User Reviews

I first stumbled on this movie via some clips on the "Switchblade Sisters" laserdisc and immediately put it on my "wanna-have"-list. And I sure wasn't disappointed when I watched the complete film (no two weeks later).

Jack Hill creates a weird story circling about the strange Meryee family which suffers from some strange disease, causing their members to degenerate into primitive pre-human lifeforms (or something like that), or as Lon Chaney puts it out "rotting of the brain". Chaney himself, of course, is - in a fine performance - the loyal caretaker who suddenly has to deal with the fact that some relatives are trying to get their hands on the family estate (and heritage).

Besides great cinematography (under the given budget) and the genuine storyline one has to admire the characters, making the viewer think of something like "Addams Family" on Crack.

Classic stuff, with some bits which really are memorable (e.g. Chaney's groan "It's going to be full moon tonight" when the nerd hero and his love interest are discussing horror films in general and "The Wolfman" in special). And, last but not least, there's always Sid Haig...

Rent it, buy it, see it, believe it.

Admittedly, I'm not as up-to-par on horror films of the 60's and older decades (other than some H.G. Lewis splatter) as I'm a child of the 80's and typically prefer blood, guts, tits, and ass over the black-and-white, "atmospheric" stuff - but I did really enjoy SPIDER BABY.

The basic story is about the remaining members of the Merrye family, and their caretaker, Bruno (played brilliantly by Lon Chaney Jr.), and their fight to stay secluded and together against the forces that would split up their "family". The Merrye's have a strange disease that causes them to act strangely (and sometimes murderously...), and some of their extended family want to cash-in on the estate of the now departed father of the family. The kids (including a VERY young Sid Haig) don't want to be separated from Bruno, and will go to any lengths to keep their little "unit" together...

SPIDER BABY is a strange, funny, touching, creepy film that really needs to be experienced as opposed to explained. The performances are all good, especially Chaney Jr., who really is "in character" in this one. Definitely nothing in the way of gore or nudity - but a quirky, interesting and entertaining film nonetheless. In fact, SPIDER BABY has piqued my interest in the films of this era, and I'll probably seek more out after having seen this. Definitely worth checking out - 8/10

From the moment the beginning credits role, you know that you're going to be in for one mental ride! The opening credits themselves are captivating due to the music and the voice over that plays over them, and the film never loses this eerie verve that it creates with the credits. Spider Baby is a captivating and fascinating trek through mental illness from beginning to end and it's quality certainly isn't justified by it's reputation. It's amazing how great and influential films such as this one can become lost and not often spoken of, while other, far lesser films, have gone on to meet wide acclaim. The influence that this film has had can be felt on many films, but most obviously the 70's exploitation classic - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film has the added title 'The Maddest Story Ever Told', and while that may not quite be the case - this is indeed one very demented tale.

The story follows a family of inbreeds that have been afflicted by a genetic disorder known as 'Merrye syndrome', named after the family in which the disorder developed. This malady causes it's victims to enter a state of age regression that starts at the age of ten and continues throughout the remainder of the person's life, rendering them with the intelligence of a child. The final generation of the family has been entrusted to the care of the family chauffeur (Lon Chaney Jnr), and all is well for these odd people until a greedy branch of the family decides that they want to relieve the family of it's home. Mental illness has always, and will always be, a fascinating subject for horror movies as it probes into the unknown and Spider Baby makes best use of that fact.

The film works because it's extremely macabre throughout, and although we hardly see any gore at all - we always know that something bad is just around the corner, and the film features many nasty happenings, from one of the "children" playing 'spider'; a game which involves her wrapping her victim up in rope and proceeding to 'sting' them with a pair of kitchen knives, to the rotted corpse of the family father still lying in it's bed. The cast of characters are superbly odd, and this helps to create the morbid atmosphere that the film revels in. The two girls are the central focus of the film, and they make for two deliciously creepy leads. Their childlike tendencies make them macabre in a way that few horror villains have ever captured. Lon Chaney Jnr's chauffeur is another great piece of characterisation, which is portrayed by way of a great performance. He brings just the right amount of sorrow and love to his character, and provides the backbone of the movie. The black humour is rife within the film and this, and the setting - a rickety old farmhouse - only further helps to instill the morbidity into the viewer's mind. All in all; a very good and underrated horror movie that any and all horror fans would do well to catch if given the chance!

