Mark Turner 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.

Chase_Witherspoon 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.

MartinHafer 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!!

Lee Eisenberg You know that you're in for something totally corny when Alan Hale Jr. greets a man by saying "Hi, little buddy,", just as he did playing the Skipper on "Gilligan's Island". Thus, it's no surprise that "The Giant Spider Invasion" is below a B-movie. Chock-full of lame dialog ("We'll try to trap the spider!") and containing a king-sized arachnid which looks more like a Volkswagen, this flick's a true turkey. Let's not compare it to "Arachnophobia".Any redeeming qualities? Absolutely! Aside from how the film unintentionally elicits a series of laughs, there are some sexy scenes (alas, no full frontal nudity). It appears that the movie is only available on DVD through "Mystery Science Theater 3000". That's probably because no one in his right mind wants to release it as anything serious. As for the "MST3K" episode: Mike, Servo and Crow naturally made a few "GI"-related comments. Among the famous people who get mentioned are k.d. Lang, Bobby Seale and John Malkovich.So, the movie itself gets 2/10 stars, but the "MST3K" version gets 10/10. How cruel of Pearl to make them watch it.