Spiders are not a favorite of many people, something about eight legs does not appeal to the masses. The movie Arachnophobia plays on the fears of an audience, while mixing in enough humor to engage the viewer with a standard horror story. Jeff Daniels plays a big city doctor who moves out into the country to take over the practice of the soon-to-be retiring doctor who has served for about 140 years or so. The Daniels' character is also scared of spiders, so when killer spiders enter the town, we have the standard ingredients to the standard horror movie. The spiders look convincing enough to scare almost anybody, and the exterminator, played by John Goodman, offers enough jokes to lead to an entertaining movie. There is nothing Earth-shattering about the film, but for popcorn season, this movie will not disappoint.
200 Reviews
Well-done "creature feature"
gridoon202414 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
105 minutes may be too many for a movie about killer spiders, but other than that, this is an entertaining, well-done horror comedy, in the "animals/serpents/bugs/birds/etc. attack" sub-genre. The director, Frank Marshall, and the screenwriters, Wesley Strick and Don Jakoby, think of every possible and impossible place to put their spiders, which are a near flawless mix of the real thing and animatronic models (thankfully, this movie was made before the days of CGI - notice how fake the same creatures look in later horror movies). Both the sudden shocks and the close calls are expertly timed by Marshall, and because there are no real "villains" among the humans you don't know who is going to get it - obviously the Spielbergian family is safe, but everyone else is fair game. I do, however, have some reservations about John Goodman's bug-exterminator character: he seems to have stepped in from another movie - "Ghostbusters"! **1/2 out of 4.
Frightening
BandSAboutMovies19 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Man, Frank Marshall picks some wild movies to direct. There's the cannibal-themed Alive, the apes with lasers Congo, the Disney film Eight Below and The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.
If you ever wanted to walk around your house in bare feet again, you should probably skip this movie, which has spiders crawl into people's ears via a football helmet and even live inside a dead nature photographer as his body is shipped back to America in a coffin.
It's up to Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels), a new doctor in town with the titular phobia, who has to protect his new town of Canaima, California for an invasion of the spawn of prehistoric spiders mixed with old fashioned American creepy crawlers.
John Goodman shines as Delbert McClintock, an exterminator, and Julian Sands is as mean as ever as the villainous Dr. James Atherton. The small spiders used in the film were Avondale spiders, a harmless species from New Zealand, while the giant spiders were bird-eating tarantulas with eight-inch legspans. They were all handled by entomologist Steven R. Kutcher, who also was in charge of the locusts in Exorcist II: The Heretic, the bugs in Prince of Darkness and the mosquitos of Jurassic Park amongst many other films. As for the monstrous general spider, it was one of the first props made by Jamie Hyneman, who could go on to star on MythBusters.
This was written by Don Jakoby (Lifeforce, Double Team, Invaders from Mars), Al Williams and Wesley Strick (Cape Fear, The Saint, Doom). It was made under the Hollywood Pictures name instead of Disney, as it's a pretty frightening film in moments.
If you ever wanted to walk around your house in bare feet again, you should probably skip this movie, which has spiders crawl into people's ears via a football helmet and even live inside a dead nature photographer as his body is shipped back to America in a coffin.
It's up to Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels), a new doctor in town with the titular phobia, who has to protect his new town of Canaima, California for an invasion of the spawn of prehistoric spiders mixed with old fashioned American creepy crawlers.
John Goodman shines as Delbert McClintock, an exterminator, and Julian Sands is as mean as ever as the villainous Dr. James Atherton. The small spiders used in the film were Avondale spiders, a harmless species from New Zealand, while the giant spiders were bird-eating tarantulas with eight-inch legspans. They were all handled by entomologist Steven R. Kutcher, who also was in charge of the locusts in Exorcist II: The Heretic, the bugs in Prince of Darkness and the mosquitos of Jurassic Park amongst many other films. As for the monstrous general spider, it was one of the first props made by Jamie Hyneman, who could go on to star on MythBusters.
This was written by Don Jakoby (Lifeforce, Double Team, Invaders from Mars), Al Williams and Wesley Strick (Cape Fear, The Saint, Doom). It was made under the Hollywood Pictures name instead of Disney, as it's a pretty frightening film in moments.
