Arachnophobia
Directed by Frank MarshallA new species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to a California town in a coffin and starts to breed, leaving a trail of deaths that puzzle and terrify young Dr. Ross Jennings, who is newly arrived in town with his family.
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Arachnophobia Ratings & Reviews
- FranBizApril 28, 2025This movie is pretty good. However just like the title, if you have arachnophobia, you're probably going not going like this movie. This movie gets very up close and personal with the spiders in various scenes. I enjoyed the story and characters in this movie. This is definitely worth checking out
- 匚卂尺ㄥFebruary 14, 2025When 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 modern day fun, Arachnophobia sees Frank Marshall direct and Jeff Daniels, Julian Sands, John Goodman and Harley Jane Kozak line up in the cast. Tho horror and comedy on the surface doesn't seem to be a that hard to blend together, it's surprising over the years just how few horror comedy movies can claim to be successful and 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 too, was that spiders strike the fear of god into many people, thus, as Marshall said himself on the publicity junket, "People like to be scared but laughing at the same time". Arachnophobia achieves this in spades, mixing real spiders (Avondale breed) with model and magnet work, the effect achieved is nervy giggles coupled with creepy goose flesh 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 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. But it's with the big jolly blunderbuss that is John Goodman that Arachnophobia gets its frothy B movie fun. His inept, half witted but knowing pest controller, Delbert, engages in that small town Americana way. An innocence to the terrors of the world 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. Enjoy: even if you have to watch from behind your hands. 7/10
