ComedyHorror

Arachnophobia

- Eight legs, two fangs, and an attitude.

A large spider from the jungles of South America is accidentally transported in a crate with a dead body to America where it mates with a local spider. Soon after, the residents of a small California town disappear as the result of spider bites from the deadly spider offspring. It's up to a couple of doctors with the help of an insect exterminator to annihilate these eight legged freaks.

Release Date : 1990-07-20

Language :EnglishSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Amblin EntertainmentHollywood PicturesTangled Web Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Ross Jennings

Original Name : Jeff Daniels

Gender : Male

Character Name : Molly Jennings

Original Name : Harley Jane Kozak

Gender : Female

Character Name : Delbert McClintock

Original Name : John Goodman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. James Atherton

Original Name : Julian Sands

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chris Collins

Original Name : Brian McNamara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheriff Parsons

Original Name : Stuart Pankin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Sam Metcalf

Original Name : Henry Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henry Beechwood

Original Name : Peter Jason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jerry Manley

Original Name : Mark L. Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Milton Briggs

Original Name : James Handy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Irv Kendall

Original Name : Roy Brocksmith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Blaire Kendall

Original Name : Kathy Kinney

Gender : Female

Character Name : Margaret Hollins

Original Name : Mary Carver

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tommy Jennings

Original Name : Garette Ratliff Henson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shelley Jennings

Original Name : Marlene Katz

Gender : Female

Character Name : Edna Beechwood

Original Name : Jane Marla Robbins

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bunny Beechwood

Original Name : Theo Schwartz

Gender : Female

Character Name : Becky Beechwood

Original Name : Cori Wellins

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bobby Beechwood

Original Name : Chance Boyer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Evelyn Metcalf

Original Name : Frances Bay

Gender : Female

Character Name : Henrietta Manley

Original Name : Lois de Banzie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dick Manley

Original Name : Warren Rice

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor Bob

Original Name : Robert Frank Telfer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Irv's Assistant

Original Name : Michael Steve Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Little Girl

Original Name : Fiona Walsh

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mom

Original Name : Terese Del Piero

Gender : Female

Character Name : Todd Miller

Original Name : Nathaniel Spitzley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mover

Original Name : Jay Scorpio

Gender : Male

Character Name : Girlfriend

Original Name : Mai-Lis Kuniholm

Gender : Female

Character Name : Helicopter Pilot

Original Name : Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miguel Higueras (uncredited)

Original Name : Juan Fernández

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

The itsy-bitsy spider crawled up the water spout; down came the rain and washed the spider out. When a photographer is bitten and killed by a spider in the Venezuelan jungle, his body is shipped back to his home town of Canaima in California. Unfortunately something has hitched a ride in his coffin... Mixing "B" movie conventions with a modern day fun sensibility, Arachnophobia sees Frank Marshall direct and Jeff Daniels, Julian Sands, John Goodman and Harley Jane Kozak line up in the cast. Though horror and comedy on the surface doesn't seem to be a that hard to blend together, it's actually surprising over the years just how few horror comedy movies can claim to be successful, and crucially, have been able to to win over a like minded audience. In fact, if we move away from the likes of "Sean Of The Dead", the "B" movie creature feature, especially in modern times, has few offerings of worth. We can certainly mention the awesome (and best of the modern bunch) "Tremors", which turned a small Worldwide profit, and then we turn to "Lake Placid" and "Arachnophobia". Both of the latter made considerable amounts of cash (for the genre) and are propelled by a degree of star wattage. What was in Arachnophobia's favour was that spiders strike the fear of god into many people, thus, as director Marshall said himself on the publicity junket, "People like to be scared but still laughing at the same time". Arachnophobia achieves this in spades, mixing real spiders (the Avondale breed) with model and magnet work, where the effect achieved is full on nervy giggles coupled with some creepy goose flesh also putting in an appearance. The cast work hard to make it work. OK, Sands remains as wooden as he always is, but in this case his pompous bug professor actually calls for it. Daniels as the modern doctor hoping to start a new life in the country, is an excellent lead, a fine actor who's no show on the "A" list of Hollywood remains an utter mystery. However, it's with the big jolly blunderbuss that is John Goodman where the pic gets its frothy "B" movie fun. His inept, half witted but knowing pest controller, Delbert, engages in that small town Americana way. He is an innocent to the terrors of the world and that makes for a nice play off with the Arachnophobic Dr. Ross Jennings (Daniels). Nicely shot around Cambria, California, to fully realise the small town under arachnid siege, Arachnaphobia is the perfect comedy creeper for all the family to enjoy. So squirm and giggle together and watch out for any creepy crawlies in the corners of your home... 7/10