Kiss of the Tarantula (1976)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Chris Munger

Writers:

Daniel B. Cady (writer)
Warren Hamilton Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

May 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

So silent. So deadly. So final.

Plot:

A disturbed teenage girl unleashes her pet tarantula against her "enemies."

Plot Keywords:

Tarantula | Spider | Independent Film

Cast

Suzanna Ling	...	Susan Bradley
Eric Mason	...	Walter Bradley
Herman Wallner	...	John Bradley
Linda Spatz	...	Tracy
Beverly Eddins	...	Martha Bradley
Patricia Landon	...	Nancy Drury
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Burrows	...	Mr. Price
Jared Davis	...	Dr. Morgan
Rebecca Eddins	...	Susan Bradley - Age 10
Susan Eddins	...	Susan Bradley - Age 5
W. James Eddins	...	Sgt. Wes Matthews
Rita French	...	Joan Murphy
George Gingell	...	Ralph Miller
William Guhl	...	Wayne Richards
Art Lane	...	Security Guard
Stratton Leopold	...	Eric Craig
Ron Prather	...	Bob Havens
Jay Scott	...	Bo Richards
Mark Smith	...	Joe Penny
John F. Suhr	...	Graveside Minister
Mary Tyree	...	Nurse Hamilton

Also Known As:

Shudder

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Columbus, Georgia, USA

Company:

Cinema-Vu

Largelly lacklustre Carrie clone

I would guess that this uninspiring little film was probably inspired by Stephen King's book 'Carrie', and possibly even Brian De Palma's film adaptation, as while this film was released in the same year; I'm sure that there was more than enough time to write the script and make the film with what was left of it. Spiders are common throughout horror cinema, and big tarantulas are a fear of many people. Adding to this theme is the tried and tested formula of a young female outcast getting her revenge...so really, there's not many excuses for this film not being better. Kiss of the Tarantula hasn't gone on to achieve much acclaim and it's rather unknown, which doesn't surprise me at all. The film focuses on a young girl who likes spiders. Her mother doesn't share this arachnid appreciation, however, and after continually telling her daughter off for playing with spiders, the young girl decides that enough is enough and ends up putting a spider in her mother's bed, which leads to a heart attack. Some years later, the girl is still disturbed; and decides to use the spiders to get revenge on her current enemies.

The fact that this film was shot on a low budget is clearly shown through the use of the spiders; as it can't have cost much to round a few up for filming, and this is pretty much all the film has in terms of horror imagery. The spiders are about enough to pull it through, but the film is otherwise lacking; and I find it hard to believe that everyone except the central character is scared of them. The plots surrounding the spiders isn't too interesting either, with only the idea of the young girl being an outcast for her 'hobby' and a plot involving her uncle and her mother having an affair providing distraction from the central theme. The fact that the film is set in a funeral home is a positive element, as mortuaries often provide an interesting location for horror films, and that works well here. As you might expect given the type of film, the acting is largely diabolical, and I'm not surprised that this was the only film role for Suzanna Ling. Director Chris Munger never made another film after this one also, and overall; Kiss of the Tarantula is almost worth seeing, but you wouldn't be missing anything by not watching it.