Customer Reviews

Arachnid

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was in a schlocky mood last night, so I decided to catch Arachnid, which had a premise that sounded like schlocky fun. Well, I was about right. The movie's never really suspenseful or exciting, but it has enough icky moments and man vs. spider action to make it a watchable timewaster.

The story is about as silly as you'd expect, with a stealth fighter crashing into a spaceship, which crashlands on a small island. We actually get a brief glimpse at an alien that flickers in and out of transparency. Then it's killed by a giant spider. What the movie never makes clear is the spider's origin. Was it mutated by the spacecraft crash somehow, or was it on board the ship and was freed by the crash? Anyway, an expedition is formed to investigate a virus that came from that island. As a precaution, lots of guns are brought along, and you can sort of guess what happens from there.

I've always had a soft spot for horror films set on desolated jungle islands (Zombie, anyone?), so it's natural my curiosity would get the best of me with this film eventually. Arachnid was about on par with my expectations; basically, the story, acting, and direction are mostly second-rate, but the movie is sometimes enjoyable if you're in the right B-movie mood. And to director Jack Sholder's credit, he does try to use the island setting to as much of his advantage as possible.

The action scenes are pretty standard, which is a little surprising considering this is helmed by the man who gave us The Hidden, which had some fine action sequences. There's a lot of running around, getting stuck in webbing, and a few gun battles, but nothing spectacular by a long shot.

The effects are surprisingly not bad for a straight-to-video release. The giant spider is somewhat convincing, even if it only makes basic movements. Most of the effects appear animatronic, and I don't really recall much in the way of the CGI, barring the opening, of course.

The performances are nothing very notable, with Alex Reid coming off extremely annoying as the cocky pilot. Looking at the way she's dressed, it's obvious the filmmakers were aiming for some Tomb Raider parallels. Personally, I would have switched lead roles between her and Neus Asensi, who delivers a much better performance, and it doesn't hurt that she's hot, as well. Probably the only other actor worthy of note is Rasil Isyanov as a spider expert.

Arachnid is pretty much by-the-book. You know what you're getting if you actually decide to watch it, so to be disappointed by anything less would be rather foolish. Hey, the movie turned out to be slightly better (or a better way to put it would be more enjoyable) than I thought it would be.

Once again I find myself in the unenviable position of having to write a review about a creature gone amok movie. Well, not really "unenviable" since I covertly enjoy watching filmmakers try, and ultimately fail, to replicate the success of Spielberg's "Jaws" some thirty years after that movie arrived on theater screens. Show me a DVD case with a picture of a shark, spider, insect, snake, or assorted other beastie looming large over a gaggle of frightened humans and I'm there with bells on. Really. I can't seem to get enough of these cheesy films. I don't even bother reading the plot synopsis anymore; it's straight to the checkout line with membership card in hand followed by a rapid retreat to the homestead for a quick viewing. Of course, these films don't scare me anymore. In fact, I doubt that they ever did. I watch them in order to laugh myself silly at the onscreen shenanigans, the cardboard cutout yet archetypical characters, and generous heapings of gore. So here we go again, if you're willing to ride along with me, as I attempt to put together a coherent review of Jack Sholder's 2001 movie "Arachnid." Thanks for coming along!

"Arachnid" opens with an extraterrestrial event, namely some mysterious craft hovering out over the ocean examining wildlife or something. The craft is tricked out in some sort of camouflage so mere earthlings can't see it, but the pilot of a stealth plane runs into it anyway and both vehicles promptly crash on a remote island. Both pilots survive long enough to fall prey to some sort of gigantic spider beastie. The end. O.k., not really. Then the movie moves ahead some time to an airfield where the sister of the aforementioned pilot, a chick named Mercer (Alex Reid), learns from local doctors that some downright sinister shenanigans are unfolding on a nearby island. One thing leads to another--or something like that--and soon a team of disparate souls heads off to the island to launch an investigation. Mercer agrees to fly the plane (she wants to find her brother), and she's joined by a military guy named Valentine (Chris Potter), Dr. Samuel Leon (Jose Sancho), his sidekick Susana (Neus Asensi), a spider scientist named Henry Capri (Ravil Issyanov), Bear (Rocqueford Allen), and a bunch of other cannon fodder types. Sure enough, Mercer's plane crashes on the same island we saw in the introduction. Who cares how they get there, though, as long as the killing starts. Unfortunately, we have to wait awhile.

