Eight Legged Freaks (2002) User Reviews

I'm Shocked This Turned Out So Good!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 1 August 2006]

The only way I gave this a look was that someone loaned it to me for free. I now own it! This looked like it would be a stupid movie, and it some scenes it certainly was, but it was so entertaining that I know I will watch this a number of times.

This is a 1950s-type sci-fi flick with modern-day special effects. In fact, if you liked "Them!" you'll get a big kick of out of this film. The difference is the much- better special-effects but some low-grade attitudes and some profanity. The characters are dumb but they were dumb in the '50s, too.

The story starts off a bit slow but once the overgrown spiders emerge, the film goes full bore and gets extremely entertaining. It's almost too much action. One needs a break! By the end, you're glad it's over. Thus, if they had chopped 5-10 minutes off this, it would have been much better. Nonetheless, it's a fun ride with some genuinely scary parts and some humor, too. Since "entertainment" is the name of the game, this gets 8 stars even though it's lower-grade material.

It flat-out entertains.

This is among my favorites for so many reasons

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 27 March 2019]

I love this movie every time I watch it I've seen it many times & appreciate so much of it. Great story, editing, characters, CGI is pretty decent, even has some cool lines & I'm genuinely surprised it's not rated higher than 5.4 on IMDb.

It's nice to have a blast when watching a movie; that's how I feel about this. Sure it's got some cheesy bits in it but definitely better than others where I feel distracted or otherwise. Also I don't like to spoil things you can check out my other reviews for examples although not much to spoil about this except maybe David Arquette is a balls deep hero and you'll learn that as you watch it even though it's been out awhile now so this is mostly for anyone new.

A cool 50's Style monster flick

[lordzedd-3 · 9/10 · 10 June 2006]

This is a great flick, it's old fashion monster making magic at it's finest. The story, the characters, the effects are all great. It's the kind of fun movie they use to make in the fifties. That watch out for mutation monster movies. The kind that Roger Cormen and Burt I. Gordon use to make. But this movie took longer then the weekend to make. The creature effects were realistic and cool. The spiders had personality. The human cast does a great job, the radio guy and his alien talk got annoying. He totally believes in aliens but can't fathom mutations. A conspiracy nut like him should believe that radiation causes mutations, and if the Government covers aliens up they sure hell would cover mutants up. Anyway, one minor thing during the grand scheme of things. I give EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS...9 STARS

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

[MovieAddict2016 · 10/10 · 16 April 2003]

"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

It's called 'Eight Legged Freaks.' What did you expect?

[A_Roode · 7/10 · 12 March 2006]

Certainly there were any number of reasons for me to not like 'Eight Legged Freaks' before I watched it. I'm not a spider guy so I wasn't really interested in the first place. As far as actors go, I can't stand David Arquette. Generally I find him aggravating in the extreme and his characters highly unlikeable -- but more on that in a moment. And to paraphrase Val Lewton about his own RKO films: "It's hard for critics to give positive reviews to films called 'I Walked With a Zombie.'"

At the time of this review's writing, the film has a rating on the IMDb of 5.5/10. I'm actually quite surprised by that because despite my own personal biases, the film proved me wrong. I had no level of expectation for it and really no desire to watch it in the first place. I was wrong and I admit it. It was truly funny with some great sight gags and lines. There are definitely some decent scares and a pretty competent job of raising the level of tension in the film to a steady and consistent level. David Arquette surprised me and this might be the best performance he's ever put in. My personal bias against him was dead wrong in this movie.

'Eight Legged Freaks' is a throw back to creature films of the 50's and, as some other reviewers have alluded, to more contemporary films like 'Gremlins' and 'Tremors.' Horror-comedy is a difficult genre to work within but 'Eight Legged Freaks' manages to pull it off. The acting all around is good. A lot of the film is satirical (Doug E Doug's conspiracy guy) and the cgi is so obvious and over the top that, while it might be aggravating in a movie that took itself more seriously, you can't help but admire and respect the results.

