Sci-Fi Horror Spider Spoof
Rating: 6/10
Running Time: 99 minutes
UK Certificate: 12
On DVD
After a truck carrying toxic waste crashes into a pond near a small mining town (Prosperity, Arizona), strange things start happening. People start disappearing, and when the local spider enthusiast starts collecting some unusually large and intelligent specimens, things begin to get very creepy indeed.
Eight Legged Freaks is an action spoof that capably mimics the B-movies of the 50s. The effects are excellent; the spiders look horribly real and the sound effects are equally gruesome. You can't help but shuffle in your seat as you imagine what could be creeping up on your feet as you watch this movie.
The local sheriff (Wuhrer) and her teenage daughter (Johansson) work to prevent the town's destruction by the killer spiders. Aided by the prodigal son Chris McCormack (Arquette), the trio battle against the town's growing arachnid infestation.
Well paced and not overly long (quite like this review), Eight Legged Freaks is great entertainment for the first half as you watch wave after wave of super spiders try to devour everything in sight. Then suddenly, you've seen everything this film has to offer and await the explosive conclusion, fully aware of how the film will pan out.
It's mildly amusing, fairly entertaining, and one to watch on DVD but only after you've seen Arachnophobia.
It's Got: More giant spiders than you can count.
It Needs: Not much. As a spoof monster movie, it does its job adequately.
DVD Extras Nothing special: the obligatory deleted scenes, a feature on the history of bug and monster movies, the original short that inspired the film, film trailer and the casts biographies DVD Extras Rating: 3/10
Summary
Average. A few laughs and little else. If you hate spiders, this film is definitely not for you.