A lazy afternoon movie with poisonous spiders
abigailperkins-9618726 June 2018
I like Arachnophobia for different reasons than usual- I love its setting. Small town western coastal town, bathed in sunlight suddenly gets invaded by poisonous spiders from South America. This is a good enough film and Jeff Daniels is more than adequate as the lead everyday guy. Frank Marshall has an affinity with nature- He also directed Congo and Eight Below and this film suits his sensibility. I doubt if anyone except extreme arachnophobiacs would be scared. Go watch it for a good ride.
One of the most entertaining in the genre.
paulclaassen10 May 2021
Arachnophobia - for those unfamiliar with the term - is the fear of spiders. So, yeah, you might have guessed it: this film is about spiders.
Spiders. You either hate them, or you loathe them. Sorry, but I can't wrap my head around the thought of 'loving' them. Way too many legs and eyes! I love creepy crawly movies, as they somehow tend to get under your skin. 'Arachnophobia' takes a lighter approach to a rather serious film - a perfect blend of both worlds. Never too serious and never comical, substituting gore for suspense. The suspense is cleverly set up, taking advantage of every opportunity. The equally clever camera work maximizes every effort at creating suspense.
'Arachnophobia' boasts a very good script, very well executed. Great cinematography, very good photography, good performances, and utilizing an age old fear of spiders to maximum effect. Using over 300 real spiders for the film, the suspense and realism of the film is grounded, and its even creepier than it ought to be. The characters are also nicely fleshed out so we care about every one of them. I so enjoyed John Goodman as comic relief exterminator Delbert.
I guarantee you'd want to squash every spider you see after watching this. You might even get an uneasy feeling by simply sitting on your couch! Oh, and check your popcorn...
'Arachnophobia' is a real treat, and scores high on an entertainment level. If you do have arachnophobia, though, you might want to give this one a skip. This film is so well made, it still holds well by today's standards, and is hard to believe it was made over three decades ago!
Spiders. You either hate them, or you loathe them. Sorry, but I can't wrap my head around the thought of 'loving' them. Way too many legs and eyes! I love creepy crawly movies, as they somehow tend to get under your skin. 'Arachnophobia' takes a lighter approach to a rather serious film - a perfect blend of both worlds. Never too serious and never comical, substituting gore for suspense. The suspense is cleverly set up, taking advantage of every opportunity. The equally clever camera work maximizes every effort at creating suspense.
'Arachnophobia' boasts a very good script, very well executed. Great cinematography, very good photography, good performances, and utilizing an age old fear of spiders to maximum effect. Using over 300 real spiders for the film, the suspense and realism of the film is grounded, and its even creepier than it ought to be. The characters are also nicely fleshed out so we care about every one of them. I so enjoyed John Goodman as comic relief exterminator Delbert.
I guarantee you'd want to squash every spider you see after watching this. You might even get an uneasy feeling by simply sitting on your couch! Oh, and check your popcorn...
'Arachnophobia' is a real treat, and scores high on an entertainment level. If you do have arachnophobia, though, you might want to give this one a skip. This film is so well made, it still holds well by today's standards, and is hard to believe it was made over three decades ago!
Creepy
d-shilling-118 November 2021
It's just a spider, man
CuriosityKilledShawn22 April 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Ah, Summer 1990 - what a time to be a kid, or even just a film fan in general. There were so many classics out that summer (Gremlins 2, RoboCop 2, BTTF 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Arachnophobia wasn't one of them but I was excited by the trailer (which used a weird, alternate version of the Gremlin Rag) and I was a fan of John Goodman and Julian Sands, having recently seen Raising Arizona and Warlock at the time. I didn't actually get to see the movie until the next summer when it was on in a bar in Gran Canaria though. On my way back to the hotel I ran up some steps, which made a tassel from my shorts flip up into my face. I thought it was a spider. I freaked.