That really is the strength of the movie -- it doesn't take itself as seriously as a lot of its critics did. 'Eight Legged Freaks' does what the best films should do: for two hours you forget you're watching a movie and you just enjoy yourself. I hope that time will be kind and maybe people will come around and give the movie another chance. Had this film taken itself seriously we would have ended up with a spider version of 'Bats.' This version and its self-deprecation are much worthier of your time.

Good stuff!

[Cedric_Catsuits · 7/10 · 25 June 2006]

Unlike many modern-day movies that revolve around CGI and special effects, this one succeeds purely on the quality of the production and acting. There are some excellent effects indeed, but also some really dodgy ones. No matter when you have the likes of Arquette, Johansson, Wuhrer, Arlen Jones, and many more fine character actors on show. It must be very difficult to act with CGI, yet there are rarely, if ever, occasions when you see this cast looking even slightly lost.

It may be a parody, it may be silly, but it's apparent that a lot of care went into making this, and the cast look like they're having fun - which always creates a good impression. There is nothing remarkable here, or particularly scary, but it does what it's supposed to do - entertain the audience. One of those movies that seems to go by quickly, and during which you won't find your mind drifting off to another place. Not sure what to rent for the evening? This is definitely worth a look - unless spiders make you nervous!

Better the Godzilla(1998),or a lot of giant monster movies of late

[black_wolf_1970 · 10/10 · 13 March 2005]

I have seen this movie, Godzilla (1998), AND ID4, and while the FX's were good in all 3 I would have to say 8 legged freaks had by far the most human cast ans the most interesting story which is why when I found out the American Godzilla gets smashed back to the ice age by the Toho studio King of the Monsters I was jumping for joy. I am really hoping that the studio will look at making a sequel to this as we were never sure if i was just the orb weavers, or all the spiders having babies and if they were all killed in the methane gas explosion. The other thing is that it was of the few films where even the good guys die and the bad guy (Wade) survives and even at the end is still more interested in his mall and if his insurance will pay for it instead of being the mayor and being worried about his townspeople..

Arachnocomedy!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 18 March 2004]

You could either be really harsh and say the film is a stupid and completely unnecessary CGI-playground or….you could sit back, relax and search for all the adorable references towards the delightful monster-movies like they could only make them in the 50's. In fact, that's all Eight Legged Freaks represents! A spoof slash tribute, updated with the latest and most expensive computer techniques. All the typical cliché aspects are there: the isolated little town with the ironic sounding name, the unfortunate hero and all the charming (slightly retarded) redneck town-inhabitants. And of course the giant, mutated spiders complete with ludicrous ‘yummy-noises. The ways these spiders are hunting they preys is funny instead of scary with complete over-the-top situations. You should already be warned…a film that stars David Arquette as the heroic savior can't be taken too seriously. Present in Eight Legged Freaks as well: two generations of stunningly beautiful actresses. Kari Wuhrer and Scarlet Johanssen. The latter is working her way up to the highest regions of Hollywood these days through starring in Oscar-favorites like ‘Lost in Translation' and ‘The Girl with the Pearl Earring', whereas Wuhrer is fixing her career as a B-movie queen. After Eight Legged Freaks, she starred in (mediocre) films such as King of the Ants, The Hitcher II and another Hellraiser sequel.

I shamelessly admit I had a great time while watching Eight Legged Freaks. It reminded me of ‘Tremors' a bit…even though that one is better. Nonetheless, it's fun and a nice change from all those irrelevant and dull teen-slashers. If you're looking for a real tribute to the 50's monsters, check out the short film `Larger than Life' by the same director. That little film really breathes the monster atmosphere and formed the inspiration (and budget) to shoot Eight Legged Freaks.

Arachnid Goofballs

[LanceBrave · 8/10 · 3 November 2013]

This is going to date me. "Eight Legged Freaks" is the first time I can remember being excited about a movie no one else cared about. It was my first year of high school, I think. I was just far enough into my teens that my love of black and white creature features were confirmed. Someone was attempting to revive the big bug picture in 2002? Hell yeah, I was up for me. No one else was. It bombed domestically (though broke even internationally) and reviews were middling. The movie isn't quite old or endearing enough to have a cult following. If the "Eight Legged Freaks" fandom has to start somewhere, let it start with me.

