Released in 1990 and directed by Frank Marshall, "Arachnophobia" is a horror film about a killer South American spider that hitches a ride in a coffin to a small town on the central Californian coast where it breeds and causes wholesale havoc. Jeff Daniel is a new doctor in town with Harley Jane Kozak as his wife. John Goodman is on hand as a redneck exterminator while Julian Sands plays the spider expert with Brian McNamara as his protégé.
"Arachnophobia" plays like any number of Syfy creature features, but with a blockbuster budget and a somewhat Disney-esque vibe. It's horror, but its more polished and family friendly than the typical horror flick, plus there's a comedic edge, particularly with Delbert the exterminator (Goodman). I'm not afraid of spiders, but there are several genuine jump scares and Marshall effectively makes the critters creepy with the clever use of shadow, camera angle,etc. Moreover, Daniels makes for a great protagonist.
Unfortunately, the movie fumbles the ball in the female department. Beyond Kozak, whose role is relatively peripheral as the protagonist's wife, where are the babes? Cori Wellins as Becky Beechwood could've worked, but her part is limited to a brief shower scene, which is competent as far as arachnid creepiness goes. To be clear, I'm not talking about female nudity or sex scenes; I'm just talking about one or two prominent good-lookin' women in the cast, like Kari Wuhrer and Scar-Jo in 2002's "Eight Legged Freaks."
Speaking of which, how does "Arachnophobia" compare to other spider-oriented horror flicks, like "Eight Legged Freaks," 1958's "The Spider" (aka "Earth vs. the Spider") and 1977's "Kingdom of the Spiders"? I think it's the best of the lot, babes or no babes. The movie takes its time, but is compelling from a dramatic viewpoint, as it slowly builds suspense; and the awesome Venezuelan scenes in the prologue don't hurt.
The movie runs 103 minutes and was shot in Angel Falls, Canaima National Park, Venezuela; Cambria, Pasadena, Venice & Burbank Studios, California.
GRADE: B+
"Arachnophobia" plays like any number of Syfy creature features, but with a blockbuster budget and a somewhat Disney-esque vibe. It's horror, but its more polished and family friendly than the typical horror flick, plus there's a comedic edge, particularly with Delbert the exterminator (Goodman). I'm not afraid of spiders, but there are several genuine jump scares and Marshall effectively makes the critters creepy with the clever use of shadow, camera angle,etc. Moreover, Daniels makes for a great protagonist.
Unfortunately, the movie fumbles the ball in the female department. Beyond Kozak, whose role is relatively peripheral as the protagonist's wife, where are the babes? Cori Wellins as Becky Beechwood could've worked, but her part is limited to a brief shower scene, which is competent as far as arachnid creepiness goes. To be clear, I'm not talking about female nudity or sex scenes; I'm just talking about one or two prominent good-lookin' women in the cast, like Kari Wuhrer and Scar-Jo in 2002's "Eight Legged Freaks."
Speaking of which, how does "Arachnophobia" compare to other spider-oriented horror flicks, like "Eight Legged Freaks," 1958's "The Spider" (aka "Earth vs. the Spider") and 1977's "Kingdom of the Spiders"? I think it's the best of the lot, babes or no babes. The movie takes its time, but is compelling from a dramatic viewpoint, as it slowly builds suspense; and the awesome Venezuelan scenes in the prologue don't hurt.
The movie runs 103 minutes and was shot in Angel Falls, Canaima National Park, Venezuela; Cambria, Pasadena, Venice & Burbank Studios, California.
GRADE: B+