X
- 1990
- PG-13
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 49 m
- 1990
- PG-13
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 49 m
Summary A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the U.S. in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.
Directed By: Frank Marshall
Written By: Don Jakoby, Al Williams, Wesley Strick
- 1990
- PG-13
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 49 m
- 1990
- PG-13
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- 1 h 49 m
Arachnophobia
67
7.9
Summary A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the U.S. in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.
Directed By: Frank Marshall
Written By: Don Jakoby, Al Williams, Wesley Strick
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
67
68% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
23% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
9% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
67
68% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
23% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
9% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
As the corpses pile up and the cocoons hatch, the spiders become more brazen and finally start invading houses. The last 45 minutes of Arachnophobia is a blast, with attack-of-the-killer-spider scenes coming nonstop. This is not great art, but it's a good time, and the climax is terrific. [18 July 1990, p.E1]
Arachnophobia manages to be genuinely frightening without being '80s-style revolting. Marshall has gauged his pattern of frights and laughs carefully, to let the audience giggle at its own jumpiness, and his cast, which includes a sprinkling of the best-known American character actors, is a clue to his affection for the form. [18 July 1990, p.F1]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 58 User Ratings
7.9
78% Positive
45 Ratings
45 Ratings
17% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 58 User Ratings
7.9
78% Positive
45 Ratings
45 Ratings
17% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Arachnophobia is a strange film, because it's documented as being a horror comedy but I saw or found nothing whatsoever amusing in it or funny and if there was it's not enough to class it as a comedy. To me it's watered down horror because it's not really gory and it's a PG rated certificate film as far as I'm aware yet there's the elements of terror in it. It's pretty well made and the film starts with some guy getting biten by a spider and his corpse sent elsewhere yet when he reaches the other end in some box or something a spider has eaten all his skin from his corpse or **** his body dry or something which is unsettling especially if a kid saw this so it's dumb it's a PG certificate. Jeff Daniels finds out he has a nest of spiders in his barn or something and spiders basically terrorise the people and locals. John Goodman was stupid and his character as an exterminator or something was unnecessary and I didn't find him the slightest bit funny, just crap basically and he's a horrible actor. Besides his crap performance all the cast were pretty good and the story was great and besides John Goodman's character the film didn't get stupid. It's a classic in my opinion and always carries tension and one of them films you can watch over and over and it's never boring. Directed in 1990 by Frank Marshall I'd say it's a classic especially for it's time but if you hate spiders then avoid this film, besides that it's a classic and even as a kid I found this great so it's earned it's place in the great movies list as far as I'm concerned and it's very original for it's time!!!!
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I now think I have Arachnophobia more than ever now. Not for the screamish.
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Arachnophobia is a movie spun as carefully as a cobweb, and a whole lot more likeable than you'd expect from a film about creepy crawlers chomping on townsfolks. Credit first-time director Frank Marshall for the success as he expertly wrangles cast and spiders into an entertaining, three-star movie that moves so swiftly along that there's barely a minute to catch your breath. [20 July 1990, p.18]
This is the kind of movie where you squirm out of enjoyment, not terror, and it's probably going to be popular with younger audiences - it doesn't pound you over the head with violence. Like the spider itself, it has a certain respect for structure.
Arachnophobia isn’t great filmmaking, appearing to be kept in check by vaguely resembling Spielbergian entertainment without rising to its altitudes. But it’s a pleasant, acutely nostalgic elicitation of the VHS era and the woozy, preadolescent excitement of awaiting the next cranked-out Spielberg Xerox picture.
This is Disney's idea of a fright fest -- about as threatening as Jaws with Flipper in the title role.
Arachnophobia wants to be Jaws or The Birds, with killer spiders. It isn't. The movie lacks the skill really to tap our primal fears, and the spiders are the only things that don't seem mechanical in Arachnophobia. [18 July 1990, p.65P]
A classic throwback and creepy creature feature, ARACHNOPHOBIA features a stellar cast and a remarkable tactic of using real life spiders throughout. It'll have you squirming and laughing in equal doses, and will certainly have you freaked out by these spiders regardless of your own phobias. An incredible thrillomedy with amazing effects and great cast, ARACHNOPHOBIA is a can't-miss for horror fans.
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When a new species of prehistoric spider is discovered in Venezuela and transported to a small California town it starts killing the town's residents.
Arachnophobia is an efficient enough comedy horror that will certainly have those afraid of spiders hiding behind the sofa, but it never really excels enough to stand out from many other horror movies of the VHS era.
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The Spielberg camp certainly thinks very little of people who aren’t from a big city. There is so much that could be good about this movie, but the incessant need to portray the story with this sitcom-like mentality really undercuts the horror of this movie. It’s like a Halloween episode of Friends or something. They also clearly utilized all the old Spielberg tropes (aside from the villains being ****). It’s just a mediocre movie. This is the type of stuff that apparently gets you the multi-billion dollar job of planning future Star Wars movies. I wonder why it all went bad with stuff like this as proof of Kathleen Kennedy’s brilliance…
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Production Company
Hollywood Pictures,
Amblin Entertainment,
Interscope Communications,
Ricardo Mestres Productions,
Tangled Web Productions,
Warm Weather Internationl group de Venezuela
Release Date Jul 18, 1990
Duration 1 h 49 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude.
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Wins & 5 Nominations
Young Artist Awards
• 2 Nominations