The story is basically "Gremlins" by way of "Tarantula." This is most obvious in how the film treats its threats. The giant spiders of "Eight Legged Freaks" are arachnid goof balls. The CGI is clearly dated but the animators and special effect guys made sure the spiders had personality. They mumble, shriek, and grumble like Killer Tomatoes. Their vocalizations are intentionally exaggerated and cartoonish. On two separate occasions, giant spiders get dragged behind moving cars. One grumbles in frustration after taking a bite out of a stuffed moose. Another jumps flat into a closed window. One spider out-boxes a boxer. Another cheers on his brothers as they rush the mall. One slides down on a rope, screaming the whole way. A shot spider swings on a thread, dousing his pals with green spider goop. One of the best spider gags involves a sneaky tent. Even a die-hard arachnophobe is more likely to laugh then scream. "Eight Legged Freaks" is less a modern reinvention of the classic big bug flick then a Mel Brooks parody on the subgenre. I guess some might find that to be a one-note joke but, I don't know guys, wacky giant spiders? Count me in.

The film also nails the small town setting. Prosperity, Arizona is nicely isolated at times. The ensemble cast quickly gives you a sense of community. You believe that this small time is fighting for their mutual survival. The crusty old barber and near-sided janitor are equally amusing, each assign simple, entertaining personalities. Doug E. Doug finds a great home for his overtaxed comedic style as the local conspiracy radio host. His beleaguered shouts of frustration prove consistently funny. Rick Overton is also great as Deputy Pete. His reactions to the spiders are, at first, shocked confusion, later transitioning to dead-pan fear. Leon Rippy's talents are also well-suited to the conniving town mayor. Tom Noonan, uncredited and with minutes of screen time, makes an impression too. The strong character actor cast is another reason to love "Eight Legged Freaks." The supporting cast proves far more memorable then the leads. I'm willing to give David Arquette more slack then others. But there's no mistaking the guy for leading man material. His attempts at one-liners are especially groan-inducing. His performance works best when playing up his nervous qualities. Kari Wuhrer is never convincing as a mom or action heroine. Yeah, she looks fantastic in tight jeans and t-shirts but can hardly carry the film. She has zero chemistry with Arquette. Even Scarlett Johansson, hardly a great actress in her right, outshines the leads. (And also looks fantastic in tight t-shirts and jeans.) You can actually see elements of a more serious horror film under "Eight Legged Freaks" goofy exterior. A mouthful of spiders, regardless of size, is likely to make some squirm. The trapdoor spiders snatching people running across a parking lot could have been mined for real scares. Probably the biggest action set-piece in the film is the jumping spiders going after the kids on dirt bikes. This is the closest the film comes to real tension and, even then, it's awash in silly special effects. I'm not complaining, simply noting. It wouldn't surprise me if this started life as a more serious screenplay.

The script is decently constructed. You can tell that the cigarettes, stun gun, and underground gas veins will be important later. I still appreciate the effort to set them up. I also appreciate the horror in-jokes, "Them" on TV, the mall invasion finale, the Hockey Mask/Chainsaw combo. The Micky-Mousing score is probably the only thing about the movie I don't like. That's the only overly jokey element. Even then, incorporating a low-pitched version of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" was clever. An early scene where a spider and a cat wrestle inside a wall probably goes on too long and reaches too hard for the kind of silly laughs the rest of the movie has no problem with. "Eight Legged Freaks" is still underrated and underseen. This surprises me. I can think of many horror fans who would love its goofy charms.

Beautifully brainless fun!

[EmbyQuinn · 8/10 · 13 January 2006]

Giant spiders attack a sleepy Arizona mining town. Zany hijinks ensue.

This movie is a nod--or a series of nods, really--to the classic B-movie "giant insect run amok" genre in the spirit of "Them!", "The Praying Mantis", and especially "Tarantula". A mixture of weird science gone wrong and shady double-dealing turns a local exotic spider collection into rampaging, man-eating monsters.

