Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Ellory Elkayem

Writers (WGA):

Ellory Elkayem (story) &
Randy Kornfield (story) ...

Release Date:

17 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Do you hate spiders? Do you really hate spiders? Well they don't like you either.

Plot:

A variety of horrible poisonous spiders get exposed to a noxious chemical that causes them to grow to monumental proportions.

Plot Keywords:

Spider | Cell Phone | Father Son Relationship | Radio Station | Handcuffs

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

David Arquette	...	Chris McCormick
Kari Wuhrer	...	Sheriff Samantha Parker
Scott Terra	...	Mike Parker
Scarlett Johansson	...	Ashley Parker
Doug E. Doug	...	Harlan Griffith
Rick Overton	...	Deputy Pete Willis
Leon Rippy	...	Wade
Matt Czuchry	...	Bret
Jay Arlen Jones	...	Leon
Eileen Ryan	...	Gladys
Riley Smith	...	Randy
Matt Holwick	...	Larry
Jane Edith Wilson	...	Emma
Jack Moore	...	Amos
Roy Gaintner	...	Floyd

Also Known As:

Arac Attack (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence, brief sexuality and language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #38699) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (theatrical rating) | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Austria:10 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the beginning of the movie at the spider farm, when it shows the jumping spiders feeding, Johnny says, "They call it an Arac-Attack." This is a reference to the original title of the movie.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the beginning where Chris meets Aunt Gladys in the office there is a dog biting at his pants. During the shot between his legs, the arm of the animal wrangler can clearly be seen pulling the dog forward by the collar.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Harlan: Do you know fear?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mou gaan dou (2002)

Soundtrack:

Strangers in the Night

A fun monster movie

Eight Legged Freaks (2002) is a surprisingly good movie. Basically the story of toxic-waste mutated spiders attacking an isolated desert town, this could have seriously sucked, but the film has a sense of humor about it. In a way, it reminds me of Gremlins and Tremors, two monster movies that also had a really nasty sense of humor about them. All of these films are essentially replicas of cheesy 50's movies, but done with modern special effects. The good effects do not in any way make these films any less cheesy, but they are fun. A good chunk of this film takes place in a mall, and there are some definite nods to both Aliens and Dawn of the Dead. A couple of the funnier moments have to be when an old man is stalked in a sporting-goods store while a Muzak version of "Strangers in the Night" plays in the background while a guy in a hockey mask with a chainsaw battles the spiders (Jason vs. Arachnids?).

Is the film plausible? Not in the slightest. Is it fun? Oh yeah! Mindlessly cheesy horror at its best. No nudity, light language, lots of violence, 8/10. Not a good idea for those scared of spiders.

PS The director (a young man from New Zealand) included the short that inspired this movie on the DVD release. It's worth watching too.