Many people are afraid of spiders, actually. Including you. There's probably a spider in your bed right now. That tickle on your arm a minute ago - that was probably a spider. You know that packet of grapes you've been munching on? I think maybe an exotic arachnid hitched a ride here from some far off land in it. I'd sleep with your mouth closed tonight if I were you.
A fear of spiders has been in our blood since cave man days. It's a common sense in our DNA that won't go away. They have made easy villains in movies for many years, from the awful Tarantula to the awful Kingdom of the Spiders (which is still a very enjoyable film) and the overlooked Eight Legged Freaks. Frank Marshall tackled the er...eight-legged freaks before the advent of CGI, when creature effects were brought to life with puppetry and animatronics (done here by Chris Walas who seems to have retired now that his craft is obsolete) and it helps the movie feel real and tangible, but it's just not creepy or disgusting enough.
Jeff Daniels plays an affable GP who moves to sleepy rural Canaima, California to escape the city life. The very day he arrives is the moment when a newly-discovered, highly aggressive species of spider arrives in a coffin from Venezuela. It mates with a local right under his nose and sets up a nest in his barn and basement. The locals begin to die of bites from their young and Daniels gradually figures it out as a spectacularly small amount of bodies piles up.
Goodman (channeling Carl Spackler from Caddyshack, for some reason) and Sands come and go, the latter making some truly moronic decisions, while the spiders remain mostly off-screen. Much of the running time is devoted to all the boring bits in-between. Arachnophobia plays it safe when it really should have overwhelmed us.
Even by 1990 PG-13 standards it could have set the bar pretty high for any spider-flicks that followed. Instead we get the occasional glimpse, a few deaths, and a couple of scenes of tension before the action-packed finale which, thankfully, saves it.
Had David Cronenberg (who, strangely, went on to direct a movie called Spider) or John Carpenter tackled the story we might have had a classic, as it is Arachnophobia is merely mindless entertainment with the familiar Amblin touch.
Many people are afraid of spiders, actually. Including you. There's probably a spider in your bed right now. That tickle on your arm a minute ago - that was probably a spider. You know that packet of grapes you've been munching on? I think maybe an exotic arachnid hitched a ride here from some far off land in it. I'd sleep with your mouth closed tonight if I were you.
A fear of spiders has been in our blood since cave man days. It's a common sense in our DNA that won't go away. They have made easy villains in movies for many years, from the awful Tarantula to the awful Kingdom of the Spiders (which is still a very enjoyable film) and the overlooked Eight Legged Freaks. Frank Marshall tackled the er...eight-legged freaks before the advent of CGI, when creature effects were brought to life with puppetry and animatronics (done here by Chris Walas who seems to have retired now that his craft is obsolete) and it helps the movie feel real and tangible, but it's just not creepy or disgusting enough.
Jeff Daniels plays an affable GP who moves to sleepy rural Canaima, California to escape the city life. The very day he arrives is the moment when a newly-discovered, highly aggressive species of spider arrives in a coffin from Venezuela. It mates with a local right under his nose and sets up a nest in his barn and basement. The locals begin to die of bites from their young and Daniels gradually figures it out as a spectacularly small amount of bodies piles up.
Goodman (channeling Carl Spackler from Caddyshack, for some reason) and Sands come and go, the latter making some truly moronic decisions, while the spiders remain mostly off-screen. Much of the running time is devoted to all the boring bits in-between. Arachnophobia plays it safe when it really should have overwhelmed us.
Even by 1990 PG-13 standards it could have set the bar pretty high for any spider-flicks that followed. Instead we get the occasional glimpse, a few deaths, and a couple of scenes of tension before the action-packed finale which, thankfully, saves it.
Had David Cronenberg (who, strangely, went on to direct a movie called Spider) or John Carpenter tackled the story we might have had a classic, as it is Arachnophobia is merely mindless entertainment with the familiar Amblin touch.
The itsy bitsy spider...
paul_haakonsen28 January 2019
"Arachnophobia" is one of those type of creepy crawling horror movies that you can just watch over and over again. And what makes it stand out amidst the majority of other movies in the genre, is the fact that the spiders here are not the size of horses or cars. No, instead they are small and very ordinary in size, except they carry a most poisonous bite.