Is it scientifically accurate? Hell, no. Is it great drama? Afraid not. Is it Academy Award material? I don't think so. Is it *fun*? You bet! Part of the fun of this movie is that it *isn't* trying to educate anybody about the environment, the ozone layer, global warming, or terrorist attacks. It's beautifully brainless entertainment and if you like to laugh--a *lot*--you'll love this movie. Rent it! Now!

I rate Eight Legged Freaks a freakin' fun eight out of ten.

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 25 April 2008]

As anyone who regularly watches big-bug movies should know, toxic waste and creepy-crawlies are not a great combination, the result usually being monstrous, over-sized critters intent on devouring humans and trashing cities. Eight Legged Freaks is no exception, and opens with a barrel of radioactive goop leaking into a pond near the seemingly-soon-to-be-ghost-town of Prosperity (why do they always tempt fate by giving these places such silly names?); before you know it, giant spiders are everywhere, wrapping up victims and taking them into their arachnoid larder—a network of disused gold mines.

David Arquette plays Chris McCormick, owner of the mines, who teams up with various townsfolk who have managed to avoid becoming spider fodder—including sexy Sheriff Samantha Parker (Kari Wuhrer), her equally sexy daughter Ashley (Scarlett Johansson) and geeky son Mike (Scott Terra), and conspiracy theory nut Harlan (Doug E. Doug)—to destroy the gigantic spiders and save the town.

With a likable cast and a whole slew of impressive special effects, Eight Legged Freaks is an affectionate tribute to the B-movie monsterfests of the 50s. Planting tongue firmly in cheek, writer/director Ellory Elkayem delivers an action packed, thrill-a-minute movie that will have arachnophobes squirming in their seats, whilst everyone else will be having a blast.

Occasionally, the film's comedic elements veer towards the cartoonish a tad too much (the spiders make unnecessarily silly noises, do pratfalls, and in one silly scene, even have a wrestling match with a cat inside a dry-lined wall cavity), but, on the whole, the film is a great mix of the silly and the scary.

I enjoyed Eight Legged Freaks very much (not least because Wuhrer and Johansson are perhaps the fittest mother/daughter combo ever to grace the silver screen) and highly recommend it if you're after a fun popcorn flick for a Saturday night.

A perfect B-Movie homage

[daveblythe69 · 10/10 · 4 January 2003]

this has all the makings of a future classic paying beautiful and perfect homage to all the classic B-Movies that we all know and love, from the classic references and brilliant in jokes, the fantastic corny dialogue, the perfect cast acting there socks off to bring back all the memories that everyone knows and loves of the golden age of B-Movies. the story is simple and ludicrous,

toxic waste spill crossed with exotic spider farm = giant killer spiders attacking a town.

FANTASTIC has everything you need from a movie, the conspiracy theorist nut job on the radio played greatly by the fantastic Doug E. Doug, the town boy who has just returned to be the hero played by the ever excellent David Arquette who is the most perfectly cast B-Movie actor EVER! and the really hot sherriff who is in love with the hero and vice versa, a great film, some ropey effects on occasion but it only adds to the brilliant and fantastic B-Movie feel of a truly great and memorable movie i hope more movies like this come along and quickly!

A monster film plenty of spectacular scenes , frenetic action and humor

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 23 May 2010]

It's a monster movie' s homage with gigantic spiders as protagonists . A truck transporting waste crashes and dropping an unfortunate chemical spill in a river . Some spiders are accidentally escaped and the eight-legged beasts increase their weight and wreak havoc , terrorizing and destroying the villagers . Residents of a rural mining town called Prosperity discover that a radioactive stuff has caused hundreds of little spiders to mutate to a giant size . It's then up to mining engineer Chris McCormack (David Arquette)and Sheriff Sam Parker (Kari Wuhrer) to mobilize a diverse group of townspeople , including the Sheriff's young son, Mike (Scott Terra ), her daughter, Ashley (Scarlett Johansson), and paranoid radio-speaker man named Harlan ( Doug E. Doug), into fight against the lethal eight-legged Aracs. Meanwhile the bloodthirsty spiders meet up local citizens and spontaneously catch them and begins to consume people. The spiders rapidly multiplies and the protagonists confronting with them . The eclectic bunch takes refuge at the Prosperity Mall and the little town is devastated by the spiders attack.

