Filmed on the kinda budget that Ed Wood might have envied (but not too much), half of this film is devoted to the mini-Spider Invasion, and there are a few mildly chilling moments. Why they're coming out of a black hole is anybody's guess, but no doubt it made sense to someone at the time. But then the giant spiders/badly-disguised cars start pouring forth, and you find yourself not-so-inexplicably cheering for them to chow down on the bunch of Wisconsin "rednecks" that infest this film more thoroughly and foully than the poor aggrieved spiders. Only for those with a strong stomach. Not for spiders, but for poorly sketched one-dimensional characters.
122 Reviews
"This movie hates us, doesn't it?"
Smells_Like_Cheese20 September 2007
I saw The Giant Spider Invasion on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, like most of the users on this IMDb page. You know the funny thing about this movie is that as weird and stupid as it was, it actually told the story. So at least it had that going for it, but the problem is that the story really doesn't get itself across to where everyone could understand it, but mostly I would say that it was the lousy shooting of the movie, not to mention that the acting was just horrible. But I don't know about think it was totally bad for what it was, I mean it was just a typical low budget horror, despite how ridicules that giant spider looked.
Basically in Wisconsin, WOO, GO PACKERS, WOO!, there is a crash from an asteroid. The asteroid contains little rocks that have little spiders in them. The two residents that live right next to where it landed, Ev and Dan, take advantage and try to take the diamonds that are also in the rocks, but it may not be to their liking when the spiders take over the house and the whole town! But don't worry, Dr. Jenny and Dr. J.R. are on the case and are going to save Wisconsin from the giant spider that is attacking young girls in their underwear.
The Giant Spider Invasion is your typical low budget horror that reminds you more of those old 50's movies with the sci-fi action. While this is a bad movie, it's a fun like drive in type of film and has a few silly laughs here and there. Not to mention that it did make for a funny episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I loved how Jenny's line of screaming the doctor's name at the end turned out and the whole scene of the giant spider attacking the young girl in her undies in her house, that was just classic how fake the puppet was. But please watch the MSTK3 episode, I guarantee you'll have a lot of fun.
2/10
Basically in Wisconsin, WOO, GO PACKERS, WOO!, there is a crash from an asteroid. The asteroid contains little rocks that have little spiders in them. The two residents that live right next to where it landed, Ev and Dan, take advantage and try to take the diamonds that are also in the rocks, but it may not be to their liking when the spiders take over the house and the whole town! But don't worry, Dr. Jenny and Dr. J.R. are on the case and are going to save Wisconsin from the giant spider that is attacking young girls in their underwear.
The Giant Spider Invasion is your typical low budget horror that reminds you more of those old 50's movies with the sci-fi action. While this is a bad movie, it's a fun like drive in type of film and has a few silly laughs here and there. Not to mention that it did make for a funny episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I loved how Jenny's line of screaming the doctor's name at the end turned out and the whole scene of the giant spider attacking the young girl in her undies in her house, that was just classic how fake the puppet was. But please watch the MSTK3 episode, I guarantee you'll have a lot of fun.
2/10
Rotten cheese !!
Coventry6 November 2003
The Giant Spider Invasion is not a bad movie....it's a terrible movie. Easily one of the worst movies ever made which makes it quite enjoyable again...it's a strange theory but I didn't invent it. All elements in this movie are so far below the standards that the whole finished project becomes hilarious. You're not laughing with this movie...you're roaring with laughter AT this movie. The Giant Spider Invasion was never meant to be a comedy...on the contrary, it was meant as a breath-taking monster film that would scare the hell out of people. This movie was made in 1975, when the sub-genre of "eco-horror" was making it's comeback. During the fifties this was the most popular sub-genre and the first director who came up with the scare idea of a huge spider was Jack Arnold ( Tarantula ) ... Director Billy Rebane saw his chance to do something similar and he even figured out a way to keep his production cheap!! The Giant Spider Invasion could easily be renamed to "the disguised Volkswagen attack" because the huge spiders are in fact VW Beetle's covered with sheets and legs. The headlights function as eyes. Not a bad idea you'd think ( and maybe it isn't ) but it's executed very very poorly... The spiders aren't moving, the are in fact DRIVING !! And every time they're on the screen some stupid tune can be heard in order not to notice the running engine. Great idea, Mr. Rebane...
Don't think that's the only goof in The Giant Spider Invasion...The acting is very laughable ( especially the Sheriff and the waitress are *cough cough* multi-talented ), the other effects are a joke ( that meteor hitting earth !! ) , there's no attempt to build up tension or even atmosphere and the musical score is pathetic ( example: while a couple has an argument they're running around a kitchen table. Meanwhile a stupid banjo tune is played ... cliché ). Better yet, there's a complete lack of structure during the whole movie...at first, it seems like you'll follow the adventures of a married couple but all of sudden they die, then you think a young girl and boy are the leading actors but they completely disappear and they're ain't mentioned again. Oh and by the way...did you know that a falling meteor opens doorways to another dimension ?? Neither did I. The ending is terribly forced and we're supposed to believe their solution worked while you don't see ONE spider die...Yeah sure, why not.
The Giant Spider Invasion is pure trash !! No wait, trash can be good sometimes...it's pure CRAP !! But, for that exact same reason it received a huge cult-status and the movie was very popular especially in drive-in theaters...oh, sweet irony. Giant mutated animal flicks are fun, fascinating and even terrifying from time to time ( Them! ) but this thing is nothing but a bowl of rotten cheese...One to watch if you have a weird sense of humor...NEXT !!
Don't think that's the only goof in The Giant Spider Invasion...The acting is very laughable ( especially the Sheriff and the waitress are *cough cough* multi-talented ), the other effects are a joke ( that meteor hitting earth !! ) , there's no attempt to build up tension or even atmosphere and the musical score is pathetic ( example: while a couple has an argument they're running around a kitchen table. Meanwhile a stupid banjo tune is played ... cliché ). Better yet, there's a complete lack of structure during the whole movie...at first, it seems like you'll follow the adventures of a married couple but all of sudden they die, then you think a young girl and boy are the leading actors but they completely disappear and they're ain't mentioned again. Oh and by the way...did you know that a falling meteor opens doorways to another dimension ?? Neither did I. The ending is terribly forced and we're supposed to believe their solution worked while you don't see ONE spider die...Yeah sure, why not.
The Giant Spider Invasion is pure trash !! No wait, trash can be good sometimes...it's pure CRAP !! But, for that exact same reason it received a huge cult-status and the movie was very popular especially in drive-in theaters...oh, sweet irony. Giant mutated animal flicks are fun, fascinating and even terrifying from time to time ( Them! ) but this thing is nothing but a bowl of rotten cheese...One to watch if you have a weird sense of humor...NEXT !!
A multi-faceted gem of 70's B-Horror!
darth_paul-121 October 2004
The Giant Spider Invasion is a superb piece of 1970's B-Horror. Of course, by today's synthetic, digitally enhanced, multi-billion dollar, pseudo-artistic, technologically dependent standards it is a poor film, but remember that 'Spider Invasion' only cost $250,000 to produce.
It is full of small, creepy spiders, developing into mega-bohemoth spiders and laying waste to anything that gets in their way!
Oh sure you can label it cheesy! You can label it hokey! Label it sub-par! B ut isn't that why people watch B-horror? And is not 70's B-horror the true pinnacle of the genre? And did not Mystery Science Theater think it a worthy piece to cover on their show? Me thinks in the affirmative on both questions!
This movie is a worthy effort...dealing with such diverse topics as Alien Invasion, to greed & evil in the social context...to even what Camus referred to as the Existential Dilemma (or something like that)...oh you can find almost anything in any piece of art, but my point is that this is a good movie! It's cheesy, but good; and when I saw it at the age of 6, I thought it was very horrifying!
I still...to this day...cannot drink tomato juice...Thank-you Giant Spider Invasion!
It is full of small, creepy spiders, developing into mega-bohemoth spiders and laying waste to anything that gets in their way!
Oh sure you can label it cheesy! You can label it hokey! Label it sub-par! B ut isn't that why people watch B-horror? And is not 70's B-horror the true pinnacle of the genre? And did not Mystery Science Theater think it a worthy piece to cover on their show? Me thinks in the affirmative on both questions!
This movie is a worthy effort...dealing with such diverse topics as Alien Invasion, to greed & evil in the social context...to even what Camus referred to as the Existential Dilemma (or something like that)...oh you can find almost anything in any piece of art, but my point is that this is a good movie! It's cheesy, but good; and when I saw it at the age of 6, I thought it was very horrifying!
I still...to this day...cannot drink tomato juice...Thank-you Giant Spider Invasion!
The one they'll remember him for
Sandcooler31 March 2017
You've got to hand it to a guy like Bill Rebane. I mean, you can laugh at his movies all you want (or be incredibly bored by them), but the man made a living as a filmmaker with virtually no money or talent in filmmaking. The guy was a brilliant salesman. This horrible movie was a huge box office hit, it was among the fifty most successful movies of 1975. Impressive for a director with no major studio backing who shot all his features in Wisconsin rather than Hollywood.