At one point in this movie, Virginia (Jill Banner), the "Spider Baby" of the title, grabs a spider from the table and pops it into her mouth. Her sister Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn) quips, "Spiders don't eat spiders."

"Cannibal spiders do," retorts Virginia, and this scene sums up everything good about Spider Baby: twisted, funny, and possessing an internal logic that pretty much justifies anything it does, no matter how preposterous.

Originally funded by two real estate developers and locked away for years after a bankruptcy filing, Spider Baby hit the drive-in circuit, made its modest sum of money, and faded away--almost. Somewhere down the line, it developed a cult status despite only being available on low-quality, grainy video. It is now available on DVD in a restored cut that reveals strikingly beautiful black-and-white cinematography. Low-budget it may be, but it's gorgeous to look at.

Lon Chaney Jr. stars as a butler taking care of his deceased employer's children (Washburn, Banner and Sid Haig). The siblings suffer from a hereditary disease that leaves them intellectually childlike but also makes them casual murderers, a problem compounded when distant cousins (Quinn Redeker and the stunning Carol Ohmart) arrive with designs on taking over the estate. The plot is simple and the movie is short (only 81 minutes), but it wastes no time and delivers plenty of creepy thrills, among them cannibalism, implied necrophilia, and midnight chases through the woods.

The acting is a pleasant surprise as well. The entire cast does a convincing job of bringing these oddball characters to life. There are a few missteps here and there: a couple of moments, for instance, when Redeker addresses the audience directly, and it's hard to know if the humor is intentional or not. Overall, however, the quality of each performance is pretty high. Especially touching is a scene where Chaney's character realizes there will be no good end to the situation, and his obvious affection for these mad but dangerous children actually brings a tear to the eye.

Well worth checking out if you're into horror, grim humor, or very, very odd movies.

The film opens with one of the most horrific murders ever shown on film; the rest of the movie is never again quite this frightening or startling, but is enjoyable nonetheless as a horror-comedy of the same ilk as "House on Haunted Hill" or "Bucket of Blood." The story concerns a family of inbred Southern degenerates who were once proud and powerful but whom years of inbreeding have reduced not only to childlike idiocy but savagery; some distant relatives out for money decide to meddle with dire, predictable results. The movie, complete with a loyal retainer, cute but deadly kids, and some even deadlier aunties and uncles kept tucked away in the cellar is essentially an extended version of an Addams family episode (the drawn out dinner scene is a bit too sitcomish). However, there are enough funny-scary moments to keep things moving along: the more memorable of these being when bitchy ice queen Emily succumbs to brother Ralph's caveman charms and when sister Virginia, the spider baby of the title, gives her long dead father a good night kiss—a scene with a weirdly poetic quality like something out of Poe. Perhaps the best part of the movie is Lon Chaney Jr. in his touching portrayal of Bruno, the kindly chauffeur who is genuinely devoted to his savage and hopeless surrogate family.

A cult film that deserves its status.

This creepy, little film is a minor masterpiece! I can't believe I never caught this one back in the 60's. Lon Chaney, Jr. gives a heartfelt performance as old Bruno and the rest of the cast is splendid. Especially Jill Banner as Virginia. What a strange story to be filmed. A 7 out of 10. Best performance = Lon Chaney, Jr. with Jill Banner a close second.

I'm no Jack Hill expert, but it sounds like he's made some interesting films in the 60's and 70's. I've never seen quite this combination of creepiness and black humor with stunning b/w cinematography. Track this one down for sure. The other two "kids" are marvelous as well. You don't have to like OR hate spiders to enjoy this flick (made in 12 days).

If you're looking for slick, look elsewhere. SPIDER BABY is a uniquely off-kilter movie that has no pretensions to being anything other than a very twisted horror comedy. It parodies movies in general, the horror genre, and itself with equal facility. There has certainly never been another film like it. This story of the revealing of all the skeletons in the closets of the Merrye House unites Lon Chaney Jr. (in the best performance of his career), Mantan Moreland, Carol "House on Haunted Hill" Ohmart, Beverly Washburn, Sid Haig, Mary "Dementia 13" Michel, Jill Banner (17 years old when she made the film!) and others in a loony stew of murder, madness and hilarious mayhem.

Spider Baby is an almost perfect blend of black comedy and horror. The movie is just so bizarre that it must be seen to be believed.

