Product Details

• Actors: Ed Kemmer, June Kenney, Eugene Persson, Gene Roth, Hal Torey
• Directors: Bert I. Gordon
• Writers: Bert I. Gordon, George Worthing Yates, László Görög
• Producers: Bert I. Gordon, Henry Schrage, James H. Nicholson, Samuel Z. Arkoff
• Format: Closed-captioned, Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: January 10, 2006
• Run Time: 142 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BYA5IC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,318 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Cult Classics: Earth vs. the Spider/War of the Colossal Beast" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

EARTH VS THE SPIDER/WAR OF THE COLOSA - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creature Double Feature - sort of, December 1, 2005

By 

joseph Corey "party favors columnist" (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cult Classics: Earth vs. the Spider/War of the Colossal Beast (DVD)

First off, you might be wondering why this isn't the proper double feature - that being the Amazing Colossal Man and War of the Colossal Beast. Well for some odd reason, Sam Arkoff's estate has control of the second film and his AIP partner James Nicholson has the rights on the first film.

Both of the films were made by the amazing Bert I. Gordon. The "I" was for Incredible. Earth Vs. The Spider (1958 - 73m) all you have to know about this film - it's big spider. This was a busy year for Bert because he also gave us War of the Colossal Beast (1958 - 69m) - (along with Attack of the Puppet People - part of MGM's Midnite Movies series). We thought we saw the last of Col. Glenn Manning, a man who grew to 60 feet tall after getting too close to an atomic blast. But now he's back and not looking too good - he really should use more lotion.

Both of these films are Psychotronic gems. I remember seeing both Colossal films on Channel 56's Creature Double Feature in Boston. Do hope the Nicholson estate gets their titles onto high quality DVD releases.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I read the other reviews..., February 8, 2006

By 

R. Gawlitta "Coolmoan" (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Cult Classics: Earth vs. the Spider/War of the Colossal Beast (DVD)

American-International Studios made the most fun movies I can recall. Some even had sparks of genius, but almost all were entertaining. I didn't know that Nicholson & Arkoff had separate control over the various films. Certainly, AIP knew how to market their films, with the drive-in crowd, the brilliant Roger Corman doing Poe, and the Beach Party movies with Frankie and Annette. They even got an Oscar nomination once, for "Wild in the Streets" (Editing). They also had terrific product placement ads, like in "The Spider", promoting Puppet People; Dorothy Malone putting on a record (in "Beach Party") with an AIP label; and more. I agree that the Colossal Man movies should've been put together on a disc; the other "Cult Classics" DVD released by Lions Gate (How to Make a Monster/Blood of Dracula) was wonderful, and I hope they keep doing it. Perhaps now I understand why "Invasion of the Saucermen", "It Conquered the World", "The Day the World Ended", and, best of all, "Not of this Earth", haven't been released. I hope that Mr. Nicholson's estate lawyers will realize that there's a waiting public out here, and they can blood-suck the family quite a bit by suggesting they release these essential gems. Anyone else agree? UPDATE: "Day the World Ended" has been released on a double-bill with "The She-Creature", cheesy but fun. "Day/World Ended" is listed as AIP's FIRST film! Really good, too.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT TO HAVE THE SPIDER BACK, January 26, 2006

By 

A. C. Cronvich (Planet Zeist) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cult Classics: Earth vs. the Spider/War of the Colossal Beast (DVD)

This is a great giant monster on the loose movie. Originally it was titled simply "THE SPIDER" (The version I grew up with) but was retitled "EARTH VS. THE SPIDER" when it was sold to television in a package deal with "EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS". (The same thing happened when AIP sold "GAPPA: THE TRIPHIBIAN MONSTER" as "MONSTER FROM A PREHISTORIC PLANET" in a TV package with 'VOYAGE TO A PREHISTORIC PLANET" and "DESTROY ALL PLANETS" WITH DESTROY ALL MONSTERS". Get it?)
Anyway its a fun movie and its about as good, or maybe, dare I say it, even better than Universal's "TARANTULA".
It is also a shame that they couldn't pair 'WAR OF THE COLLOSAL BEAST" with AMAZING COLLASAL MAN" But those are the breaks, man.