The movie itself is nearly unwatchable, but it's a great time document of how easy it used to be to find a cinema release for your movies. This is not worse than whatever you used to find at the bottom shelf at a video store, but paying good money to see this on a big screen? That's a whole different animal. Particularly because you have to wait a really long time to actually see the huge spider (which is clearly a Volkswagen with legs) the trailer promised you. Up until then you see a bunch of people that you never want to see again talk and talk and talk. By the time that thing actually shows up, you're already too numb from the tedium to even laugh at it.
Bill Rebane's movies can best be enjoyed when you know all the background to them. Rebane has a charming mom&pop style of filmmaking, mom (Barbara Rebane) is even credited as the assistant director. One of his daughters 'plays' one of the huge spider's legs. He sure writes great parts for women. It's made by a cast and crew that genuinely seems to be trying to their best, it's one of those movies that seemed way more thrilling to make than it is to watch. But you can't blame Rebane, he certainly did the best he could. He made a giant spider movie with 250.000 dollars, spent a lot of time with family and friends, actually sold the thing to theatres and somehow people still talk about it more than forty years later. That alone should earn him a place in film history.
The movie itself is nearly unwatchable, but it's a great time document of how easy it used to be to find a cinema release for your movies. This is not worse than whatever you used to find at the bottom shelf at a video store, but paying good money to see this on a big screen? That's a whole different animal. Particularly because you have to wait a really long time to actually see the huge spider (which is clearly a Volkswagen with legs) the trailer promised you. Up until then you see a bunch of people that you never want to see again talk and talk and talk. By the time that thing actually shows up, you're already too numb from the tedium to even laugh at it.
Bill Rebane's movies can best be enjoyed when you know all the background to them. Rebane has a charming mom&pop style of filmmaking, mom (Barbara Rebane) is even credited as the assistant director. One of his daughters 'plays' one of the huge spider's legs. He sure writes great parts for women. It's made by a cast and crew that genuinely seems to be trying to their best, it's one of those movies that seemed way more thrilling to make than it is to watch. But you can't blame Rebane, he certainly did the best he could. He made a giant spider movie with 250.000 dollars, spent a lot of time with family and friends, actually sold the thing to theatres and somehow people still talk about it more than forty years later. That alone should earn him a place in film history.
50's monster movie, twenty years late
Chase_Witherspoon29 April 2011
A giant gamma-mutated tarantula besieges a small Wisconsin community following an unexplained meteorological phenomenon, interrupting the drinking and fornicating of the local inbreds. Spicy script and a few suspenseful moments are the only redeemable features to this otherwise bland imitation of countless 50's creature craze films, most of whom did it better in all departments.
Interesting cast (of who must be said where has-beens when this little payload rolled past their agents' desks) led by Steve Brodie and Barbara Hale as intrigued ring-ins, desperate to understand the peculiar scientific phenomenon, debating astro physics and using lots of five-syllable words, while the locals are just barely managing to avoid being devoured on mass by the colossal arachnid. The still-beautiful Leslie Parrish delivers some class in her performance as a neglected, alcohol-dependent house-wife to Robert Easton, who also, contributes a watchable, if stereotypical performance as a rugged farmer, suitably concerned about the inexplicable mutilation of his cattle.
The pace is creditable, and there are some moments of suspense, though for the most part, this is a C-grade science fiction that looks like it was made in the late fifties (cast included) rather than 1975. Only a brief (and admittedly amusing) reference to "Jaws" reminds the viewer that it's a product of the mid-seventies (although that's not a compliment when you consider the production values, a limitation that director Rebane laments in the DVD extras, discussing the making of the film). As for the (anti) climax, it's both brief and disappointing, but then by that stage, no one would expect any better. Brodie and Hale come out looking like Teflon heroes, while only a handful of hapless locals are left to thank them for taking so long to do so very little.
Interesting cast (of who must be said where has-beens when this little payload rolled past their agents' desks) led by Steve Brodie and Barbara Hale as intrigued ring-ins, desperate to understand the peculiar scientific phenomenon, debating astro physics and using lots of five-syllable words, while the locals are just barely managing to avoid being devoured on mass by the colossal arachnid. The still-beautiful Leslie Parrish delivers some class in her performance as a neglected, alcohol-dependent house-wife to Robert Easton, who also, contributes a watchable, if stereotypical performance as a rugged farmer, suitably concerned about the inexplicable mutilation of his cattle.
The pace is creditable, and there are some moments of suspense, though for the most part, this is a C-grade science fiction that looks like it was made in the late fifties (cast included) rather than 1975. Only a brief (and admittedly amusing) reference to "Jaws" reminds the viewer that it's a product of the mid-seventies (although that's not a compliment when you consider the production values, a limitation that director Rebane laments in the DVD extras, discussing the making of the film). As for the (anti) climax, it's both brief and disappointing, but then by that stage, no one would expect any better. Brodie and Hale come out looking like Teflon heroes, while only a handful of hapless locals are left to thank them for taking so long to do so very little.
The Giant Spider Invasion
phubbs23 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Sounds good doesn't it? I was expecting a black and white masterpiece of the 50's when I first came across this. Alas its actually from the mid 70's which means its in colour and full of dodgy hairstyles and fashion. Still, can't not be intrigued with a title like that huh.
So somewhere in rural (always rural) Wisconsin a meteorite crash lands which lights up the sky on impact (literally lights up the sky with some awful colour effects). Now somehow, don't ask me how, but somehow this meteorite contains lots of spiders, all of which look remarkably like spiders here on Earth (don't question it). These spiders seem to vary in size from your regular tarantula size (because they are tarantulas), to dog size, to house size.
I'm not too sure how these spiders survived the impact but they do appear to be cocooned within small circular rocks (rocks which also contain diamonds!). So I guess that sorts that (?). But do they spawn in the rocks? Do they use the rocks as shields against the vacuum of space? What do they feed on? Where did they come from? When they emerge on Earth why do they start to grow slowly? Why do they grow to such enormous sizes?
The main crux of the movie is of course the spiders, but leading up to that there are various boring subplots surrounding various characters. We are introduced to each individual and shown what type of person they are. Not that that matters much because this was a low-budget affair only intent on showing you spiders eating people. But sure enough, this being the countryside most of the townsfolk are hick types bordering on rednecks. Most of these rather unwashed looking characters are generally either in troubled relationships or simply up to no good such as one character trying to sweet talk an underage female (gulp!).
I guess I should point out that a few of the actors in this movie are/were well known stars on American TV shows as well as movies of the time. Director Bill Rebane managed to do what Quentin Tarantino once did which was gather together a bunch of forgotten stars (probably on the cheap) who were happy for the work. Obviously the quality of film and outcome differed slightly.
Anyway back to the arachnids (effects). So what are they like, the effects. Well whaddaya think they're gonna be like? Obviously all the effects are pretty much on the cheap and homemade, but with much care and attention. There are plenty of wispy cobwebs hanging about the place and they do use quite a lot of real tarantulas which is quite effective for certain shots. There are also some bigger shock sequences such as a house (room set) being torn apart by the giant spider; and a guy getting mauled by the giant spider in his car which leads to a crash and explosion. I was actually reasonably impressed with the real tarantulas popping out of the ball shaped diamond encrusted space rocks (almost like eggs). Clearly they did put real tarantulas inside these balls and sprung them open to reveal the creepy contents.
The larger spiders is where things obviously go down hill somewhat. A large dog sized spider leaps onto one female character at one point which is quite amusing. Its very obvious someone threw this rubber spider at the actress...and its quality stuff. The oversized fangs, wobbly legs, and eyes are especially top quality. But its the giant spider that wreaks havoc on the town that is the big draw. Apparently the effects guys built this thing out of a VW Beetle; simply covering it with black fur, big legs, and using the rear lights as eyes. The crew operated the legs from inside the car. Ingenious if I do say so myself because the bottom half of the spider vehicle is always out of sight, which does actually give the solid illusion of a slow moving giant spider roaming the US countryside. There are quite a few shots showing this thing in the distance and it genuinely does look quite good.
Its was also quite gory too. This giant VW spider has big fangs below its (two) big red eyes and doesn't hesitate to slam them into its victims as they are dragged up into its gaping maw. I assume the crew inside are pulling the actor inside the car via the sunroof when the spider eats someone. But this simply action is well edited and accompanied by a good gallon of blood that flows down the victims body. All in all its pretty satisfying to see people getting eaten by this mega arachnid or watch crowds of people flee from it. That and the individually moving legs, overall its a solid effect cleverly thought out.