The basic story: Lon Chaney Jr. plays Bruno, the chauffeur and "caretaker" for the Merrye family. The Merrye's suffer from a rare disease that causes each member of the family to slowly degenerate mentally to the point of cannibalism. Chaney is in charge of the last three members of the inbred Merrye family and he understands what fate awaits them should the outside world discover their secret. When some distant relatives show up to take over the estate, madness ensues.

Chaney is fantastic in the role of Bruno. IMO, this may be his best performance outside of his better known Wolf Man character. His comic timing is almost perfect, but he's equally adept a the dramatic moments. There is one very emotional scene when Chaney realizes what he must do that is so well played that I almost cried along with him. It's nice to see Chaney having so much fun with one of his final roles. It's also nice to see another of my favorites, Mantan Moreland, in one of final performances. Although it's a small part, his character is necessary to set up the madness to come. But the real 'stars' of Spider Baby are the children. Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner, and Sid Haig are so incredibly bizarre and demented that I really can't say enough about how good and perfectly suited for their roles each is. Terrific performances by three young unknown actors.

There are so many wonderful and freaky scenes that going through all of them would take pages of writing. One of my favorite scenes is the dinner scene. Some really great comedic moments mixed with repulsion over what's going on. I love Chaney's line during the dinner about the full moon. Who said that Scream was so original for being a self-referential horror movie? There are only two negative things I can say about the movie. One is the performance of Karl Schanzer as Schlocker the lawyer. He just doesn't seem 'real'. My second complaint is the amount of time given to the relatives living in the basement. I would have really enjoyed seeing more of them.

"Spider Baby" is one of the more popular low-budget horrors of the 1960s, and gives off an aura consistent with the creepy film fare of the time. While watching it, I found myself cycling through a series of wildly varied reactions, from intentional amusement to unintentional amusement, sympathy, apathy, fear, and a pervasive weirdness that was hard to shake. The opening credits, with their cutely foreboding imagery, sets the tone for what is bound to be a campy horror romp (which it certainly is), but "Spider Baby," flaws and all, turns into a genuinely creepy experience, helped immensely by the devoted cast. A group of lawyers, land-grabbers, and estranged relatives pay a visit on the Merrye clan, presided over by surrogate father Lon Chaney; in an effort to push the family (including 3 mentally handicapped children) out of their home, said visitors wind up spending a wild night at the house. "Spider Baby" has its flaws--the 'normal' supporting players hardly give memorable performances, and the pace sometimes drags. But writer-director Jack Hill gets incredible mileage out of the screw-loose Merrye family, a portrait as believable, unsettling, and weirdly humorous as the cannibals in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Chaney, Sid Haig, Jill Banner, and Beverly Washburn turn what could have been another forgettable B-movie into something very odd and endearing.

Although Jack Hill is probably best remembered for giving filmdom those atrocious blaxploitation flicks with the top-heavy Pam Grier, SPIDER BABY is without question his finest effort. This is, just like COFFY, cult all the way, but at least this is entertaining.

The film concerns a leech of a woman (Carol Ohmart) who ventures out to Merrye Mansion in order to swindle distance relatives out of their fortune. Tagging along are her good-intentioned brother (Quinn Redeker), sleazy pint-sized lawyer (Karl Schanzer) and the lawyer's sexy assistant (Mary Mitchel). These four unsuspecting folks are in for the night of their lives when they are introduced to the eccentric, murderous Merrye clan.

Ohmart is initially frightened off the premises by Sid Haig's mentally handicapped Ralph who she mistakes for a mutated baboon. But Ralph is the least of their troubles. The two Merrye girls, Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn) and Virginia (Jill Banner) make Ralph seem like a harmless little oddity. Twitchy-eyed Elizabeth knows the interlopers are here to change their lifestyle so she concocts plans to remove them from their life with the help of her deranged sister Virginia whose favorite game is playing spider. The odd little nymph also likes eating spiders.

STORY: $$$$ (This is kind of a precursor to Texas CHANISAW MASSACRE with the eccentric, murderous isolated country bumpkin clan, but while TCM had a skimpy screenplay--just chainsaw mayhem and Marilyn Burns running around for half an hour--SPIDER BABY tells an extraordinary tale. Lon Chaney Jr. plays the family's caretaker who looks after the kids since their father is dead, but he is well aware of their sinister machinations. He loves them regardless because they know no other way. Lon constantly chastises Elizabeth for "hating" things. Also, most movies that came after this film, with essentially the same premise, have stock characters that you can't really empathize with: lost, pot-smoking teens or sadistic serial killers. The Merrye Family can't help what they have become and Ohmart and Redeker are more interesting characters than a group of stupid city teens misplaced in the backwoods).

