenes are plain silly, such as a character rolling down a hill following a bite and hitting her head on a nearby tree. This was the '70s, so you can't expect too much out of it. For me, it's an easy way to kill an hour and a half of free time. Yes, the ending and acting are kinda lame, but at the same time, I really enjoy this one since it's a flashback to much, MUCH simpler times. Can't say anything wrong of the orchestral/jazz score by the late Mundell Lowe, sometimes it doesn't always fit the scene, but I really dig it. This film is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee

2. Tarantula! (1955)

The train wreck that was The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) was eventually replaced by the FAR superior original spider film. This is classic as they come. Despite some scenes being really hard to make out in Black & White, it's a fun ride throughout. All of the actors really gave a great performance, especially Leo G. Carroll portraying Proffessor Deemer. The special effects still look really good after almost 70 years. The scene in which the giant tarantula crawls over a mountain range, to confront the group on the highway in broad daylight, definitely comes to mind. Real movie magic right there ! Once again, gotta praise the music. Beautiful and sometimes a bit too bombastic for what's happening on screen. A definite must-have !

1. Kiss of The Tarantula (1975)

This one hasn't budged from its spot. The unique setting of a mortuary makes this one perfect, especially on Halloween night. Yes, the acting is laughably bad, but that gives it a bit of charm. Another interesting bit is that this is the only film that then-new actress Suzanna Ling ever appeared in ! The ending just can't be topped, you don't see it coming at all. The synthesizer score by the late Phillan Bishop is both eerie and entrancing, it fits like a glove for the majority of the scenes. Also, what I like best in this film are the various close ups of the beautiful Brachypelma hamorii. If you love the all-time classic T, it's a film worth looking into.

So there we have it, a revised ranking of my fav spider films. Anyone out have something to add up ?