Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

   
Directed by: Ellory Elkayem

Written by: Jesse Alexander & Ellory Elkayem

Story by: Ellory Elkayem & Randy Kornfield


Starring:

David Arquette ... Chris McCormick
Kari Wuhrer ... Sheriff Samantha Parker
Scott Terra ... Mike Parker
Scarlett Johansson ... Ashley Parker
Doug E. Doug ... Harlan Griffith
Rick Overton ... Deputy Pete Willis
Leon Rippy ... Wade
Matt Czuchry ... Bret
Jay Arlen Jones ... Leon

Release Dates:  Theatrical: May 30, 2002 (Zurich) (Premiere); July 16, 2002 (USA); München Fantasy Filmfest: July 27, 2002;
Bergen International Film Festival: October 20, 2002; Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival: October 26, 2002

*Images courtesy at: www. eightleggedfreaks.warnerbros.com

               

 

 

 

Rating:

     

 

 A truck carrying toxic waster swerves while a rabbit is in the middle of the road leading one of the barrells of waste to fall into some lake polluting it.
A young boy named Mike Parker (Scott Terra) who is fascinated by spiders and scary movies, arrives at an eccentric man's place named Joshua Taft (Tom Noonan) who has a huge collection of poisonous spiders as he shows Mike some new one's he's found.
Later on a tarantula escapes and bites Josh on the neck causing him to roll around and knocking the other containers down with the spiders escaping and then going to the lake growing enormous.
Mike witnesses this and tries to go to the aid of one of the locals named Chris McCormick (David Arquette) for some help while his mother who is a Sheriff named Samanthan Parker (Kari Wuhrer) doesn't believe his story and grounds him.
But suddenly the spiders starts to invade their town eating people alive and it's up to Mike, his family and Chris to battle out these spiders and to find a way of destroying all of them.

 

This piece has lots of great cheesiness and wit to it. A nice shot on somebody with a tarantula climbing on his back and then does well by flipping out after he's bitten by crashing into the other containers of spiders crashing and shots of them scattering around. There's also a good shot of him being pulled in by giant one's after being webbed up.
A good shot on Chris McCormick turning around and sucker punching Wade.
A good cheesy discussion between Chris and Mike Parker in a truck together when he discusses about his encounter on a giant spider and no one believing him.
A nice screeching reaction on Bret after being zapped with an electro charger in the crotch by Ashley Parker as she does well acting fast with her moves on it and he knew how to react like a sissy after this happens.
Great shots on Bret  speeding away in a dirt bike with his friends away from the giant spiders as there's terrific special effects shots on the spiders jumping while they try to speed away. There's a really great shot on a tank truck exploding with the spiders jumping on it. A good shot on Bret watching this happen.
Nice night shots on some ostriches running around as well as a nice quick shot on an underground spider grabbing it's prey along with Wade entering the ground wondering what the commotion is about.
A good shot on Gladys looking inside a giant hole in her wall as well as her shocked reaction with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth when she is cornered by giant spiders.
A nice shot on Ashley scared stiff in her room with a giant spider crawling through her window and suddenly attacking her by spraying it's web on her as well as nice shots on Chris by trying to fight this creature with a chair showing great energy.
A good shot on Sheriff Samantha Parker screaming when a sharp spiders leg stabs through the roof of the radio trailer with her standing there.
Good shots on the giant spiders leaping in a cafe and attacking the customers and it's funny on what else the spiders try to attack which made me laugh my ass off.
Good shots on the people running into a mall with the spiders on their tail.
There are good angle shots with Chris speeding along on his dirtbike with Ryan riding on the back and a giant spider on their tail.
Bottom line is that this film is more funny with lots of laughs than scary but it does make you jump from time to time.
It's definetely one of those cheesy drive in monster movies like what you'd see in those old fashioned types. It's kind of a spoof on that genre. If you are scared of horror movies but want to try them out sometime then you might enjoy this one to get the feel of scary movies as this should make you laugh as it looks more cute in most spots with the spiders making sounds and jumping their way through places.