This monster/comedy film with quite budget packs thrills, some good action and funny moments. It's a hybrid of monster movies from the 50s such as 'Tarantula' and modern American production plenty of C.G.I. The thrilling screenplay is a bit yawn-inspiring but nifty special effects will keep you from dozing off, with nice creatures designers, created by means of Animatronics and computer visual effects . This is a suspenseful and amusing thriller especially at the amazing ending tableau when Lewis Arquette and Kari Wuhrer have to tackle the gigantic spider at the lair in the final. The flick is lavishly produced by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. Emmerich is a good director, writer and producer who founded along with Dean Devlin the company Centropolis Entertainment and expert on making movies for the masses and specialist on large-scale disaster movies ¨Day after tomorrow¨, ¨ 2012 ¨, spectacular stories ¨ Stargate ¨,¨ The patriot¨, ¨Universal soldier ¨ and giant monsters as Mammoth and Sabretooth in ¨10.000 B.c ¨ , aliens in ¨Independence day ¨ , ¨Godzilla¨ and spiders in ¨Eight legged freaks¨. The picture is well directed by Ellory Elkayem with rather too much camera movement and there are also lots of low-angle shots of people hanging around waiting to get bitten by the carnivorous spider. Although nothing which haven't been seen before, this is not the picture to watch if you are scared of spiders , however the movie is quite entertaining. Utterly arachnophobia people must flee this film.

Other movies about those bugs are the following : ¨Tarantula(1955)¨ by Jack Arnold with John Agar; ¨Tarantula: the deadly cargo(1977)¨ with Claude Akins; ¨Kingdom of spiders(77)¨ by John Budd Cardos with William Shatner and ¨Arachnophobia(1990)¨ by Frank Marshall with John Goodman.

Great fun for the whole family !

[atinder · 8/10 · 8 January 2011]

I will start of with the plot: What do you get when you cross toxic waste with a bunch of exotic spiders?.. Eaten!.. 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. And their hungry! When the alarm is sounded, 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 Griffith and Deputy Pete Willis into battle against the bloodthirsty eight-legged beasts.

This movie is bit tremors but instead there are big spiders instead of big worms.

This movie is really funny, it's great Comdey/Horror/Sci-fi for the whole family. unless one of your family members are scared of spiders.

The acting this movie is really good from the whole and i really liked how the spiders looked, then are not that scary, i really like how they had all different kinda of big spiders as well, the attack are more funny most of the time.

I going keep this movie 8 out of 10

If "Arachnophobia" made you shiver,this one will make you quiver.

[wneal · 17 July 2002]

If the movie "Arachnophobia" made you jump, gave you nightmares, or disturbed you enough that you are afraid to feel for a lightswitch in a dark,don't see "Eight Legged Freaks". This one has the feel of late 50's -early 60's horror/sci-fi movies without the phony looking monsters. These spiders looked REAL and their movements were orchestrated in such a way that you felt like you were really watching giant spiders on the screen. I can't say any of the human actors had really stand-out performances, because the spiders were the stars of this one. I will say that this movie and "Spider-Man" have the potential to interest young budding arachnophiles to take a serious look at the scientific side of spiders. Each of these movies gives the scientific names and characteristics of the different spiders involved(before the radiation takes effect),and does a super job of presenting their habits and idiosyncrasies. The only thing that might be questioned in either movie is the aggressiveness of the arachnids portrayed(perhaps this is the fault of the radiation as well). I give this movie "eight digits up" for sheer entertainment value.

entertaining spoof of 50's sc/fi, horror

[disdressed12 · 8/10 · 15 January 2007]

eight legged freaks is the tale of radiated spiders who become massive and really,really mean.they take over the town,killing anyone in their paths.the townspeople must find a way to stop them.this movie is hysterical.it references other movies of the pas,t especially 50's sc/fi horror.the whole thing is played for camp.which is why it works.the acting is way over the top,again intentional.the spiders themselves are even funny in their actions and their vocalizations.David Arquette,Kari Wuhrer and Scarlet Johansson star.if you go into this movie expecting to see a serious piece of work,you will be disappointed.(hopefully the title will be a hint).anyway,this is an entertaining film with a lot of deliberate laughs. 8/10

This isn't a job for the pest control!