I love how despite everything that occurs you never see any real police, army, or scientific presence. Its like no one outside that town knows whats going on at all and no one thinks to call for any external help. Pretty much all the characters are scummy or too gruff and you don't care about them. Plenty of stock footage, a staple of these cheap crappy movies. Day and night switching between shots in classic Ed Wood style. The movies explanation for the spider invasion is ridiculous, an interdimensional gateway. The solution? A Caltech neutron initiator ('it just might work!'), like yeah...whatever you say bud. Apparently they drop this thing in the meteorite crater and switch it on. This does something that closes the interdimensional gate which in turn causes all the spiders to melt (an admittedly neat little melty effect sequence). Like I said, don't question it.
You probably know not to expect too much from a movie like this. A cheap sci-fi B-movie that looks like its been shot on a camcorder. Visually it looks like a shoddy exploitation movie at times. Those 70's styles and especially the violent and panicky street mob sequences. Its a throwback to the corny giant bug movies of the 50's (check that poster), yet they made it to genuinely compete with 'Jaws'! Somehow this went on to make quite a bit of money for Transcentury Pictures and has since become a cult. I can understand why but for me personally I think it would be a lot more enjoyable and effective in black and white (and set in the glorious 50's).
'if it doesn't work, then old buddy we've got company for dinner'
5.5/10
So somewhere in rural (always rural) Wisconsin a meteorite crash lands which lights up the sky on impact (literally lights up the sky with some awful colour effects). Now somehow, don't ask me how, but somehow this meteorite contains lots of spiders, all of which look remarkably like spiders here on Earth (don't question it). These spiders seem to vary in size from your regular tarantula size (because they are tarantulas), to dog size, to house size.
I'm not too sure how these spiders survived the impact but they do appear to be cocooned within small circular rocks (rocks which also contain diamonds!). So I guess that sorts that (?). But do they spawn in the rocks? Do they use the rocks as shields against the vacuum of space? What do they feed on? Where did they come from? When they emerge on Earth why do they start to grow slowly? Why do they grow to such enormous sizes?
The main crux of the movie is of course the spiders, but leading up to that there are various boring subplots surrounding various characters. We are introduced to each individual and shown what type of person they are. Not that that matters much because this was a low-budget affair only intent on showing you spiders eating people. But sure enough, this being the countryside most of the townsfolk are hick types bordering on rednecks. Most of these rather unwashed looking characters are generally either in troubled relationships or simply up to no good such as one character trying to sweet talk an underage female (gulp!).
I guess I should point out that a few of the actors in this movie are/were well known stars on American TV shows as well as movies of the time. Director Bill Rebane managed to do what Quentin Tarantino once did which was gather together a bunch of forgotten stars (probably on the cheap) who were happy for the work. Obviously the quality of film and outcome differed slightly.
Anyway back to the arachnids (effects). So what are they like, the effects. Well whaddaya think they're gonna be like? Obviously all the effects are pretty much on the cheap and homemade, but with much care and attention. There are plenty of wispy cobwebs hanging about the place and they do use quite a lot of real tarantulas which is quite effective for certain shots. There are also some bigger shock sequences such as a house (room set) being torn apart by the giant spider; and a guy getting mauled by the giant spider in his car which leads to a crash and explosion. I was actually reasonably impressed with the real tarantulas popping out of the ball shaped diamond encrusted space rocks (almost like eggs). Clearly they did put real tarantulas inside these balls and sprung them open to reveal the creepy contents.
The larger spiders is where things obviously go down hill somewhat. A large dog sized spider leaps onto one female character at one point which is quite amusing. Its very obvious someone threw this rubber spider at the actress...and its quality stuff. The oversized fangs, wobbly legs, and eyes are especially top quality. But its the giant spider that wreaks havoc on the town that is the big draw. Apparently the effects guys built this thing out of a VW Beetle; simply covering it with black fur, big legs, and using the rear lights as eyes. The crew operated the legs from inside the car. Ingenious if I do say so myself because the bottom half of the spider vehicle is always out of sight, which does actually give the solid illusion of a slow moving giant spider roaming the US countryside. There are quite a few shots showing this thing in the distance and it genuinely does look quite good.
Its was also quite gory too. This giant VW spider has big fangs below its (two) big red eyes and doesn't hesitate to slam them into its victims as they are dragged up into its gaping maw. I assume the crew inside are pulling the actor inside the car via the sunroof when the spider eats someone. But this simply action is well edited and accompanied by a good gallon of blood that flows down the victims body. All in all its pretty satisfying to see people getting eaten by this mega arachnid or watch crowds of people flee from it. That and the individually moving legs, overall its a solid effect cleverly thought out.
I love how despite everything that occurs you never see any real police, army, or scientific presence. Its like no one outside that town knows whats going on at all and no one thinks to call for any external help. Pretty much all the characters are scummy or too gruff and you don't care about them. Plenty of stock footage, a staple of these cheap crappy movies. Day and night switching between shots in classic Ed Wood style. The movies explanation for the spider invasion is ridiculous, an interdimensional gateway. The solution? A Caltech neutron initiator ('it just might work!'), like yeah...whatever you say bud. Apparently they drop this thing in the meteorite crater and switch it on. This does something that closes the interdimensional gate which in turn causes all the spiders to melt (an admittedly neat little melty effect sequence). Like I said, don't question it.
You probably know not to expect too much from a movie like this. A cheap sci-fi B-movie that looks like its been shot on a camcorder. Visually it looks like a shoddy exploitation movie at times. Those 70's styles and especially the violent and panicky street mob sequences. Its a throwback to the corny giant bug movies of the 50's (check that poster), yet they made it to genuinely compete with 'Jaws'! Somehow this went on to make quite a bit of money for Transcentury Pictures and has since become a cult. I can understand why but for me personally I think it would be a lot more enjoyable and effective in black and white (and set in the glorious 50's).
'if it doesn't work, then old buddy we've got company for dinner'
5.5/10
Drive-in Delight
kirbylee70-599-52617921 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Let me say up front that this movie is not a cinematic achievement that film historians will be discussing over the next 100 years. No, it is not the CITIZEN KANE of giant critter flicks. What it is though is a lot of fun and thanks to VCI it is now available on blu-ray.
Film has changed with each passing decade and the most wonderful thing about movies in the 60s, 70s and into the early 80s was that low budget independent movies could be made and actually be found playing in theaters, mostly drive-ins, across the country. A small group of talented (or not talented) individuals could come together on a relatively small budget and make an actual movie. But times changed with the advent of video and now DVD and those movies rarely show on a big screen and almost always go straight to video if they get made at all. But those gems of the past are now making their way to this new format for movie fans to enjoy.
The movie opens with a meteor crashing in the field of farmer Dan (Robert Easton) and his wife Ev (Leslie Parrish). Talk about a dysfunctional family, Dan is a philandering husband hitting the local hooker at night, Ev is an alcoholic and Ev's sister Terry is a teenage tease who's dating local newspaper reporter while taunting Dan. Dan and Ev see the meteor in the sky and decide to check it out the next morning.
At the same time local scientist Dr. Jenny Langer (Barbara Hale) has noted some strange readings and contacted NASA who send out Dr. Vance (Steve Brodie) to investigate. Most of their time is spent discussing the scientific questions revolving around the strange readings Langer got as well as those from NASA before they go out to investigate at Dan's ranch.
It's not long before we discover that what seemed a meteor was actually a method for an invasion of spiders that start normal size but eventually grow to the size of a small car (a Volkswagen draped in a welded frame and outfitted to look like a giant spider was used). In addition to plenty of webbing walked through we get the giant spider eating any and all it comes in contact with while both doctors try and find a way to get rid of the pesky critter.
While this may not qualify as a classic such as THEM it does have a certain amount of charm to it. Those who would make note of the bad acting here are missing the point. This is not an award winning film and never intended to be. Instead it was a low budget horror film that was intended to open doors and be a part of a resume. The fact that it made so much money on such a miniscule budget (by Hollywood standards) shows that there was a definite market for movies like this at the time. As noted in the extras even Johnny Carson mentioned the film on his show due to the amount of money it made.
VCI has dusted off the movie to offer the cleanest presentation available for fans of both the film and of low budget horror flicks. If you fall into those categories you won't be disappointed. Not only do you get the best reproduction of the film there are plenty of extras as well. Included are a new documentary on the film by Daniel Griffith, a super-8 version of the film transferred to HD, a behind the scenes gallery if photos, the original trailer and TV spots, interviews with members of the cast and crew, a newsreel, an 18 track recording of the upcoming stage musical based on the film and more. VCI have gone out of their way to satisfy the fans of the film.
This is the sort of movie that you put on after popping a bowl of popcorn, grabbing your favorite beverage of choice and plopping your feet up in the recliner to sit back and have a laugh with. It won't alter your life or ask you to join some misguided organization that wants to save spiders. What it could possibly do is have you consider buying a home theater projector to sit up on the back porch come summer so you can watch movies like this they was they were intended, under a starry night listening through a tinny speaker and having a blast. One last note is the appearance of Alan Hale, the Captain of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, playing the town sheriff in what amounts to a cameo role. Just another great reason to pick up this movie.