I remember watching "Arachnophobia" for the first time in the early 1990s, and I was drawn to it because I am a huge fan of Julian Sands. So it was of course destined to happen that I would get to watch it. And I have loved the movie "Arachnophobia" ever since, and I have seen it many, many times since then.
The story starts out pretty interesting and throws the audience right into the setting. And if you are one with an adversity towards spiders and creepy crawlers, then you might want to give the movie a wide berth. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, because it offers a little bit of everything, so there is something for just about everyone in the audience.
Needless to say that the movie is carried quite well by the likes of Jeff Daniels, John Goodman and Julian Sands. But in general, I will say that the acting performances were quite good.
While the spiders are just the size of an average household spider, it is that very fact that makes the movie all the movie creepy and hard-hitting. Because the spiders are small, fast and quite deadly.
I also like the soundtrack for the movie, and it really serves to add a very good atmosphere to the movie, one that is quite fitting for the type of movie that it is.
If you haven't already seen "Arachnophobia", then I can only strongly urge and recommend that you do so if you get the chance.
I remember watching "Arachnophobia" for the first time in the early 1990s, and I was drawn to it because I am a huge fan of Julian Sands. So it was of course destined to happen that I would get to watch it. And I have loved the movie "Arachnophobia" ever since, and I have seen it many, many times since then.
The story starts out pretty interesting and throws the audience right into the setting. And if you are one with an adversity towards spiders and creepy crawlers, then you might want to give the movie a wide berth. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, because it offers a little bit of everything, so there is something for just about everyone in the audience.
Needless to say that the movie is carried quite well by the likes of Jeff Daniels, John Goodman and Julian Sands. But in general, I will say that the acting performances were quite good.
While the spiders are just the size of an average household spider, it is that very fact that makes the movie all the movie creepy and hard-hitting. Because the spiders are small, fast and quite deadly.
I also like the soundtrack for the movie, and it really serves to add a very good atmosphere to the movie, one that is quite fitting for the type of movie that it is.
If you haven't already seen "Arachnophobia", then I can only strongly urge and recommend that you do so if you get the chance.
Every time I watch Arachnophobia, I feel like there's something crawling on me
cricketbat29 October 2021
Man, this movie gives me the creeps! Every time I watch Arachnophobia, I feel like there's something crawling on me. It's a fun mix of horror and comedy, with a relatable cast and creature effects that are still highly impressive decades after this movie was made. This is a good option for people who don't like the supernatural, but still want to watch something scary.
It made my Skin Crawl
mjw230515 January 2005
As a movie this isn't really all that great. The cast, the script and the direction are all adequate, and there's nothing really special about it as a movie. Yet i have scored it 7/10, seems weird; but let me tell you why.
If the bugs had been something other than spiders then i would have given this a 5 or 6, that is about the score it deserves as a movie, but if your like me, and your an arachnophobe then this movie surpasses this score significantly, it makes your skin crawl and has you thinking every shadow is a spider for weeks afterwards. Aside from scaring the s**t out of me it also made me laugh a lot.
For arachnophobes, who enjoy a fright this is the film for you
7/10
If the bugs had been something other than spiders then i would have given this a 5 or 6, that is about the score it deserves as a movie, but if your like me, and your an arachnophobe then this movie surpasses this score significantly, it makes your skin crawl and has you thinking every shadow is a spider for weeks afterwards. Aside from scaring the s**t out of me it also made me laugh a lot.
For arachnophobes, who enjoy a fright this is the film for you
7/10
Not bad...
SnLnc25 February 2000
I did not start watching "Arachnophobia" expecting to like it. I was surprised to find that it was really quite enjoyable and kept your attention. It sounds like just another stupid take off of "The Birds (1963)" and something not really worth your time.
I think what made this movie work was that it had lots of humor and the spiders did not seem too unbelievable. It had lots of shadows from the spiders on the walls and behind the curtains which has an eerie effect on the audience.
I would recommend renting this movie. Watch it with an open mind and try not to think, "This is stupid."