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 14 April 2006]

In a remote, quiet mining town a barrel of toxic waste falls off a truck and lands in a creek. Naturally, it comes in contact with crickets, which are used to feed a collector's exotic spider collection and over a short matter of time these spiders have vastly grown. Arriving in town is a old resident, Chris McCormack who has return home after 10 years to look for the supposed gold that his deceased father claim was in their mine and also hopefully to clear up a certain matter with the lady he secretly loves; Samantha Parker, the town's sheriff. He discovers that the town is in ruin, but he wants to help it back from its economical ruin by finding that gold. But he didn't plan on the town soon being overrun by giant spiders! Now it's up to Chris, Sam and a small group of folks to team up and settle this "massive" problem.

"Eight Legged Freaks" is a lively B-grade, Sci-fi parody on the giant monster features from the Cold War era, where it combines nuclear matter with the disgusting fear of creepy crawlies. But this project adds some campy charm to proceedings, which does share a common interest with the even better "Tremors (1990)". This is a enjoyable, no-brainer of a film that doesn't waste any time by giving what the audience wants! There's nothing overly clever about it, but it delivers the excitement and occasion laugh when needed. While, the story might seem heavily cartoonish, the director is capable enough to provide good timing with the goofy humour and that of some thrilling set pieces that can raise some tense energy. What you'll notice would be the constant homage's cropping up and it goes out of its way to poke fun of the usual clichés that make headway in these films. The script is mostly in tongue-in-cheek and doesn't go into sort of mumbo-jumbo, but there are some self-knowing winks about too. The performances are all played with a straight-face, which definitely works in its favour and the combine cast turn in fine performances (yep, even David Arquette!). David Arquette is surprisingly good in a tone down way as the awkward Chris McCormack and his babelicious co-star Kari Wuhrer (who mostly makes appearances in shoddy b-grades) is equally impressive as Sheriff Samantha Parker. Other recognizable faces offered solid support included the always wonderful Scarlett Johansson, the humorous deputy sheriff played by Rick Overton and Doug E. Doug is the paranoid disc jockey, the usual comic relief guy. Now the film's main talking point has got to be well-presented CGI arachnids who come in many different shapes, sizes and personalities. Which, would create a spine tingling thought with anyone who suffers arachnophobia with the giant infestation of spiders who have a growing appetite. Though, one thing against the creative effects was that it was probably, terribly overused. The versatile score works out greatly too, by sticking with and drumming out the right tone to what's eventuating on screen. Also the closing gimmick song in the ending credits; "Itsy bitsy spider" by Joey Deluxe is rather a nice touch. Just expect some happy, feel good entertainment.

Sure it's forgettable, but I found it a delightful B-grade spoof that achieves what it was sets out to do. This throwback is nothing more than some good, lazy fun.

Side-note: Definitely check out Ellory Elkayem's suspenseful, experimental short film "Larger than Life" to see the inspiration for this piece.

Amazingly entertaining

[rbsjrx · 8/10 · 27 July 2008]

Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias, and one of the strongest among those subject to it. I tend to be one of those and so have never much enjoyed horror films featuring giant or menacing spiders. To my surprise, I was never particularly uncomfortable during "Eight Legged Freaks". This and "Arachnophobia" are my two favorite spider films.

This is a horror-comedy, a genre that's difficult to pull off effectively. What makes it work are the personalities (sic!) of the spiders. They're not unlike the title characters in "Gremlins" (another favorite) as they gleefully go about, rampaging and wreaking havoc among the humans (it's worth noting that the film never actually shows anyone meeting their gruesome death nor do any of the humans you come to know actually die). And that's the key - although these spiders are physically typical of their kind, their actions have been anthropomorphized to make them much less creepy. Just as in "Gremlins", they've been given voices - which "real" giant spiders undoubtedly wouldn't have. The human actors, while uniformly competent are consistently upstaged by the CGI spiders. Also, like "Gremlins", the small town setting is populated by a collection of eccentrics, which only helps. The plot is just a device on which to hang the action and comedy. It's silly, but no sillier than nay other giant creature film.