ACTING: $$$$ (Yes, this is a B-film but the acting is first rate. The great character actor Sid Haig is great in the non-speaking role of Ralph. The scene where the weasel lawyer catches him in the kitchen, opening a secret door, was a terrific bit of acting on Sid's part. Washburn and Banner both shine as demented teenage sisters. Washbirn masters the twitchy-eye routine while Banner is effectively creepy as Virginia. When we first meet her she plays spider with a poor delivery man. Karl Schenzer is a treat as the lawyer and Mary Mitchel is great as his assistant. During her dinner table scene she proves that she is more than just a pretty face. Lon Chaney is at his heartfelt best as Bruno the family caretaker. Although he is essentially a simple-minded man, he knows what's best and that love doesn't conquer all. Quinn Redeker gives some great line readings, especially during the summation. He does his best Ward Cleaver impression as the proper 1960s, clean-cut young man. And Carol Ohmart is amazing in her role. She slam dunks the greedy, self-oriented social climber role here. You'll love to hate her as much as you'll like her brother Redeker--they are polar opposites).

NUDITY: None (However, sexuality is in large supply. Jill Banner's spider game becomes a little arousing later on when she ties up Redeker in her web. Cleavage is in large supply here. Mary Mitchel has her blouse all but ripped off and if you thought Carol Ohmart looked good in THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, then do yourself a favor and check this film out. A little past midway through the film she strips down to show off her sexy black lingerie number as she tries on what must be the Merrye children's aunts old clothes. Miss Ohmart's little black bra has trouble containing her chest and once she removes her outer wear she remains in her lingerie number the rest of the film. had this been made a few years later, I'm certain the filmmakers would have demanded some bare breast shots of Ohmart--probably near the end when she falls into the pit. But Carol proves you don't need nudity to be extraordinarily sexy).

I tracked down Spider Baby based on the fact that Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, Devil's Rejects) titled a track on his La Sexorcisto, Devil Music Vol. 1 Album after it. It's a great song, so figured its inspiration might be worth checking out. If you're a horror fan and you don't require the current status quo of sex and violence, Spider Baby might be up your ally. the story is intriguing and I'm sure the little s&m Lolita scene towards the end was pretty racy for the time it was made. The movie also stars Sid Haig who re-emerged as the star of both of the Rob Zombie's Movies mentioned above. If you're a fan of the for-mentioned House of 1000 corpses, you'll want to see this based on the obvious influence it had on that film.

Boy, did I get sucked into this one. Director Joe Dante, who did he Gremlins films and some other interesting movies, was quoted on the video box as saying this is "irrestibily watchable as The Little Shop Of Horrors," so I bought it sight-unseen. Wow, Joe, you weren't even close. Little Shop of Horrors (the original) was outstanding; this movie stinks!

The humor was almost non-existent. The characters were supposed to be really weird. Yes, they were weird but weird enough to be memorable or fun to watch. In fact, the film commit the ultimate sin for a movie - it's boring.

Anybody who claims this was suspenseful or entertaining must lead a very dull life. I'll never believe Joe Dante again.

'Spider Baby' is a wonderfully inventive and original b-grade movie full of mad fun. Writer/director Jack Hill began as a Roger Corman protege, co-writing 'The Terror' and also working on Coppola's underrated 'Dementia 13', before striking out on his own with 'Spider Baby', a movie which became embroiled in a legal dispute and took four years to get released. Hill went on to direct Pam Grier movies and the trash classic 'Switchblade Sisters' in the Seventies, but it's arguable whether he ever surpassed this cult favourite. Horror legend Lon Chaney, Jr stars with a very thoughtful performance(!), and 'Dementia 13's Mary Mitchel and Karl Schanzer, and 'The House On Haunted Hill's Carol Ohmart are among the supporting cast, but the real stars are newcomers Jill Banner as the bewitching Virginia, and the remarkable Sid Haig as the unforgettable Ralph. Banner went on to appear in the dazzling 'The President's Analyst' before her untimely death, while Haig's ongoing career included several movies with Jack Hill, including blaxsploitation classic 'Coffy', and Lucas' 'THX 1138'. 'Spider Baby' is a brilliant example of what can be achieved on a small budget with some originality and willingness to take risks.

