Arachnophobia (1990)
Average Rating: 6.8/10
Reviews Counted: 34
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 3
Arachnophobia may not deliver genuine chills, but it's an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood's classic creature features.
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 0
Arachnophobia may not deliver genuine chills, but it's an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood's classic creature features.
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Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 208,579
My Rating
Movie Info
Referring to the fear of spiders, Arachnophobia features a particularly deadly species of spider that manages to make its way from the Venezuelan rain forest to a small California town, thanks to the many oversights of entomologist Julian Sands. Yuppie doctor Jeff Daniels, fed up with the dangers inherent in big-city living, has resettled in this town on the assumption that nothing untoward could ever happen here to himself and his family. Before long, however, Daniels is trying to make sense of
Jul 18, 1990 Wide
Jun 15, 1999
Buena Vista Pictures
Cast
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Jeff Daniels
Dr. Ross Jennings -
Harley Jane Kozak
Molly Jennings -
John Goodman
Delbert McClintock -
Julian Sands
Dr. James Atherton -
Stuart Pankin
Sheriff Parsons -
Brian McNamara
Chris Collins -
Mark L. Taylor
Jerry Manley -
Henry Jones
Dr. Sam Metcalf -
Peter Jason
Henry Beechwood -
James Handy
Milton Briggs -
Roy Brocksmith
Irv Kendall -
Kathy Kinney
Blaire Kendall -
Mary Carver
Margaret Hollins -
Frances Bay
Evelyn Metcalf -
Chance Boyer
Bobby Beechwood -
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Beechwood -
Lois De Banzie
Henrietta Manley -
Terese del Piero
Mom -
Garette Ratliff Henson
Tommy Jennings -
Michael Steve Jones
Irv's Assistant -
Marlene Katz
Shelley Jennings -
Mai-Lis Kuniholm
Girl Friend -
Warren Rice
Dick Manley -
Jane Marla Robbins
Edna Beechwood -
Theo Schwartz
Bunny Beechwood -
Jay Scorpio
Mover -
Nathaniel Spitzley
Todd Miller -
Robert Frank Telfer
Mayor Bob -
Fiona Walsh
Little Girl -
Cori Wellins
Becky Beechwood -
-
-
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Robert "Bobby Z" Zajonc
Reserve pilot
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All Critics (34) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (4) | DVD (11)
Frank Marshall's sophisticated feature directing debut never indulges in ultimate gross-out effects and carefully chooses both its victims and its means of depicting their dispatch.
First-time director Frank Marshall has long been Steven Spielberg's producer, and he's learned the master's lessons well.
Designed to reduce the audience to a squirming mass, the film yields plenty of grisly pleasures.
That sound you hear in the background is the ''ugh!'' heard round the world. Luckily, ''Arachnophobia'' will also be generating its share of boisterous, nervous laughter.
It's a one-joke movie, a funhouse ride, the cinematic equivalent of having a rubber spider thrown in your lap. But it doesn't matter if you reject the wispy script or the plot, which has as much substance as a spider's web; you'll jump every time.
Frank Marshall, a constant Spielberg collaborator, makes his directorial debut in this genial horror movie, a sweet infestation that creeps and crawls but wouldn't scare anybody.
Fairly engaging.
"Arachnophobia" is a notch or two above the typical creature horror movie, with solid special effects and a decent story that isn't just one "Boo!" after the other.
A pretty (sub)standard package for a pretty serviceable B movie, this new Arachnophobia discs function foremost as a reminder that, hey, the film exists.
Preys upon that dread in a wonderfully cinematic manner, elegantly keeping the antics lighthearted enough to encourage a viewing, but eventually digging into spiderific panic -- pure candy to horror junkies on the prowl for the perfect thrill.
Creepy/clever creature feature with touches of humor.
Plenty of laughs, but the action scenes don't really generate much in the way of scares. Good enough for Sunday afternoon, though.