I think what made this movie work was that it had lots of humor and the spiders did not seem too unbelievable. It had lots of shadows from the spiders on the walls and behind the curtains which has an eerie effect on the audience.
I would recommend renting this movie. Watch it with an open mind and try not to think, "This is stupid."
Spiders!
theashtonfive20 October 2017
Arachnophobia deserves a much higher rating and a lot more attention and fame than it got. Jeff Daniels is fantastic in it and John Goodman steals the show as an exterminator who is in way over his head. Julian Sands is also great.
It's about super deadly killer spiders who kill a researcher in South America then hitch a ride in his casket back to the United States where they begin a killing spree.
This movie is very funny and also has a lot of great scares in it. If spiders make you feel icky and or shiver then this is the movie for you. The use of real non-CGI spiders and good practical effects make the spiders much more menacing.
It's about super deadly killer spiders who kill a researcher in South America then hitch a ride in his casket back to the United States where they begin a killing spree.
This movie is very funny and also has a lot of great scares in it. If spiders make you feel icky and or shiver then this is the movie for you. The use of real non-CGI spiders and good practical effects make the spiders much more menacing.
The itsy bitsy spider kills a bunch of people
Sandcooler14 March 2010
Making a comedy about killer spiders is a pretty ambitious plan, because killer spiders (even fictional breeds) make me feel somewhat uncomfortable. Just look at the popcorn scene and you'll know what I'm talking about, that's just incredibly creepy. The weird scientists and the goofy exterminator give some kind of comic relief but argh, there are the spiders again. The best scene in the entire movie is probably the showdown between our main guy (a rather bland Jeff Daniels) and the villains, because that's the scene where they actually start doing something about them. That's pretty much my pet peeve with this movie, there isn't really that much action, and eventually it feels like it's over before it has started. Nobody bothers to fight the spiders until the last ten minutes, which tends to make the movie a tad boring. Very creepy though.
Needed to be darker
gcd703 February 2007
Director Frank Marshall brings us this movie about a South American deadly spider wreaking havoc in a small American town. The plot from Don Jakoby and Al Williams has its share of scares, but I have to say, not much more.
John Goodman is quite funny as local exterminator Delbert McClintock, but others, including Jeff Daniels as Dr. Ross Jennings and Julian Sands as Dr. James Atherton, are just there for the ride.
This Steven Spielberg project, on which he shared executive production duties with director Frank Marshall, was one of his dreams come true. "Arachnaphobia" needed a darker approach, even a darker humour.
Saturday, February 23, 1991 - Knox District Centre
John Goodman is quite funny as local exterminator Delbert McClintock, but others, including Jeff Daniels as Dr. Ross Jennings and Julian Sands as Dr. James Atherton, are just there for the ride.
This Steven Spielberg project, on which he shared executive production duties with director Frank Marshall, was one of his dreams come true. "Arachnaphobia" needed a darker approach, even a darker humour.
Saturday, February 23, 1991 - Knox District Centre
Special Delivery...
azathothpwiggins8 June 2020
ARACHNOPHOBIA brilliantly takes a simple fear of spiders and magnifies it to monstrous proportions!
A highly venomous super-spider from Venezuela finds its way to small town America. As luck would have it, Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) and family, have just moved into the same town. Little do they know that the aforementioned arachnid has set up shop on their new home's property. Horror and hilarity soon unfold when the eight-legged menace manages to start a tiny population explosion of killer offspring!
This movie gets the whole horror / comedy balance just right, not sacrificing one for the other. There are an equal amount of chills and laughs. Daniels is great in his role, as is Julian Sands as the hyperbolic Dr. Atherton. John Goodman puts in a nice, extended cameo as Delbert the exterminator.
Special mention must be made of the spider wrangler, for making these creatures appear intelligent and terrifying! You'll never look at attics or basements in quite the same way again!...
A highly venomous super-spider from Venezuela finds its way to small town America. As luck would have it, Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) and family, have just moved into the same town. Little do they know that the aforementioned arachnid has set up shop on their new home's property. Horror and hilarity soon unfold when the eight-legged menace manages to start a tiny population explosion of killer offspring!
