Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Director:

Ellory Elkayem

Writers (WGA):

Ellory Elkayem (story) &
Randy Kornfield (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Spider | Pick Up | Cocoon | Boy Genius | Hockey Mask

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Don Champlin	...	Leroy
John Storey	...	Mark (as John Christopher Storey)
David Earl Waterman	...	Norman
Randi J. Klein	...	Waitress #1 (as Randi Klein)
Terey Summers	...	Waitress #2
John Ennis	...	Cop #1
Ryan C. Benson	...	Cop #2
Bruiser	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Noonan	...	Joshua Taft (uncredited)

Directed by
Ellory Elkayem

Writing credits (WGA)
Ellory Elkayem		(story) &
Randy Kornfield		(story)
Jesse Alexander		(screenplay) &
Ellory Elkayem		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bruce Berman	....	producer
Dean Devlin	....	producer
Roland Emmerich	....	executive producer
William Fay	....	executive producer
Kelly Van Horn	....	co-producer
Peter Winther	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Ottman

Cinematography by
John S. Bartley

Film Editing by
David Siegel

Casting by
Paula Rosenberg
April Webster

Production Design by
Charles William Breen		(as Charles Breen)

Art Direction by
Chas. Butcher

Set Decoration by
Marcia Calosio

Costume Design by
Alix Friedberg

Makeup Department
Leo Corey Castellano	....	key creature/makeup effects
Kim Collea	....	makeup artist
Scott W. Farley	....	key hair stylist
Bill Johnson	....	creature/makeup effects department head
Rick Sharp	....	makeup department head
Tina Sims	....	assistant hair stylist
Scott Spencer	....	makeup effects crew
Claudia Breckenridge	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Brent Conley	....	special makeup effects crew (uncredited)

