Arachnophobia: An Arachnophobe’s Review
As an arachnophobe myself, I must admit that it’s taken me a while to finally muster up the courage to watch Arachnophobia! The thought of seeing the creepy, furry, leggy spiders – especially en masse – jumping out at me from the TV screen?! No thank you! I’m easily scared as it is. Add a horror film and my biggest fear into the mix and I’d be a quivering wreck!
…or perhaps not?
At the risk of ruining the suspense for you, this really isn’t your typical horror movie.
Did I jump? Yes.
Did I have to look away from the screen sometimes? Yes.
Did it freak me out or scare me at times? Yes.
Was I terrified? Surprisingly not!
If you’re expecting chainsaws, hauntings from the afterlife or graphic scenes of blood and gore, then you’re going to be disappointed. The film is in fact a lot less serious than you might expect from a horror film. And there’s good reason for that! …which I’ll get to in a bit. First, let me tell you a bit about the plot of the film.
The film begins with a team of entomologists exploring deep in the rainforests of Venezuela. As you might have guessed from the title of the film, they of course discover a new species of spider. One that’s considerably larger and considerably more terrifying than any spider you or I have ever come across! Having been bitten by the deadly creature, the team’s photographer, Jerry Manley (Mark L Taylor) is killed almost instantly!
The deadly spider manages to hitch a ride in his victim’s coffin to the rural Californian town of Canaima. This just so happens to be the same town to which Dr Ross Jennings and his family have moved – to explore the advantages of rural life and to pursue a job opportunity as the town’s doctor. Sadly, the family don’t quite get the
taste of country living that they were hoping for! First of all, Dad’s career plans are scuppered, with matters becoming increasingly worse when he is dubbed ‘Dr Death’! All while the family’s barn (unknowingly) becomes the military base from where the “grand daddy” of spiders sends his soldiers out to battle!
How many members of the community – and indeed the Jennings family – will make it out alive?! Well, that’s for me to know and for you to find out!
One thing I will say is, if my house was crawling with spiders like the Jenning’s house was and I didn’t die from a spider bite, I definitely would have died of sheer fear alone! It’s not that the film is terrifying – it’s really not. There are some tense scenes, particularly as the film reaches its climax towards the end. Generally speaking, though, it’s much more light-hearted than your average horror film. In fact, it’s quite a comedic film!
Although originally written as a serious horror film, when Jeff Daniels (Dr. Ross Jennings) came on board, it became clear that he and Frank Marshall (director) were craving a bit of black comedy! As it was, the film clearly wasn’t quite right, so the script went through a series of revisions. The biggest change being that Dr Jennings (main character) was given a crippling fear of spiders! Honestly, it’s difficult to imagine a version of the film where this wasn’t the case. It adds so much to the story and to the whole feel of the film. For me, it adds to the comedy factor because I can imagine myself quaking in his shoes!
Now, I feel like I should clarify that this is not a cheesy, spoof or slapstick kind of comedy horror. In fact, I think the acting is great and the balance of horror and comedy is pretty spot-on. I wouldn’t say it’s like boarding the Wicker Man (below), but it’s comparable to enjoying a ride on a ghost train. You’ll jump… but you might just start to relax during some parts of the journey. You might find some elements more amusing than scary! You’re enjoying yourself, but you’re also slightly on edge because you know something’s going to catch you off guard any minute! It’s scary and suspenseful… but in a fun way.
Possibly my favourite comedic element of this film is the brilliant John Goodman, who plays the role of exterminator Delbert McClintock. From the amusing tune that plays in the background of his scenes, to his chucklesome lines and funny mannerisms, this character adds a brilliant dose of pure fun to the film. Just watch this clip and you’ll see what I mean…
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll reappear in the new Arachnophobia remake.
Ooops! Sorry. Did I just slip that in there?!
Yes, you read that right – written and directed by Christopher Landon and produced by the legendary Steven Spielberg, Arachnophobia is returning to our screens!
We’ll definitely be keeping a look out for this new release. Watch this space!