Great little spider film!

[tord-1 · 7/10 · 18 July 2011]

This is one of those films that you can see over and over, and finding new things to enjoy. The story is simple, and similar to many other horror films, where insects/spiders for some reason become unnaturally big and prey on man. Great spiders, good acting, not that bad dialog, and a lot of humor.

Many films in this class take themselves totally serious (like the abysmal Alien vs Zombies), which this does not - a big plus in my book. That a Taser should be able to fire up an entire electrical grid (if small), is just about the only total slip-up - the rest is fairly good in both continuity and SFX. Some guy is waving an unloaded crossbow at the spiders, and still he can fire it, and nobody collects any fired bolts (the missiles a crossbow is bolts, not arrows), also quite questionable.

Well worth watching, and great fun!

Funny (and a bit scary) giant spider movie

[robertmurray-70637 · 8/10 · 29 October 2019]

This is a standard "monsters created by human error" movie. This time it's giant spiders and the cause is an accidental toxic waste spill. So ... it's a movie with a message. (Or not.) This film was made for fun and it's full of laughs. It's scary but only a little, so most kids (except the very young) won't have nightmares after watching. And there's one more message, later in the film: "capitalism is bad, especially when it results in giant spiders eating up a town." But then, this is the sort of town where the teens complain "nothing ever happens here." In this case, they would be wrong.

Campy Fun!

[eor14 · 8/10 · 24 February 2003]

I watched this movie on DVD based soley on the reviews that said it was funny and a return to the B-movie genre. It was that and more. I don't usually enjoy David Arquette but he was loveable in this movie. This movie made me both laugh and jump. It knew how to poke fun at itself without seeming pathetic. If you're looking for a campy movie with things jumping out at you this is a good pick.

Dialogue funny, CGI great, fun time - It's Squashin' Time

[ira-14 · 9/10 · 17 May 2002]

The dialogue was great. Rick Overton as the deputy is truly a modern day Barney Fife. The spiders steal the show. Though the plot does drag a bit in a few places the film generally moves quickly and has you jumping in your seats as spiders big and small pop out of everywhere. The film appears to be done in the same style as "Tremors" and definitely captures the light heartedness of that film. Good Entertainment. Enjoy the popcorn.

Arachnophobia magnified

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 29 April 2007]

"Eight Legged Freaks" earned my respect simply because it never tried to pretend to be something it wasn't. It came right out and let it be known that it was a 'B' style comedy horror (or horror comedy, however it is supposed to be worded), instead of trying to disguise itself as a genuine and serious scary movie. They even gave the movie a silly name. If more movies were as honest as "Eight Legged Freaks", then they would probably do better at the box office, and they would definitely get better reviews because the audience would already know what they are going to watch. "Eight Legged Freaks" was very much like "Arachnophobia" of the early 90's except with the small difference, or should I say large difference. Of course, in "Eight Legged Freaks" the spiders were gargantuan and terrorized an entire town as opposed to being small and just terrorizing a couple of households.

When some toxic waste fell into a lake in the small town of Prosperity, Arizona, it set off a chain of events. An avid spider collector named Joshua (Tom Noonan) collected crickets around that lake to feed to his spiders. His spiders then grew to freakishly enormous sizes. They killed Joshua, broke out of their domiciles, and attacked the town.

The town fell into an all out panic with a handful of heroes emerging:

Chris McCormick (David Arquette). He is the main protagonist who returned home to Prosperity after being gone for ten years. His father ran the mines that were no longer in operation.

Samantha "Sam" Parker (Kari Wuhrer). She was the sheriff and love interest of Chris (there's always gotta be a love interest).

Mike Parker (Scott Terra). He was the young son of Sam and the most knowledgeable in the town regarding spiders.

Ashley Parker (Scarlett Johansson). Sam's daughter, the sassy teen who was scared straight and became helpful.

Harlan Griffith (Doug E. Doug). He was a big time conspiracy theorist who ran a small radio station out of his aluminum trailer home.

