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Arachnophobia(film)

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Not to be confused withArachnid (film).
Arachnophobia
Theatrical release poster byJohn Alvin
Directed byFrank Marshall
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Don Jakoby
    Al Williams
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMikael Salomon
Edited byMichael Kahn
Music byTrevor Jones
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • July 18, 1990(1990-07-18)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million[1]
Box office$53.2 million
Arachnophobia
Film scoreby
Trevor Jones
ReleasedJuly 20, 1990 (original release)
March 19, 1996 (re-release)
StudioEvergreen Recording Studios
LabelHollywood

Arachnophobiais a 1990 Americanhorrorcomedy filmdirected byFrank Marshallin hisdirectorial debutfrom a screenplay by Don Jakoby andWesley Strick.StarringJeff DanielsandJohn Goodman,the film follows a small California town that becomes invaded by a deadly spider species and the town's residents' struggles against them to avert an ecological crisis.

The film was the first produced byHollywood Pictures,a subsidiary ofWalt Disney Studios.Arachnophobiawas released in theUnited Stateson July 18, 1990.[2]The film received positive critical reviews and grossed $53.21 million on a $22 million budget.

Plot

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In aVenezuelantepui,BritishentomologistJames Atherton captures two members of an aggressive, newly discovered species of spider of prehistoric origin. The spiders lacksex organs,indicating that they are laborers or soldiers, thereby existing as ahive(atypical of spiders). Afertilemale of the same species bites bedridden Americannature photographerJerry Manley, who has a severeseizurefrom thevenomand dies. The scientist sends Manley's body back to his hometown of Canaima, California, unaware that the spider has crawled into the coffin.

Manley's desiccated body arrives at the mortuary of mortician Irv Kendall. The spider escapes from the coffin, is picked up by acrowand bites the bird. The crow falls dead outside the barn of Ross Jennings, afamily physicianwho has moved fromSan Franciscoto take over the practice of the retiring town doctor. Ross and his son both suffer fromarachnophobia.

He is short of patients after Sam Metcalf, the elderly town doctor, hesitates about retiring. The Venezuelan spider mates with ahouse spiderin the Jennings' barn. The domestic spider produces hundreds of infertile, drone offspring with their father's lethal bite, and they leave the nest afterconsuming her.

Ross's first patient, Margaret Hollins, dies after being bitten by one of the new spiders, and he doubts Metcalf's diagnosis of a heart attack. Another arachnid kills high school football player Todd Miller just after Ross conducted a routine team checkup, earning him the nickname of "Dr.Death".The next victim is Metcalf himself, who is bitten and dies in front of his wife.

With Metcalf dead, Ross becomes Canaima's town doctor. Knowing that Metcalf was bitten by a spider and an iota of an unknown toxin was detected in his body, he suspects that the town may be infested by deadly arachnids.

Ross calls Atherton and asks him to help his investigation. The skeptical entomologist sends Chris Collins, his assistant. Ross and countycoronerMilt Briggs order that Margaret and Miller be exhumed. They perform autopsies, and Chris confirms Ross's suspicion after he identifies bite marks. Ross and Chris catch two of the spiders (one had died of a natural cause) in Metcalf's house the following day. When Chris mentions the new species discovered by Atherton, Ross realizes that the town's killer spiders and Atherton's discovery are related.

Atherton joins Ross, Chris, Milt, Sheriff Lloyd Parsons, andexterminatorDelbert McClintock in Canaima, and they discover the spiders have a short lifespan due to their crossbreeding. Atherton tells them that the spiders are soldiers sent to eliminate potential threats for the male spider leading the colony, which he calls "the general". He learns that the general produced a queen andinbredwith her to produce a second nest (guarded by the queen) which could produce fertile offspring, culminating in the species' next stage ofevolutionandworldwide dispersal.

Ross, Chris, and Delbert discover that one nest is in Ross's barn. When he destroys the nest, Delbert finds Atherton dead. He had attempted to catch the general and purposely touched a strand of the web to coax the spider out, but was bitten by the male spider which then escaped. Chris gets the Jennings family out of their infested house, but Ross falls through the floor into his wine cellar: the spiders' second nest, guarded by both the queenandthe general.