Film has changed with each passing decade and the most wonderful thing about movies in the 60s, 70s and into the early 80s was that low budget independent movies could be made and actually be found playing in theaters, mostly drive-ins, across the country. A small group of talented (or not talented) individuals could come together on a relatively small budget and make an actual movie. But times changed with the advent of video and now DVD and those movies rarely show on a big screen and almost always go straight to video if they get made at all. But those gems of the past are now making their way to this new format for movie fans to enjoy.
The movie opens with a meteor crashing in the field of farmer Dan (Robert Easton) and his wife Ev (Leslie Parrish). Talk about a dysfunctional family, Dan is a philandering husband hitting the local hooker at night, Ev is an alcoholic and Ev's sister Terry is a teenage tease who's dating local newspaper reporter while taunting Dan. Dan and Ev see the meteor in the sky and decide to check it out the next morning.
At the same time local scientist Dr. Jenny Langer (Barbara Hale) has noted some strange readings and contacted NASA who send out Dr. Vance (Steve Brodie) to investigate. Most of their time is spent discussing the scientific questions revolving around the strange readings Langer got as well as those from NASA before they go out to investigate at Dan's ranch.
It's not long before we discover that what seemed a meteor was actually a method for an invasion of spiders that start normal size but eventually grow to the size of a small car (a Volkswagen draped in a welded frame and outfitted to look like a giant spider was used). In addition to plenty of webbing walked through we get the giant spider eating any and all it comes in contact with while both doctors try and find a way to get rid of the pesky critter.
While this may not qualify as a classic such as THEM it does have a certain amount of charm to it. Those who would make note of the bad acting here are missing the point. This is not an award winning film and never intended to be. Instead it was a low budget horror film that was intended to open doors and be a part of a resume. The fact that it made so much money on such a miniscule budget (by Hollywood standards) shows that there was a definite market for movies like this at the time. As noted in the extras even Johnny Carson mentioned the film on his show due to the amount of money it made.
VCI has dusted off the movie to offer the cleanest presentation available for fans of both the film and of low budget horror flicks. If you fall into those categories you won't be disappointed. Not only do you get the best reproduction of the film there are plenty of extras as well. Included are a new documentary on the film by Daniel Griffith, a super-8 version of the film transferred to HD, a behind the scenes gallery if photos, the original trailer and TV spots, interviews with members of the cast and crew, a newsreel, an 18 track recording of the upcoming stage musical based on the film and more. VCI have gone out of their way to satisfy the fans of the film.
This is the sort of movie that you put on after popping a bowl of popcorn, grabbing your favorite beverage of choice and plopping your feet up in the recliner to sit back and have a laugh with. It won't alter your life or ask you to join some misguided organization that wants to save spiders. What it could possibly do is have you consider buying a home theater projector to sit up on the back porch come summer so you can watch movies like this they was they were intended, under a starry night listening through a tinny speaker and having a blast. One last note is the appearance of Alan Hale, the Captain of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, playing the town sheriff in what amounts to a cameo role. Just another great reason to pick up this movie.
Brilliant cheese for bad movie devotees.
Hey_Sweden18 July 2015
Bill Rebane is in the directors' chair for this endearingly tacky 1970s continuation of 1950s monster movie themes. It's the kind of thing that you simply have to see for yourself. It may not be "Them!" or even "Tarantula", but its sincerity combined with its utter schlockiness makes it pretty hard to resist. The special effects (yes, this viewer knew going in that the titular creature was "played" by a car) are just as wonderfully absurd as a person could want. Most of the actors put on their best poker faces, which only makes the silliness of the proceedings that much more enjoyable.
Somehow or other, a black hole has opened up a path, on Earth, to another dimension, and from it emerge geodes that give birth to tarantulas, as well as one enormous mother of a super tarantula that rampages to the best of its ability. Among those trying to figure out the cause of the creatures' existence, and the means of destroying it, are scientists J.R. Vance (Steve Brodie) and Jenny Langer (Barbara Hale).
It's the lack of quality filmmaking in rural productions like this (it's set and filmed in Wisconsin) that makes them quality entertainment. "The Giant Spider Invasion" does not disappoint, and lives up to its reputation. What's even more amazing is that veterans such as Brodie and Hale roped their families into participating: Brodies' son Kevin plays young newspaperman Dave Perkins, and Hales' husband Bill Williams plays the barman Dutch. Character actor and dialect coach Robert Easton, who wrote the dopey script with producer Richard L. Huff, co-stars as thick headed farmer Dan Kester. Alan Hale Jr. portrays our obligatory lawman character, and he offers the most blatantly comedic performance out of anyone here, jovially hamming it up at every turn. "The Skipper" references his most famous role and even breaks the fourth wall. Diane Lee Hart ("Cannonball"), Leslie Parrish ("Crash!"), and Christiane Schmidtmer ("The Big Doll House") also appear.
This one is a good deal of fun, and it's not surprising to read that Stephen King is a fan.
Five out of 10.
Somehow or other, a black hole has opened up a path, on Earth, to another dimension, and from it emerge geodes that give birth to tarantulas, as well as one enormous mother of a super tarantula that rampages to the best of its ability. Among those trying to figure out the cause of the creatures' existence, and the means of destroying it, are scientists J.R. Vance (Steve Brodie) and Jenny Langer (Barbara Hale).
It's the lack of quality filmmaking in rural productions like this (it's set and filmed in Wisconsin) that makes them quality entertainment. "The Giant Spider Invasion" does not disappoint, and lives up to its reputation. What's even more amazing is that veterans such as Brodie and Hale roped their families into participating: Brodies' son Kevin plays young newspaperman Dave Perkins, and Hales' husband Bill Williams plays the barman Dutch. Character actor and dialect coach Robert Easton, who wrote the dopey script with producer Richard L. Huff, co-stars as thick headed farmer Dan Kester. Alan Hale Jr. portrays our obligatory lawman character, and he offers the most blatantly comedic performance out of anyone here, jovially hamming it up at every turn. "The Skipper" references his most famous role and even breaks the fourth wall. Diane Lee Hart ("Cannonball"), Leslie Parrish ("Crash!"), and Christiane Schmidtmer ("The Big Doll House") also appear.
This one is a good deal of fun, and it's not surprising to read that Stephen King is a fan.
Five out of 10.
Faintly enjoyable, but it's no Kingdom of the Spiders
Leofwine_draca21 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Imagine a cheesy, low budget '70s remake of '50s giant spider flick TARANTULA and you'll get a good idea of what the enjoyably terrible GIANT SPIDER INVASION is like. Director Bill Rebane specialised in his own unique brand of 'backwoods' creature flicks during the 1970s, and this particular film is remembered as the one which dresses up Volkswagen Beetles to look like the titular critters! If there are elements which can be said to define the 'backwoods' or 'hicksploitation' horror film, I guess they'd include scenes set in small convenience stores, feature a lot of redneck characters, plenty of driving around the hills, woods and fields, and have people finding unpleasant things in bushes. Most of those sequences appear in this film, which features on a particularly unlikeable redneck (Robert Easton) who has a meteor land in his field one night. Cue a burst of quite awful back projection effects and a hilarious follow-up in which his character says he's too tired to check it out – he'll go to bed instead.
Soon, lots of mysterious nodules are turning up and depositing tarantulas around the place. They have a tendency to menace the sometimes-nude female cast members in a few effective scenes. There's also a lot of boring talk from a couple of scientists who turn up to investigate 'gamma rays'. Eventually, a huge spider shows up via laughably bad special effects, attacking a crowd at a baseball game and trashing a house in one scene.
This film's ain't a patch on similar B-movie KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, with Bill Shatner. It's poorly-made and badly-acted, despite one or two professionals in the cast. Much of it is boring and none of it can be taken seriously. The brief nudity and cheap gore effects sit oddly with a film I would have marketed squarely at kids (at least on the strength of the special effects). But it does have a certain ambiance – call it so-bad-it's-good film-making if you will – that meant I didn't dislike it: instead I found it faintly enjoyable.
Soon, lots of mysterious nodules are turning up and depositing tarantulas around the place. They have a tendency to menace the sometimes-nude female cast members in a few effective scenes. There's also a lot of boring talk from a couple of scientists who turn up to investigate 'gamma rays'. Eventually, a huge spider shows up via laughably bad special effects, attacking a crowd at a baseball game and trashing a house in one scene.
This film's ain't a patch on similar B-movie KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, with Bill Shatner. It's poorly-made and badly-acted, despite one or two professionals in the cast. Much of it is boring and none of it can be taken seriously. The brief nudity and cheap gore effects sit oddly with a film I would have marketed squarely at kids (at least on the strength of the special effects). But it does have a certain ambiance – call it so-bad-it's-good film-making if you will – that meant I didn't dislike it: instead I found it faintly enjoyable.