All these dolts start trooping around the jungle looking for a native village. Sholder and company toss in a bunch of false scares, like Mercer's leg caught in a hole, to keep our spirits up until the sauce starts to flow. Fortunately, disaster strikes when one of Valentine's compatriots falls prey to some sort of tick that burrows its way deep into his body. Ouch! It's only the beginning, however, as our cast of characters soon learn that the whole island is crawling with unpleasant things. Take the tick, for example. Once the group finds the native village--deserted, predictably enough--the little beastie decides to dig its way out of this poor schlep's body. From here on out the deaths come fast and furious. The spider shows up and wreaks bloody havoc on several members of the group, spinning these huge, sticky webs drenched in some sort of nerve killing agent. "Arachnid" rapidly devolves into a series of shoot 'em up encounters with the nasty things on the island as the diminishing band of survivors tries to survive. The spider itself makes a last stand in a cave in a series of scenes so cheesy as to defy description. It's fun!

And it really is a lot of fun, despite the number of flaws displayed for all to see. I liked most of the characters, surprisingly, especially the spider scientist. Here's a guy remarkably devoted to his scientific endeavors, so much so that he records a running commentary concerning his own unfortunate demise. A Nobel winner in the making! The gore in "Arachnid" works, too. That tick scene is definitely gross and head and shoulders above a lot of what you'll see in flicks like this one. Just as there is good here, however, there is also bad. Special effects, especially CGI effects, are tough to carry off with a low budget, and nowhere is this more apparent than in "Arachnid." The opening scenes involving the extraterrestrial craft reek of cheese, as do the situations with the spider in the cave. It's so obvious--painfully, avert your eyes to avoid the shame obvious--that they just laid an image of the spider over the film and left it at that. Oh well. Everyone associated with the film must have known this sucker wasn't going to pull in big bucks at the theater (if it had a theatrical run). They probably relied on people like me to rent it for a night. Who cares where the money comes from as long as it's green, right?

Extras consist of a trailer, production notes, and a photo gallery. A commentary track would actually be a nice addition considering that the director, Jack Sholder, has quite the reputation in the horror/science fiction field for lensing "The Hidden." How he went from that picture to stuff like "Arachnid" is, unfortunately, not that rare of an occurrence in Tinseltown. The answer comes in two parts: a guy's gotta eat, and it's far better to direct schlock like this film than it is to go out and find a real job. Anyway, you'll watch "Arachnid" if you're a creature feature lover like me. If not, you won't. Simple, isn't it?

This is simply a bad movie. This creature feature genre of film has been better done by others. This one is almost painful to watch. Each minute of running time seems like hours.

The premise is simple. Aliens from another planet land on a remote island. One manages to infect some of the insects on the island with its DNA, causing them to mutate in some unknown way. The island's native population starts to die off. Concerned doctors fly to the island, accompanied by some guerilla soldiers, to check up on the health of the natives, only to crash land on the island and find that they are too late to help its inhabitants. Moreover, an electro-magnetic field blankets the island, cutting off communication with the outside world. It then becomes a struggle for survival, as all become prey for the giant killer spiders, as well as other mutated insects, that dot the island.

This is a film with the screenplay from hell. Poorly plotted with sub plots that defy logic, much of the film consists of the various disposable characters doing something stupid, which results in their getting killed in some noxious way. The cheesy, stilted dialogue is third rate, as is the acting and special effects.

Quite frankly, I do not know whether the actors will survive the release of this film. They must now be in South America undergoing plastic surgery, so as to avoid affiliation with this film and get a fresh start. The director must be claiming demonic possession as the sole reason for having done this film. There can be no other explanation.

If you want a creature feature with some pizazz, as well as laughs, see the low budget flick, "Empire of the Ants", starring Joan Collins.

ARACHNID was pure entertainment and never claimed to be any thing else.

Giant spiders? ya'll should meet them. See how far you run.
Silly gal looking for her brother. Most plausible.
Natives did a good job. Just enough skin not to be obnoxious.
I liked Chris Potter [only reason I bought it] after seeing him in a Harlequin Romance movie - excellent acting there.
Enjoyed the idiots getting killed off. Some gorgeous scenary - chuckle action - nasty gorge -- all in all pretty decent entertainment. <g>

Seeing is believing -

Poor Jack Sholder. He directs one of the finest sci-fi films of recent years (THE HIDDEN) and now he goes straight to video in this laughably scary movie. You have to credit Chris Potter (Valentine) and Alex Reid (Mercer)--at least they spoke English. Sholder manages to stage the spider sequences effectively but everything else is derivative nonsense. For a movie of this kind, the special effects are passable, but there should have been more spider contact. And of course, the ending smells for a sequel? Didn't I read somewhere that there is an Arachnid 2? Oh, well, for a ninety minutes of frivolous popcorn fun, settle for this 50's B movie.