It may be unintentional, but the more I think about this movie, the more it makes sense. It pretty much sends up many Gothic horror tropes-a decaying house, along with a decaying, mentally disturbed family, and a sympathetic-and, in this case, empathetic-caretaker who tries, in vain, to protect the family from outsiders, even though the caretaker isn't a family member him or herself. It even parodies the sex and violence used in movies to try and catch an audience's attention, with Virginia's off screen mutilation of the poor telegram messenger via what would have been, in "normal" circumstances, an "innocent" and silly pretense to be a spider. We also have the "auntie" stripping down, for no clear reason, and then being chased around in her black lace underwear just for shocking effect-but the one thing that I really found disturbing was how they more than implied that-once her disturbed distant kinsman, Ralph, "had his way with her," she was anxious for "more."

There have been other movies mentioned that this one is similar to. The one that stands out, to me, in similarity, is "Arsenic and Old Lace," Though much darker in tone, like the earlier movie, this one uses humor to soften the troubling subject of criminal insanity addressed in the film. It also reminds me very much of "The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck," which would be created after this movie, though it would end up released about the same time. That one was an unabashed send up of Hammer Studios' vampire movies, as well as Roger Corman's "Poe" movies for AIP. It even has the "twist" ending like the preceding "Spiderbaby" production.

One of the standout moments, to me, is the one straight dramatic moment when-in a discussion between Lon Chaney's character and his troubled charges-you realize that they aren't so nuts that they don't understand that they are different, and they actually communicate a sorrow and regret about their situation.

Sadly, not many people remember Lon Chaney, Jr. was nominated for an academy award because he ended up doing so many forgettable movies for various reasons, not the least being his own battle with the bottle. I'm glad that, in this movie, his character is portrayed as displaying an amazing calm in the midst of the insane zoo he was trying to wrangle-and not told to try and recreate Cary Grant's manic performance in the similar role in "Arsenic and Old Lace." I think he did a good job with the part.

They really didn't explain much about the kid's dad. He obviously must not have suffered the genetic aberration himself, but gambled that he would not pass it on to his own offspring-a gamble he obviously lost. Since they also had "crazies" in the basement, I wonder if they were his siblings?

If all you want is a "popcorn" movie, I think this one works just fine for that. If you're looking for Ingmar Bergman, then you should pass on this one. Also, though I know kids nowadays aren't "protected" from certain subjects like we oldies were, as a parent I would think about the implied cannibalism and rape/sadomasochism in the film before letting a kid watch this. A really sensitive kid might pick up on the implied cruelty amidst the silliness.

While George Romero was off making his iconic flesh eaters in 1968, four years earlier UCLA alumni Jack Hill made his first film outside of the Roger Corman camp, and it unfortunately didn't get released till Romero's film did. Hill's film is, of course, far more campy and a typical "B" movie, but it's hard to deny how right Hill gets it as far as inbred backwoods nightmare comedies before they became the fad they were in the 1970s.

We have a family, led by chauffeur Lon Chaney Jr (such a charming old coot, who doesn't want any hate and loves the girls and the weird retarded boy played by Sid Haig), and they're being paid a visit by a couple of relatives and a lawyer with a Hitler mustache. But they've entered into the spider's lair, to put it in a way, as the girls can't let anyone "tell", and thus find some ways to try (and usually succeed) in murder. It opens with a scene that has not much to do with central plot, as a black driver comes up to the house and is killed while sticking his head into the window- featuring one of the girls uproariously brandishing two knives- and undercutting most of the scenes is a dark, vicious, but somehow playful sense of humor.

For example, the nephew or whomever it is that comes to visit- isn't he the nicest guy? It's things like him that make it so enjoyable, that there's such a playful, deranged quality to Sig Haig (in one of his best performances) as he appears out of that wacky lift, or when he hunts a cat, scuse me "rabbit", or when sees the tongue poke out of cheek as Chaney tries to rationalize the dead bodies and danger of death coming around the bend. Just seeing everyone at the dinner table is entertaining. It helps that Hill has, through his cheesy but firm script, a very good cinematographer- better than the material would get if it were a total Corman production- and there's a good composer as well behind the material. It won't be remembered as great art, but it should have a place in any video collector who likes their acting bold and bizarre, and the fun comes in what is flipped around a little bit in expectations; I loved seeing the bit where the lawyer sees Haig about to go through the 'secret' door in the garage, the awkward silence a perfect comment on one of the oldest clichés in the book. 7.5/10

