Tarantula

[Swamprat]

Another Fifties B Monster classic. Like the BLOB and the origianl THING, this is really a tight little B film. Decent effects for its day, a rambling little plot line, and reasonably good characters. The spider roaming the desert looks quite good, even by todays standards. Far better than the giant ants in THEM. THEM was a far better film in my opinion, but the special effects weren't nearly as good. Radiation could do wonderfull things back in the nifty-fifties...giant ants, giant Army Captains, giant crabs...but it takes a good old fashioned mad scientist to turn out a top notch giant spider like this one. A young Clint Eastwood dropping napalm on the sucker is just icing on the cake. There were at least a half dozen giant spider movies made over the years...as far as I know this was the first one with the spider in the starring role, and I still think it was the best. Did any of you guys know that there was a giant spider scene in the original cut of KING KONG? It was on screen for less than a minute. But after the movie the sample audiance was still talking about the spider and seemed to have forgotten all about the giant ape...so the scene was cut before general release. I've seen a still photo from the scene, but the film snippit is considered "lost"...what a bummer. If you're looking for B monsters from the golden age of B monsters, Tarantula is a hands down winner. Watch it with a Coke on election day then go out and vote for IKE as a write-in canadate. Kill a Commie and don't forget to kiss Mom on the check when she serves you a piece of that warm apple pie during the baseball game on TV, then grab your best girl and drive off into the sunset in your Chevy...God Bless America...remember you have the future ahead of you. Of course, this includes Vietnam, LSD, Kent State, Disco, and Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu...but all that is another story...

[vdantev]

Even as an avowed arachniphobe, I watched this with no real troubles because the thing was so g-ddamned big !! High marks for the special fx for such and early movie.

[Bill Gunnels]

Is this the same Jack Arnold who produced and directed the giant-spider episode of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND?  If so, was the movie parody intentional?

[jim]

>>For a film set in southern Arizona, it looks alot like a film shot in southern California.
Leo G. Carroll. Everybody's favorite mad scientist. Probably best known for playing Mr. Waverly in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.">>

Carrol was best known for his playing the title role in the mid-fifties TV show, "TOPPER"...

...I saw this film when it came out and I was six years old. It scared the bejesus outta me, and to this day I still remember it. I was doing a search for a pic from the movie when I stumbled on this Tarantula review page. IT'S GREAT!!! I havn't seen the movie in almost fifty years and to see the video clip is SO COOL, thanks! I remember the final scene vividly where the spider gets napalmed and burns like the Hindenburg. I sure hope I get to see this film in it's entirity again before I check out of this earthly realm.

[Silvestre Aguirre]

In  my opinon this is the best sci fi film of the 50'.Iam trying very hard to get it on DVD but with little luck.

[night heron]

A TARANTULA wow its a big sucker JUMPIN JUPITER and if you get a look at the pilot flying the jet and listen to him you will find out he is CLINT EASTWOOD during his RAWHIDE  days

[firebird]

I have this movie on video cassette and wow its real great and this is before they had compuerised special effects and much better then 8 LEGGED FREAKS becuase the big spider looks more scary and menacing and about the part where it invades the ranch and gose for a horse and the rancher and the other sceine where the two men are driving their pick-up and you can hear sheep or goats bleeting but you see none in the back of the truck and a giant spider can send a pick-up truck sailing through the air

[JesseGriffin]

Another Universal Classic. *****
This one is LONG over due to be remastered in widescreen on DVD. (Clint Eastwoods first movie appearence).

[killdeer]

How about the mutant in the PJs wandering through the desert before he dies its a wonder those hovering vultures did get their tail feathers scared off them and the akermagalia i realy think it was made up though the movie is great and the giant spider ITS A TARANTULA peeking through the window (peeping tom sex fiend)and when the monkey returns to the profesor it looked like somebody threw the monkey at him

[Manuel Antares Richard Sanchez]

    "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Smelled like...tarantula!" (see also: 'The Crawling Eye') Makes Eastwood's day!
                     ***  
   "I am not an animal. I am a mad scientist!" With apologies to Rondo Hatten and Joseph "John" Merrick, this one of the early big screen uses of acromegaly as a plot element of which I am aware. Holy Cosmo Topper!
                     ***
   Whatever you do, stay the hell away from Vasquez Rocks! Not only is it favored by oversized arachnids, but interplanetary insects ("The Zanti Misfits") and reptiles (the "Gorn") find it prime real estate as well! To tell the truth: the latter weren't exactly glad to be there either.
                     ***
   As regarding the size of the spider. While there is something to be said about "smaller being scarier" and the constant threat of being surprized (I don't I'd be actively checking behind any rock or outcrop) - that's all I'd be: surprized. My doom would be instantly upon me. No time to think, just die.
   One comfort however slight: those same rocks or boulders hiding the spider of proportionate size, would hide me as well, provided I wasn't discovered by other means i.e. being upwind of the critter or sumpthin'. Those obstructions would also be its handicap.
   Far more dreadful then is, I feel, the idea of being out in open country with no where to run and no way to outdistance a 100' high terror rapidly closing the miles between us. You have all that time in which to contemplate your certain death.
   Still, on balance, Heaven forbid it should be bearing down on me from behind the crest of a hill, that is to say, a much bigger rock.

[suzy]

I just watched this last night.  Excellent!! I especially loved the view from the Tarantula's mouth as it attacked it's human victims. Ace.

[Hawkeye Pierce]

There it is! A huge Spider ready to attack that city! weve been waiting this whole +ucking film for this moment and at last its there!
BUT WHATS THAT! CAN IT BE? YES! ITS GOOD OLD CLINT BLOWING THE THING TO BITS! DAMN YOU CLINT! DAMN YOU!

and to think the same studio made the original DRACULA nd FRANKENSTEIN (Boris!!! I miss you Boris!!! )

[Vess]

Well, where is the "Random act of violence against a giant spider, committed by a younger Dirty Harry, no less!" line?

[giant claw]

One realy big arachnid and bigger then a house and wandering through the desert eating animals and people too slow to run and those who are always falling down and i also saw this same giant spider in a 3 STOOGES movie HAVE ROCKET WILL TRAVEL and well the deformed guys and the big big rat and guine pig but other wise a realy great movie

[IT]

My second favorite giant insect movie next to THEM.The scene where the TARANTULA destroys the house trying to eat the leading lady scared the hell out of me as a kid.AT LEAST he ate the scientist he was far more scarier then the spider.A GREAT MOVIE.