This movie gets the whole horror / comedy balance just right, not sacrificing one for the other. There are an equal amount of chills and laughs. Daniels is great in his role, as is Julian Sands as the hyperbolic Dr. Atherton. John Goodman puts in a nice, extended cameo as Delbert the exterminator.
Special mention must be made of the spider wrangler, for making these creatures appear intelligent and terrifying! You'll never look at attics or basements in quite the same way again!...
Not as I Recalled
gavin694230 September 2017
A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the United States in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.
This film came out when I was young, so I probably first saw it when I was 10 or 12. And I recall it being pretty funny. Watching it now (2017), it does not have the humor I recall. Even John Goodman seems to come up short.
Now, if anything, it should be better than I remembered because Julian Sands is in it, as well as Jeff Daniels. Names and faces I love but would not have known about as a kid. How did this film age so poorly.... or did I just enter it in the wrong frame of mind?
This film came out when I was young, so I probably first saw it when I was 10 or 12. And I recall it being pretty funny. Watching it now (2017), it does not have the humor I recall. Even John Goodman seems to come up short.
Now, if anything, it should be better than I remembered because Julian Sands is in it, as well as Jeff Daniels. Names and faces I love but would not have known about as a kid. How did this film age so poorly.... or did I just enter it in the wrong frame of mind?
The itsy-bitsy spider crawled up the water spout; down came the rain and washed the spider out.
hitchcockthelegend2 June 2010
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
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
A creepy spider movie
jaroddfinch1 May 2021
The first time I saw this I though it was pretty good I don't like spiders but. I like spiders movies because I find them cool to watch and Jeff Daniels is a good actor he funny in dumb and dumber if you like spiders movie you will like this one.
Monsters everywhere
raulfaust8 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This movie used to scare me big time when I was much younger, and as far as I know, I've always been a fainthearted when it comes to spiders. I thought that, maybe after all these years without facing a spider situation, this movie would be just a simply entertainment to me. Boy, I was wrong. From the first time the characters see a spider I got anguished. After the first spider bite, I asked myself if I really wanted to go on in that journey. Jokes aside--I'm a bit serious actually--, I can honestly state this is a very well done movie. It uses an unexplored theme in horror movies-- at that time-- to create a terrifying story that chills almost everyone. Characters are well developed, and so is the plot, giving credibility to most scenes they built. Also, plot has enough elements to entertain you, even thought they don't talk/show spiders every time. Of course when it wanted to reach a climax spiders were all they showed, but that's the way horror movies use to get there, and I respect that. We have 103 minutes of tension, fun and jumps, and even thought we know or imagine how it's gonna end, it never fails in any aspect. I just don't know why they label this movie as comedy-- in my opinion, this is a very serious business hahaha. All in all, "Arachnophobia" is a surprisingly good movie that impacted many children in 90's and will scare everyone who has this phobia, for sure.
A Rare Breed Creepy Crawler Classic (with such sweet little adorable furry creatures)
tbills212 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Arachnophobia is the fear of arachnids, spiders, but there's really nothing for anyone out there to fear, because these sweet little guys are oh so cute, oh look at him, and oh so sweet, they have lots of eyes, but they're all still so adorable and completely and utterly harmless. The big furry ones, like tarantulas, cannot hurt you and they're way more scared of you then you of them, but fortunately for this forever classic, Arachnophobia, there's a new breed of deadly South American spider that's been isolated and unchanged for millions of years, and is quite toxic, and quite sneaky, so game on, BUT, real life tarantulas are sweet and harmless. They cannot seriously hurt you, unless they like bite you in the eye or something that would probably suck but they wouldn't even want to do that because they're all really so smart and so sweet.
(Great Cast --> Jeff Daniels, I really love stunning Harley Jane Kozak, and John Goodman's really memorable as the exterminator --> Great Movie --> Great Villain --> Great Spider Shots)
(Great Cast --> Jeff Daniels, I really love stunning Harley Jane Kozak, and John Goodman's really memorable as the exterminator --> Great Movie --> Great Villain --> Great Spider Shots)
By the numbers.
rmax30482313 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
It follows the formula as if in a Marine boot camp. Strictly lockstep. A nice young doctor, his beautiful wife, and two lovely kiddies move out of the city and buy a ranch house in a small town. The house seems to have everything they want. It even has a large, well-stocked wine cellar. The cellar is always dark, cluttered, and musty.