An enjoyable but tasteless horror/comedy that results to be cheesy but somewhat attractive about a pysicaly retarded family . A midly amusing movie dealing with a chauffeur , Lon Chaney Jr , who takes care of a psychotic family formed by three teen brothers : Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner , Sid Haig. They live with the inherited curse of a serious disease that causes them to mentally regress from the infancy age. Then some guests arrive in the dilapidated rural mansion resulting in fateful consequences . As they get in problems when greedy relatives and an advocate at law come to take the inheritance of the family . Spider Baby will give you nightmares forever ! So shocking it will , silver your liver ! .The most gruesome horror ever shown ! Not for people who faint easily !. Do you daré see it ! . Come into my parlor, said the spider to the...Seductive innocence of Lolita . Savage Hunter of Black Widow . .Whatever happened to.. Spider Baby.

Entertaining and amusing terror/comedy with chills , thrills , silly incidents and plot twists . This cheap eerie tale results to be a disconcerting but good fun from an expert of the macabre , Jack Hill, who was regular collaborator to Roger Corman . Unashmedly cheesy, amusing and entertaining yarn in William Castle style , in fact it bears some resemblance to "House on Haunted Hill" , including beautiful actress Carol Ohmart. Stars the terror icon Lon Chaney Jr giving a nice acting in spite of his deep alcoholism , and even theme song is sung by Lon Chaney himself . Chaney is well accompanied by a fine cast , such as : Beverly Washburn , Jill Banner who died early by a car accident , the cult actor Sid Haig , Mary Mitchell , Mantan Moreland and Carol Ohmart .

This charming motion picture was panned in its premiere , but nowadays it is deemed to be a cult classic , being decently directed by Jack Hill in spite of its short budget . Jack Hill is a good writer and filmmaker , writing and directing movies in all kinds of genres such as : Blaxploitation : Coffy , Foxy Brown . WIP or Women in prison movies as The Big Bird Cage, The Big Doll House . Thrillers: The Woman Hunt, The Jezebels , The Swinging Cheerleaders . Horror : Death Ship , Dementia 13 , The Terror, The Bees , Blood Bath, Island of the Snake People , House of Evil , among others . Rating : 6/10. Acceptable and passable . The pic will appeal to Lon Chaney Jr fans , being one of his last ones .

Strange that after watching Spider Baby, I should flick thru the channels while rewinding the tape and come across a late night broadcast of Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man. Coincidence? Apparently so, but after watching a goodly portion (I hadn't seen Wolf Man since childhood), I realized what a shame it is the world will always remember Chaney Jr. for his wooden performance in what was basically formula studio fare while remaining painfully ignorant of his superior performance in Spider Baby, itself a far superior film.

Director Jack Hill's blacker than black comedy-horror was shot on a shoestring budget and displays more imagination than a dozen big budget bores rolled into one. The always amusing Sid Haig and a stellar cast of nobodies round out this tale of a fun loving, albeit deranged family suffering the effects of a rare congenital disease, all the while cared for by their loving chauffeur (Chaney). When trouble arrives in the form of some greedy distant relatives with their Hitler-esque lawyer in tow, well, you really have to see this film to believe it. Spider Baby is simply a blast!

This one takes a little while to get going, that first attack on the delivery guy notwithstanding, but once the dinner party starts and a few of the visitors are staying over for the night, it's an entertaining and eerie enough B film. It's a nice moment when the camera pans from one sibling to the next, each looking at the visitors with a combination of innocence and creepiness, and while I don't think I actually felt horror, I did feel a sense of fun, and I think that's what the film was going for. The brother scaling down the outside wall to stare at the woman swirling around in front of a mirror on the floor below him was a nice touch. I'm not sure the payoff in the basement was as developed as it could have been, but it took an interesting turn with the victim in the woods. Overall decent as a campy/cult type film, but one that I would have liked darker.

Yes, this movie is the PRECURSER to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. However, in THIS movie, it's far more disturbing. When you see SPIDER BABY, you see a TRUE HORROR MOVIE. Captain Spalding from HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES has a role in this UNFORGETTABLE movie about a DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY! The family is looked after by the dude who played the WOLFMAN! Yes, LON CHANEY JR. This one young girl in this movie thinks she is a SPIDER and is quite cruel. I won't tell you what she does to the BLACK MAILMAN! Let's just say, it's NASTY AND CRUEL!! Sid Haige delivers SO MANY GOODS in this movie. It's black and white and VERY SCARY! The part where they eat dinner is a classic. You will never look at certain foods the same way ever again. Whew, I am exhausted!