Production Management
James K. Jensen	....	post-production supervisor
Kelly Van Horn	....	unit production manager
Barbara Russo	....	post-production executive (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul F. Bernard	....	second assistant director
Dominick Scarola	....	dga trainee
Lars P. Winther	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Matthew Bekoff	....	set designer
Vicki Dittemore	....	set dresser
Beverli Eagan	....	set designer
Neil Gahm	....	propmaker
Ralph Hall	....	set carpenter
Ralph Hall	....	set carpenter
Christopher Hayes	....	set dresser
Mark Hurtado	....	storyboard artist
Terry Kempf	....	construction coordinator
Richard Lambert	....	leadman
Catherine A. McCabe	....	art department coordinator
Keith Mosca	....	property master
Paul S. Power	....	storyboard artist
Chris Rogers	....	art department staff assistant
Steve Roll	....	carpenter
Gregg Singer	....	picture car coordinator
Kristen Spinning	....	stand-by painter
John A. Stewart Jr.	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Christopher Assells	....	sound effects editor
Brian Basham	....	adr recordist
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Michael J. Broomberg	....	foley artist
Kerry Ann Carmean	....	sound effects editor
Dino Dimuro	....	sound effects editor
Jim Fitzpatrick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Frazier	....	boom operator: re-shoots
Gary Gegan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Geoco	....	production sound mixer
Dan Hegeman	....	sound effects editor
Chris Hogan	....	dialogue supervisor
Matthew Iadarola	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Daniel S. Irwin	....	sound editor
Kate Jesse	....	boom operator
Carey Milbradt	....	sound editor
James Moriana	....	foley artist
Gary Mundheim	....	sound effects editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Dirk Stout	....	sound utility
Wade Wilson	....	sound editor
Scott Wolf	....	supervising sound editor
Jeff Glueck	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
Douglas J. Schulman	....	production sound mixer: re-shoot (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ron Colucci	....	special effects
Yves De Bono	....	special effects coordinator
Jens Döldissen	....	special effects supervisor: additional miniatures
Phil H. Fravel	....	special effects
Ken Gorrell	....	special effects technician
Jeremy Hays	....	special effects supervisor: pick-up shots
Thomas Kittle	....	special effects
Matthew Lillis	....	special effects technician
Robert 'Lucky' Rieker	....	special effects
Russell Tyrrell	....	special effects foreman
Mark Williams	....	special effects
Wayne Kennedy	....	modeller (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Carol Ashley	....	3D artist, lighter & compositor: CFX
Carol Ashley	....	technical director: CFX
Andy Barrios	....	digital compositor
Thad Beier	....	shader writer: fur
Francois Bordez	....	technical director
Jennifer Bourne	....	digital artist
John Bozzalla	....	Visual Effects Production Assistant (as John Bozzalla Jr.)
Michelle Butler	....	digital compositor
Darrin Butters	....	character animator
Robert Castaneda	....	character animator
Dominick Cecere	....	CG character animator
Fabrice Ceugniet	....	research and development technical director: CFX
Andy Chen	....	digital lighter
Yan Chen	....	systems engineer
Kay Cloud	....	senior technical director
Robert Cribbett	....	digital compositor
Tim T. Cunningham	....	visual effects coordinator: pre-production
Thomas Dadras	....	visual effects supervisor
Matthew Davies	....	effects animator
Jon Doyle	....	digital compositor
Nickson Fong	....	senior technical director
Scott Gastellu	....	roto/paint artist
Lynn M. Gephart	....	visual effects associate producer
Ido Gondelman	....	lead character animator: Centropolis FX
Juan Gonzalez	....	matchmover
Karen E. Goulekas	....	visual effects supervisor
Greg Groenekamp	....	visual effects compositor: CFX
Abra Grupp	....	compositing supervisor
Joachim Grüninger	....	visual effects supervisor
Jerry Hall	....	digital compositor
Greg Hanigan	....	digital imaging supervisor
Todd Harvey	....	research and development technical director: CFX
David Hofmann	....	senior matchmover
Jaimie Lee Jota	....	visual effects production assistant: CFX-DasWerk
Danny Keller	....	character animator
Keith Kellogg	....	character animator
Sevendalino Khay	....	character animator
Scott Kilburn	....	senior technical director: CFX
Andy King	....	visual effects R&D supervisor: CFX
Joshua I. Kolden	....	technical director
Kenneth Kurras	....	effects animator
John Lee	....	animator
Kelvin Lee	....	animation supervisor
Timothy Loughran	....	Visual Effects Production Assistant
Anthony Mabin	....	senior digital effects compositor: CFX
Britta Mangold	....	miniature effects: DOP
James Marbas	....	digital effects supervisor
Richard Matsushita	....	color and lighting technical director
Richard Matsushita	....	digital artist
Drew McKeen	....	visual effects producer
Steve Miller	....	assistant visual effects editor: CFX
Robert Minsk	....	head of software
Paolo Moscatelli	....	computer graphics supervisor: CFX
Alex Neymark	....	systems director
Alexander Nowotny	....	matchmover
Rob Ostir	....	digital effects artist
James Park	....	3D matchmover
Mylène Pepe	....	research and development technical director: CFX
Cristin Pescosolido	....	compositor
David Rand	....	effects animator
Rick Sander	....	digital effects artist
Kosta Saric	....	visual effects editor: CFX
Steven Seed	....	senior systems engineer: CFX
Ira Shain	....	character animator
Bret St. Clair	....	digital model/texture supervisor
Joe Strasser	....	texture painter technical director
Andy Tamandl	....	digital artist: CFX
Ka Yaw Tan	....	digital artist
Hector Tantoco	....	digital artist (as Dante Tantoco)
Nowell Valeri	....	digital artist: CFX
Paul Van Camp	....	senior effects animator
Mortimer Warlimont	....	senior model maker
Brian Wolf	....	digital compositor
Manny Wong	....	creature animator
Xye	....	visual effects
Jason Yanofsky	....	digital artist
Jason Yanofsky	....	visual effects artist
Amanda Burton	....	digital rotoscope/paint artist (uncredited)
Joe Mandia	....	character animator (uncredited)

Stunts
John Alden	....	stunts
Heather Banta	....	stunt performer
Pat Banta	....	stunts
Charlie Brewer	....	stunt coordinator
Kelly Brown	....	stunts
David Castillo	....	motorcycle stunts
James M. Churchman	....	stunts
Louie Franco	....	motorcycle stunts
Andy Gill	....	stunts
John Hateley	....	stunts
Jim Holley	....	motorcycle stunts
Jim Holley	....	stunts (uncreditied)
'Mad' Mike Jones	....	motorcycle stunts
Alex Madison	....	stunts (as Gail Monian)
Rick Miller	....	motorcycle stunts
Vicki Sims	....	stunts
Russell Tyrrell	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Balzarini	....	second assistant camera
David E. Baron	....	first assistant camera
Robert Bullard	....	second assistant camera
Gary L. Camp	....	Steadicam operator
Gary L. Camp	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jason Casillas	....	assistant camera
Kenny S. Christiansen	....	electrical best boy
Keith Collea	....	video supervisor
Jay Coolidge	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as John Coolidge)
Jon Baronn Farmer	....	still photographer
Anna Foerster	....	additional photographer
Michael Green	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Curt Pair	....	camera operator: digital betacam
Tim Ryan	....	key grip
John Stewart	....	set lighting
John Stewart	....	underwater gaffer
Scott C. Williman	....	best boy
Sully Jacome-Wilkes	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Karen Sundt	....	grip (uncredited)

