Arachnophobia
1990
A group of scientists discover a new species of spider in the Amazon Rain Forest and accidentally bring one home with them on their return. The inhabitants of a small town in California are soon plagued by a mysterious killer... Read more
| Starring | Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, Julian Sands, Frances Bay |
|---|---|
| Director | Frank Marshall |
| Genres | Horror |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Steven Spielberg's longtime producer Frank Marshall turned director for this tongue-in-cheek, creepy-crawly tale about deadly tropical spiders invading the small California town where phobic doctor Jeff Daniels has just started up a practice. Marshall shows much of his mentor's touch (Spielberg acted as co-executive producer with Marshall), spinning a tension-laden web full of solid scares and well-timed wit in what is virtually a version of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, only with eight legs. The black humour mixes with the black widows surprisingly well — John Goodman's exterminator provides some lovely moments — but the shudder content may well be too much for those who can't stand spiders.
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Executive producer Steven Spielberg's influence is evident in this effectively scary movie set in a small town threatened by a menace it doesn't understand.
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Dr Ross Jennings (Daniels), his wife (Kozak) and their two children uproot from the urban sprawl to a picturesque... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
aka
well what can i say this is the best 8 legs film u can still watch to this day!
acting is good and story line is basic but u may just start looking under the toilet seat from now on after u watch this film!
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- EvilA from East midlands
- Posted 30 May 2005 22:04
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
creepy crawly classic
if spiders are not your thing keep away from this one it will keep you awake at night thinking about them
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A thoroughly enjoyable film which managed to keep all the family entertained during the shool hols. Comic and scary in turns-but never sufficiently frightening to stop my youngest liking it.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
This scared the pants off my boyfriend but left me cold, amusing enough for a PG creature feature though.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
creepy crawly classic
if spiders are not your thing keep away from this one it will keep you awake at night thinking about them
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
aka
well what can i say this is the best 8 legs film u can still watch to this day!
acting is good and story line is basic but u may just start looking under the toilet seat from now on after u watch this film!-
- EvilA from East midlands
- Posted 30 May 2005 22:04
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
creepy crawly classic
if spiders are not your thing keep away from this one it will keep you awake at night thinking about them
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
A thoroughly enjoyable film which managed to keep all the family entertained during the shool hols. Comic and scary in turns-but never sufficiently frightening to stop my youngest liking it.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
This scared the pants off my boyfriend but left me cold, amusing enough for a PG creature feature though.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
worth watching
I first watched this when it was in the cinema and enjoyed it. Even now its a good film to watch for all the family. If not seen it git it a go , you'll enjoy it.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Pretty Good - Not Great
The hype was immense when this film came out, with the trailers comparing the movie to Jaws and Alien (!!!)
Obviously, the film falls way short of those original expectations, but that doesn't mean to say this film is a disaster. It is still an enjoyable watch and has it's moments (John Goodman particularly provides fantastic comic relief), but overall is unlikely to form part of your permanent collection, but is still recommended to see if you haven't already.
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- jarvish
- Posted 14 Nov 2007 unknown
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I might not go as far as to say that this film is a classic but it certainly gets short listed. It has a fairly good story line which makes you jump in all the right places. My only compliant is the rather far fetched (or just darn silly) ending.
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Jolly family horror comedy. At least that's how I'd describe it. When I was young and saw this at the cinema it was very scary indeed and gave me nightmares for days. As an adult the humour is more prevalent and while it's never going to get any oscars, its worth a watch.
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I cant stand spiders ! Having arachnophobia myself i was a little nervous about watching it but it was brilliant, just lets my wife know what i go through when i see a spider !!!
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If you have a phobia of spiders then this one really isn't for you, I haven't a phobia of spiders although the bit at the end where there are hundreds of them coming out of the sink hole was even too much for me I have to say. Made me squirm a little!!!!
Critics' reviews (5)
-
Steven Spielberg's longtime producer Frank Marshall turned director for this tongue-in-cheek, creepy-crawly tale about deadly tropical spiders invading the small California town where phobic doctor Jeff Daniels has just started up a practice. Marshall shows much of his mentor's touch (Spielberg acted as co-executive producer with Marshall), spinning a tension-laden web full of solid scares and well-timed wit in what is virtually a version of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, only with eight legs. The black humour mixes with the black widows surprisingly well — John Goodman's exterminator provides some lovely moments — but the shudder content may well be too much for those who can't stand spiders.
-
Executive producer Steven Spielberg's influence is evident in this effectively scary movie set in a small town threatened by a menace it doesn't understand.
-
Dr Ross Jennings (Daniels), his wife (Kozak) and their two children uproot from the urban sprawl to a picturesque... read more on Time Out
-
"...[A] very funny suspense comedy. It has the grace and airiness of a classic Hitchcock thriller..."
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"...Marshall shows a deft hand at mixing thrills and laughter....It creeps up on you..."
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A group of scientists discover a new species of spider in the Amazon Rain Forest and accidentally bring one home with them on their return. The inhabitants of a small town in California are soon ... -
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