Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

A variety of horrible poisonous spiders get exposed to a noxious chemical that causes them to grow to monumental proportions.

Director:

Ellory Elkayem

Writers:

Ellory Elkayem (story), Randy Kornfield (story),

Stars:

David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Eileen Ryan	...	Gladys
Riley Smith	...	Randy
Matt Holwick	...	Larry
Jane Edith Wilson	...	Emma
Jack Moore	...	Amos
Roy Gaintner	...	Floyd

Storyline

The residents of a rural mining town discover that an unfortunate chemical spill has caused hundreds of little spiders to mutate overnight to the size of SUVs. It's then up to mining engineer Chris McCormack and Sheriff Sam Parker to mobilize an eclectic group of townspeople, including the Sheriff's young son, Mike, her daughter, Ashley, and paranoid radio announcer Harlan, into battle against the bloodthirsty eight-legged beasts.

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Plot Keywords:

spider | pick up | cocoon | boy genius | hockey mask | 

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Taglines:

Do you hate spiders? Do you really hate spiders? Well they don't like you either.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence, brief sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [fr] Warner Bros [uk]

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arac Attack

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$324,976 (Australia) (27 September 2002)

Gross:

$17,266,505 (USA) (11 October 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the beginning of the movie at the spider farm, when it shows the jumping spiders feeding, Johnny says, "They call it an Arac-Attack." This is a reference to the original title of the movie.

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Goofs

When the line goes dead while Deputy Pete is on the phone with the Sheriff, he has the receiver in his left hand, but when he goes to tap on the phone base, there are clearly two hands holding on to the base. When the shot goes back to his face, he is still holding the receiver with his left hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Harlan: Do you know fear?

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Connections

Referenced in Hide and Creep (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Itsy Bitsy Spider"
Written and Performed by Joey DeLuxe
Produced by Joey DeLuxe
(appears in the opening and closing credits)
Courtesy of Joe Merholz Music ASCAP

User Reviews

The Most Overlooked Parody of Last Year...Pure Fun from Start to Finish!

"Eight Legged Freaks" was originally titled "Arac Attack" before the film's star, David Arquette, thought of a better title ("Eight Legged Freaks"). The great thing about this title is it sets up the film perfectly--it's a parody, and a surprisingly entertaining and hilarious and fun one, too.

David Arquette is the film's main character: the local boy who has returned after 10 years and still has a crush on cute Sheriff Sam Parker (Kari Wuhrer).

Once he arrives, he tries to spark a relationship with her, but everything is put on hold when mutated spiders (which formed from pollution in the mining caves) start to attack humans and animals, and everything goes haywire. Now David's character must put an end to these eight legged freaks before all legs break loose. (Yeah, that was a pretty bad pun.)

"Eight Legged Freaks" was one of the biggest surprises of last year, mainly because it was so darn funny and such a good spoof. I went into the theater expecting, at the bare minimum, a film with a rating of...say...2, 2.5/5 stars. I'd have to give this a 3.5. It was completely overlooked, probably the most overlooked film of last year (though that is pushing it). The parody is classic.

Do you remember those old films about mining towns in the middle of nowhere, population: 9, where giant grasshoppers, spiders, worms--heck, I saw a film with giant ants once--start attacking? That's what "Eight Legged Freaks" spoofs. It takes the old formulas and twists it around to have fun with.

Towards the end I found myself having such a pleasurable experience that I couldn't believe this film was so underrated. Nothing is more fun than seeing a bunch of people going after giant spiders with shotguns--it's pure fun. The people that went into this film expecting Oscar material were nuts.

The most sad thing about "Eight Legged Freaks" is that the people going into "Men in Black II" were probably expecting something like this: something funny, smart, original, witty, and satirical. I went into "Men in Black II" expecting something as good as "Eight Legged Freaks," and apparently Roger Ebert did, too. I'm on the same level with him, because I thought this film was extremely entertaining.

There are some plot holes and stupid cliches, but most of them are there to be made fun of. People going into deserted malls late at night trying to escape the spiders, people going into the lair of the spiders (which ends in them being chased by a giant Black Widow Spider). Y'know those movies where people do things, and you hear people in the movie theater (maybe it's you) shouting, "Don't go in there! It'll get you!"? That's what "Eight Legged Freaks" plays on.

Basically this film makes fun of every misused B-monster movie cliche, and that's what is so darn funny about this movie.

This film delivered everything I go to the movies for.

3.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer