Arachnid (DVD, 2002)

I had high hopes for this genre horror film. Being a fan of the 'creature feature' subset of science fiction-horror for over twenty years, I've seen some very nice efforts made on a shoestring budget. I am not saying the film was totally awful--okay, it was :) -- but if you are going to have giant, alien mutant spiders roaming a tropical island and devouring clueless humans, can we at least have even just one full shot of the monster? Puppets and quick-cut editing are fine as plot development tools to ratchet up the tension, but please. Give us the goods before the final climactic confrontation, eh? Couldja? Just once? I cheerfully purchased it after falling for the one thing no fan of the genre should do--believing the cover art and back cover synopsis. Caveat Emptor, my old son! Marketing will lure even the most world-wise B-movie veteran watcher into a stinker of a purchase, and this one is a stinker. Overacted, underbudgeted, cheesy plot progression, sub-par special effects...sigh...jog, do not walk AWAY from 'Arachnid'...spend you ducats on a Roger Corman movie, such as Galaxy of Terror or Humanoids from the Deep. They are awful as well, but you at least get a bit more "ewww" for your money. And let's face it; if you are reading this and searching this genre of DVD fare on eBay, you would want another fan to be straight up honest, yes? I know I would.

If you are looking for a cheesy, but still pretty decent sci-fi - here it is. Sometimes poor acting, but overall fair. My son loves LOVES spider movie (all of which happen to be scary) so we bought this. Quite a bit of foul language, but if you were stuck in a killer spiders hole, you'd curse too, right? The whole premise is about this like alien spider that lands on an island & starts trying to adapt by using the surrounding lifeforms (ie: scorpions, centipedes, other spiders, humans). I was surprised that the spiders were not as cheesy as I expected, a little better than the normal sci-fi channel crap. So, curse words thrown out pretty heavily during traumatic moments ("get me the **** outta here" - type stuff), no boobies (one lady takes off her shirt but she is wearing a bra) and no sex - so pretty clean, pretty scray & totally gross!

Fans of campy 50's horror involving big bugs will love this cheap, updated version of them type of films. This is a great one to drink a couple beers and have a good laugh. Gory, Funny and a cool storyline make for a cool film. Arachnid is a def must see for hardcore horror fans.