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16 out of 18 people found the following review useful: As Silly As They Come... and I'm Loving Every Minute, 7 August 2001 Author: Ed Robins from Santa Cruz, CA
There is a saying that a true artist can make an error into a masterpiece. While this doesn't exactly apply to film-making, it can easily apply to film-viewing. Think of lots of 1950's low budget sci-fi cliches (bad acting, bad special effects, etc.), and then throw them all into a single movie. The outcome of this is a critic's nightmare, 1958's "Earth vs. the Spider". There's no way such "trash", with all its errors, can be entertaining, right? Wrong.The only real disappointing goof in this film is the title, a horrid misnomer as the spider only gets to crawl about its web in a cave and a small town, and less than 10 people in the town actually "fight" it. Of those 10 people, most are represented by the driest actors imaginable (except for the women, who get to scream and sob), and the "teenagers" are obviously not, especially Joe, who looks like he's in his mid-30's. Said teenagers also make decisions in the film that are stupid, yet at the same time have enough logic that the audience is able to forgive them for it (as opposed to some movies of the genre where people just act stupid out of the blue). It might seem like a really bad idea to go to a killer giant spider's cave, but if it is to retrieve the last memento of one's father, its understandable, although still not a wise choice. The teen characters in this film act like that, making them less annoying and more lovable than most teen victims in the genre.The spider they take on, is, unimaginatively, a run-of-the-mill tarantula filmed and super-imposed over scenes to make it seem gigantic; sometimes it's really noticeable and looks awful, but most of the time it works, yet still comes off as tacky since the spider is always moving in the same direction. Besides that fact, the other main reason that this barely works is that the spider and the people are rarely in the same shot at the same time. This also means that all deaths are off-camera (but accompanied by the spider's un-spider-like hissing and growling), and the resulting corpses are really weird-looking: by no means realistic, but odd enough to be entertaining.Which is really the reason why films like these are watchable, and to some (like me) even enjoyable. Sure, there won't be any Oscar nominations for the acting, but isn't it funny to hear a science teacher call a spider an insect? He should obviously know better. Isn't it funny that the route the lead teens take to escape from the spider at the beginning of the film leads to a dead-end at the end of it? That was obviously a mistake in the script writing. Granted, these mistakes aren't intentional or intelligent humor, but it's humor nonetheless, and there's enough of it to recommend this film to fans of the genre. It's also worth noting that this film thankfully knows its limits, and is thus quite short, so that it can be enjoyable without dragging on and on.
17 out of 21 people found the following review useful: ONE OF BERT I. GORDON'S BEST MOVIES, 1 November 1999 Author: TEXICAN-2 from Benbrook, Texas
For a craftsman who specialized in rather cheezy special effects, this was really one of his best movies.You still see the holes in the superimposed spider's legs as it walks along, lines around it's body in some scenes, and the prop leg during the house sequence only dangles limply in front of the people, which is more humorous than scary. The spider's "growl" is a bit much. I don't know if arachnids make any audible noises, but, this one is very vocal.The cave sets are pretty impressive, interlaced with real shots of Carlsbad Caverns. The story is fairly plausible, and Gene Roth is a trip as the town sheriff.Albert Glasser gives us, again, a terrific score that adds to the terror of the story. For it's theatrical release, the original title was shortened to just "The Spider". That would fit easily on any marquee.
11 out of 11 people found the following review useful: One of the best of Gordon's BIG movies., 23 January 2006 Author: rixrex from United States
I remember the newspaper ads for this as a kid. They showed a hideous spider with the head of a skull, and the tagline: It must eat you to live! Talk about giving a kid nightmares. Never got to see it at the theater but got the videotape and, while not as good as Tarantula, it comes pretty close. Mr BIG (Gordon) always had a knack for getting decent character actors, and he has good ones here, except for the teenage male lead who is pretty lame. He also knew how to keep the story clean and simple, fast-paced and interesting, without much superfluous material to bog down the action. Usually his films were hard-pressed to get to 90 mins, no filler material in them. If you are able to forgive the effects limitations of the times and of the budget, you will enjoy this and not feel that you've wasted your time. And keep your eye out for JOE, the thirty year old high school student!
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Some modern directors could take a leaf out of Bert Gordon's book., 16 March 2006 Author: Sylvester from Surrey, England
OK, so the special effects are not always that special, though better than many of the period, the story line is routine, though again no worse than that of similar films, and the acting is as one would expect for a film of this type. But, ask yourself, were you bored by it? At least Bert Gordon kept the action going and there were very few dull spots in his films. A lot of modern directors could learn how to pace their films from some of the old B movie directors.Compare that to the overblown, overlong, CGI laden sci-fi "epics" to which we are currently subjected - and I know which I would prefer.At the end of the day which is the better film - one made on a shoestring which entertains, or one costing a hundred million dollars which has you looking forward to the end credits?