One after another, townspeople begin to die mysteriously. The young doctor, Jeff Daniels, an arachnophobe, thinks something is going on and asks for autopsies. The old doctor, Henry Jones, the one who refuses to retire, disagrees vehemently. Nobody believes Daniels. The people of the village scorn him and tease his children. The local infestation controller ("exterminator" to you) is matter-of-fact about the affair. Then the old doctor himself becomes a victim and Daniels finally gets his autopsies.
Spiders did it.
An forensic arachnologist, or whatever he is, Julian Sands, is called in on the case. He identifies the culprit as a deadly Venezuelan species that is organized like the social insects -- termites, bees, ants, and so forth. They have drones, workers, scullery maids, boot blacks, queens, and all that.
Then, more or less suddenly, the little creatures are all over the place, dropping from the ceilings, crawling into the shower to spy on Daniel's teen aged daughter, proving that they're not entirely evil. A final confrontation involves the wine cellar, Daniels, and the queen of spiders, now grown to the size of an elephant seal.
The direction isn't bad, given the idiocy of the plot. What can you do with a thousand spiders except have them crawl all over the place and leap at people from hidden places? What else can you have them do? A toe dance to the incidental music from "Rosamunde"? Form a twenty-foot pyramid like tiny circus acrobats? In case you're in any doubt about what you're supposed to be thinking and feeling, the musical score stuffs innumerable cues down your throat. Yes, when Daniels explores the wine cellar or the barn with a flashlight, it's a spooky scene. You can tell because the violins are going orgasmic with tremolo.
Jeff Daniels, by the way, is the perfect actor for a role like this. His instrument only has one note. Not that that's necessarily bad, because Gary Cooper only had one and a half. That marmoreal aspect fits precisely. If he were more expressive he'd have become screaming mad by the movie's end.
The film is bound to leave its mark on the history of cinematic mediocrity.
One after another, townspeople begin to die mysteriously. The young doctor, Jeff Daniels, an arachnophobe, thinks something is going on and asks for autopsies. The old doctor, Henry Jones, the one who refuses to retire, disagrees vehemently. Nobody believes Daniels. The people of the village scorn him and tease his children. The local infestation controller ("exterminator" to you) is matter-of-fact about the affair. Then the old doctor himself becomes a victim and Daniels finally gets his autopsies.
Spiders did it.
An forensic arachnologist, or whatever he is, Julian Sands, is called in on the case. He identifies the culprit as a deadly Venezuelan species that is organized like the social insects -- termites, bees, ants, and so forth. They have drones, workers, scullery maids, boot blacks, queens, and all that.
Then, more or less suddenly, the little creatures are all over the place, dropping from the ceilings, crawling into the shower to spy on Daniel's teen aged daughter, proving that they're not entirely evil. A final confrontation involves the wine cellar, Daniels, and the queen of spiders, now grown to the size of an elephant seal.
The direction isn't bad, given the idiocy of the plot. What can you do with a thousand spiders except have them crawl all over the place and leap at people from hidden places? What else can you have them do? A toe dance to the incidental music from "Rosamunde"? Form a twenty-foot pyramid like tiny circus acrobats? In case you're in any doubt about what you're supposed to be thinking and feeling, the musical score stuffs innumerable cues down your throat. Yes, when Daniels explores the wine cellar or the barn with a flashlight, it's a spooky scene. You can tell because the violins are going orgasmic with tremolo.
Jeff Daniels, by the way, is the perfect actor for a role like this. His instrument only has one note. Not that that's necessarily bad, because Gary Cooper only had one and a half. That marmoreal aspect fits precisely. If he were more expressive he'd have become screaming mad by the movie's end.
The film is bound to leave its mark on the history of cinematic mediocrity.