After he electrocutes the queen, Ross battles the general while he tries to burn the secondegg sac(overcoming his fear of spiders by focusing on his need to stop them). Trapped by fallen debris as the general prepares to bite him, Ross stays perfectly still until the general is in position, then flings the spider into the fire. Despite being badly burnt, the general leaps out from the fire just as the egg sac hatches. Ross shoots the general with anail gun,sending the flaming spider into the egg sac and destroying the nest. Delbert rescues Ross: with the general, the queen and the nests destroyed and the soldiers dying, the spiders' threat is over. Deciding that they missed their old life, the Jennings family returns to San Francisco. Celebrating their safe return home, an earthquake hits, which they prefer over deadly spiders.

Cast

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Production

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Steven Spielbergwas involved withArachnophobia,with Frank Marshall (one of his earlier producers) directing for the first time. Spielberg and Marshall were the film's executive producers,[3]andAmblin Entertainmentreceived a production credit.[4]Marshall intended that the film would be reminiscent ofAlfred Hitchcock'sThe Birds:"People like to be scared but laughing, like aroller coaster.No one wants to be terrified ".[5]Arachnophobiaalso bears similarities to the 1977 filmKingdom of the Spiders.[6]

Jamie HynemanofMythBusterssaid inPopular Mechanics[7]thatArachnophobiawas one of the first films on which he worked, and he often relied on simple magnets for effects. The film used over 300Avondale spidersfromNew Zealand,chosen for their large size, unusually social lifestyle, and harmlessness to humans; they were guided around the set by heat and cold.

Arachnophobiawas primarily filmed inCambria, California;the introductory and jungle scenes were filmed in southern Venezuela. The school scenes were filmed at Coast Union High School, with students and staff used in the football scenes and group events; players in the locker room were CUHS student athletes.[8]For thesound effectof spiders being crushed,Foley artistsstepped onmustardpackages orpotato chips.For the sound effect of the spiders crawling through the heating ducts, long fingernails were used on pieces of tin to create the scurrying sound.[9]

Release and reception

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Arachnophobiawas the first film released byHollywood Pictures.[4]Advertisers were uncertain if they should market it as a thriller or a comedy, and television commercials for the film called it a "thrill-omedy".[10]

Box office

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Arachnophobiadebuted at number three (behindGhostandDie Hard 2), earning $8 million over its first weekend. The film was a financial success,[11]grossing $53,208,180 domestically[12]and an additional $30 million in video rentals.

Critical response

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InLeonard Maltin's Movie Guide,film criticLeonard MaltincallsArachnophobiaa "slick comic thriller", praising the acting with a caveat: "Not recommended for anyone who'severcovered their eyes during a movie ".[3]Writing forNewsweek,David Ansen compared the film toB movies"about the small town threatened byalien invaders",calling it well-made but" oddly unresonant ".[13]Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timessaid that the film made audiences "squirm out of enjoyment, not terror", and gave it three out of four stars.[14]

Arachnophobiahas a 93% rating based on 44 reviews atRotten Tomatoes,with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Arachnophobiamay not deliver genuine chills, but it's an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood's classic creature features. "[15]OnMetacritic,the film has a score of 67 based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[17]Some people interested in spiders protested against the film, believing that it tarnished the public's view of spiders.[18]

Accolades

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Award Category Subject Result
Saturn Awards[19] Best Horror Film Won
Best Director Frank Marshall Nominated
Best Writing Don Jakoby Nominated
Wesley Strick Nominated
Best Actor Jeff Daniels Won
Best Supporting Actor John Goodman Nominated
12thYoung Artist Awards[20] Most Entertaining Family Youth Motion Picture - Comedy/Horror Nominated
Best Young Supporting Actress Marlene Katz Nominated

Legacy

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Researchers at theUniversity of California, Riversidenamed a newly discovered worm species after Jeff Daniels' role in this movie. The worm,Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi,is one of only two known worms known to infect tarantulas.[21][22]

Merchandising

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Thevideo-game versionofArachnophobiawas released in May 1991 forAmiga,Amstrad CPC,Commodore 64andDOS.[23]Nicholas Edwards wrote a novelization of the film.[24]Hollywood Comics (an imprint ofDisney Comics) released a comic-book adaptation of the film, written byWilliam Rotslerwith art byDan Spiegle.The characters in the comic adaptation bear little resemblance to those in the film.