The acting is well done but quite comedic. David Arquette (Chris McCormick) really shows his stuff very powerfully in his role trying to save the town from these creatures. A nice insane expression on his face when he tries to call for back up on the spider invasion when he isn't believed that it's happening. Good reaction on him when he spots a victim upside down tangled in a web and scared to touch it.
Kari Wuhrer (Sheriff Samantha Parker) made her part believeable as a strict police woman and mother too as she comes across both of these together terrifically. A good performance on her punishing her onscreen son about telling tall tales due to watching monster movies which made me laugh. However sounded too hokey when she goes to make an emergency announcement on the radio about giant spiders invading their small town.
Scott Terra (Mike Parker) seems to bring some character too as the intelligent child with his fascination for spiders.
Doug E. Doug (Harlan Griffith) seemed to really act outrageous in a great way playing a sci fi radio disc jockey with his obsessions on beings from another world.
Rick Overton (Deputy Pete Willis) was another character as a dopey sheriff as he shows nice expressions and silliness.
A nice shocked expression on him in his police car with a spider on top of his roof as well as him trying to shoot at them which looked impressive as well.

Some slimy spider gore with them being shot and splattered.

We have some good spots with some accoustic guitar playing and some good clarinet playing too along with lots of classical music throughout the film composed by John Ottman.

Tommy: I went to go cremate Jason but I fucked up!
Deputy Rick: You got that right.

Allen Hawes: You just have to see that Jason's dead, right? Seeing the body won't stop the hallucinations!
Tommy: Seeing it won't, but destroying it will. Jason belongs in Hell - and I'm gonna see to it that he gets there.

Lizabeth: I've seen enough horror movies to know any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.

Darren: We're going to scare him.
Lizabeth: We're going to scare him?
Darren: That's right just drive towards him. He'll move. Nobody wants to die.
Lizabeth: Well, that's a freakin' fact. Least of all us.

Tommy: Don't shoot, please!
Sheriff Garris: You in show business, kid? You sure know how to make an entrance.
Tommy: Listen, Jason is alive! He killed my friend...
Sheriff Garris: You better slow down, kid. You already almost got your head blown off.
Tommy: Will you listen, dammit?
Sheriff Garris: Don't piss me off or I really will repaint this office with your brains!

Sheriff Garris: That, what we call it in the books, is screwing the pooch! Iron this punk!

Deputy Rick: This kid really wants us to believe his story.
Sheriff Garris: That's not what worries me. It's how far he'll go to actually prove it.
[Tommy suddenly turns off road]
Sheriff Garris: Fucking-A! What did I tell you? Hit the noise and the cherries.

Tommy: Jason isn't in there! Hawes is. Dig it up! You gotta dig it up! You gotta dig it up!
Martin: Dig him up? Does he think I'm a fart-head?

Martin: The bastards couldn't even stick him back in right. Why'd they have to go and dig up Jason?
[Looks at the camera]
Martin: Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment.

Martin: [to his liquor bottle] Darling, you're going to be the death of me. But what a lovely way to go, huh?
[tosses the bottle behind him - Jason catches it and stabs Martin with it]

Sheriff Garris: That's my daughter's car.
Officer Pappas: How do you want us to proceed?
Sheriff Garris: With extreme care, asshole! If the kid's with her, there's every good chance he'll try to do something crazy.
Tommy: [In the car; to Megan] Please don't do anything crazy.

Tommy: You have me where you want me. There's no reason...
Sheriff Garris: If I had you where I wanted you, they'd be pumping your ass full of formaldehyde.

Deputy Rick: Megan, don't clown around.
Megan: I'm not the one with the funny red nose.

Tommy: The only way to kill Jason is to send him back to his original resting place where he drowned in 1957.
Megan: Lake Forest Green.
Tommy: Crystal Lake.

Tyen: You know what I think? I think we're dead meat.
[a little later on, after hearing Megan screaming]
Tyen: REAL dead meat.
Billy: So, what were you gonna be when you grew up?

Little Girl: Is he killed?