Along Came a Space Spider
BaronBl00d6 February 2005
One of the truly bad science fiction films of all time. The Giant Spider Invasion tells the story of some kind of space rocks landing in Wisconsin and then opening up with spiders and diamonds inside. Some how a giant spider(bigger than a truck) is created. But that is the only giant spider. Director Bill Rebane does interesting work if not good work. Despite the many, many, many flaws of this film, Rebane make a film that, for me, was very watchable and entertaining. I do understand that most of my entertainment value came at the lack of competency behind the camera, virtually no special effects, a spider that looks and acts like a cheap machine moved by stage hands, the stoic, wooden acting, and the amazingly awful script. This is definitely one of those "so bad its good" films that can be little diamonds in the rough to film lovers like me. I knew things were going to be bad when the first scene we see with actors(after that pitiful space sequence)had Alan Hale the Skipper himself call another character "Little Buddy." From there on things got worse. Robert Easton plays this incredibly unsavory man in long johns half the time who lives near the place where the rocks landed. He has a very dysfunctional family with his wife and teen sister-in-law. The wife is a lush and Easton sees another woman on the side when not making overtures to his teen relation. Instead of calling this The Giant Spider Invasion(let's face it - one spider does not make an invasion!), maybe they should have titled it "The Redneck Hillbilly Vs. the Giant Spider" or some other like title. A pair of scientists have scenes throughout tracking the space anomalies and finally arriving in town. Barbara Hale (Della Street from Perry Mason) and Steve Brodie play them. These guys are there for a little credibility along with Alan Hale. They don't do too well. Ms. Hale does a fairly workmanlike job and Alan Hale actually isn't too terrible(though he looks way too jovial for being the sheriff of a town under attack). Brodie is ridiculous with his mock seriousness. One other interesting casting note is Christiane Schmidtmer, the lovely, blonde, buxom, Teutonic actress from such films as Ship of Fools. She has an inexplicable role(as well as thankless one) playing a waitress in town. If you are looking for thought-provoking sci-fi or suspenseful action, you won't find any traces here. The Giant Spider Invasion will only be appreciated by the patrons of le bad cinema.
There were giants in those days.
gein2 February 2000
I try to watch this movie every year or so. It reminds me of my youth when I didn't have any preconceived notions about what a film should or shouldn't be. A time when I had total suspension of disbelief.
I remember when my ten-year-old eyes first caught a glance at the greatest horror movie poster that ever hung in the hallowed foyer of our local movie theatre, The D&R in Aberdeen, Washington. The poster featured a gargantuan spider bearing down on a group of terrified people. Suspended in the air above the monster were three helicopters and lying crumpled at the spider's legs were a couple of burning cars while spotlights filled the sky. One of the terrified was a busty young blonde wearing only a negligee. I was sold.
Every kid in town must have seen the `coming soon' poster because the next day in school all halls were abuzz with nervous anticipation of what was going to be the greatest cinematic experience of our young lives: THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION! Our local newspaper (The Daily World) had a beautiful half-page advertisement featuring the glorious poster art. I cut it out and hung it on the refrigerator so my mom wouldn't forget.
After a torturous week of school, the opening day finally arrived. Packs of kids, with parents in tow, rushed to secure a place in line at the D&R. The line wrapped around the block. Aberdeen hadn't seen this much excitement since Jaws played there the previous year.
Once inside the lobby, ushers showered the crowd with little black plastic spiders. Kids scrambled everywhere clawing and climbing over each other to get their hands on these rare collector's items. I snagged a few off the ground and then rushed into the theatre to secure a seat for my Mom, my brother and me.
The theatre was filled to capacity. Those who did not make it in for the first show were forced to wait until the 9:00 p.m. show. Back in the seventies there were only two show times during the weekdays: 7:00p.m. and 9:00p.m. It was truly Darwin's `survival of the fittest' in action.
At precisely 7:00p.m., the theatre grew dark and the screen was illuminated with the coming attraction: Squirm! The theatre was filled with whoops and screams as slime-coated killer worms with fangs tore into flesh, but soon a collective kid-groan could be heard as the rating `R' flashed after the preview. Thankfully, our attention was focused off the fact that most of our parents would not permit us to see the `R' rated film when the title: The Giant Spider Invasion filled the screen.
For the next 85 minutes, we were treated to a town exposed to a `miniature' black hole' that creates a `space warp' inviting in alien-spiders that grow to mammoth proportions. The film really delivered the goods! A grungy farmer discovers a half-eaten body whose rib-cage is partially exposed, a girl comes out of the shower baring her breasts and, in a glorious shower of blood, the spiders suck up a couple of people into their puckered-festering mouths! Cries of horror and disbelief could be heard throughout the auditorium. A couple of ushers had to remove a bawling friend of mine after he saw the partially eaten remains of one of the victims too much for his delicate sensibilities. I sat transfixed. This was the greatest movie ever made. The next day, I dragged a few of my friends to watch the matinee we stayed for the remaining showings and returned the following day. The movie played in Aberdeen for only a week, but I must have seen it a dozen times.
Years later, I found The Giant Spider Invasion at a video store and immediately purchased it. I watched it with the same glee I did back in 1975 and the fond memories I held came flooding back.
Watching it now I chuckle as Alan `The Skipper' Hale delivers lines like, `He's a strange man and he's building up a big head of steam.' But, seeing the spiders, which seemed so real back in the good old D&R, crawl over the beautiful Wisconsin countryside, still gives me a small thrill. Even though it's obvious the spiders are badly made up VW Beetles, it still takes me back to a time when all movies I watched were magical.
There were giants in those days.
I remember when my ten-year-old eyes first caught a glance at the greatest horror movie poster that ever hung in the hallowed foyer of our local movie theatre, The D&R in Aberdeen, Washington. The poster featured a gargantuan spider bearing down on a group of terrified people. Suspended in the air above the monster were three helicopters and lying crumpled at the spider's legs were a couple of burning cars while spotlights filled the sky. One of the terrified was a busty young blonde wearing only a negligee. I was sold.
Every kid in town must have seen the `coming soon' poster because the next day in school all halls were abuzz with nervous anticipation of what was going to be the greatest cinematic experience of our young lives: THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION! Our local newspaper (The Daily World) had a beautiful half-page advertisement featuring the glorious poster art. I cut it out and hung it on the refrigerator so my mom wouldn't forget.
After a torturous week of school, the opening day finally arrived. Packs of kids, with parents in tow, rushed to secure a place in line at the D&R. The line wrapped around the block. Aberdeen hadn't seen this much excitement since Jaws played there the previous year.
Once inside the lobby, ushers showered the crowd with little black plastic spiders. Kids scrambled everywhere clawing and climbing over each other to get their hands on these rare collector's items. I snagged a few off the ground and then rushed into the theatre to secure a seat for my Mom, my brother and me.
The theatre was filled to capacity. Those who did not make it in for the first show were forced to wait until the 9:00 p.m. show. Back in the seventies there were only two show times during the weekdays: 7:00p.m. and 9:00p.m. It was truly Darwin's `survival of the fittest' in action.
At precisely 7:00p.m., the theatre grew dark and the screen was illuminated with the coming attraction: Squirm! The theatre was filled with whoops and screams as slime-coated killer worms with fangs tore into flesh, but soon a collective kid-groan could be heard as the rating `R' flashed after the preview. Thankfully, our attention was focused off the fact that most of our parents would not permit us to see the `R' rated film when the title: The Giant Spider Invasion filled the screen.
For the next 85 minutes, we were treated to a town exposed to a `miniature' black hole' that creates a `space warp' inviting in alien-spiders that grow to mammoth proportions. The film really delivered the goods! A grungy farmer discovers a half-eaten body whose rib-cage is partially exposed, a girl comes out of the shower baring her breasts and, in a glorious shower of blood, the spiders suck up a couple of people into their puckered-festering mouths! Cries of horror and disbelief could be heard throughout the auditorium. A couple of ushers had to remove a bawling friend of mine after he saw the partially eaten remains of one of the victims too much for his delicate sensibilities. I sat transfixed. This was the greatest movie ever made. The next day, I dragged a few of my friends to watch the matinee we stayed for the remaining showings and returned the following day. The movie played in Aberdeen for only a week, but I must have seen it a dozen times.
Years later, I found The Giant Spider Invasion at a video store and immediately purchased it. I watched it with the same glee I did back in 1975 and the fond memories I held came flooding back.
Watching it now I chuckle as Alan `The Skipper' Hale delivers lines like, `He's a strange man and he's building up a big head of steam.' But, seeing the spiders, which seemed so real back in the good old D&R, crawl over the beautiful Wisconsin countryside, still gives me a small thrill. Even though it's obvious the spiders are badly made up VW Beetles, it still takes me back to a time when all movies I watched were magical.
There were giants in those days.
Red Dwarf or Red Giant? Tarantula or Station Wagon?
GroovyDoom9 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Early on in "The Giant Spider Invasion", Dr. Jenny Langer (Barbara Hale) is lecturing a group of bored students about different types of stars. What she doesn't know--and really, how could she?--is that an unprecedented celestial event has just taken place where she lives in Wisconsin: a black hole has come crashing down to Earth! Even worse, the black hole has opened a doorway to another dimension, and thru this doorway has emerged...a horde of malicious spiders of varying sizes! And it's all going on right in her back yard!
