Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Venomous 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:

giant spider | town in panic | arizona desert | arizona | 2000s | 

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Taglines:

The biggest... nastiest... mutant spider movie of all time!!!!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | 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 [France] Warner Bros [UK]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arac Attack

Filming Locations:

Tonopah, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,485,458, 21 July 2002

Gross USA:

$17,322,606

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,867,333

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:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Wade is at the food court in the mall it is after dark. The mood music in the background is Strangers in the Night.

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Goofs

When Chris is hugging Aunt Gladys, a hand is visible pulling on the dog that is supposed to be biting his leg.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Harlan: Do you know fear?

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Connections

Referenced in WWE Raw: Episode #10.25 (2002)

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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

Arachnocomedy!

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.