This is an absolute classic horror gem
kevin_robbins25 October 2021
Arachnophobia (1990) is a movie in my DVD collection and is also available on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows a city doctor who moves out into the country to become a small town doctor. Unfortunately for him this small town has a local man who recently died in Valenzuela and is sent back home to be buried; and within the coffin is a rare breed of spider that is very territorial. This movie is directed by Frank Marshall (Congo) and stars Jeff Daniels (Dumb & Dumber), Julian Sands (Warlock), John Goodman (Roseanne) and Harley Jane Kozak (Parenthood). The opening of this movie in Valenzuela really sets the mood and intensity of the film. They do a great job of using lighting and shadows in this film to create the looks and attacks. They also do a great job of creating the look, feel and characters of the small town. I always think an aspect of this storyline that's interesting is how much people hate the opinions of the educated and how that still plagues our society (COVID as an example). John Goodman is outstanding in this movie and this is one of my favorite performances of his. The horror elements in this start very subtle and build as as the number of spiders increase and gets more and more intense as the movie unfolds. This is an absolute classic horror gem with a few outdated special effects but the characters and elements are so good it remains a masterpiece. This is a 9/10 that I'd strongly recommend.
Cross Poltergeist, Eight-Legged Freaks and Beetlejuice
SusieSalmonLikeTheFish5 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Arachnophobia is okay, but typical. A rare species of spider ends up traveling to the United States in a coffin, and wreaks havoc on a boring family, including the dad, who is terrified of spiders.
The entire time I was watching this, I couldn't get the image of the picture-perfect families from Poltergeist, Edward Scissorhands, etc. out of my head. The countryside homes reminded me of the town from Beetlejuice, as did many of the actors. The soundtrack was very Addams Family-like. From the early eighties to early nineties, the era had several films each with similar characters. It was hard to view this film as original. Not only were the spider web effects incredibly fake-looking, but the film stretched on and became incredibly boring. The acting was okay but not very good and the soundtrack was typical.
There's no real side to this movie, I can't call it good or bad. Just typical.
The entire time I was watching this, I couldn't get the image of the picture-perfect families from Poltergeist, Edward Scissorhands, etc. out of my head. The countryside homes reminded me of the town from Beetlejuice, as did many of the actors. The soundtrack was very Addams Family-like. From the early eighties to early nineties, the era had several films each with similar characters. It was hard to view this film as original. Not only were the spider web effects incredibly fake-looking, but the film stretched on and became incredibly boring. The acting was okay but not very good and the soundtrack was typical.
There's no real side to this movie, I can't call it good or bad. Just typical.
Was Rooting For The Creepy Spiders To Bite The Main Characters
ccthemovieman-16 February 2007
If spiders give you the creeps, stay away from this film. You will be uncomfortable watching it, to say the least! I'm so-so on the creatures but this gave me some creepy moments, too. As one person said, "It makes your skin crawl."
The spiders didn't bother me as much as most of the characters in this film. They were annoying to me, especially Jeff Daniels as "Dr. Ross Jennings." This guy blasphemes about as many times as the spiders appear.
The only fun person in the film is John Goodman, who plays the exterminator, "Delbert McClintock." Too bad "Delbert" didn't exterminate a few people while he was at it!
The spiders didn't bother me as much as most of the characters in this film. They were annoying to me, especially Jeff Daniels as "Dr. Ross Jennings." This guy blasphemes about as many times as the spiders appear.
The only fun person in the film is John Goodman, who plays the exterminator, "Delbert McClintock." Too bad "Delbert" didn't exterminate a few people while he was at it!
highly recommended
Special-K881 June 2003
Dr. Ross Jennings is a west coast doctor from the big city who relocates to a small town in the rural country. Not only does he not fit in with the local residents, but he also has an uncontrollable fear of spiders which are prevalent in the surrounding area. To make matters worse, a new, lethal breed of spider has made its way from South America to their hometown, and produced far more deadly offspring that are slowly taking over their peaceful little community. Exciting, creepy-crawly thriller with first-rate special effects, hair-raising chills, and an excellent cast. Even with the welcomed comedic overtones this is not for the squeamish or anyone with the titular fear, especially at the film's nail-biting finale. ***
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
