Spiders the size of SUVs in a mining town full of crazy characters? Count me in!
Eight Legged Freaks, starring David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra, Scarlett Johansson, and Doug E. Doug, finally arrives on blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory. For me, this B-grade horror comedy does exactly what Gremlins and Critters did before it, striking a great balance between the ridiculous and the terror of a 1950s creature feature. It might not be for everyone, but its humor is certainly on point as Prosperity, Arizona gets roasted.
Eight Legged Freaks begins with insects who have been exposed to massive amounts of pollution. A local resident and obsessive spider lover (Tom Noonan) feeds these polluted bugs to his wild and vast collection of spiders. They soon grow bigger and grow hungrier. The crickets and grasshoppers they’ve been feeding on aren’t going to cut it anymore. Uh oh.
One spider attack results in a whole lot of spiders being released as Noonan goes down thrashing wildly about. He kicks, flings, and slings his way to a very convulsing death and, as a result, winds up releasing a whole lot of these EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS to descend upon a town that its own mayor (Leon Rippy) would like to sell to outside interests.
Coming back to Prosperity after a decade away, Chris (Arquette) wants to do something with his father’s mine. However, he finds himself at odds with what the mayor wants AND his past habits as he settles into them all too easily and finds himself still nursing a crush over Sheriff Samantha (Kari Wuhrer) and being introduced to her two kids, Ashley (Scarlett Johansson) and yet another spider expert Mike (Scott Terra).
Soon enough, every single one of them are fighting off enormous spiders as one man’s pets become predators, leaving no place safe . . . even the mall! Hell, even dirt bike enthusiasts aren’t safe from these widespread arachnid attacks.
Written and directed by Ellory Elkayem (Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling), Eight Legged Freaks works because it never takes itself seriously, making the audience a part of the fun thanks to its wicked antics and its whip smart dialogue. The story itself is self-referential and completely on point as even more of the cracked characters - including conspiracy radio host Harlan (Doug) and Deputy Pete (Rick Overton) - get in on the fun in battling off this radioactive riot. While some of the CGI show the limitations in the film’s budget, the practical effects still work as the
Welcome back to the Atomic Age! Eight Legged Freaks is now on blu-ray thanks to Scream Factory. Time to get eaten.
Home Video Distributor: Scream Factory
Available on Blu-ray - July 20, 2021
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
The townies of Prosperity, Arizona will all become a screaming smorgasbord if mutated arachnids as big as SUVs have their way in this comedy/horror crowd-pleaser whose creators include the producers of Independence Day and Godzilla. Spiders that leap like gazelles, web-spitting spiders, spiders that suck your insides out as if through a straw – they're all among the behemoths conjured up by an inventive effects team. David Arquette (Scream) leads the two-legged stars, mobilizing the citizenry in a last-ditch fight to survive. Here's hoping they succeed. Otherwise, Prosperity – maybe the world – could be reduced to one giant, uh, website!
Video:
Presented in a crisp 1080p transfer, Eight Legged Freaks’s new scan of the original negative, presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio, is a thing of pristine beauty. This thing is just popping with B-grade images thanks to its solid production design! Crackling with fine details, you will every moment of the atomic age horror when these oversized spiders attack. Start running now! Black levels are intense and full of layered details and the sub-bleached setting will have you sweating in no time thanks to the crisp locales and blasted enviros. The effects are practical and retain their grit and the fine details in the faces of the character actors are deep and edged. Fabrics in the costumes are textured and robust.
Audio:
Audio wise, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 mono soundtrack is clear and the dialogue is never lost or hard to hear.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Director Ellory Elkayem, producer Dean Devlin, and actors David Arquette and Rick Overton provide the fun commentary.
Special Features:
Complete with Ellory Elkayem's original 1998 short film, the bonus supplemental items are pretty great. Fans get a 42-minute making of featurette, a collection of deleted scenes, and a theatrical trailer.
- It's an Invasion
- Deleted Scenes
- Larger Than Life
- Theatrical Trailer
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi violence, brief sexuality and language.
Runtime: 99 mins
Director: Ellory Elkayem
Writer: Jesse Alexander
Cast: David Arquette; Kari Wuhrer; Scott Terra
Genre: Sci-fi | Horror
Tagline: Do you hate spiders? Do you really hate spiders? Well they don't like you either.
Memorable Movie Quote: "No one's going to believe me, cause I'm a kid, and they never listen to kids."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site:
Release Date: July 17, 2002
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: July 20, 2021.
Synopsis: What do you get when you cross a toxic waste with a bunch of exotic spiders? Eaten! The townies of Prosperity, Arizona, will all become a screaming smorgasbord if mutated arachnids as big as SUVs have their way in this comedy/horror crowd pleaser whose creators include the producers of Independence Day and Godzilla. Spiders that leap like gazelles, web-spitting spiders, spiders that suck your insides out as if through a straw – they're all among the behemoths conjured up by an inventive effects team.
