Eight Legged Freaks [Blu-ray]

Director: Ellory Elkayem Ellory Elkayem

Overview

In this throwback monster movie from producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Godzilla), David Arquette plays the son of a deceased mine owner, returning home to the economically depressed hamlet of Prosperity, AZ, after a long absence. His arrival coincides with a toxic waste accident in the local water supply, the result of a barrel jostled loose from the back of a passing truck. Unfortunately, said water source abuts the region's least-popular attraction: an exotic spider farm. The farm's owner (Tom Noonan) becomes the first victim when the spiders, already possessed of keen predatory abilities, grow to the size of small automobiles. Laying in wait underground, they begin picking off the town's pet and ostrich population, and soon it's all the local sheriff (Kari Wuhrer) can do to raise the alarm before the siege begins. Eight Legged Freaks was produced under the working title "Arac Attack," but the politically conscious producers, concerned the title sounded too much like "Iraq Attack," went with Arquette's brainstorm as a safer alternative.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/20/2021
UPC:	0826663218558
Original Release:	2002
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Shout Factory
Language:	English
Time:	1:39:00
Sales rank:	14,898

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

David Arquette	Chris McCormack
Kari Wuhrer	Sheriff Sam Parker
Scott Terra	Mike Parker
Doug E. Doug	Harlan Griffith
Scarlett Johansson	Ashley Parker
Rick Overton	Deputy Pete
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 the Truck Driver
Roy Gaintner	Floyd
Tom Noonan	Joshua Taft
Don Champlin	Leroy
David Waterman	Norman
Randi Klein	Waitress
Terey Summers	Waitress
John Ennis	Cop
Ryan Benson	Cop
The Bruiser	Himself
Damon Intrabartolo	Conductor
John Ottman	Composer

Technical Credits

Ellory Elkayem

Jesse Alexander

Ellory Elkayem	Director,Screenwriter
Jesse Alexander	Screenwriter
Karen E. Goulekas	Special Effects
Thomas Dadras	Special Effects
Bruce Berman	Producer
Dean Devlin	Producer
William Fay	Executive Producer
Peter Winther	Executive Producer
Roland Emmerich	Executive Producer
April Webster	Casting
Paula Rosenberg	Casting
Rick Miller	Stunts,Stunts
Gail Monian	Stunts
John Alden	Stunts
Jim Holley	Stunts
Leonard Suppes	Stunts
Tim Ryan	Key Grip
Ron Colucci	Special Effects
Robert "Lucky" Rieker	Special Effects
Andy Gill	Stunts
Patty Larkin	Stunts
Kelly Brown	Stunts
Michelle Ann Butler	Stunts
Kawena Cushingham	Stunts
Russell Tyrrell	Stunts,Special Effects
Nicholas Vachon	Stunts
Shelly Ward	Stunts
CFX/Das Werk	Special Effects
Pat Banta	Stunts
Dave Castillo	Stunts
Heather Broccoli	Stunts
"Mad" Mike Jones	Stunts
Julie Simpson	Stunts
Mark Varner	Stunts
Mark Franco	Executive Producer
Phil Fravel	Special Effects
Phil Gorrell	Special Effects
Mark Williams	Special Effects
John Hateley	Stunts
Eddie Hice	Stunts
Sherry Ham	Stunts
Brian Bennett	Stunts
Adley Brewer	Stunts
James M. Churchman	Stunts
Louie Franco	Stunts
Vicki Sims	Stunts
Peter Geoco	Sound/Sound Designer
Scott Wolf	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

A campy throwback to the "giant bug" movies of the '50s, Eight Legged Freaks employs top-flight special effects and tongue-in-cheek humor to bring this sci-fi subgenre up to date. And while director (and co-writer) Ellory Elkayem employs the self-referential dialogue and corny sight gags modern moviegoers have come to expect, he doesn't permit the buffoonery to take center stage. Eight Legged Freaks actually provides more scares and thrills than the drive-in-era "classics" it satirizes. The story unfolds in the sleepy desert town of Prosperity, Arizona, which is menaced by giant arachnids that have mutated through exposure to toxic waste. The local sheriff (Kari Wuhrer) and her teenage daughter (Scarlett Johansson) work to prevent a complete takeover by the bloodthirsty spiders, getting valuable help from Prosperity's prodigal son (David Arquette), who's just returned to his embattled hometown. Producer Dean Devlin, whose previous blockbusters include Independence Day, brings to this film considerable technical expertise, love for old-fashioned sci-fi flicks, and affection for the genre. The script follows a tried-and-true path but occasionally takes unexpected, hilarious detours. Elkayem walks the tightrope between humor and horror with perfect balance, and his actors go through their paces without condescending to the material, trusting the neophyte director to inject laughs where they'll be most effective. He succeeds admirably, making this medium-budget monster movie a rollicking romp you'll enjoy over and over again. The DVD edition sports a feature-length commentary by Elkayem, Devlin, Arquette, and supporting player Rick Overton; it also includes eight spider scenes deleted from the final cut, Elkayem's award-winning short film "Larger Than Life," and a featurette titled "Creepy Crawly Giants."

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

Classic '50s monster stuff.

Washington Post - Stephen Hunter

As green-guts monster movies go, it's a beaut.

Boston Globe