Arachnid has a group of scientists coming to the aid of a South Pacific island's residents, who are being menaced by strange bugs (which appear to be from outer space, or some parallel dimension, the film's interior logic is flawed, to say the least). The group becomes trapped and, one by one, the supporting cast members fall prey to nasty bugs of all shapes and sizes. Genre veteran Jack Shoulder (Alone in the Dark, The Hidden, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge) keeps the pace swift and tension passable. This movie won't win any awards, but it's a nifty little addition to the creature feature genre.

Give this flick its dues..creatures were believable, the victims were cheezzy to silly, to you couldn't wait for the spider to kill them..Good creature designs for non-CGI. yeppuurrr the use of your mind and hands to produce actual physical art.
Easy 4 Star B-Monster flic, I enjoyed it..

Arachnid: 7 of 10: Maybe it's the puppets that I liked. It is nice to see a movie made in the 21st century that does not use horrible shiny CGI for its creatures. (It does use horrible shiny CGI for its alien spaceships.) Arachnid is all the better for its retro monster.


This is a true six-pack toke them if you got them B movie. Arachnid is a European production with decent location shooting, an international cast (half-horrible and unintelligibly dubbed), and a real B movie budget unlike those $10 Z movie digital camcorder pretenders.


It is all off course a bit predictable. (If you cannot figure out two of the survivors at the end turn in your monster movie-watching card now.) In addition, despite a lot of fodder (always a good sign) to many deaths seem off screen or at least over a little quickly. The movie also could have used some gratuitous nudity (If young thing Alex Reid was not willing at least allow Spanish star Neus Asensi to release those puppies as she has done in the past.)


Those quibbles aside, I could not help but cheer when the puppeteers took the Volkswagen sized spider out for the spin in the second half of the movie. Of course you enjoyment may depend on what you consumed during the first half.

For as much trouble as I went through to watch Arachnid (2001), I really can't say it was worth it...let me explain...I ordered the DVD from Amazon a few weeks ago, and finally got around to watching it, only to discover the encoding was all messed up. I notified Amazon, and they promptly sent a replacement (free of charge), which I received last night...at least the customer service was good...if not the movie itself...the film, directed by Jack Sholder, who showed promise way back with his 1987 film The Hidden, but has yet to impress me with any subsequent releases, stars Chris Potter (whom I had a hard time placing, until I remembered he starred, along with David Carradine, in the short lived TV show Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. Also appearing in the film is Alex Reid, in her first feature role, Ravil Issyanov (he also appeared in the wretched 2000 film Octopus), and a handful of Hispanic actors I didn't recognize (the film was produced in Mexico and Spain). One of the main reason I was interested in seeing this movie was due to the fact Brian Yunza (Re-Animator, Return of the Living Dead III, Dagon) is listed as a producer, and his work is usually entertaining.

As the film begins, we witness a CGI (computer generated image) stealth fighter zipping along, intercepting a worse looking CGI flying object, to which they collide, both crashing into the South American jungle. What this has to do with the rest of the film isn't revealed for a while, and then when it is, it's pretty vague. Anyway, this leads into a plot about an expedition into the jungle to aid and investigate a remote village suffering from odd and deadly ailments received from bites from unknown sources. Handling the security for the team is Valentine (Potter), an ex-marine, now more or less mercenary for hire. The group contracts a local pilot named Mercer (played by Reid, who, incidentally, looks a lot like 80's teen pop star Tiffany), and she seems more than willing to take the job, and we find out later she had her reasons. The group flies, and then crashes (good piloting, Mercer) to the area in question, and while there are no natives about, they are most certainly not alone (you're never alone in the jungle, but in this case there's all kinds of creepy mutations running around). Soon the team, who were on a mission of mercy and discovery, find themselves in a struggle to survive, and being picked off one by one by the very thing they came to investigate. What's the true nature of the hideous menace that's over taken the jungle? I'll give you a hint...it's big, hairy, has eight legs, and likes to spin webs...