Well, actually it's going on in the back yard of a common dirt farmer who presides over a household of lowlifes who give new meaning to the term "white trash". They find some of their "cow" partially eaten (it seems that interdimensional spiders chew their food instead of the traditional sucking of vital fluids). A bunch of normal-sized tarantulas emerge from geodes that also contain diamonds, but nobody really notices the spiders until one medium-sized spider jumps out of a sock drawer, and really, how did it get in there in the first place, we wonder? Then we get a peek at the purveyor of our titular "invasion": a giant-sized tarantula that looks suspiciously like a motor vehicle covered in furry carpeting and legs. In one fell swoop, Wisconsin has become a dangerous place to live. It's enough to make a decent spider become a recluse! (har har)
NASA's answer to this unprecedented phenomenon is one Dr. Vance, a mildly sexist scientist who investigates the strange disturbance with Dr. Langer. You'd think a horde of giant spiders would be pretty easy to spot, but somehow our heroes manage to avoid the reality of large hairy arachnids until they run smack dab into one coming up the other side of a large grassy hill. The spiders seem to have no trouble at all acclimating to our dimension, and begin doing what giant spiders do--spinning webs and trapping people. One unfortunate guy is foolish enough to try and drive his car right through a giant web--talk about a bug splattering on your windshield!
I don't understand the problem some sourpuss people have with this movie. What in the cosmos did you think you were getting into by watching a movie called "The Giant Spider Invasion"? It is a cheap drive-in movie with a goofy title. This isn't a James Cameron production. It has very little budget to speak of and no first-rate actors, but the actors here really do enjoy hamming it up. The filmmakers clearly understood that they were in "B" movie territory (well, actually it's more like "T" or "U" territory), and the dialogue is appropriately hilarious.
The truth is, I think "TGSI" deserves to be in its own category. Although it is a poor film on almost every level, it does not deserve to be considered a truly awful cinematic experience. Nay, this film actually did a great deal of box office business in its day, and for good reason, too. There are truly well-made films that are nowhere near as entertaining as this one. Although the "MST3K" commentary is also hilarious, you don't really need it, I'm confident that you will not need anybody else to point out what's funny in this movie.
By now you probably know that this movie also stars Alan Hale Jr, aka Skipper from "Gilligan's Island"--and yes, there IS a reference joke in the film. Leslie Parrish makes a big impression as the boozy farmer's wife who finds the black hole on her property. Unfortunately for her, this black hole leads to a dimension full of giant spiders, and she becomes spider chow early on (after enjoying a delicious tarantula-flavored bloody mary).
A few other actors you might recognize are caught in this webby mess (hey, ya gotta pay the bills somehow, ya know?), but it's Barbara Hale who delivers the goods. Steve Brodie plays her male cohort scientist, but he simply looks bored. Barbara really gets into the part and plays it to the hilt, doing the faux intellectual bit, screaming in mock horror at the tarantulas, and dashing left to right in some cockamamie plan to undo the junk science that has turned Wisconsin into a smorgasbord for cheesy spiders. At one point she lets out a banshee-howl that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. She's even game enough to roll down a hillside for real. I bet she looks back on "The Giant Spider Invasion" and giggles. A lot.
Well, actually it's going on in the back yard of a common dirt farmer who presides over a household of lowlifes who give new meaning to the term "white trash". They find some of their "cow" partially eaten (it seems that interdimensional spiders chew their food instead of the traditional sucking of vital fluids). A bunch of normal-sized tarantulas emerge from geodes that also contain diamonds, but nobody really notices the spiders until one medium-sized spider jumps out of a sock drawer, and really, how did it get in there in the first place, we wonder? Then we get a peek at the purveyor of our titular "invasion": a giant-sized tarantula that looks suspiciously like a motor vehicle covered in furry carpeting and legs. In one fell swoop, Wisconsin has become a dangerous place to live. It's enough to make a decent spider become a recluse! (har har)
NASA's answer to this unprecedented phenomenon is one Dr. Vance, a mildly sexist scientist who investigates the strange disturbance with Dr. Langer. You'd think a horde of giant spiders would be pretty easy to spot, but somehow our heroes manage to avoid the reality of large hairy arachnids until they run smack dab into one coming up the other side of a large grassy hill. The spiders seem to have no trouble at all acclimating to our dimension, and begin doing what giant spiders do--spinning webs and trapping people. One unfortunate guy is foolish enough to try and drive his car right through a giant web--talk about a bug splattering on your windshield!
I don't understand the problem some sourpuss people have with this movie. What in the cosmos did you think you were getting into by watching a movie called "The Giant Spider Invasion"? It is a cheap drive-in movie with a goofy title. This isn't a James Cameron production. It has very little budget to speak of and no first-rate actors, but the actors here really do enjoy hamming it up. The filmmakers clearly understood that they were in "B" movie territory (well, actually it's more like "T" or "U" territory), and the dialogue is appropriately hilarious.
The truth is, I think "TGSI" deserves to be in its own category. Although it is a poor film on almost every level, it does not deserve to be considered a truly awful cinematic experience. Nay, this film actually did a great deal of box office business in its day, and for good reason, too. There are truly well-made films that are nowhere near as entertaining as this one. Although the "MST3K" commentary is also hilarious, you don't really need it, I'm confident that you will not need anybody else to point out what's funny in this movie.
By now you probably know that this movie also stars Alan Hale Jr, aka Skipper from "Gilligan's Island"--and yes, there IS a reference joke in the film. Leslie Parrish makes a big impression as the boozy farmer's wife who finds the black hole on her property. Unfortunately for her, this black hole leads to a dimension full of giant spiders, and she becomes spider chow early on (after enjoying a delicious tarantula-flavored bloody mary).
A few other actors you might recognize are caught in this webby mess (hey, ya gotta pay the bills somehow, ya know?), but it's Barbara Hale who delivers the goods. Steve Brodie plays her male cohort scientist, but he simply looks bored. Barbara really gets into the part and plays it to the hilt, doing the faux intellectual bit, screaming in mock horror at the tarantulas, and dashing left to right in some cockamamie plan to undo the junk science that has turned Wisconsin into a smorgasbord for cheesy spiders. At one point she lets out a banshee-howl that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. She's even game enough to roll down a hillside for real. I bet she looks back on "The Giant Spider Invasion" and giggles. A lot.
Vaaaaaaaaaaaaance!
Zeegrade19 October 2009
Not enough credit, or perhaps discredit, is alloted to Bill Rebane as a director on level with Ed Wood and quite frankly it's wrong. His movies have that feeling of incredulity and confusion along with community college level acting that seems to endear as many viewers as are repulsed by seeing them. Don't interpret this the wrong way, his films are still awful on a scale not frequently seen, they just have that little something extra that sort of makes you smile after the fact. Kind of like when your five year old swears. You're angry that he/she did it but afterwords you chuckle to yourself. When no one is around of course.
A meteor is seen crashing into the Wisconsin countryside by NASA as they send Dr. Vance to investigate. Once there he teams up with Dr. Jenny Langer, after he carpet bombs her with sexist stereotypes, and they discover that the geodes are filled with icky spiders. Vance and Langer go up the hill and both go tumbling down. Vaaaaaaaaance! Meanwhile white trash Kester is cheating on his alcoholic wife Ev with a woman who I must assume is blind. With his long underwear and back brace Kester is definitely doing his part to bring sexy back. Alan Hale Jr. pays his sizable buffet tab by playing the useless town sheriff who looks more comfortable scarfing down a stack of pancakes at the local Perkins than serving and protecting. Eventually the giant spider makes his way to Gleason just in time to ruin the softball tournament. Whatta jerk!
I've made many a trip to cheeseland a let me tell you that the population there is pretty hokey with all of its fake Indian trinkets and goofy "hay dere" dialect but Giant Spider Invasion portrays Wisconsonians as southern gutter trash. Kester and Ev are especially guilty of this as they are more apt for some trailer park in Alabama. I had a chance to watch the full length movie after seeing this on Mystery Science Theatre and was a little sickened by two scenes involving Terry played by Diane Lee Hart. Now mind you she is playing a seventeen year old girl when she is being sized up by Kester and then caught topless by his cousin that eerily resembles Charles Manson. How this got a PG rating is mystifying to me. The movie redeems itself however when Dr. Vance pulverizes Dr. Langer as they tumble down the hill. At one point he rolls over her head. May the giant spider's soul rest with the spirit of Tommy Bartlett.
A meteor is seen crashing into the Wisconsin countryside by NASA as they send Dr. Vance to investigate. Once there he teams up with Dr. Jenny Langer, after he carpet bombs her with sexist stereotypes, and they discover that the geodes are filled with icky spiders. Vance and Langer go up the hill and both go tumbling down. Vaaaaaaaaance! Meanwhile white trash Kester is cheating on his alcoholic wife Ev with a woman who I must assume is blind. With his long underwear and back brace Kester is definitely doing his part to bring sexy back. Alan Hale Jr. pays his sizable buffet tab by playing the useless town sheriff who looks more comfortable scarfing down a stack of pancakes at the local Perkins than serving and protecting. Eventually the giant spider makes his way to Gleason just in time to ruin the softball tournament. Whatta jerk!
