Arachnophobia [Blu-ray]

Overview

Referring to the fear of spiders, Arachnophobia features a particularly deadly species of spider that manages to make its way from the Venezuelan rain forest to a small California town, thanks to the many oversights of entomologist Julian Sands. Yuppie doctor Jeff Daniels, fed up with the dangers inherent in big-city living, has resettled in this town on the assumption that nothing untoward could ever happen here to himself and his family. Before long, however, Daniels is trying to make sense of a series of sudden deaths-and to figure out why each of the corpses has been drained of blood. The audience, of course, knows that the culprits are those pesky South American spiders, which grow larger with each kill. To make matters worse, Jeff Daniels suffers from a profound case of arachnophobia. John Goodman supports the cast as a slovenly exterminator, and Frank Marshall, longtime producer of Steven Spielberg's films, makes his directorial debut in Arachnophobia.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/25/2012
UPC:	0786936826623
Original Release:	1990
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:45:00
Sales rank:	9,599

Special Features

Production featurette; Frank Marshall featurette; Venezuela Sequence

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jeff Daniels	Actor
Harley Jane Kozak	Molly Jennings
John Goodman	Delbert McClintock
Julian Sands	James Atherton
Stuart Pankin	Parsons
Brian McNamara	Chris Collins
Mark L. Taylor	Jerry Manley,Actor
Henry Jones	Dr. Sam Metcalf,Irv's Assistant
Peter Jason	Henry Beechwood
James Handy	Milton Briggs
Roy Brocksmith	Irv Kendall
Kathy Kinney	Blaire Kendall
Mary Carver	Margaret Hollins
Marlene Katz	Shelley Jennings
Mike Fenton	Actor
Jane Marla Robbins	Edna Beechwood
Valorie Massalas	Actor
Theo Schwartz	Bunny Beechwood
Cori Wellins	Becky Beechwood
Chance Boyer	Bobby Beechwood
Robert Zajonc	Reserve pilot
Brandy	Brandy Beechwood
Frances Bay	Evelyn Metcalf
Warren Rice	Dick Manley
Robert Frank Telfer	Mayor Bob
Fiona Walsh	Little Girl
Terese Del Piero	Mom
Nathaniel Spitzley	Todd Miller
Jay Scorpio	Mover
Garette Ratliff Henson	Tommy Jennings
Mai-Lis Kuniholm	Girl Friend
Lois DeBanzie	Henrietta Manley

Technical Credits

Don Jakoby

Wesley Strick

Al Williams

Frank Marshall	Director,Executive Producer
Kathleen Kennedy	Producer
Steven Spielberg	Executive Producer
Matt Sweeney	Special Effects
Richard Vane	Producer
Chris Walas	Special Effects
Chuck Waters	Stunts
Don Jakoby	Screenwriter
Wesley Strick	Screenwriter
Clarke Coleman	Stunts
Al Williams	Screenwriter
Robert W. Cort	Producer
Ted Field	Producer
Craig Barron	Special Effects
Jane Alden	Sound Effects
Kevin Bartnof	Sound Effects
Ellen Blain	Sound Effects
James Ashwill	Sound Effects
Ed Bannon	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

This giggly big-budget horror film manages to mix thrills and laughs better than most and features nifty special effects from Chris Walas and Matt Sweeney. Arachnophobia is a fun throwback to the bug films of the 1950s and 1970s, but lacks either the Cold War paranoia of the former or the ecological awareness of the latter. Thus, the film blissfully stays at the creepy-crawly level without even the rudimentary depth of the classic ecokill movies. It may not be as campily enjoyable as Kingdom of the Spiders, but it has its moments. Director Frank Marshall and the cast (especially John Goodman as a gung-ho exterminator) are obviously having fun with the material, and the photography is marvelous. This is a great movie for Halloween, and, despite some mild gore, it is fun for children as well. This is the scariest spider movie ever made, however, so if you have a weakness for furry eight-legged horrors with sharp venomous fangs, be forewarned.

All Movie Guide - Robert Firsching