AnArachnophobiasoundtrack albumwas released on July 18, 1990. It includedTrevor Jones's instrumental music from the film, dialogue excerpts, and songs such as "Blue Eyes Are Sensitive to the Light" bySara Hickman,"Caught in Your Web (Swear to Your Heart)"byRussell Hitchcock,and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"byTony Bennett.

Remake

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On June 2, 2022, it was announced thatAtomic MonsterandAmblin Partnerswould produce a remake of the film. The film is expected to be co-produced byJames Wanand Michael Clear, executive produced byFrank Marshall(who directed the original film), and written and directed byChristopher Landon.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"AFI-Catalog".catalog.afi.Retrieved15 June2018.
  2. ^"Arachnophobia"(PDF).GamePro.No. 13. p. 15.
  3. ^abLeonard Maltin, ed.,Leonard Maltin's 2002 Movie & Video Guide.A Signet Book, 2001, p. 58.
  4. ^abMichael Walsh, "Less-than-terrific tension in this failed spider's web",The Province,Vancouver, British Columbia: July 22, 1990, pg. 85.
  5. ^Kenneth Turan and New York Times, "The spiders are No. 1 on this set; Working with a herd of erratic arachnids poses special problems for human actors",Edmonton Journal,April 15, 1990, pg. D5
  6. ^Kingdom of the Spiders/Fun Facts.The Deuce: Grindhouse Cinema Database,January 29, 2009; retrieved January 27, 2012.
  7. ^Page 44, November 2006 issue
  8. ^18 Creepy Facts about Arachnophobia.Mental Floss.
  9. ^Rick Gamble, "A stinging commentary",Expositor,Brantford, Ontario: April 22, 2006, pg. D7.
  10. ^Bill Provick, "Arachnophobia fun- for those who can stand it",The Ottawa Citizen,March 16, 1991, pg. G7.
  11. ^"Here are the top 40 money-making entertainers; Bill Cosby No. 1 at $60M a year",The Ottawa Citizen,September 18, 1990, pg. D7.
  12. ^"1990 "Domestic Grosses",Box Office Mojo;accessed May 19, 2006.
  13. ^D. Ansen, "A choice of chuckles",Newsweek,23 July 1990, vol. 116, issue 4, p. 64.
  14. ^Roger Ebert, "Arachnophobia",Chicago Sun-Times,July 18, 1990.
  15. ^"Arachnophobia (1990)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2022.RetrievedJune 23,2022.
  16. ^"Arachnophobia (1990)".Metacritic.Retrieved23 June2022.
  17. ^"Home".CinemaScore.Retrieved2022-10-08.
  18. ^Jennie Punter, "Hope 'Thrill-Omedies' Disappear as Fast as This Film",The Whig-Standard,July 27, 1990, pg. 1.
  19. ^"Past Saturn Awards".saturnawards.org.Archived fromthe originalon 1 June 2007.Retrieved8 June2007.
  20. ^"Twelfth Annual Youth in Film Awards".Young Artist Awards.Archived fromthe originalon 23 April 2016.
  21. ^Schurkman, Jacob; Anesko, Kyle; Abolafia, Joaquín; De Ley, Irma Tandingan; Dillman, Adler R. (2022-01-17)."Tarantobelus jeffdanielsin. sp. (Panagrolaimomorpha; Panagrolaimidae), a Nematode Parasite of Tarantulas ".Journal of Parasitology.108(1): 30–43.doi:10.1645/21-42.ISSN0022-3395.PMID35038325.S2CID246352651.
  22. ^Brandon Specktor published (2022-01-20)."Parasitic worm forces tarantulas to tiptoe, then starves them to death".livescience.Retrieved2022-01-29.
  23. ^""Arachnophobia".MobyGames.Accessed 6 April 2007.
  24. ^Arachnophobia,OpenLibrary.org; accessed February 11, 2012.
  25. ^Kit, Borys (2022-06-02)."Christopher Landon to Write, Direct 'Arachnophobia' Remake for Amblin Partners (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2022-06-03.
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