I've made many a trip to cheeseland a let me tell you that the population there is pretty hokey with all of its fake Indian trinkets and goofy "hay dere" dialect but Giant Spider Invasion portrays Wisconsonians as southern gutter trash. Kester and Ev are especially guilty of this as they are more apt for some trailer park in Alabama. I had a chance to watch the full length movie after seeing this on Mystery Science Theatre and was a little sickened by two scenes involving Terry played by Diane Lee Hart. Now mind you she is playing a seventeen year old girl when she is being sized up by Kester and then caught topless by his cousin that eerily resembles Charles Manson. How this got a PG rating is mystifying to me. The movie redeems itself however when Dr. Vance pulverizes Dr. Langer as they tumble down the hill. At one point he rolls over her head. May the giant spider's soul rest with the spirit of Tommy Bartlett.
One of the best bad movies ever made.
Kemman21 December 1998
The first time I saw this movie was on an episode of MST3K. From the greasy hick to the doctor from Nassau (NASA) this film has it all (wrong, that is)! I couldn't stop laughing when they finally showed the 'giant spider' that looked like a high school homecoming float. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a lot of time and patience. I only wish they used microphones. It sounded like Thomas Edison was the sound man through part of it. Try and see the MST3K take on this movie. you will die laughing!
Trash from 70s
Breumaster9 February 2020
If I wasn't a fan of horror movies, I wouldn't have watched this. Sometimes there are is a real gem between all the other B-productions. There can be a real good horror movie for less than 1 million bucks and there also can be a real funny trashy, if the production is not ment to be serious. It's like jamming musicians. They jam together to be creative, have fun and are not so serious about it. Same deal or these kinds of trashies. They can be funny as long as they're not meant serious and put some fun into it. This movie is obviously cheap produced, but the production design apears to be ment too serious for a real trashy. And it looks real cheap. The legs of the spider look like big tampers. Only by that look, all seriousness of threatening situation is gone. The dialogues are weak, The camera work is third rate, the story is garbage. Don't watch it, it's only stolen time, except you want to snooze a bit.
Brodie family project
bkoganbing21 January 2019
Noting in the cast and credits behind the camera a number of folks named Brodie
I imagine this was something that star Steve Brodie had a lot to do with. The
veteran character player got his whole family involved including son Kevin who
had a bit of a career himself.
I imagine the best of Hollywood's talents were not available to the Brodies. Cheesy special effects and a story that left a lot to be desired, The Giant Spider Invasion is not the best of science fiction out there.
I'm not sure of the science fact that's supposed to underline this story. A black hole which travels like meteor collides with earth and the hole opens up. Out come a lot of spiders and as they eat they grow. Big ones, small ones, some as big as house. All a bit much for the local sheriff Alan Hale, Jr. to deal with. The former skipper of the S.S. Minow is used to breaking up drag races and arresting drunks to sleep it off in his tank.
Scientists Steve Brodie and Barbara Hale are on the job. But in the meantime these growing arachnids are wreaking havoc in rural Wisconsin.
I think the Brodie family was trying for a satire that at best was a hit or miss proposition.
I imagine the best of Hollywood's talents were not available to the Brodies. Cheesy special effects and a story that left a lot to be desired, The Giant Spider Invasion is not the best of science fiction out there.
I'm not sure of the science fact that's supposed to underline this story. A black hole which travels like meteor collides with earth and the hole opens up. Out come a lot of spiders and as they eat they grow. Big ones, small ones, some as big as house. All a bit much for the local sheriff Alan Hale, Jr. to deal with. The former skipper of the S.S. Minow is used to breaking up drag races and arresting drunks to sleep it off in his tank.
Scientists Steve Brodie and Barbara Hale are on the job. But in the meantime these growing arachnids are wreaking havoc in rural Wisconsin.
I think the Brodie family was trying for a satire that at best was a hit or miss proposition.
One of ' The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made'
mwilson197627 May 2020
A very low-budget horror movie (it was shot in six weeks with a budget of $300,000), about a horde of radioactive mutant spiders with a craving for human flesh emerging from the depths of the earth to invade a rural Wisconsin town after a black hole opens up another dimension. Featuring awful special effects, just the one giant spider (which was constructed by covering a Volkswagen automobile with artificial black fur, with the fake legs operated from the inside by seven members of the crew), and a cast made up of a lot of "has-beens," and B movie veterans, it's tacky as hell but a lot of laughs as the spiders go on the rampage at the towns summer fair. The film received a considerable theatrical run and became one of the 50 top-grossing films of that year, even featuring in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Listed as one of 'The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made' by Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson in the book The Official Razzie Movie Guide.
When Bad Movies Get Worse
darthmorbyva17 July 2021
Bad but not as atrocious as expected
TheLittleSongbird20 September 2013
Judging from what has been said from other commentators I was expecting one of the worst movies ever made. Make no mistake The Giant Spider Invasion is a bad movie- very bad in fact, the 2.7 rating is about right for it- but not atrocious and a long way from one of the worst movies ever made. Barbara Hale and Steve Brodie are decent, there is some unintentional entertainment value and a couple of the attacks are appropriately gruesome. To say that The Giant Spider Invasion is poorly made though is an understatement, often what is seen is close to incoherent. The spider is not a convincing threat at all, more goofy than menacing and the cheap puppet-like design is no help. The music sounds stock and inappropriate, when you can hear the dialogue you are kind of glad actually that the sound is poor and the story is thinly plotted, completely lacking in atmosphere and predictable. Apart from Barbara Hale and Steve Brodie, the acting is so terrible- especially from Alan Hale- that it's not worth any comments. All in all, not as atrocious as heard and expected but very bad. 3/10 Bethany Cox
So bad it's good!
planktonrules28 November 2008
I saw this movie right after the god-awful MONSTER A GO-GO, but unlike this other film, THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION was bad but also kept my interest because it was so silly and a bit trashy--just the sort of film you and your friends can enjoy laughing at because it's so dopey.
The worst thing about this film are the special effects. The outer space shots were just terrible and later in the film, the giant tarantula scenes were incredibly silly--not 100% bad--just very, very silly. Seeing the legs bobbing up and down was a hoot.
The next worst thing is the White Trash aspects of the film. Although shot in Wisconsin (a veritable film mecca), many of the main characters are trashy hillbillies that seemed a bit out of place. But they were so badly overplayed and such terrible stereotypes that they looked more like characters from the game "Redneck Rampage" or perhaps guests on "The Jerry Springer Show" than real people. Such terrible writing and acting has to be seen to believed.
Now this is a very bad film but not quite bad enough to make the hallowed pantheon of badness. A few scenes (not many, of course) were pretty good and the story, while dumb, is watchable. Plus, it's kind of fun to watch Alan Hale, Jr. playing one of the laziest and least effective sheriffs since "The Dukes of Hazzard". Once, early in the film, he called a kid "little buddy" because he appears to have forgotten that "Gilligan's Island" had been canceled.
Overall, this isn't Shakespeare, but with the title of this film you certainly couldn't expect anything different.
FYI--There is a tiny bit of nudity in the film. It's gratuitous and parents are cautioned about letting younger kids view this film--not just because of the nudity but because a film this stupid might just have serious long term effects on a young child's brain!!
The worst thing about this film are the special effects. The outer space shots were just terrible and later in the film, the giant tarantula scenes were incredibly silly--not 100% bad--just very, very silly. Seeing the legs bobbing up and down was a hoot.
The next worst thing is the White Trash aspects of the film. Although shot in Wisconsin (a veritable film mecca), many of the main characters are trashy hillbillies that seemed a bit out of place. But they were so badly overplayed and such terrible stereotypes that they looked more like characters from the game "Redneck Rampage" or perhaps guests on "The Jerry Springer Show" than real people. Such terrible writing and acting has to be seen to believed.
Now this is a very bad film but not quite bad enough to make the hallowed pantheon of badness. A few scenes (not many, of course) were pretty good and the story, while dumb, is watchable. Plus, it's kind of fun to watch Alan Hale, Jr. playing one of the laziest and least effective sheriffs since "The Dukes of Hazzard". Once, early in the film, he called a kid "little buddy" because he appears to have forgotten that "Gilligan's Island" had been canceled.
Overall, this isn't Shakespeare, but with the title of this film you certainly couldn't expect anything different.
FYI--There is a tiny bit of nudity in the film. It's gratuitous and parents are cautioned about letting younger kids view this film--not just because of the nudity but because a film this stupid might just have serious long term effects on a young child's brain!!