Animation Department
Sari Gennis	....	character animator
Scott Holmes	....	animator
Alice V. Kaiserian	....	animator
Cliff Mueller	....	animator

Casting Department
Scott Baldyga	....	casting associate
Cindi Reiss	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gina G. Aller	....	set costumer
Blanca Garcia	....	costumer
Deborah Hall	....	costume supervisor
Maggie McFarland	....	key set costumer

Editorial Department
Michel Aller	....	first assistant editor
Ryan Chan	....	assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
David Orr	....	color timer
Nicholas 'Nikko' Tsiotsias	....	first assistant film editor
Timothy Colletti	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Bill Daly	....	post-production executive (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	music supervisor
Brent Brooks	....	music editor
Jessica Clements	....	music coordinator
Joey Deluxe	....	composer: song "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
George Doering	....	musician
Amanda Goodpaster	....	music editor
M.B. Gordy	....	musician: Percussion
Larry Groupé	....	orchestrator
Damon Intrabartolo	....	conductor
Damon Intrabartolo	....	orchestrator
Steve Juliani	....	music preparation
Frank Macchia	....	orchestrator
John Ottman	....	orchestrator
Rich Ragsdale	....	composer: additional music
John Rodd	....	orchestral scoring recordist
Bart Samolis	....	musician
Casey Stone	....	music scoring mixer
Frank Welker	....	special vocal effects
Margaret Yen	....	associate music supervisor
Larry Groupé	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
George Bolton	....	driver
Jason LaFountain	....	driver
Michael B. Russell	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Robin Anderson	....	script supervisor
Alan Benoit	....	location manager
Shelly Boucher	....	production assistant
Aaron Boyd	....	assistant: Roland Emmerich
Joe Childress	....	production assistant
Brent Conley	....	puppeteer
Aaron Cullen	....	staff assistant
Gina M. Di Santo	....	assistant: Peter Winther (as Gina Di Santo)
Terry J. Erdmann	....	unit publicist
John W. Ervin	....	set production assistant
Christian Feldhaus	....	first assistant accountant
Nicholas Fitzgerald	....	production assistant (as Nicholas S. Fitzgerald)
Cindy Franke	....	assistant production coordinator
Kim Hyde	....	set medic
Bill Johnson	....	creature effects department head
Bill Johnson	....	puppeteer
Shari Lee	....	production secretary
Daryl C. Lefever	....	production accountant
Jamie McGuire	....	production assistant: los angeles
Michael McNally	....	key paramedic
Mike McNally	....	key set medic
Rob Million	....	spiders provider
Freddy Mojica	....	caterer
David Nico	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Karen O'Toole	....	production coordinator
Rachel Olschan	....	assistant: Dean Devlin
Matt Power	....	set production assistant
Marie Randall	....	key craft service
Cris Rankin	....	animal wrangler
Jo Ann Smith	....	studio teacher
Tamara Taillie	....	assistant: Ellory Elkayem
Karen Turner	....	payroll
Amanda Uber	....	staff coordinator
Mikki Ziska	....	set production assistant
Jeff Smith	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Lynnanne Zager	....	monster voice (uncredited)

Thanks
Lewis Arquette	....	in memory of
Don Devlin	....	in memory of
Pilar Seurat	....	in memory of (as Pilar Cerveris)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents)
• Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)
• NPV Entertainment
• Electric Entertainment
• Centropolis Entertainment

Distributors

• Warner Bros (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Warner Sogefilms S.A. (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Filmverleih (2002) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Village Roadshow Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Argentina) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Veronica (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Fox-Warner (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment (2002) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• CFX
• MagicMove GmbH (miniatures)

Other Companies

• BT Industrial Supply  expendables
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• D'Caterers  catering
• Rocky Mountain Motion Pictures  camera equipment provided by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Arac Attack" - Belgium (English title)
"Spider Panic!" - Japan (English title)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Austria:10 | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38699) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (theatrical rating) | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Inspired by the short film Larger Than Life (1998) from writer Ellory Elkayem.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the mall, when the sheriff is fighting the spiders by himself, he sees the big one come on the ceiling and drops his gun and runs. Later, when he is surrounded and goes under the bars, you can clearly see his gun in its holster.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Harlan:Do you know fear?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: Episode #29.9" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Strangers in the Night

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