Arachnophobia (1990)

 


I love this horror/comedy film directed by Frank Marshall and produced by Steven Spielberg. If you have a morbid fear of spiders(like I do) you will find this movie very hard to watch in parts. I could watch all of the blood and guts and gore in the world, but when it comes to looking at a huge killer spider, it gives me goosebumps and I have to look away.

The story begins in the rain forest with a entomologist(someone who studies insects) called Dr.James Atherton(Julian Sands) and a group of scientists looking for new species of insects. They find a new species of spider and they capture it and keep it for research. They have a photographer with them, Jerry Manley(Mark L. Taylor) and he sees the size of the spider that they have found. It is called a 'soldier' and they wonder how big the 'general' is in comparison. Jerry goes to lie down in his tent and he is bitten by the 'general' and he dies. It is assumed that he has died of a fever.He is brought back to America in a box along with the 'general'.

Jerry's body comes to his home town of Canaima,California. The general sneaks out of the box and roams around until it comes to the house of Dr. Ross Jennings(Jeff Daniels). Ross has just moved to the little town from San Fransico with his wife, Molly(Harley Jane Kozak) and their kids. Dr Jennings is supposed to take over from the old Dr. Metcalf(Henry Jones) but the old doctor changes his mind at the last minute and Ross has to set up his own practice. Meanwhile, the general is mating with a common domestic spider and it sets up a web in Dr Jennings barn. Ross has a fear of spiders and he won't go near the barn.
People start to die around the town after being bitten by the offspring of the spider. Ross gets the blame as the people were seeing him before they died.The old doctor is killed by a spider and Ross beings to wonder if there are deadly spiders infesting the little town. More and more people begin to die from spider bites. Dr.Atherton is called in to see what he can do, along with eccentric exterminator, Delbert McClintock(John Goodman). Dr. Atherton is killed after finding the web in the barn.Then, the Jennings discover a nest in their basement and they try to escape the house, but the spiders are beginning to take over the house. They are everywhere but Mrs. Jennings and the kids get out leaving Ross in the house . He falls into the basement and he comes face to face with the Queen who he kills.He faces his fear of spiders and he thinks that he is safe, but he is cornered by the general who is harder to kill. He does kill it and destroy the eggs. The film ends with the Jennings living in San Franciso. They are thinking about their lucky escape when they feel an earthquake coming and they check on the kids.

This is great family fun but it is good for anyone who likes creepy movies. If you hate spiders and find that even the little ones are scary, then this film will petrify you. I like it because it is funny but scary at the same time. Maybe it is not as scary as some horror movies, but it is a great watch. I will give it 9/10.