Pretty bad
preppy-325 November 2008
Ridiculous 1970s sci-fi movie. It takes place in Wisconsin. Some spiders from another dimension (don't ask) get to Earth and grow to gigantic size. They attack a small town and panic ensures. Dr. Vance (Steve Brodie) and Dr. Langer (Barbara Hale) try to figure out how to destroy them while the sheriff of the town (Alan Hale badly miscast) tries to keep things in order. There's also redneck Dan (Robert Easton), his alcoholic wife Ev (Leslie Parrish) and their jail bait daughter Terry to provide some wholly predictable and boring "human interest".
I heard this was bad but I didn't realize that it was THIS bad! Bottom of the barrel stuff here. It was made on no budget with a giant spider that is (pretty obviously) a puppet. The sound recording is poor (I had to keep turning the volume up and down) but--considering the dialogue--that's no great loss. The film has absolutely horrible cinematography--some scenes were so dark I couldn't make out what was happening! Also Alan Hale bulldozes through his scenes to an embarrassing degree--it makes his acting as the Skipper on "Gilligan's Island" look restrained. There are a few good parts--the acting by Barbara Hale and Steve Brodie isn't bad and there's a nicely gruesome scene where you see a man devoured by the giant spider. Still this is mostly boring and pointless. A 2.
I heard this was bad but I didn't realize that it was THIS bad! Bottom of the barrel stuff here. It was made on no budget with a giant spider that is (pretty obviously) a puppet. The sound recording is poor (I had to keep turning the volume up and down) but--considering the dialogue--that's no great loss. The film has absolutely horrible cinematography--some scenes were so dark I couldn't make out what was happening! Also Alan Hale bulldozes through his scenes to an embarrassing degree--it makes his acting as the Skipper on "Gilligan's Island" look restrained. There are a few good parts--the acting by Barbara Hale and Steve Brodie isn't bad and there's a nicely gruesome scene where you see a man devoured by the giant spider. Still this is mostly boring and pointless. A 2.
Invasion of the giant alien spiders
chris_gaskin12317 November 2005
The Giant Spider Invasion was one of the many 1950's type movies (giant bugs, animals etc) that was made in the 70's and I enjoyed this despite reading a lot of bad reviews.
A strange meteor lands in a small town in Wisconsin and a load of strange looking eggs are found by it. Some of the locals take them home with them and spiders and tarantulas start hatching from them. Rather small at first, these creatures grow into giants and to make matters worse, are radioactive. After eating several people including the town's Sheriff, the hole where the meteor landed is blown up and the spiders are killed.
This movie gets going after a fairly slow start and is clearly done on a low budget.
The cast includes Barbara Hale (Perry Mason), Steve Brodie (The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms), Alan Hale Jr. as the Sheriff and Leslie Parrish.
The Giant Spider Invasion is a must for all sci fi and bad movie fans. Fantastic.
Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.
A strange meteor lands in a small town in Wisconsin and a load of strange looking eggs are found by it. Some of the locals take them home with them and spiders and tarantulas start hatching from them. Rather small at first, these creatures grow into giants and to make matters worse, are radioactive. After eating several people including the town's Sheriff, the hole where the meteor landed is blown up and the spiders are killed.
This movie gets going after a fairly slow start and is clearly done on a low budget.
The cast includes Barbara Hale (Perry Mason), Steve Brodie (The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms), Alan Hale Jr. as the Sheriff and Leslie Parrish.
The Giant Spider Invasion is a must for all sci fi and bad movie fans. Fantastic.
Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.
What did you expect?
kinojunkie29 July 2005
Giant Spider Invasion is a low budget monster movie reminiscent of the giant bug invasion pictures of the 50's but it was actually shot in the 70's. It's all very predictable, these giant spider eggs travel to earth on board some meteorites and land in a small Wisconsin town. People start disappearing, cattle are found mutilated and things just aren't quite right. Needless to say, it's up to the local Sheriff, astronomer and out of town NASA specialist to find out and ultimately confront the source of the strange things going on. Of course it's all being caused by these giant spiders that are running amok, devouring everyone in sight. The effects are pretty bad and the acting is very hammy but it's all part of the fun. Amazingly, they actually built full sized giant spiders for this film and although they look terrible, it's wonderful to see these massive creatures roaming the Wisconsin country side wreaking havoc where ever they go. Giant Spider Invasion is good mindless fun that's better than 90% of the horror/sci-fi films being made these days.
Bill Rebane, you've done it again! Now, clean that mess up!
lemon_magic15 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Hooo boy, "Giant Spider Invasion"...as Monty Python put it, "It's Really Something Other Than Else!!!!"
It's obvious that the director and film crew weren't trying to do anything other than crank out a disposable drive-in monster movie, so I can't savage Rebane and crew too badly about this. There is no pretentiousness here, no High Ambition or would-be High Art, just a bunch of people trying to make a light hearted action adventure.
But man, does it ever suck.
For a lightweight movie with no ambitions, there are an incredible number of hurtful and hateful moments that stun the viewer into incredulity. To wit:
There are at least half a dozen jokes and would-be bits of repartee that fall flatter than a steamrolled gopher.
There is a whole lot of "Tobacco Road" sleaziness: the alcoholic wife jumping the bones of the liquor deliveryman (implied), her husband cheating on his wife with the barmaid and chasing the niece around the kitchen table in his long johns, the niece running around the house in short shorts that all but fall off her hips and pooched out little belly.
There are a whole lot of jarringly unappealing closeups : the farmer in red long-johns and a girdle/back brace; Alan Hale with his uniform shirt continually unbuttoned, acting with his tongue and looking like a total "pork vacuum"; the gem appraiser giving the camera a raspberry; almost every shot of the male scientist with the wattles and the hatchet wound on his forehead.
There is some amazingly unconvincing techno-babble and pseudo-science talk, where Wattle Guy and Barbara Hale try to pretend they are scientists and 'brain-storm' where the spiders are coming from, along with a deus-ex machina plot device where Wattle Guy decides to 'overload' the 'Spider-Gate' with a ??bomb?? of some sort. There is a bit near the end of the movie where Ms Hale is sent to fetch a flare gun, goes to a nearby car to get the flare gun, and comes back to join Wattle Man...having forgotten the flare gun. Near the end of the film, poor Ms. Hale also is made to repeatedly scream like a cougar (via overdub) in an attempt to simulate shock and fear.
There are some spectacularly poor special effects and process shots: the most jarring being the scenes where the spider is fully visible and it's obviously a dune buggy with a bunch of streamers.
Still, there is something enjoyable about all of this. I don't find this movie nearly as loathsome as "Eye Creatures", "Monster-A-Go-Go", or "Eegah"...perhaps it's because the energy level of the film overall is much higher. It's a mess, but things keep moving along, and for that alone it gets an extra star.
MST'S take on this movie is great fun, by the way, and highly recommended.
It's obvious that the director and film crew weren't trying to do anything other than crank out a disposable drive-in monster movie, so I can't savage Rebane and crew too badly about this. There is no pretentiousness here, no High Ambition or would-be High Art, just a bunch of people trying to make a light hearted action adventure.
But man, does it ever suck.
For a lightweight movie with no ambitions, there are an incredible number of hurtful and hateful moments that stun the viewer into incredulity. To wit:
There are at least half a dozen jokes and would-be bits of repartee that fall flatter than a steamrolled gopher.
There is a whole lot of "Tobacco Road" sleaziness: the alcoholic wife jumping the bones of the liquor deliveryman (implied), her husband cheating on his wife with the barmaid and chasing the niece around the kitchen table in his long johns, the niece running around the house in short shorts that all but fall off her hips and pooched out little belly.
There are a whole lot of jarringly unappealing closeups : the farmer in red long-johns and a girdle/back brace; Alan Hale with his uniform shirt continually unbuttoned, acting with his tongue and looking like a total "pork vacuum"; the gem appraiser giving the camera a raspberry; almost every shot of the male scientist with the wattles and the hatchet wound on his forehead.
There is some amazingly unconvincing techno-babble and pseudo-science talk, where Wattle Guy and Barbara Hale try to pretend they are scientists and 'brain-storm' where the spiders are coming from, along with a deus-ex machina plot device where Wattle Guy decides to 'overload' the 'Spider-Gate' with a ??bomb?? of some sort. There is a bit near the end of the movie where Ms Hale is sent to fetch a flare gun, goes to a nearby car to get the flare gun, and comes back to join Wattle Man...having forgotten the flare gun. Near the end of the film, poor Ms. Hale also is made to repeatedly scream like a cougar (via overdub) in an attempt to simulate shock and fear.
There are some spectacularly poor special effects and process shots: the most jarring being the scenes where the spider is fully visible and it's obviously a dune buggy with a bunch of streamers.
Still, there is something enjoyable about all of this. I don't find this movie nearly as loathsome as "Eye Creatures", "Monster-A-Go-Go", or "Eegah"...perhaps it's because the energy level of the film overall is much higher. It's a mess, but things keep moving along, and for that alone it gets an extra star.
MST'S take on this movie is great fun, by the way, and highly recommended.
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