Spider terror -- overproduced and effects-driven, but adequate.
Audience Reviews for Arachnophobia
"Arachnophobia" is a very entertaining horror movie produced by Steven Spielberg.
A group of researchers are on a research expedition to Venezuela. Upon a routine trapping of insects, the researchers find two stunned spiders in their traps. They are unlike any spiders they have ever seen, and they begin to study the spiders. One of these spiders escapes, and kills a researcher. Once the researcher is discovered dead, the spider hitches a ride back to the researchers home town, Canaima, California. There, Dr. Ross Jennings has just moved in, and he is deathly afraid of spiders. Now, the Venezuelan spider has reached the U.S., and has begun to dominate the town. Soon, people who appear completely healthy start to die suddenly. It is only after the death of the town's only other doctor, that Jennings realizes it may be a spider that is causing the death. Soon, they attract the attention of the head researcher in Venezuela, Dr. James Atherton. He sends his assistant to Canaima, only verifying that the Venezuelan spider was involved. He informs them that the Venezuelan spider plans on taking over its new area, by creating reproductive offspring with a domestic house spider. Now, it's a race against time before the Venezuelan spider manifests the town and eventually the entire country.
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Latest News on Arachnophobia
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Top Critic
One big ugly motherf**ker of a spider hitches a ride from Venezuela and ends up in a small wholesome American as apple pie town. Once there it breeds with the local spiders and creates a whole army of deadly eight legged facehuggers that go on the rampage biting all the lovely townsfolk, how horrific!. Its up to the new doc in town, Jeff Daniels, to save everyone...yeah not good, having Jeff Daniels as you're only hope!.
'A web would indicate an arachnoid presence'
Loved the whole scenario of Daniel's new in town City doctor character up against the aged, stuck in the past, doesn't like change, old fashioned methods small town doctor. Brilliantly played by Henry Jones.
This film is so darn hokey its fantastic, everything within it it cliched and predictable but that's the way it should be. There are no complaints here, no moaning, this is exactly what was set out to do and you get exactly what you'd expect, tiny aliens invading smallville USA. So yes the main daddy spider is an animatronic laugh out loud effect, they have clearly tried to make him look real but its very obvious looking yet highly cool at the same time. You don't see him too clearly, mainly the legs, but in the final showdown he presents himself (almost) in all his furry glory, hissing and screaming too I might add!.
What was impressive about this film was they used real spiders alongside the fake ones. In fact they used lots of real spiders, it makes you wonder how on earth they managed to do it, get the spiders to go where they wanted and create some really decent spine tingling moments. I've read they attract them using cold or heat?? sounds bizarre, but you must admit many shots in this film look terrific as the little blighters scurry around. The more impressive shots are seeing the spiders dangling on their web threads.
Of course the winning formula here is the lurking fear factor. The devious fellows behind the film use every trick in the book damn them, things that you dread, that you have nightmares about. Spiders on your face, inside cereal boxes, in you bed, on your hand, in you hair, hanging down from the ceiling on their web threads and hovering above you or landing on your head!, leaping at you, in the shower, inside slippers etc...There's an absolute multitude of moments that will make you jump or squirm involuntary (if you don't like spiders), just the sheer vision of seeing one of these little long legged arachnids spring into action is enough to give me the shits.
Its funny how such small little creatures that actually do exist (this ain't no fantasy monster flick) can create such powerful reactions from us. I'm sure some folk would say this is more scary than any slasher/psycho horror flick. Myself, I don't like spiders at all, and this film certainly made me check where my feet were whilst watching. A well made flick that gives you the creeps and also looks really good too, its still B-movie schlock but the wonderful characters, brilliant spider camera work and the full on American cheese is glorious.
Kudos to John Goodman as the exterminator, funny character, amusing look and of course completely hammy. 'Actually, he's probably still at the bottom of my shoe. You really can't tell what it is anymore'.