Arachnophobia (1990)

Great spider horror film!

A new kind of spider is accidently taken back to a small town where it mates with a normal house spider. You can already tell what's gonna happen. People dying. These aren't any ordinary spiders. These are spiders that if they bite you-you're dead within 10 seconds. It's that scary!!!

I don't really have arachnophobia. But after watching this movie, I think I did for a while! This movie is just full of creepiness. After watching it I think we all feel a little different about spiders! If you love spiders and enjoy watching them crawl on you-this is the perfect movie for you. For any of you out there who have arachnophobia-I'd stay clear of this movie if I were you! June 20, 2008

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia is the only movie that I have ever screamed at the top of my lungs at and that has made me hide under a blanket. I'm not even really afraid of spiders! It also has the perfect amount of comic relief. I've never giggled at a movie I thought was so scarey. December 20, 2007

Funny Horror?

Reminded me of how much fun Horror movies used to be when I was a kid. My daughter reminded of one of my favorite lines in the movie. A bug lands on the photographer's leg. He asks "Does it bite?" The professor's reply, "They kill Mr. Manley in sufficient numbers". Maybe it was the actor Sands' delivery and the British accent that appealed to me. Perhaps this was a subtle hint of what was to come. Another funny tidbit is the scene where the Rainforest spider is transported by an unfortunate crow hoping to make it a meal; oops not quite as the Crow drops to the ground landing the spider directly on our movie's hero's property. I like the morbid humor mixed with down home folksiness of the mortician and his wife as they attempt to shut off the world and curl up with popcorn and enjoy their favorite tv show, Wheel of Fortune. Only to become victims of the intrusive hitchhiking rainforest spider's brood. The filmmaker kept the movie not too scary and not too funny. Whatever his "just right" formula is, makes this one of my favorite movies. Pure entertainment. October 18, 2007

Watch it with the lights on!

My first exposure to this film was overhearing a bunch of my fellow students at UCO describing going 'fishing' with a plastic tarantula at a local theatre's showing of "Arachnophobia." Yes, the unlucky theatre-goers caught by the bait had the predictable reaction.

Notwithstanding their illicit activities, my classmates said the film was one of the funniest they'd ever seen.

I was dubious, but based on their recommendation, I went to see "Arachnophobia" one weekday afternoon at the same theatre where they'd pulled their prank.

First off, I have never been to a show where the threatre staff is standing at the door watching for suspicious bundles. Anything long that could house a fishing pole or whatnot had to be checked.

Then, when the previews were over, the houselights never went down. One of my fellow audience members went to ask why and the theatre management announced that due to some mischief they were keeping the lights up.

Plus--we had an usher in attendance throughout the whole show.

Yep, my classmates were right. I did laugh my head off. "Arachnophobia" pokes fun at every killer spider movie as well as our own fear of spiders. I went back to see the film again and still laughed.

"Snakes on a Plane" caused me to revisit some of my favorite parody films. Started out on a rainy day with the lights off. My Siamese cat jumped up behind me and I screamed like a highschool girl.

Yep--I put all the lights on in the room and I was back to laughing again. After all these years, "Arachnophobia" is still a lot of fun and one of the best parodies I have ever seen. The cat even liked it--he had a great time trying to catch the spiders on the screen.

Uhhhh---just keep the lights on and lock your cat out! September 11, 2007

A Funny Web of Fear!

Kona's January 2005 review (the current Spotlight Review) is all you really need to get a handle on this film, but I'll throw in my two cents anyhow.

For those with real arachnophobia, like myself, this film is a humdinger that is sure to give you the creeps and have you laughing as well with its campy humor not unlike Slither. The cast is perfectly lead by the ever reliable Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber, Terms of Endearment). John Goodman's small role as the pest exterminator is a sheer delight.

It doesn't take much for these phobia-filled genres to scare us as we can all relate to a fear no matter what kind and just about everyone was afraid of a spider at some point, but this film will have you searching your house before bedtime. On the down side, the effect of the larger spider (AKA "The General") is rather laughable and not frightening in the least. The "soldier" spiders flinging themselves down on unsuspecting humans is where the real frightening moments occur.

If you like creepcrawly kinds of films, then let me recommend a few other cheesy ones that are still fun to watch: Frogs with Ray Milland and a very young Sam Elliot (Ghost Rider, Hulk, and Louis L'Amour's The Sacketts). Ignore the cover art which totally misrepresents the film. This film isn't about giant frogs or insects, but rather nature going amock with carnivorous spiders, leaping lizards, sneaky snakes, blood-thristy leeches, prowling crocks, etc. Another little classic is Kingdom of Spiders with the ever enjoyable to watch hammy acting of William Shatner (do I really need to put his credits here? --lol). Eight Legged Freaks is also a lot of fun with more campy humor and very decent effects. Lastly, Squirm is another minor little classic about worms that eat people.

Enjoy, and leave a light on at night! ;>) June 25, 2007

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