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Saying it's fighting against the entire world is like saying that the Colossal Beast is at war., 30 October 1999 Author: Timothy L. Fox from Frankfort, IN
I guess Bert needed a catchier title than just The Spider, which was what this was originally titled. Following in the wakes of TARANTULA, Bert I. Gordon bestows upon us this, um, epic of medium proportions. The story deals with two teens in a small midwestern town (one of whom works at a theater which so blatantly displays a poster of Gordon's AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN) go looking for the girl's father, who was killed, it turns out, by a web belonging to the titular beast, which, coincidentally, is never explained how it grew so big or survived for so long, even if Ed Kemmer from SPACE PATROL tries to explain. But egghead Ed manages to kill the spider and bring it back to the school gym where it is locked up. But wouldn't you know it - the evils of rock and roll bring it to life and it kills Mr. Ziffel from GREEN ACRES. How can they kill it? Electricity, anyone?Lord, you have to admire a man like Bert who directed, produced, wrote, and created the special effects. Sure, the effects suck, but think about it. He saved money and became an auteur at the same time! And while we're on the effects . . . let's just say Plan 9 has some serious competition, as it deals with the spider attacking photos of buildings or walking along as a rear projection which the audience can clearly see through. And please, the spider could fit in the gym, how could it tower over a three story building? But an added advantage this has is that the spider in this one has a web, even if no one sticks to it. And truth be told, it's actually quite entertaining, in a perverse sort of way. At least it doesn't have the long, dull stretches that most Gordon films do. Thank you, Mr. Gordon.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Chilling AIP programmer which succeeds in investing its proceedings with a definite air of spookiness., 16 August 1999 Author: Jeffrey Talbot from Toronto, Canada
When EARTH VS. THE SPIDER crawled onto theatre screens nationwide in 1958 and first appeared on television in 1963 it was under the title THE SPIDER. Thus its current label is somewhat of an enigma. Perhaps the additional prefix of EARTH VS. was part of its original intended title (with actual prints struck as such) but was deemed too ambitious for what actually transpires in the movie. Possibly because of this title's similarity to the Ray Harryhausen epic EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (released a few years earlier) it was feared to be an infringement on the Harryhausen work (or it could be mistaken as a re-release of same) and was shortened to the more appropriate THE SPIDER.EARTH VS. THE SPIDER has the handicap of being a steal of Jack Arnold's TARANTULA (1955) and like all giant mutation films of the 1950's following in the wake of the 1954 sci-fi masterpiece THEM! (trying to emulate its distinctive qualities and commercial success) but taken on its own terms it successfully establishes its own eerie atmosphere and excitement that makes it popular today.Comparison with TARANTULA is unavoidable but while both films utilize an actual tarantula spider (for practical purposes) EARTH VS. THE SPIDER usually manipulates the title protagonist in confined, claustrophobic surroundings when pursuing its intended prey to great effect (the expansive yet enclosed underground caverns, the high school gymnasium and the climatic confrontation on the cavern ledge, etc.). Further this monster also spins a web (unlike the title menace in TARANTULA) and a great deal of suspense and tension is achieved as nosey intruders are caught in it while the wailing bellow of the approaching creature is heard.The giant spider's cave sanctuary is as much a character as the spider itself and it engenders a tremendous sense of foreboding and dread as the two teenagers and later as the town sheriff, his deputies and some townspeople approach and enter it (the mood is beautifully underscored by Albert Glasser's ominous background music).In comparison to the technical virtuosity of THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD released the same year (or any Harryhausen film of the period) the special effects in EARTH VS. THE SPIDER are thin beer indeed but adequate. These effects include rear projection, split screens, superimposures, miniatures and forced perspective utilizing photographic plates of famed Carlsbad Caverns. At the film's suspenseful finale there appears to be an unheralded moment of stop motion animation of the giant spider dangling along a precipice and the closing image of the dead creature impaled on stalagmite on the cavern floor (actually a painting) is quite impressive.All told EARTH VS. THE SPIDER is a film well worth looking into.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: One of the best good/bad monster movies, 19 March 2005 Author: StormSworder from United Kingdom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This is a true gem from the world of unintentionally comic monster movies. A giant spider arises from the earth and vents its rage against all humanity. It is knocked senseless and then brought back to town where it is awoken by Rock and Roll music (Egads! The evils of Rock and Roll!) Along with a witty script, there are scenes of a rope-net 'web', a tarantula (which even in black and white is obviously not the same spider throughout the film) walking over shoe-boxes posing as houses, a giant full-size prop which looks nothing like a spider's leg, and strange dubbed-on roaring noises. There are some tarantulas which can make hissing noises by rubbing the bristles on their jaws together, but I can't say I've ever heard any spider growling or roaring. That said, this film is great entertainment whether you love or hate spiders.