Arachnid was an okay film, despite some huge flaws, two of the largest being the plot and the dialogue. The film was written by Mark Sevi, a person who seems to specialize in capitalizing off the ideas of others as most of his prior work consists of rotten sequels to so-so films, including Ghoulies IV (1994), Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994), Dream a Little Dream 2 (1995) and so on...the plot has little direction (seriously, it's all over the place, and is full of vagaries as to annoy without end), and the dialogue is pretty much the pits, creating some really insipid characters (one of them, a native guide, is actually named Toe Boy...might as well have called him Toe Jam), wasting the talents of some of the actors involved. Potter, as the character Mercer, does alright, as do many of the actors here (the Spanish actor who played the older doctor had an accent so thick I rarely understood what he was saying, but it didn't really matter as his character was presented as such a jerkhole you know he's going to get kakked), but their characters are pathetic. Seriously, I wouldn't hire Mercer to lead a Girl Scout troop...he had absolutely no control over the team he was supposed to be in charge of, and they would often wander off, for whatever reason, allowing for various killings to take place. Also, how in the heck are you going to run out of ammunition after going through one clip? Packing lightly is usually a good thing, but if you're going to bother bringing some heavy ordinance, at least pack a few extra clips moron. My favorite bad scene is when he's firing on a creature, runs of out of ammo, picks up a machete and charges the giant beast, running right into the line of fire of the others in his party. This guy wouldn't have lasted a minute in the real military...the weakest performance was by Reid (clad similarly to Angelina Jolie's character from the film Tomb Raider), especially during her `emotional' scenes...but since this was her first film, I'm willing to cut her some slack (I would have been willing to cut her a whole lot more if she popped her top). There's no nekkidness, but lots of sweaty cleavage. The special effects were actually decent, especially that large, eight-legged beastie. There's a bit more gore than I would have thought (gratuitous puking, exploding eyeballs), but it's limited to a few sequences, so if you're a fan of that sort of thing, you may find your patience rewarded. All in all the film suffers from a weak and predictable (can you guess all the characters who won't make it to the end of the film? I did...) plot, and inherently lame dialog, but features passable acting, and decent special effects. It's worth a look if you like bug films, but you'd be better off checking out Spiders (2000), or Eight Legged Freaks (2002) first.

The wide screen picture (1.85:1) looks from Lions Gate Entertainment looks good, with decent Dolby Digital 5.0 audio. Special features include trailers for this film, and two others including Risk (2000), and Spiders (2000).

Cookieman108

I don't know if its just me, but it seems the past couple of months have been BIG-BUG movie crazy. What with SPIDERS, EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS and THEY NEST, B-Movie producers have jumped on the creature feature bandwagon with a vengeance. Now, comes ARACHNID.

Produced by the great Brian Yuzna (he, responsible for the classic RE-ANIMATOR and SOCIETY) and directed by Jack Sholder, this movie had potential. On a good day, Jack Sholder can deliver the goods with gems like THE HIDDEN, but on a bad day just witness the king-stinkers that are WISHMASTER 2 and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2. Unfortuanately, for the producers of ARACHNID, Mr. Sholder was having a really bad day when he was filming this one. For all of the movies good intentions, it ultimately fails to deliver on any level  it isn't cheesy enough, fun or scary  just dull.

The story is simple. A viral outbreak on a remote island brings together a team of doctors, soldiers, etc to investigate. The main culprit is a probable spider bite from a previously unkown form of arachnid. Unkown to them, but shown to us in the opening reel, the actual arachnid is an alien being that has crash landed on earth. Thrown into the mix is hard as nails pilot Alex Reid who has a secret (haven't they all?) and Chris Potter as the Indiana Jones-esque hero of the piece, who quite shockingly takes a shine to the spunky Reid. Together, they fight their way through 90 minutes of tedium. Most of the cast show up to become either covered in spider webs or just dragged into the jungle by an assortment of Steve Johnson effects work (which is quite effective on what is obviously a low budget). Infact, the actual main spider of the title is excellent  a cross between Johnson's own SIL design from SPECIES and a Starship Trooper bug. The problems arise when the arachnid is asked to move around and attack. The jerky movements come across as lumbering and awkward  as it ultimately becomes as menacing as a paper bag.

The direction is lifeless and lacks energy. This kind of film needed to be fast moving, funny and self aware. Instead, we get a dull ALIENS retread with stock characters (The tough female. The foul-mouthed commando. The expert who meets his fate at the hands of the creature he so admires. The dashing hero who . . etc.) and played out scenarios that put the cast in stupid situations. It really is a big shame, as the talent behind the camera is excellent (and in front  all of the cast are very good), its just that the finished product resembles another in the long line of creature-amok films that clog up video stores everywhere. Am I missing something? That wasn't the point, was it?

The disc (this refers to the UK Mosaic Movies release  I'm not sure what the US disc offers) adds a trailer and a boring photo gallery. (Gee, thanks for the extras!). The picture is fine, with sharp cinematography adding an expensive look to the movie. Infact, all-in-all, ARACHNID is an okay time-waster with nothing special or inventive up its sleeve  just a well filmed, nicely polished flick with above average anamatronic effects. If you like big monster movies, then maybe give it a whirl. It's not too bad  just frustratingly average.