Pete Willis (Rick Overton). He was the dumb, yet faithful deputy.

Nearly everyone else besides them became spider food. I liked the movie. I liked it even more than "Kingdom of Spiders" (1977) and "Arachnophobia" (1990). It was funny, it was eerie and it was as cheesy as advertised.

Netflix.

Let The Squishing Begin

[gftbiloxi · 7/10 · 18 April 2005]

EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS was not well received by the critics and it did poorly at the box office--and frankly I'm surprised. Obviously we're not talking about "deep meanings" in reference to this film, but what it does, it does extremely well: part homage, part spoof, part horror, part comedy, and all of it a tremendous amount of fun! The film is essentially the classic 1950s "big bug" movie brought up to date and given a comic spin. A truck driver skids on the road and accidentally releases toxic chemicals into a pond; unfortunately, an "exotic spider farm" happens to be nearby, and when the spiders are contaminated by the chemicals they explode into creatures of monstrous proportions, nasty dispositions, and insatiable appetites. Cats, dogs, and even the occasional ostrich goes missing--can human victims be far behind?

The cast plays expertly, and two deserve special mention: Doug E. Doug, who is hilarious as the independent radio station broadcaster obsessed with UFOs, aliens, and government cover-ups, and Eileen Ryan as the chain-smoking, drop-dead-talking Aunt Gladys. But although every one does well with their often-comic characters, the emphasis isn't on the cast: it's on special effects, sight-gags, and a traditional "big bug" plot played at a breakneck speed. It's all smoothly, slickly done, and the special effects are terrific without going into overkill.

Now, the film is rather icky: after all, the spiders jump and bite and slurp, and when the townfolk go after them with everything from guns to pitchforks to chainsaws they also splatter in an appropriately disgusting way. Some viewers will be turned off by the black humor of the piece--particularly as it references the pets that go missing early on in the film. (I admit I winced a bit myself there!) Some viewers may be turned off by the "ick" factor and the violence, of which there is aplenty; others may take issue with the plot itself, which as noted is pretty traditional. But this isn't an Ingmar Bergman or Fellini film we're talking about here, and if you want a modern twist on a classic sci-fi theme, EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS is sure to please. The DVD release has several extras, some of which are fun as well. On the whole, I give it seven big squishes!

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Arach Attack!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 12 June 2009]

Spiders escape from a spider farm in Prosperity, Arizona, and become giant man eating beasts on account of toxic waste accidentally dumped in a near by river. Can the odd ball inhabitants of this Arizona town escape with their lives? Or will spiders rule the earth and lay waste to man kind?

Eight Legged Freaks is unashamedly homaging "B" movie creature features from the 1950s. The likes of Tarantula and Them! have their Pedipalps well and truly watered, in what is possibly the most undervalued of all the modern day creature feature homages. Having no pretensions what so ever, the only real thing not in "Freaks" favour is the usage of CGI, but even that doesn't hurt the film, if anything it adds to the obvious preposterous nature of the genre. I mean how else are we to get 20 foot jumping spiders chowing down on some annoying teenager?

Perhaps "Freaks" is viewed harsh because the cast is relatively "C" list? Again that is a genre staple, surely? For what it's worth I think they do real fine, David Arquette has oodles of goofy charisma, Kari Wuher makes a fine female ass kicker, and the kids (one a young Scarlett Johansen) are really rather cool. Director Ellory Elkayem, who after doing They Nest in 2000 clearly has bug issues, adheres to genre staples. Kooky western town out in the desert, the inhabitants of which range from near loonies to dopey politicians, and the plot follows the traditional sense of impending doom played for laughs. Listen out for the score from John Ottman, which plays on variants of "Itsy Bitsy Spider", whilst cast a keen eye on John S. Bartley's Arizona camera work.

Whilst not having the savvy scripting of homage daddy, Tremors, or the star appeal of 1990's Arachnophobia, Eight Legged Freaks deserves its place amongst such fun and creepy company. As the tag line says, "Do you hate spiders? Do you really hate spiders? Well they don't like you either."With that, I think it's web well and truly spun, don't you? 7/10