8 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Town vs the Spider, 26 January 2006 Author: ClassixFan from USA
The title may be a little misleading, as it's not the 'Earth' that goes against the spider, but a small town. I'm sure this film is compared to the 1955 film, Tarantula and I know Earth vs the Spider receives a lot less love, but I seem to have an affinity for 'B' films and Earth vs the Spider fits right into my love of 'B' films. It has almost 40 year-old people playing teens in some scenes, it has a squealing arachnid and in the director's chair, it has the original Mr B.I.G. himself, Bert I Gordon! Sure, the film has so much going against it, if I want to be perfectly honest, but I just can't help myself.....I adore these classic horror films and the as bad as they can be, the more I love them.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: One of Mr. B.I.G.'s best Sci-Fi Films & one of my favorite 50's giant bug movies!, 23 October 2004 Author: David Michael O'Rorey (retromaster2000) from New Kensington P.A.
I first saw this on AMC's Monsterfest in High School in the early 2000's I had my tape ready & all it was on very late 3 or 4 in the Morning. It's about a 50-foot giant spider mutated by radiation one of Mankind's mistakes for fooling with atomic stuff that usually was the Precursor to most of the 50's Sci-Fi Films about big bugs or everyday Small creatures mutated into giants. Here Gordon seems to have done a Spin-Off of Jack Arnold's Tarantula on a smaller budget for A.I.P. Which Tarantula is better in many ways not just effects wise similar Effects used in that too. Well a young teenage girl Carol played by June Kenney also in another Bert I. Gordon Sci-Fi Classic "Attack Of The Puppet People" from '58 discovers her dad is missing for he never Returns from getting her b-day gift the night before. Her & her Boyfriend Mike takes their friend Joe's Car to go look for him. They Find a large long skinny piece of silk stretched across a road along With broken glass from a windshield, they find her dad's truck in a Ditch on the side of the road & find also a cave that her dad might Have gone in for shelter so they investigate they eventually fall in a Huge spider's web that looks like rope very unrealistic looking Especially since it's a real Tarantula used in the film & Tarantula's Don't make webs & walk on them or creep down on them. Gordon should of Used a different spider but considering the effects & the time period he used the biggest spider, which is a Tarantula or The South American Bird Spider, which with its legs stretched out it's as big as a Dinner Plate. It would of been a lot harder & impossible with a smaller spider such as a common House spider, which is what the Tarantula is supposed to represent. It would of been harder to enlarge on film & use with models. Mike & Carol fall into this web & hear sounds loud screeching high pitched vocal cords from something incredibly huge it's coming this way it's a large hairy Spider they are frightened to death & run out of the cave as quickly as possible they take part of the web from the road back with them but no one Is convinced not even the local sheriff. Pretty quickly The Sheriff & other officers headed by a high school teacher played by Ed Kemmer try some DDT & they do knock it Conscious. They put it on display in the high school gym for the time being until it is going be moved to a nearby university. Joe & his friends practice for the upcoming high school dance in the same gym Where the giant spider is on display. Joe & his buds are playing Instruments & young teens dancing which the vibrations cause the spider to be awakened which makes sense most spiders rely heavily on vibrations. Which being awakened sends it through the high school gym wall & on a Rampage through the small town of Riverfalls It heads back to the cave eventually & they get it in the cave when they attach a live power line to it's web & electrocute it. Then it's dynamited & buried. I really enjoyed it this was one of the best giant spider films & believe me there are many big spider films. Superb eerie musical score by Albert Glasser who also did Gordon's Beginning Of The End (1957) where Giant Locusts or Grasshopper Locusts run amok in Chicago. Glasser also did Monster From Green Hell (1958) with Giant Wasps in Africa & a few more I believe. My quick run down of this story for this isn't the exact whole story check it out B-Movie fans if you haven't seen it already. I thought I would also mention that the original title was The Spider suddenly last minute was changed & Earth vs. was added. On the credits u can tell too with The Spider in huge lettering & Earth vs. in small Lettering. Also a lot of Original Posters are still around that say The Spider.
6 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Earth vs. the Spider (1958) ***, 22 February 2006 Author: JoeKarlosi from U.S.A.
Somehow I'd missed seeing this AIP '50s monster flick, so I recently gave the new Lions Gate R1 DVD a spin. It's rightly considered a rip of Universal's TARANTULA, but this still turned out to be brisk and enjoyable, and a lot of cheesy fun. When a young girl and her boyfriend search for the girls' missing father, they stumble across a giant spider's cave and, naturally, the monster eventually crawls around town. Better-than-average special effects for this type of cheapie, with some surprisingly vivid shock moments and the required helping of some typical teenage 1950's rock n roll music. Gene Roth is a hoot as the doubting sheriff, and there are some shameless plugs for some of Bert I Gordon's other pictures like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN and ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE.
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