Arachnid (2001)

   

Directed by: Jack Sholder

Written by: Mark Sevi

Starring:

Chris Potter .... Valentine
Alex Reid .... Mercer
Jose Sancho .... Dr. Samuel Leon
Neus Asensi .... Susana
Ravil Isyanov .... Henry Capri
Rocqueford Allen .... Bear
Robert Vincencio .... Toe Boy
Luis Lorenzo Crespo .... Reyes

Release Dates: June 29, 2001 (Spain); Direct-to-Video: July 31, 2001 (Argentina); September 20, 2001 (Malaysia); Lund Fantastisk Film Festival: September 22, 2001 (Sweden); Direct-to-Video: February 4, 2002 (UK); Dead by Dawn Edinburgh Horror Film Festival: March 31, 2002

 

Rating:

 

An airforce pilot named Lightfoot (Jesus Cabrero) spots a UFO which causes his plane to crash in a jungle on the island of Guam as the alien dies but yet causes many bugs and spiders to grow gigantic.
Later on, a group of people including Lightfoot's sister Mercer (Alex Reid) go on a search as a man
is taken to a small clinic in Guam with mysterious bites on him. This sparks a search for what could have caused such wounds but due to technical problems their plane crashes and they are all stranded on the island which seems deserted and the village is empty.
One of their soldiers named Reyes (Luis Lorenzo Crespo) is infected by some ticks while walking in the jungle and later on they discover a giant breed of mutant arachnids are invading the island as they kill off each one of these people.

 

The beginning is very cheesy which involves a pilot flying his aircraft with fearful expressions after spotting a UFO as well as him in the jungle discovering an alien dying. There's a great part on a gigantic arachnid leaping towards him.
Later on we have a good discussion between the two characters Mercer and Henry Capri after holding a spider iin his hands and her demanding to get rid of it.
There's also good reactions on the main supporting characters in a plane bumping around while the plane is about to crash.
We spot a good shot on Henry trying to collect a spider from a rock with bits of venom dumping on his hat and a good shot on him taking off his hat and looking up and seeing some bushes move. A nice reaction on Reyes and
Bear shooting at the bushes with giant bugs falling down.
We have a good discussion between Valentine and Mercer with her attitude towards him saying that she can taken care of herself and then falling into some sort of a pothole as she reacts well screaming. We have a good camera shot up with her hand going in the hole to check stuff with some spiders creeping around.
There's a good aggressive reaction with Mercer towards Dr. Samuel Leon about what is happening as it looked like a good argument.
A good effects shot with Reyes reacting in total pain and his body tearing apart with bugs coming out and an arachnid forming.
We spot some good arachnid attacks with Toe Boy using his weapons to defend himself swinging his blade etc.
There's some great close up shots on the arachid's staring and ready to attack.
We have a good shot on Henry tangled in some web with blood spitting out weakly talking while Mercer tries to help him.
There's a nice shot with Mercer on the ground with a giant arachnid trying to spread a web on her with a good shot on her trying to struggle through the tangled webs.
We have lots of good gun shooting in some sort of an army base that involved Mercer, Valentine and Bear with the arachnid's trying to invade it. Some great shots on a tunnel chasing moment on them all from the arachnid's.
The moment of all was a dream sequence between Mercer and the pilot from the beginning of the film approaching her and then he suddenly sounds evil with spider legs forming around him. Man was that creepy.
Bottom line is that we've seen it before with movies like Eight Legged Freaks but however this one had a bit better effects and creepier looking spiders too.
It is a cheesy low budgeter no doubt but at the same time a fun film to watch if you're in the mood for it.
There's the odd good performance and nice directions here and there with a good look at a jungle but yet the beginning looks very phony with the invisible looking UFO and the surroundings of it all.

The acting is fairly good. Chris Potter (Valentine) shows a good serious and laid back attitude leading the rest and showing some good energy to his performance.
Alex Reid
(Mercer) really brought out her character very well showing a tough and stubborn personality to her role with great expressions too along with a good blunt attitude too. She also does well with her screaming when she falls into a pothole.
Jose Sancho
(Dr. Samuel Leon) shows a great aggressive Spanish accent and really knew how to portray his role as a scientist.
Ravil Isyanov
(Henry Capri) was an interesting character collecting spiders and has a good eccentric appeal to his part.
Luis Lorenzo Crespo
(Reyes) brings out his aggression quite well as a soldier in the film especially when he reacts in pain in which most cases looked pretty intense.

A guy's eyeballs and other parts of his body explodes and his body falls apart.
Some bloody stabbings by the creature's sharp legs.

Francesc Gener is quite good with his orchestral composing having a good violin playing with some tinkering synthesizer sounds too almost sounding like a Phantasm type of feel. Some good congos playing and jungle type music for the spider attacks. There's also some great horn and trombone playing too for some of the other spider attacking moments.