The last generation of the Merrye family, Ralph (Sid Haig), Virginia (Jill Banner) and Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn), all suffer from a rare syndrome that causes progressive age regression and an eventual reversion to a savage, pre-human condition. After the death of their father, family chauffeur Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr.) assumes responsibility for the 'kids', keeping them hidden from prying eyes behind the tall gates of the family home; that is, until greedy Aunt Emily (Carol Ohmart) and Uncle Peter (Quinn K. Redeker) turn up at the old house with a devious plan to get rich quick; aided by slimy lawyer Schlocker (Karl Schanzer) and his pretty secretary Ann (Mary Mitchel), the couple intend to become the youngsters legal guardians, a move that will entitle them to ownership of the house and control of the family fortune, but which might also cost them their lives.

1968 was a great year for horror: not only did it see the birth of 'yours truly' (a horror legend in my own mind) and, almost as importantly, the introduction of the modern zombie film (in the pale, shuffling, flesh-hungry form of Night of the Living Dead), but it was also the year that gave us demented drive-in favourite Spider Baby, the undoubted inspiration for Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil Rejects, all of which used the Merrye family as the blueprint for their own murderous clans.

To the casual onlooker, Ralph, Virginia and Elizabeth might not appear as immediately foreboding as either the Sawyers or the Fireflys, the boy being a drooling simpleton, and both girls being rather comely young fillies; but get them upset, or agree to participate in one of their games, and you'll eventually discover, chainsaw or no chainsaw, that they're not the sort of people you would elect to spend the night with: spider obsessed Virginia traps her victims in her rope web before 'stinging' them with a pair of carving knives; Elizabeth is no slouch with a pitch fork; and Ralph becomes uncontrollable after watching his surprisingly fit Aunt Emily cavorting around her room in her underwear. Bruno, on the other hand, is always trying to ensure good behaviour from his unruly and unhinged wards, but more often than not finds himself having to cover up for their messy mistakes.

Director Hill expertly blends his ghoulish humour with moments of genuine horror, and the film benefits immensely from some perfectly balanced and extremely memorable performances: Haig is wonderful, as always; Banner and Washburn are dangerously sexy as young women with the minds (and dress sense) of little girls; and Lon Chaney Jr. gives a brilliant tongue-in-cheek turn, providing a few laughs at the expense of his earlier career and giving the film some pathos in its explosive finale.

If you're an aficionado of weird and wonderful cinema, a rabid fan of the gruesome and macabre, or just an all round horror addict keen to expand your knowledge of the genre, and you haven't yet seen Spider Baby, do so immediately—your life won't be complete until you do.

Merreye Syndrome is defined as a disease that causes regression to a primitive state suffered by the inbred Merrye family. A messenger delivers adoption notice to the isolated Merreye home. He gets caught in Virginia's web and killed by Elizabeth. Bruno the driver (Lon Chaney Jr) returns with Ralph (Sid Haig) to clean up the mess. Distant cousins Peter and Emily Howe come to take over and sell off the estate. Lawyer Mr. Schlocker and his assistant Ann Morris come to administer and plan to put the 3 children into institutions.

This is a schlockfest B-movie. Filmmaker Jack Hill is in the same vein as the likes of Roger Corman. Lon Chaney is a good co-lead. Sig Haig is pretty good as the mute brute. It's got camp appeal with hot young cannibals. The kills aren't scary. It's simple B-movie fun.

There are bad movies, there are really bad movies and then there is "Spider Baby", Lon Chaney and a house straight out of "Psycho" notwithstanding. This is the kind of cult movie that makes you realize that cults can be a bad thing. The director was Jack Hill who made his reputation in exploitation cinema, (he made the incredible "Switchblade Sisters" as well as the more mainstream blaxploitation picture "Foxy Brown"), but this is probably what he's best remembered for though God knows why. By today's standards there is no gore and fewer frights. Chaney was obviously cast to 'sell' the movie and he 'acts' as if he believed every ridiculous word. If there is anyone here to keep you watching it's Carol Ohmart, an actress who always deserved better than she ended up with.